Pen Review: Karas Kustoms INK Fountain Pen in Raw Aluminum

July 01, 2015 by Lori Beck in Pen Review

Karas Kustoms INK Fountain Pen - Tumbled Raw Aluminum w/copper section
Length Capped: 137mm
Length Posted: 183mm (not meant to be posted)
Length Uncapped: 127mm
Section at Thinnest Point: 9.5mm
Section at Widest Point: 10.25mm
Weight with Cartridge & Cap: 49.2g
Weight with Cartridge & No Cap: 33.4g
Fast Writing: Keeps up very well
Line Variation: None
Upside Down Writing: Not bad at all
Wetness: Perfectly balanced; not too wet or too dry
Pros: Machined metal, smooth threads, customization, color options, good nib/flow, converter included
Cons: Clip issue (likely just with my pen), may be heavy or large for some folks

You wouldn't imagine a machine shop full of guys from Mesa, Arizona who machine hot rod parts, would eventually venture into the world of pens - let alone fountain pens. This is exactly what happened, much to the benefit of pen addicts like myself. Dan Bishop, designer at Karas Kustoms (not Kara's Kustoms as some folks mistakenly assume), started their pen ventures by producing the Render K - an awesome rollerball refill holder to house your Parker or Pilot G2 compatible refills. They started off with a Kickstarter campaign that took off, and eventually this lead to 2 other wildly popular rollerball holders.

The pen community, namely the fountain pen community, wanted more. So Karas Kustoms caved to pressure and designed their first fountain pen - the INK. After another successful Kickstarter campaign, the INK came to be. Karas Kustoms offers the INK in several anodized aluminum finishes, along with a regular polished aluminum. More recently they've added a Raw Tumbled Aluminum finish, and that was enough to finally make me pick up one of these awesome pens. There's something about the raw metal pens that have come about lately that I just love, and this one is definitely no exception.

Along with being able to choose your barrel color, Karas allows you to choose the section material for your pen as well. Between aluminum, raw brass and raw copper, I knew I wanted copper for my own. The copper does add an additional $20 to the cost of the pen, but that is to be expected since it's a more expensive metal. Brass will cost you an extra $10, and the aluminum is nothing additional. I love how you can more or less build your own pen - the customization is definitely a plus. If you're really not a fountain pen person but love the body style of the INK, it also comes in a rollerball option.

Close up of the Raw Tumbled Aluminum finish

I've not used one of the anodized versions myself, but I've read some reviews where folks have found inconsistency in the color. Karas does address this on their FAQ page to their credit - since the anodizing can vary in color from batch to batch, there is inherently some risk that the colors will not match perfectly. It was also mentioned on the Pen Addict Podcast that they recently changed their anodizing company, so if you see an older pen from their line, you may not be able to get a new one of the exact same shade - something to keep in mind.

When Karas posted a picture on their Instagram page about their new Raw Bar Stock finish (or Tumbled Raw Aluminum as I believe it's listed on their product page), I knew that would be the finish I'd purchase my INK in. The photo they posted was of the Render K in the same finish, so I set out to find a picture of the INK - unfortunately I wasn't able to find one. I searched high and low online trying to find ANYONE who'd bought and reviewed this pen, so that I could see for myself what the pen looked like before I bought it. There were none. I had hoped Karas Kustoms would post a picture on their product page, and that was missing as well. There are only photos of the original anodized INK colors and the polished aluminum, which makes it very hard for a potential buyer to make a purchasing decision for this new finish. So Karas folks - if you're reading this - help the people out! :)

I bought my pen sight unseen anyway, because from what I'd seen of the Render K's finish I knew I would most likely love it - and I absolutely did. The pen came in a really neat retro-esque box that reminds me of something a vintage toy would have been packaged in. Printed on the back of the box are the words "Dozens of satisfied customers" - I had to chuckle at this, since their Kickstarter for the INK alone was backed by over 1000 people. The pen was disassembled and packaged neatly in the box - each piece wrapped in plastic. The copper section was polished up beautifully, and a small sheet of paper illustrated how to assemble the nib & section, and how to insert the converter and fill the pen.

