I recently reviewed a pen I purchased from Will Hodges of Tactile Turn (formerly EiMIM) called the Z which took me completely by surprise as to how far it surpassed my expectations. In using it I'm still blown away by how much I enjoy it. Check out the recent review if you haven't already to take a look at it.
I wanted to speak to my previous experience to tee up for something new...
Will was kind enough to reach out to me regarding another project that he has going on at the moment through Kickstarter, some retractable pens called the Mover and Shaker. I received the prototype for the Mover which is the longer of the two that takes refills like the Pilot G2, Pentel Energel, Signo 207 and others. Mine came pre-loaded with a 0.38mm Pilot G2 in black ink which is an excellent ultra fine option for refills.
The first thing that stood out to me about the pen was just how nice the machining was on it. As on his Z, the seam in the middle of the barrel was nearly invisible. On a prototype I can see this being possible as perhaps more time and care goes into making them but since the Z, a production pen, had that level of care provided my hope is that the experience will carry over in the finished product.
Seamless...
The material is a different grade of aluminum than what we normally see in machined pens, and it feels a bit different. The smooth finish makes the pen almost look like steel. I like this choice and the pen looks awesome. I received the "aluminum" colored version (by request), but the pens will be available in several anodized colors also.
One design and functional aspect of the Mover is the grip section of the pen. It contains what has become one of Will's trademark features: tightly machined ridges (a long spiral) that add some texture to the pen's surface. Aesthetically, I like what Will has done with the smooth areas of the pen, but if he'd have made the entire pen with the ridges like on the X, Y, and Z pens I think that would have been alright too. They would all fit even more so into the same family, but just a thought, that's all. Although, I do enjoy the contrast of the textured area as it transitions to the smooth part.
The mechanism is familiar to many of us as it has been used on some other successful Kickstarter campaigns: the Tuff Writer Ultimate Titanium Clicky Pen and the Karas Kustoms Retrakt. If you own either of these pens then you'll know that the mechanism is top notch and a great choice by Will. Smooth and quiet, and looks great with the all metal construction.
Rather than being bolted to the pen (which is an alright solution by any means), the clip of the pen is uniquely seated below the click mechanism. There is a small notch in the barrel just below the nock were the clip seems to pop out of the pen itself.
Upon taking this apart, the clip is one piece of bent steel with a ring on the end that sits snuggly into the top of the pen and is held in place by the mechanism itself. A very neat feature that creates a simple, yet very functional look to the clip.
Go check out Will's Kickstarter campaign as well as the recent review by Ed Jelley for another look at these great pens! Excellent work.
Thanks again Will!