Tactile Turn Mover and Shaker New Materials

I am a big fan of what Will Hodges did with the original Tactile Turn Mover in aluminum, and now with his latest Kickstarter he upped his materials game by adding brass, copper, and titanium into the mix.

In talking to Will about what changes he made (besides materials) from the previous project one interesting item came up. A new machine is in place to manufacture the brass and copper parts, giving those pen bodies a smooth to the touch finish. I can easily tell the difference between these and my aluminum Movers. It's not something I would have ever known, noticed, or cared about before because the original pens are so nice, but now that I have all these pens side by side I can say how good this change really is.

An ancillary result of the machine upgrade is the seam in the barrel is almost invisible. It already was barely noticeable in the first place but these are really hidden. In the prototypes I got you can see the seam in the titanium model but Will assures me that is not how the final version will appear. The brass and copper look flawless, even in this early stage of manufacturing.

The new materials Kickstarter project has already eclipsed the original aluminum barrel project, and having these pens in hand I can certainly see why. There are five days left to get in on the action - don't miss out!

The Move Pen Review

Mini pens are difficult to get right. For a product that, by design, should be very simple, it is tough to nail all the important elements and have those elements work together as a cohesive package. Size, feel, fit, finish, refill, mechanics - all of these things have to be considered, and the small size of the pen leaves no room for mistakes. The Move, designed by Oliver Sha succeeds where others have tried and come up ... short.

The premise is simple, right? Make a small pen for pocket or keychain carry. I've tried many, such as the Fisher Space Pen, Kaweco Lilliput, Lamy Pico, and more. None are able to bring to the table what The Move can. Oliver sent me the polished Titanium Move Pen to check out and I knew it was a winner the moment I opened the package.

The feel and finish of the pen were noticeable immediately. Smooth lines, well machined seams, and one of the best bolt action mechanisms I have used highlight the design of The Move. I could really tell the time and thought that was put into this pen by the smooth grinding around the keychain attachment hole. It is silky smooth and honestly I couldn't stop looking at it I was so impressed.

To keep the profile of the pen as small as possible, Oliver chose to design it around the Lamy M22 refill. I recently picked up a Lamy Pico (review coming soon) which was my first M22 experience and I was plesantly surprised. I especially like that there is an 0.5 mm blue option which is my preferred ammo. The lines are smooth, clean, and mess free. The M22 is not a pressurized refill like the Fisher Space Pen so keep that in mind if that is a requirement for you.

From L to R: Kaweco Lilliput FP and BP, The Move, Lamy Pico, Kaweco AL Sport

When writing with the pen unattched to a keychain it is just long enough for me to use comfortably. I have average size hands and could see an issue for those with larger hands than myself. Attaching it to a keyring would probably help with that. You can see where it falls in the size spectrum compared to many popular pocket pens in the picture above, although I will say The Move is in a different product category than some of those.

Right now, Oliver is weighing his options to see if it is worth making another production run. He still has some inventory left from the Kickstarter campaign so email him at osdesignstore@gmail.com if you are interested. Prices are the same as the Kickstarter campaign: $52 for the aluminum versions and $98 for the titanium, both with free US shipping.

Thanks again to Oliver for sending me this review sample. Be sure to follow his work at OS Design Store and get in touch with him soon if you would like to pick up The Move.

Ti2 TechLiner Pen Review

I first came across Mike Bond's pen designs when he sent me a prototype of the Ti2 Pen. It provided a strong, sleek housing for my favorite Pilot Hi-Tec-C refills and I found myself enjoying what he did with the pen. Mike reached back out again recently to show me his latest design - the Ti2 TechLiner Pen - and I was eager to give this pen a try, but not for the reasons you may think.

When Mike first sent me the pictures of the Ti2 TechLiner I expressed a concern to him: "What is up with the truncated nose cone? I don't think I like that." I went a little more in depth in my email and Mike explained his choices around the design. I still wasn't quite sure about it but agreed to look at a prototype. I got the pen in hand a couple of weeks ago and learned one thing very quickly. Never judge a book by its cover.

I am more than impressed by the Ti2 TechLiner. The build quality and design are top notch, making for a good looking, comfortable feeling product. And the nose cone design? I kind of like it. It's a feature, as they say. It gives off the look of a technical drafting pen, like various rOtrings or the Sakura Pigma Micron. I was concerned that visually and functionally it wouldn't work for me, but I was dead wrong.

Another item I was wrong about is the use of magnets to secure the cap on both ends of the pen. I've felt in the past that magnets are gimmicky, but these are strong and give off a great snap when capping and posting. They are very well done.

Mike has decided to use the Uni-ball Signo 207 as the refill model for the Ti2 TechLiner. I like this choice because one, I am a fan of the refill, and two, it is available in 0.38 mm tip sizes, my preferred ultra-fineness. Plus, there are other similar refills that should fit, like the Jetstream.

The best endorsement I can give a pen like the Ti2 TechLiner is to put my money where my mouth is. The Blackwash finish looks amazing but is a little out of my price range at $120. The Gonzodized, on the other hand, is a finish I don't own in any other pen and I was able to get in on the Early Bird for $75. I look forward to seeing this pen in person.

The Ti2 TechLiner has already met its funding goal with three weeks left in the campaign. If you are a fan of good design and the Uni-ball Signo 207 refill then this is a project you should check out.

Big thanks to Mike Bond for sending me this prototype for review.