The pen is on the large side, but isn't so large as to be uncomfortable. Being aluminum, it's not heavy, but is heavier than a plastic pen. The copper section that I got with my pen adds some weight, so if you prefer something lighter go for the aluminum section.

One thing that stands out about the pen is the threading for the cap. It has the most satisfying positive stop whenever you tighten the cap. The fit and finish is impeccable and is a true testament to the quality of Karas Kustom's products. Contrary to other pens I've used, the threads don't exhibit even the faintest squeak during use. It takes two full rotations to remove the cap, but the act of removing the cap is oh-so-satisfying that it doesn't bother me in the slightest.

Notice the "line" at the bend in the clip is slanted

Notice the flat side of the bottom of the clip is unevenly worn

This side is pointed — This side is pointed

A problem I've found with the pen is its clip. Not the design or its stiffness (I actually like both), but my clip in particular seems to not have been cut properly. You'll notice that the line at the top where the clip transitions from the long vertical portion to the bend at the top of the pen, is not horizontally level as it should be. In addition, the bottom of the clip isn't cut straight either; you'll notice one side is "pointy" while the other is rounded off. I can't decide whether it drives me crazy, or whether its imperfection complements the raw tumbled finish of the pen body. I go back and forth on it, but regardless it's definitely a manufacturing defect, albeit a minor one.

The nib is Schmidt and comes in either a Fine or Medium. I opted for the Fine and am very pleasantly surprised by how well it writes. It's not without a bit of tooth, but it's definitely not scratchy. It's a #5 size, and will exchange perfectly with Franklin Christoph's #5 nibs (not all #5s will be compatible). After seeing Matthew Morse's video where he swapped his out, I threw my Masuyama Medium Cursive Italic nib in my INK and it writes beautifully. I LOVE my cursive italic, but until I get an extra, it'll remain in my Model 40 Pocket and I'll use the Schmidt nib in this one.

The feed keeps up very well with fast writing. It doesn't give any line variation, but of course it's not meant to. Upside down writing proved useable as well. I was pleased with the pen's wetness as well - not dry at all and not a gusher.

All in all, I was VERY happy with my Karas Kustoms INK. The tumbled aluminum finish gives and awesome EDC feel and gives way to allowing scratches and dings over time. It would have been easy for Karas to put a junk nib on their pen but they didn't - I find this admirable. A lesser company may have opted to throw a *shudder* generic "Iridium Point Germany* nib on a beautiful pen. Based on the reviews I've seen my clip issue is not a common one. I'll probably reach out to them and see if I can get a replacement. I highly recommend you get an INK for yourself if you don't have one. They start at just $85, which is a steal for an American-made machined fountain pen with a converter included.

Thanks for reading!
Lori

Pen Review: Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed (Black)

June 25, 2015 by Lori Beck in Pen Review

Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed (Black)
Length Capped: 106mm
Length Posted: 131mm
Length Uncapped: 100mm
Section at Thinnest Point: 9mm
Section at Widest Point: 9.5mm
Weight with Cartridge: 21.2g
Fast Writing: Keeps up decently, couple of skips
Line Variation: Not much at all; not practical.
Upside Down Writing: Very scratchy, but doable. Hard to read.
Wetness: Fairly dry, but not bad.
Pros: Nib writes well, very cool "distressed" body, decent nib
Cons: Converter options

Kaweco continues to do an incredible job of doing unique things with their fountain pen designs. The "stonewashed" version of their AL Sport is something I've not seen other companies do. Though Kaweco is a German company, this stonewashed pen reminds me of the Japanese concept of "wabi-sabi," in which the aesthetic value of an object increases with wear and tear from use. Nakaya uses this idea in the design of some of their pens by introducing cracks to the finish; in my opinion it really adds to their appeal.

