SCRIB3D P1 Review

The SCRIB3D P1 makes sense if you’re an adult who wants to try small plastic crafts without spending much. Its adjustable temperature, speed slider and starter materials give you useful control for the money. The catch is handling: getting a decent drawing doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll enjoy holding the pen through a whole project.

I’d consider it for occasional stencil work, but I wouldn’t choose it for long drawing sessions or as a child’s gift. Conflicting age instructions and a reported comfort problem make those harder recommendations. For adults, the MYNT3D Super is the closest alternative worth considering.

Getting started with the P1

The P1 melts a thin strand of plastic, called filament, which you guide by hand as it comes out. You can trace flat shapes and build upward with more plastic. It doesn’t take a digital file and print an object automatically.

The standard kit includes three colors of PLA filament, a power adapter and a stencil guide. It needs a power cable throughout use, so allow room for that cable beside your drawing surface.

To start, connect the supplied adapter, select PLA or ABS to match your plastic, and press Forward to heat the pen. The display shows the selected and current temperatures. Wait for the green ready light before feeding filament into the back. Double-clicking Forward enables continuous feeding; Reverse withdraws filament for changes. Follow the included instructions for the full sequence.

The P1 supports 1.75 mm PLA and ABS, but diameter alone doesn’t make every refill suitable. SCRIB3D’s one-year warranty excludes unapproved filament and purchases from unauthorized sellers. Before buying a large third-party spool, ask SCRIB3D whether it’s approved. Don’t assume a refill is covered just because it fits.

Drawing simple projects with the P1

For a first project, I’d start with one of the supplied stencils. Following an outline gives you one less thing to think about while learning to coordinate your hand with the plastic flow.

In one reported jigsaw-piece exercise, the P1 produced manageable flow, useful layering and few stray plastic threads. The tester struggled to grip it and reach the spaced-out controls without accidental stops, though practice helped. A successful jigsaw piece doesn’t tell you how well it handles intricate sculpture.

A separate video reviewer described three attempts at a Batman logo using the included black PLA, with the pen initially set to 180°C. He wasn’t happy with his first freehand result, then reported a better shape after tracing a reference. Paper stuck to one attempt, and he still needed to trim stray strands. Those spoken observations show the learning involved; they don’t establish a measured level of detail or an uninterrupted session length.

The speed slider lets you adjust how quickly plastic comes out instead of choosing only a fast or slow setting. That’s useful when switching between an outline and filling its center. With continuous feeding, you don’t have to keep the button pressed while you draw a line.

Those controls give you options, but they can’t guide your hand. Expect some uneven lines while you learn. If reaching buttons while keeping a steady grip is already difficult for you, I’d prioritize a pen you can comfortably hold over another temperature setting or extra starter colors.

Heat, comfort and buying the P1 for a child

The P1’s nozzle gets hot enough to melt plastic and mustn’t be touched. A separate concern is heat reaching the area where you hold it.

The jigsaw tester reported discomfort after roughly 5–10 minutes, including warmth near the start/stop control. This was a subjective account without measured surface temperatures. It doesn’t establish a safe time limit or show that every P1 has a defect. It does make me cautious about recommending the pen for lengthy projects.

Don’t plan around a supposed ten-minute allowance. If the grip becomes uncomfortable, stop using the pen and contact support. Unplug it when you’re finished and let the nozzle cool completely before storage. Keep the hot tip away from anything flammable.

For a child’s gift, the age guidance is a more decisive problem. SCRIB3D’s product page says 14+, but the manual linked from its own getting-started page says adult use only and to keep it away from children. Until SCRIB3D resolves that conflict for the version you’re buying, I wouldn’t recommend the P1 for a minor, including a teenager. Adult supervision doesn’t resolve contradictory manufacturer instructions.

For a child aged 6–13, I’d choose the 3Doodler Start+, which is designed for that age group and has cordless operation and no external hot parts. It needs its own Start+ Eco-Filament; your P1 PLA and ABS refills won’t transfer. Check which Start+ version you’re buying, since an upgraded model is now listed alongside the older one.

For adult use, start with the included PLA and work somewhere well ventilated. PLA generally emits fewer particles than ABS when heated in filament printing, but that doesn’t make it emission-free. Ventilation still matters for a small craft pen used close to your face.

Choosing the P1 or another pen

The P1 is cheaper than the SCRIB3D Advanced in the brand’s standard pen range. The Advanced adds a shaped comfort grip and retains adjustable speed and an LCD. Its grip is the meaningful reason to consider spending more; the P1 already gives you temperature and flow controls. An ergonomic claim alone doesn’t establish cooler handling or greater durability, though.

The MYNT3D Super sits in a similar budget category. It has a continuous speed slider and PLA/ABS support, but no display or the P1’s button-based temperature adjustment. The P1 tester preferred its handling and filament changes. I’d lean toward the Super if those matter more to you than seeing the temperature, while treating that preference as a limited comparison.

The more expensive 3Doodler Flow offers fast/slow feed buttons, a temperature display and interchangeable nozzles. It accepts 1.75 mm PLA and ABS, including suitable third-party filament, so don’t confuse its refill requirements with the Start+. Its nozzle options and two-year manufacturer warranty are concrete reasons to pay more. Neither proves it will make a better drawing in your hands.

One Reddit owner praised the P1’s consistent feeding, but gave no measured results over time. That doesn’t tell you how many years it will last, and isolated complaints don’t establish a widespread fault.

Choose the P1 if you’re an adult drawn to inexpensive stencil projects and visible temperature control. If comfortable handling is your first concern, I’d give the MYNT3D Super priority; for a younger child, choose a pen explicitly designed for their age.