Karas Kustoms - New Tumbled Finish for Render K, Bolt, and Retrakt

January 8, 2014

If you've been following the blog for awhile you'll have seen several posts about my friends over at Karas Kustoms and the incredible pens they produce. If you've been holding out to buy a pen from them I'd definitely say give it a go sooner than later.

Karas Kustoms Tumbled Finish Render K Bolt Retrakt Pen Review

I wanted to draw some attention to a new finish that they are thinking of offering on their pens which they are simply referring to as the "tumbled" editions. They made some samples of all three of their current pens: the Render K, The Bolt, and The Retrakt. Bill Karas was kind enough to provide me with a couple of these as samples (I believe I paid him for the Bolt though...haha), so thanks for letting me give these a go.

The aluminum versions of their pens have been available in a "silver" raw (or clear anodized) version which is probably my absolute favorite, the G2 Render K topping the list. When I saw these new tumbled versions I was pretty excited as I think they turned out great.

The new finish gives the pens a different, matte finish that looks killer. I refer to it as the "Mad Max" finish as it reminds me of something you'd see in some post-apocalyptic flick where everything has been aged and worn, but looks awesome. I don't like the idea of that for all of my pens, but on Karas Kustoms' line of industrial/modern pens it is a winner in my opinion.

If you're not the type to enjoy a more "beat up" look to your stuff, this finish may not be for you, but for those that like a cool broken-in finish this might be right up your alley. It gives the pens a definite new look and feel that is pretty sweet.

If you think this is an offering that the guys should do, give them a shout out on Twitter or contact them through their site directly. Let your voice be heard!

They even made a Speedster in the tumbled finish which I had to get...

INK Reminder

I also want to give a quick shout out to their current Kickstarter campaign for INK, their new fountain pen offering. Only a few days left to pledge if you haven't already. There are several reviews out and about from not only myself, but Ed Jelley, Well-Appointed Desk, The Pen Addict, and From the Pen Cup (my personal favorite...).

EiMIM Z Bead Blasted Finish (EiMIM now Tactile Turn) - Pen Review

January 6, 2014

Before diving into the review I first want to give enabler credit where enabler credit is due...

Thank you Clint Robison of goodthingsdonewell.com for posting your thoughts and review of the EiMIM Z as it pushed me over the edge to buy one. Your mention of the 25% off deal through January also helped! Great review and thanks again! Even pen bloggers can be swayed to buy...

The Kickstarter campaign for Will Hodges' EiMIM X, Y, and Z pens successfully funded in August and delivery of the rewards started rolling in last month. Will was able to make these pens available right away on his site which is how I was able to get one so quickly since I missed pledging on this one. In retrospect I wish I'd been able to officially back this project.

I really love machined pens and have a certain expectation of them I suppose, but I can say confidently that the Z has surpassed my expectations greatly and I give some major kudos to Will for creating a fantastic product.

His X, Y, and Z pens have a very unique design that I'd imagine people either love or hate. Not a criticism, but the barrels are very minimal without taper and the cap comes to a blunt point...but there is a reason for that. Personally I enjoy the simplistic look to these pens. I opted for the bead blasted machined finish with the steel clip. The matte look created by the bead blasting only adds to the minimalist design of the pen. It isn't shiny which allows the form of the pen to be viewed without heavily catching the light and I find this pleasant.

One thing Will is very keen on is hiding seams in his pens. The Z has what I would consider to be "grip" along the entire barrel of the pen which consists of tightly machined lines (likely one long spiral) literally about 1/32" apart. Visually you can tell something is there, but they are close enough to appear to be one uniform texture. I've shown this pen to several friends and every single one of them was unsure how to open it. Is it a clicker or a twist? The Z is actually a capped pen, but the cap is so well concealed it is astounding.

There is one thing about the pen that I think could be given a second look, that being the threading to take the cap on and off. It appears to be a single thread (I may be wrong) which sometimes makes finding the sweet spot to close it tough. If these threads could be adjusted to a longer section with triple threads it would make it a bit easier. Literally, only gripe.

The cap is only about an inch or so long and the reason it comes to a blunt point (as discussed earlier) is so that it can seat in the end of the pen where there is a concave point of the same dimensions. Inside the cap and end are magnets that pull holds the cap in place.

The magnets are just strong enough to hold the pieces comfortably together, but don't require a set of vise grips to pull them apart. The pointed end makes it easy for the cap to "pop" into place while writing. I've noticed that there is some wear going on where the cap seats on the end of the pen which is likely accentuated by the matte finish, but we'll see how it holds up over time. The other finishes may not show this as much as quickly.

The clip is sturdy and bent out of a solid piece of sprung steel. The clip is attached to the pen via a cap that allows for access to refill changes which also holds an internal spring (to adjust for refill length). The clip has a ring on it that makes it easy to take it on and off as you please. Taking off the spring makes the pen very minimalist in style and coupled with the magnetic base you can buy separate (shown in image below), it turns a pocket pen into an interesting desk pen.