Parts of the Pen

Like all Kaweco Sport models, the pen features a fairly long cap with an octagonal facets. The body is cylindrical with a step down at the end leading to an end cap with a rounded top and a dimple in the middle. The section is tapered and flared, and has a small grouping of threads at the top where the cap screws on - the threads with this specific pen I've noticed have not squeaked when unscrewing the cap . I suspect this is due to the process of distressing the pen, but can't say for certain. Finally, the finial is very slightly conical and features the 3-syllable Kaweco logo.

Review

Kaweco likens this design as a "used look that perfectly matches your favorite pair of jeans." According to their site, they treat the pens with a very similar procedure to that used in jeans manufacturing. The result is an amazingly deceiving design which would have you believe this pen has been around for years and has produced many a page of written thought.

I've seen some people say that they don't like how even and uniform the wear marks on the pen are; I can understand that, as a pen that's been around for years may not wear as evenly. I still like the design of the pen, because they've not worn the entire finish off, but instead have focused on the high edges, which would be the first to wear on an old pen. Their idea is to mimic a worn pair of jeans, and to that end, I think they've done it perfectly.

The AL Sport Stonewashed edition is obviously the same pen as its non-distressed AL Sport counterpart, so the basic usability and functionality remains the same. The pen is well balanced, both posted and unposted. Due to its fairly short length, I prefer to write posted - the balance is unaffected by this as the cap adds negligible back weight.

The Kaweco steel nib is a fairly smooth writer with a touch of feedback. Being a steel nib, you get minimal line variation, though you can squeeze out the tiniest bit if you're determined to do so. Just be sure not to overdo it, because you'll probably spring the nib. Upside down writing is possible but I noticed the nib tends to catch on the paper and you'll have a hard time reading it. I've found the Kawecos tend to run a little on the dry side and this one was no exception - that could also be attributed to the finer nib size as well.

One thing that will always be an issue with the Kaweco Sport pens is the converter options. Since the pen is aluminum, eyedropper conversion isn't an option sadly. The pen takes Standard International short cartridges, and most full sized converters will not fit in the body of the pen. That leaves you with a few options: use only prefilled Standard International Cartridges, refill a used cartridge with a bottled ink and a syringe, or pick up one of the few converter options. The Monteverde Mini Converter, which is a plunger style, will fit in the sport pen but I believe that the plunger cannot be pulled out all the way. I've also heard that people have had issues with it not fitting the back of the feed properly, so there is the potential for leakage. Your second option is the Kaweco squeeze converter which is made specifically for the Kaweco Sport pens. It was recently redesigned to fit better in the new Sports, but a lot of people have issues getting a full fill with the squeeze mechanism. Another option is to fill the Squeeze Converter with a syringe, saving you the hassle of buying cartridges to refill, and avoiding the issue of getting a full fill. Finally, you may remember me mentioning the Templar Mini Converter when I reviewed the regular Kaweco AL Sport - I have since purchased one, and sadly discovered that they do no fit properly on the Kaweco feed. I spoke to Richard Croft about it, and he said that even though the Kaweco pens take a Standard International cartridge, the nipple on the back of the feed is skinnier and therefore the SI converters will not fit snugly. This likely explains why the Monteverde Mini Converter doesn't fit well either. Richard is developing a new style of converter just for the Sport pens, and is going to send me one of those to try. Until then, I'm still refilling my old cartridges.

All in all, I really dig this pen. Despite the converter issues, the unique distressed design keeps me coming back to it. It's a pen you'll never have to worry about scratching, as that has already been done for you! Of course the extra effort in manufacturing is going to add a little to the price, so the AL Sport Stonewashed sells for $90 from most of the US vendors. The pen comes in both a black and blue option currently, though I'd really love to see them add more color options down the road - a Stonewashed anthracite or silver would be awesome!

Thanks for reading!
Lori

(Kaweco has provided this product at no charge to The Desk for the purpose of review - I have since chosen to purchase the pen from them. My opinions are honest and without bias - visit the About Me page for more details).

