Monteverde One Touch Tool - Fountain Pen Review

I first want to thank the guys over at Pen Chalet for sponsoring this review.  Although they are an online based retailer (for now), they are actually local to me and I was able to meet them in person.  Great guys and they have a large selection of pens from your more practical needs up to some really high-end stuff.  Whatever you're looking for across the board, they are likely to have something in stock.

Also, they let me know that they've setup a promo code for readers of The Clicky Post for 10% off any order through February.  Just use the promo code CLICKY10 at checkout for the added discount.  Aren't you all lucky?...  Definitely peruse their site to see if something fits your fancy. 

The pen they sent over to me has seen some reviews recently, the Monteverde One Touch Tool.  Needless to say, this thing definitely stands out in a crowd.  Think of it as a pen-meets-Swiss Army knife of sorts, but in the scope of construction, wood working, or tinkering.

The reason it is called the tool pen is because this pen is jammed full of functionality.  The entire barrel itself is a ruler; actually, several rulers...four to be exact.  They've neatly placed four different scales on the facetted sides of the barrel so it can lay flat across a surface while measuring.  Tucked into the barrel of the pen is a bubble level that seems to be pretty decent although I haven't gone out in the shop to test it's accuracy.  The end of the pen is a capacitive stylus for use on your touch pad devices and hidden underneath is a mini philip and flathead screwdriver set.

Crazy, right?  Now, this pen isn't going to be doing really industrial jobs or major projects, but for the small measurement, alignment, or small screw tightening (like on your glasses), the One Touch could come in handy.

In my honest opinion, I think this pen is a bit gimmicky, but that is what makes it so great.  I would consider this pen to be the perfect "gift" pen for a stocking stuffer, or for the pen loving handy-person in your life that would find it amusing as well as get some use from it.  Monteverde has pulled this off well and it is hard for anyone to see this pen and not think of it as interesting and want to play with it.

The weight of the pen is pretty substantial.  In taking it apart it appears that the barrel and various pieces are made of brass.  This means it feels sturdy in your hand while writing.  The clip is pretty flimsy being just pressed metal and I could see it bending out with a good tug or catching it on something.

The nib of the fountain pen version appears to be a Schmidt nib found in the Karas Kustoms Ink and the Retro 51 Tornado fountain pens.  It doesn't say "Schmidt" like the others do, but the scroll work and wording are very similar.  It doesn't have a nib size marker on it, but lays down a wet line and only comes in a medium.  The nib isn't too bad and the flow is excellent.  Started up quickly and hasn't skipped a letter once, but it is really wet.

Apparently there is a ballpoint, rollerball, and mechanical pencil version of the pen as well. 

The yellow finish of the barrel is bright and shiny and I'm thinking it might be a heat transfer decal, but I imagine it will be pretty durable.  As far as being "refined", the finish does have some slight bubbling and rippling to it throughout which cheapens it a bit.  It looks almost exactly like the finish on a metal tape measure, so I guess they "nailed" it?  (a little tool/construction pun...)  The pen is available in yellow, black, and silver, and Pen Chalet should have the other colors in stock any day now.

In an ideal world, my recommendation would be to etch or machine the lines into the barrel for the rulers as I think it would look awesome, but that adds more cost and there might not be a market for a more expensive version of the One Touch Tool.

One thing that might be a bother for some is the fact that there is no grip section.  The hexagonal barrel runs all the way up to the nib and isn't the most comfortable pen to hold.  It is easy to hold onto two of the faceted sides with your thumb and index finger, but this leaves your middle finger on the bottom side of the pen digging into one of the edges.

As I said above, I think Monteverde did a great job making a novelty type pen around a tool theme that a lot of people will appreciate.  I foresee this pen finding its way under the Christmas tree, or as a birthday or Father's Day gift.

Would I recommend it to someone looking to buy a fountain pen for daily use?  No.

Thanks again, Pen Chalet!  Also, I wanted to mention that they are doing a giveaway right now of a $50 Pen Chalet gift card good through the next two weeks.  

EDCpen in Titanium - Review (This thing rocks)

Late last year you might have seen this one, but the EDCpen graced Kickstarter and successfully funded.  The project didn't reach backing heights of some of the other pen campaigns, but I'm just going to say first thing, this thing is rugged and awesome.  My thoughts are that the pen didn't receive as much publicity or fanfare during the campaign, but this is definitely one to give another look.

Kris from EDCpen graciously sent me one of his new titanium editions to review and I'm really excited to provide my thoughts on it.  Not to completely give away the tone of the review, but I'm pretty blown away by this one.

The purpose behind the pen, in my opinion, is best described by EDC on their site:

The EDCpen is the ultimate minimalist and robust everyday carry pen.  It has an overall length of just 4 inches with a 0.5 inch diameter.  The EDCpen contains no unnecessary parts.  It does not have a clicky mechanism to seize up or break, and does not have a clip that will catch on your pocket or inside your bag.

As I mentioned above, this thing is rugged and built to be used in the toughest of conditions. 

The pen cap comes in two varieties: a bullet style, solid cap and a "looped" version that has had some of the cap machined away to create a hole to run a tether, rope, key ring, or carabiner through.  As the pen does not have a clip of any kind, I'd say the looped version would be my preference to hook to a bag or belt clip for storage.  There is an o-ring just below the threads on the barrel that creates some tension when the cap is securely closed.  