The refill that comes pre-filled in the pen is the Pilot G2 0.38mm in black ink which is a very fine tip, but a good one. The Z can fit many of your favorite "Pilot G2 sized" refills like the Signo 207, Energel, Precise RT to name a few.

I'm going to say again that this pen truly surpassed my expectations and I think it is excellent.

Kaweco ART Sport Fountain Pen - Alabaster Finish

January 1, 2014

You are likely familiar with the Kaweco Classic Sport, AL Sport, and maybe even the AC Sport (reviewed by Gourmet Pens), but up until the recent posts about the ART Sport by my friends Brad Dowdy and Ed Jelley you may not have even heard of it.

Kaweco ART Sport Fountain Pen Alabaster  Review

By perusing kaweco-pen.com previously I had seen them prior to the reviews, but finding a retailer that carried them seemed to be a chore as the US retailers (or even Cult Pens in the UK) didn't stock them. Strange, right?

The Kaweco ART Sport is similar in size to the others mentioned, but instead of being made from aluminum or plastic, the barrels and caps are machined from a variety of exquisite acrylic colors and styles. The fellas each reviewed the Amber edition which is a coppery, gold, and rich brown finish that when put in the right lighting shows almost a patchwork of beautiful colors and textures. Quite fantastic really.

Kaweco was kind enough to send me an ART Sport also to "try before I buy" included with their care package of samples and I ultimately ended up purchasing this pen from them.

The finish I requested and received is called Alabaster and is a stunning white marble acrylic and the material is beautiful to say the least. Similar to the Amber finish, the Alabaster is also made up of what appears to be a meld of a mix of pieces in solid white, cloudy white, and, in the right lighting, some silvery reflective pieces. Like a lovely white marble or a white stone. The barrel is polished so soft and smooth it is like glass and feels incredibly comfortable. I don't have many acrylic pens, but this one prompts me to want more.

The Alabaster finish is one of the ART models that received gold accents in the nib and cap emblem, but some of the others received silver. I think with this particular one, the silver could have been pulled off beautifully as it would have accented the pieces in the barrel, but the gold is ok. It is a little "glam" if that makes sense, but fits. I showed this pen to a friend of mine that said he didn't know if he could pull off a pen as fancy looking as this one...

Upon receiving the ART I was instantly a bit worried about its durability as it is very light and machined very thin in parts, particularly where the grip/nib section attaches to the barrel. With very subtle pressure on that section I can feel some flex in the material. WIth the AL Sports or the Classics I'd have no problem tossing one in my pocket (not the pocket with my keys though...), but with these I would have anxiety about damaging it.

Shown here with small pen sleeve from One Star Leather Goods

In discussing this concern with my good friend Keegan from One Star Leather Goods, he developed a solution for me that he now offers as a permanent selection from his store. His small pen sleeve has also been reviewed by Ed Jelley which he also uses with his ART Sport. I now use my small pen sleeve anytime I carry a Kaweco Sport, ART or not. The price point on the sleeves are very reasonable and quality made. Give them a look for your Sports you want to protect from damage.

My ART came loaded with an extra fine nib and wrote well out of the gates. With Kaweco nibs, I've found that medium is about my max before the writing experience starts to diminish. The B and BB nibs I've tried just don't seem to flow very well. The EF and F are superb (the F being the sweet spot) and would be my recommendation for a good daily writer.

The ART Sports are actually the most expensive of the line coming in around $130 US which, frankly, might be a lot for this pen in my opinion. It is beautiful (striking really), but I can't say I would really push someone to buy one. An AL Sport for $75? You bet. I'll try to sell people on those all day as they are absolutely worth it. The ART would be a good buy if you are wanting something VERY unique from the line. This would not a be a wise purchase simply for durability or utilitarian purposes, but I know for the right person they would be completely pleased with this pen.

Now, the bad news if you were itching to get one. In my recent correspondence with Kaweco they discussed with me the likelihood that the ART Sport line is on its way out due to slow sales in comparison to the other models. My argument to this is that marketing has been very limited inside the US specifically, but I know it's been difficult for Kaweco to get themselves rooted over here due to distributer troubles. The Kaweco presence, although strong in our small pen-nerd niche, is not very mainstream in the US outside of retailers like JetPens. Even my local pen shop, Scottsdale Pen, doesn't carry them (although he carried the ICE Sport for a short time). Even with my opinion on price, I find it sad that the ART may be on its way out because it didn't really get a fair shake.

My opinion personally on this pen is that it is a pleasure to write with due to the unique and refined finish and I know I'll enjoy it. It is very different than nearly all of my pens as the acrylic finish with gold accents is outside my normal "style", but is a nice change. Let's just say it's opened my eyes to new possibilities.

If you were interested in purchasing an ART, my recommendation would be to contact Kaweco directly to see where the best place to get one from in your area would be. Kaweco informed me that the Amber editions reviewed by Brad and Ed are out of stock and unlikely to be manufactured further (although they might have ONE more), but others may be available.

***Update***

I was given a website for Canadian (and possibly US) readers to visit called Stylus Fine Pens as they have the ART listed as an offering. Here is a link to their ART Sport page. Thanks Dave!