Pen Review: Kaweco Fantasie Pen

June 13, 2015 by Lori Beck in Pen Review

Kaweco Fantasie Pen
Length Capped: 141mm
Length Uncapped: 127.5mm
Length Posted: 175.5mm
Section at Thinnest Point: 8mm
Section at Widest Point: 9mm
Weight with Converter: This will vary a little (you'll see what I mean in a second!) - my pen is 56.4g
Fast Writing: Keeps up very well
Line Variation: You can squeeze out a little
Upside Down Writing: Scratchy on cross strokes, but gives a nice extra-fine line
Wetness: Medium
Pros: Neat concept, uniquely yours, great nib, makes a great gift
Cons: Thin section, can be challenging if you don't have the right tools, booklet templates aren't to scale

Most folks in the pen community are fairly familiar with the Kaweco Sport line of pens, the Student, the Liliput and the Allrounder - but I've seen very few, if any, references to the Kaweco Fantasie pen. The Fantasie (or Fantasy if you're in the US) pen is a very unique writing instrument in that it doesn't come to you in the completed state. Instead, it is designed to be individually decorated by the user with FIMO modeling clay. When I had decided to get the pen I didn't even realize that there was anything special about it until I checked out Kaweco's website - I really love this idea! It's a great way for people to get a great writing fountain pen in a design that's all their own. The mastermind behind this awesome concept is Kaweco's CEO Michael Gutberlet, who is also the chief designer at the company. The Fantasie some in both a fountain pen and ballpoint versions, for those of you who've not come to realize the amazing world of fountain pens just yet.

The pen is designed to be completely disassembled so that the clay can be applied to the cap and barrel, and then hardened in the oven. It comes with a handy booklet that explains the process in great detail with a lot of pictures. After going through the booklet and seeing what all I needed, I headed to Hobby Lobby to grab some clay. Of course, my local Hobby Lobby didn't carry the colors that I wanted in the FIMO brand, so I grabbed some Sculpey instead. Either will work, just be mindful that the baking temperatures can vary by brand. I chose red and black for my Louisville Cardinals (I should mention that I'm also a Hoosiers fan since I am originally from the other side of the river). A single block of clay will cover the pen with plenty left over, so if you're going for multiple colors you'll have more than enough to go around if you happen to mess up your design.

I had my clay, an X-acto knife, an old cutting board and a rolling pin and was ready to get to work. You'll note that the first bit of instructions in the booklet mention that if you work the clay for too long that the colors will mix together and a new color will be formed - this definitely happened to me, so be sure to make note of that when you're working colors together. After I'd sufficiently swirled my clay and had a fairly decent little design, it was time to roll it out and cut it. The booklet has a page with a couple of boxes on it that seem to indicate that they can be cut out and used to measure when you cut your clay - this unfortunately turned out to be completely false, as they were nowhere near close to scale. That was frustrating, because then I had to track down a ruler with millimeters which I didn't end up having in my house. Ultimately I used my calipers which were a little painful, but got the job done.

If you're not a regular user of clay, as I am not, then you'll find that it's very difficult to get the exact thickness of the clay without a clay rolling machine. This proved to be the most challenging part of the process for me, and I ultimately ended up just guessing. In an effort to avoid completely deforming my cutouts, I decided I'd put them on and sand away anything that was too thick after it baked. One they were wrapped around each part of the pen, I used the flat surface of my cutting board to roll out any creases and imperfections. I used my X-acto knife to cut away any jagged edges on the ends, and then it was time to bake!

Before you throw anything into the oven - make SURE that you've completely disassembled the pen, and have removed everything but the completely empty barrels. The pen will have a Standard International cartridge on the inside as well as a plastic o-ring for the cap - all of those must be removed before baking. The clip, nib section and finial should be removed as well. Once your oven is preheated, place the pieces standing upright on a baking sheet. I actually recommend you use a glass pan if you have it, because metal ones can tend to pop when heated and can cause the pieces to fall on their sides and flatten out the clay. If you're using FIMO clay, bake at 230 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 mins.