The cap does not post which also makes the looped version a bit more practical as the cap would be hooked to something while you're writing so it won't get lost.  If wanting to throw the pen in a bag or pocket, the bullet cap would work great though.  

Looped cap with included tether

Kris ended up sending me both caps and from an aesthetic standpoint I like the looped version better as it adds some variation to the barrel.  

When uncapped, the EDC is a bit short, but honestly I don't find it to be an issue with this particular pen.  While writing the end of the pen still hits the fleshy part of my hand.  The design of this pen seems to be geared around durability and use in harsh conditions (although not necessarily something the average person will face day to day), but for quick notes and short writing stints it was fine.  I probably wouldn't be sitting down to write a discourse with this pen though, but as a highly utilitarian pen this thing is killer.  The only refill compatible with the EDCpen is the pressurized Fisher Space Pen and is the ideal choice.

The refill is held in the barrel by a set screw placed in the end of the pen.  A flat head screwdriver would be required to take the refill out for replacement.  With the Fisher refills having a projected writing length of 15,000 feet, you likely won't be swapping refills all the time anyway but make sure to have a tool handy when the time comes.

It's going to sound odd I'm sure, but this pen has a presence not found in many others.  When you see and handle it, this thing just stands out as not only a functional piece, but something cool to have.  Like a really nice pocket knife or flashlight, you feel like its an important part of your "stuff" you need to get things done with.  Honestly, one thing I like about this pen and Kris' company in general is that the production of it and marketing doesn't have all the hoopla if that makes sense.  The whole project seems very home grown and isn't all over the "super tactical" marketing side of things.  I'm sure Kris has taken some inspiration from other pens, but what he has created is something worth using and investing in.  He has built these pens to last forever and I have no doubt they will.

One concern I did have upon seeing the pen was how the threads would impact the writing experience.  They are some pretty big and sharp looking threads, but the grip section is actually long enough to accommodate what many people would consider to be a "normal" finger position of the thumb, index, and middle finger in a triangle around the grip.  I write with this pen and my fingers don't even touch the threads.  Also, they look sharper than they really are as they are quite dull.

A unique design choice was to include four machined channels around the tip and tail of the pen.  As much as these add to the cool, industrial look of the pen, they do serve a purpose.  They act as grip when opening and closing the pens and I could see them particularly helpful while wearing gloves in conditions that might make a completely smooth barrel tough to hold onto.

Oh, and the pen comes in a nifty plastic tube as seen below:

Overall, I think this pen rocks.  Seriously.  As I said above, I was excited to give my thoughts on the EDC and will be spreading the word about it whenever I can.  I think Kris did an amazing job on this one, so make sure to check out his selection of aluminum, brass, steel, and titanium EDC pens.  

Thanks again, Kris, and great work.



Pentel Graph Gear 1000 Ballpoint 0.7 - Pen Review

Many mechanical pencil fans are familiar with the Graph Gear line; weighty, grippy, and sturdy workhorses, but not many people know a pen exists in the line.

The fact that I even own this pen is definitely the fault of Brad Dowdy.  On episode #71 of The Pen Addict Podcast he talked about how much he missed his beloved 0.5mm Graph Gear ballpoint and was disappointed that they weren't more available (or had been discontinued!).

Well, this piqued my interest and I started looking into where these pens could be found and stumbled upon some 0.7mm Graph Gear pens on Cult Pens.  I was intrigued and ended up ordering two (as Brad said he wanted one when he found out...).  I've been sitting on this pen for nearly 6 months now and can admit I haven't used it much, but thought it was a good time for a review.

The pen feels super sturdy as the grip (short the little rubber parts), barrel, and nock are all metal.  I'm digging all that.  The finish on the barrel is a matte silver, but the clip is a shiny chrome.  The clip is just pressed metal, but feels solid enough.

One thing I really like about this pen is the nock mechanism.  It is a click style pen, but the nock depresses with a really good "click" and locks into place.  To release the tip it is of the variety that you squeeze the clip and it automatically snaps the nock back into the upright position.  Kind of like the button on the Fisher AG7 or CH4 astronaut pens.  This is a feature that you'll get loads of fun out of and probably annoy people around you (as the "click" is pretty substantial).

Now for the refill; well... it's ok I guess.  Actually, it is pretty good and lays down a fine line.  Brad prefers the 0.5mm and let me know he was able to order some refills through JetPens.  I think that these pens really have been discontinued by Pentel, but there seems to be some NOS of both the pens and refills floating around in various places.

Regarding the writing experience, even though the nock locks into place, the tip of the pen has a considerable rattle while writing.  It is noticeably audible which might drive many people nuts.  I can tolerate it, but it really is pretty bad.

As you know, I've got a rOtring obsession and am pretty crazy about the knurled 600 models.  I love knurling on pens.  The grip of the Graph Gear is a blend of knurling and little rubber nubs placed in rows of four surrounding the barrel.  With extended writing I've found the knurling on the Graph Gear to be somewhat sharp.  I usually don't notice this with other knurled pens, but this one makes the inside of my middle finger hurt a bit while writing.  This obviously isn't a great selling point, but I wouldn't really consider this pen to be in the long period writing category of purpose.  It is more of a technical instrument for drawing lines and for making quick and precise notes.

Pros: solid build, metal barrel, good and precise refill

Cons: Audible movement of the tip, "prickly" knurling

Do I think the Graph Gear is a bad pen?  Not at all.  Probably won't be one I'll use terribly often, but it will find its way out and about from time to time.