After the pieces have cooled, you'll likely notice that the clay has bubbled up in places like mine did. They weren't terribly noticeable but they definitely required some sanding. I had planned on sanding mine down anyways, so that wasn't a huge issue for me. When you do start sanding, make sure to use some masking tape to cover the chrome trim so you don't scratch it. I used 400 grit sandpaper, and it still took me FOREVER to sand the clay down flush with the metal trim - so it would have been really nice to have had a clay rolling machine handy. The ones at Hobby Lobby were priced at more than half the retail cost of the pen itself, so it just wasn't worth it to me.

Once you have everything sanded down, you'll notice that the clay has a dusty white residue from the sanding. I recommend that you apply some gloss to finish off the pen, which will remove the dusty white look and seal in the clay from outside damage. FIMO has both glossy and silky matte varnish to choose from; of course my Hobby Lobby didn't have them, so I picked up some Sculpey gloss. Unlike the FIMO brand, the Sculpey didn't have a brush in the bottle to apply the gloss, so if you can't find the FIMO you may want to pick up a cheap tiny paintbrush to apply the gloss if you don't have one laying around. I would also recommend that you keep the tape on the metal pieces during the glossing process, so that you don't have to worry about having to scrape it off later. It makes the painting process a lot easier, and helps you get a more even coating. After the gloss completely dries in 24 hours, your pen is ready to use!

One downside to the Fantasie Pen is that it is only available in a Medium nib size. Since it's more of a novelty item, I assume Kaweco wanted to make it an easy "one size fits all" purchase. The nib on the Fantasie is not the standard small Kaweco nib size, but a large size steel nib (roughly #6 I'd say, or maybe even a tad larger). I was very pleased with how this nib performed - it's one of the smoothest steel nibs I've used. There were no skips, hard starts, and hardly any feedback at all. If you're getting this for someone that's new to fountain pens, they'll never go back to using a ballpoint or rollerball again.

Depending on how thick you put on your clay, the pen will vary somewhat in weight. I can't imagine it'll vary too much though, because there's only so much or so little clay you can put on here. Regardless, the clay does add some heft to it. Mine weighed in at 56.4 grams with the cap, and 30.3g without the cap. I do find that it's a tad back-heavy, but not so much as to throw it off balance. One thing that I really do not care for is how thin the grip section is. It's also a slick chrome which, when coupled with the thinness, can really start to fatigue your hand after a while.

The design of the pen itself is quite unique. It's a fairly long pen, right around the size of a Lamy AL-Star. The cap tapers up from where it meets the body to an overall girth that's slightly wider than the body of the pen itself. Unscrewing the cap takes a full 360-degree turn, so you'll have to reposition your hands at least one time to complete it. The clip is designed in such a way that it will give way to the extra thickness of the newly applied modeling clay. Once the pen is finished the clip is perfectly flush with the body, and is neither loose nor too tight. Posting with this pen is possible, though quite uncomfortable in my experience. It adds quite a bit of length, and makes an already slightly back-weighted pen VERY backweighted.

The pen takes a Standard International short cartridge, or standard international converter. I purchased Kaweco's SI converter from JetPens and it works quite nicely.

I had really fun time creating this pen, and now have a really nice-writing fountain pen that is uniquely mine. Some of the designs in the booklet are awesome, and makes me wish I were a little better at this stuff. I can't complain too much about how my design turned out - even if my black clay turned out to be a maroon color instead. I applaud Kaweco for once again stepping outside the norm and giving fountain pen users something inventive and fun to create on their own. This pen would be a great gift for the creative person in your life, and would be a great gateway into the fountain pen world.

If you're interested in purchasing one of your own, check out JetPens. They are the only US site I've found so far that sells the pen, and they also carry some colors of the FIMO clay for your convenience. I will mention that the price on their FIMO is about double that of a local hobby store, so you may be better off grabbing that locally. The fountain pen version costs $54.50, and the ballpoint is $40.50.

(Kaweco has provided this product at no charge to The Desk for the purpose of review. My opinions are honest and without bias - visit the About Me page for more details).

Pen Review: Kaweco AL Sport - Anthracite

June 09, 2015 by Lori Beck in Pen Review

Kaweco AL Sport - Anthracite (F)
Length Capped: 106mm
Length Posted: 131mm
Length Uncapped: 100mm
Section at Thinnest Point: 9mm
Section at Widest Point: 9.5mm
Weight with Cartridge: 21.4g
Fast Writing: Keeps up well.
Line Variation: Not much at all; not practical.
Upside Down Writing: Very scratchy, but doable.
Wetness: Fairly dry, but partly due to the ink.
Pros: Nib writes well, aluminum body, color options
Cons: Converter options

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you know that grey is one of my favorite colors. When I saw that Kaweco carried a grey AL Sport in their line, I knew that would be the color for me. If you've read my Kaweco BRASS Sport review, or the Kaweco Skyline Sport review, then you're familiar with the looks of the Sports, but I'll go over that quickly here for those new to the site or these pens. Then we'll get into the review itself!

Parts of the Pen

Like all Kaweco Sport models, the pen features a fairly long cap with an octagonal facets. The body is cylindrical with a step down at the end leading to an end cap with a rounded top and a dimple in the middle. The section is tapered and flared, and has a small grouping of threads at the top where the cap screws on - the threads can sometimes squeak when you screw the cap on, which to some people may seem like nails on a chalkboard. Most of the time it's not an issue for me, but it does happen here and there. I'm assuming with age that issue will get better. Finally, the finial is very slightly conical and features the 3-syllable Kaweco logo.

Review

The Anthracite grey AL Sport is a spiffy looking pen. The aluminum barrel has a nice satin/matte looking finish and feels great in the hands. It has a decent weight to it, not too heavy and not too light, at 21.4g with a nearly full cartridge installed. Due to the pen's length, most people tend to post it, and I've found the weight is balanced enough to be able to write both posted and unposted comfortably.

Fortunately I got a really great nib in this pen. It's a fine nib and was aligned perfectly when I got it and has not seemed to skip or hard start so far. I always make sure to flush a new pen out and clean the feed before using it to get all the machine oils and manufacturing debris out of there. Once I inked it up for the first time, it wrote like a dream and still does.

One thing that will always be an issue with the Kaweco Sport pens is the converter options. Since the pen is aluminum, eyedropper conversion isn't an option sadly. The pen takes Standard International short cartridges, and most full sized converters will not fit in the body of the pen. That leaves you with a few options: use only prefilled Standard International Cartridges, refill a used cartridge with a bottled ink and a syringe, or pick up one of the few converter options. The Monteverde Mini Converter, which is a plunger style, will fit in the sport pen but I believe that the plunger cannot be pulled out all the way. I've also heard that people have had issues with it not fitting the back of the feed properly, so there is the potential for leakage. Your second option is the Kaweco squeeze converter which is made specifically for the Kaweco Sport pens. It was recently redesigned to fit better in the new Sports, but a lot of people have issues getting a full fill with the squeeze mechanism. Another option is to fill the Squeeze Converter with a syringe, saving you the hassle of buying cartridges to refill, and avoiding the issue of getting a full fill. Finally, there is the Templar Mini Converter. Stephen Brown used one in his review of the Kaweco Sport RAW, and mentioned that it holds a bit more ink than the squeeze converter. I was going to wait for the Kaweco Squeeze converter to be restocked at JetPens, but I'm thinking the Templar converter will be my next purchase. I'll be sure to let you guys know how that works out!

I really love this pen - it's portable, lightweight, and seems very sturdy. I've always loved aluminum pens, so if you're into that too you'll really like the Kaweco AL Sport. The only real downside is the converter issue, but at least there are more options out there than there used to be. I'm excited at the prospect of this pen weathering over time, similar to the Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed. I know it won't be as uniform, but I kind of like that idea. So if you have one of these pens, don't be afraid to let it get dinged, dented and scratched - it just adds character!

The Kaweco AL Sport sells for $80. As far as I can tell, the Anthracite color isn't sold by any of the US retailers (please correct me if I'm wrong on that!), but they do carry the Black, Blue, RAW, BRASS and Silver at most places. Keep an eye out for my Kaweco AL Sport Stonewashed version on the blog in the next week or so!

Thanks for reading!
Lori