First Look- Mini-Click Pen Project

The Kickstarter Fist Looks have been rolling in fast and furious lately, and I am happy to bring you another one with the Mini-Click Pen Project. Jack Roman from Tuff-Writer Pens is back on Kickstarter for the third time with a lighter, shorter click pen with a new custom designed and maufactured clicky mechanism.

Many machined pen manufactuers use the stock Schmidt SKM-88 click mechanism for their retractable pens. It is readily available and works well. Jack wasn’t content with using an off the shelf mechanism for this project and set out to design his own. The result is what you see here, first used in the Mini-Click.

The design, specs, dimensions, and materials are all laid out on the project page, but all you really need to know is that the mechanism works, and it works well. It is solid, smooth, and responsive. When you depress the knock to engage the pen you know you are locked in and ready to write.

The pen barrel itself is made from aluminum, giving it a lightweight yet durable feel, while the clip is stamped from steel. The balance and feel are spot on. The glossy coated anodization on my prototype is wonderful, give it a sharp, crisp finish. Refill wise, the Mini-Click is based around the standard Parker design, and ships with a Fisher Space Pen pressurized refill.

The only issue I have with the pen is the use of o-rings in the grip area. Theoretically, they are there to allow for a better grip when writing. While this is true, the tradeoff is you will be losing them constantly, and hunting for one is like searching for a lost contact lens. When I unscrewed the barrel to get to the refill, I lost the middle o-ring, never to be found again. I’m not the only one either, as eagle-eyed viewers will see Jack in the video writing with a pen at one point missing the very same o-ring after swapping the refill. I would much rather a smooth or machined grip area than have to worry about extra o-rings on hand.

Aside from that, the Mini-Click is rock solid to use. All of the tolerances are tight, the new click mechanism design is great, and it feels good in the hand when writing.

Pledge levels begin at $60 for aluminum finished barrels, with anodized barrels priced at $65. For an American made pen with a brand new in-house designed click mechanism this is a good deal. Head over to Kickstarter and check it out now.

My thanks to Jack for sending me this pen at no charge for the purposes of this review.

The Pelikan M600 Pink Special Edition Fountain Pen: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Scandalized! That's what I was when I first saw ads for the Pelikan M600 Pink "Ladies" Collection complete with boudoir box. I busted out laughing. I scoffed. I was offended by a so-called "ladies" Pelikan, even more so by the packaging. A pen in a corset box? Seriously, Pelikan?

I posted pictures on Facebook making fun of the pen. "Look! It's a Victoria's Secret pen!" "Barbie would love this pen!" "Who would buy this atrocity?"

Me, that's who.

In spite of some claims that this isn't necessarily a women's pen, it was clearly packaged and marketed to appeal primarily to women. Classic Fountain Pens simply calls it the Pelikan M600 Pink Special Edition, but notes that in "some markets" it is known as the "Pink Ladies Pelikan."

Even though I was initially incensed by such gendered marketing (I mean this is the 21st Century, people), I realized that it's nothing new. In the past there were Lady Sheaffers and Lady Soenneckens. Pilot markets pens to women, such as the Pilot Lady White Fountain Pen. Other manufacturers do the same or offer pens that might appeal more to women, such as the Montblanc Princess Grace or the Parker Sonnet Feminine collection.

So I grew a little less critical. A little. The pens above don't come in corset boxes (though one of my friends wondered why Pelikan put the pen in a tennis shoe box . . . .) Still. I think Pelikan could have thought through the implications of the packaging and marketed the pen to a broader audience.

I decided it didn't matter to me since I would never be caught dead with a Victoria's Secret pen. But then I saw photographs of the pen by actual owners. The color was less Barbie pink, more subtle, like dark cherry. The pen looked sophisticated and gorgeous rather than bubble-gum silly.

And that's when the obsession started. Me. The one who derided Pelikan for flouting a gendered pen. Me, the one who owns nothing pink in her wardrobe. Suddenly, I was thinking how nice this pen would look next to black leather.

I fell for the Pink Pelikan, and I fell hard. I had to have one. I told myself it was for research–I must write a review for Pen Addict. I even told myself I wouldn't ink the pen. I would just write a review and send it back. But I inked the Pink, and I was hooked.

This really is a gorgeous pen in person. It comes packaged in a plain white outer box (like the sleeves that are placed over racy magazines?) Inside is the boudoir box: a corset of silver laced in pink, silky ribbon.

Fortunately, you don't have to unlace the whole box. Once you untie the bow, the two sides of the box fall open to reveal the pen.

The colors have so much more depth than in the advertising shots. The darker stripes are cherry pink with a softer pink underneath.

Like the White Pelikan Tortoise, the grip and piston are white plastic with gold rings, and the cap is white.

Unlike the Tortoise, the finial is etched gold rather than black and gold. The larger band at the base of the cap is engraved with the words "Pelikan," "Souverän," and "Germany."

The nib is two-tone 14K gold. It is engraved with the usual beautiful scrollwork and the Pelikan logo. I love the design of Pelikan nibs–they are spectacular.

I opted for a fine nib. In the past, I always purchased extra fine nibs on my Pelikans. Then I moved up to italics, and lately I've been getting oblique triple broads. This time I decided to keep things simple and go with a fine nib.

It writes perfectly–smooth and lush. I inked it with Iroshizuku Tsutsuji, purchased especially for this pen (my first truly pink ink). I have absolutely no complaints, no hard starts, no skipping.

The M600 is a good fit for many people. M800s can be too big and heavy. M400s can be too small.

The M600 is 5.2 inches when capped, just less than 5 inches uncapped, and 6 inches posted. It's a light pen, weighing only 18.2 grams. It retails for $500 at Classic Fountain Pens, and that seems to be the price across the board at most retailers. You may find it for less if you do some hunting.

The Pink Pelikan M600 is a terrific pen. It boasts the usual Pelikan quality, and hopefully this pen won't have the cap cracking issues the M400 White Tortoise did. I highly recommend this pen to both men and women who love this color. Pink can brighten anyone's day. Plus, who doesn't need a corset box in their closet?

Pros

• A simply gorgeous pen with colors that are much more sophisticated in person than in photographs

• This is a piston filler, which is my favorite type of filling system.

• The 14K nib is smooth and writes straight out of the (corset) box.
• The pen is light in the hand and well balanced.

Cons

• The packaging is interesting, to say the least. But if you don't like it, you don't have to keep it. Me? I'm keeping it for posterity.
• This is an expensive pen at $500.
• People with larger hands or who prefer some heft to their fountain pens may find this pen too small or light

Karas Kustoms EDK Review

My fandom for all things Karas Kustoms goes all the way back to their first venture into the world of machined pens with the release of the Render K. At the time, there weren't many other options for the Pilot Hi-Tec-C refill, and the straightforward, clean design spoke to me. I was in, and have been a fan of everything Karas has released since.

Their latest pen release, The EDK, is following a bit of a different path to market. There will be no Kickstarter this time. Rather, the EDK will be released initially on Massdrop before rolling into the lineup at Karas Kustoms. I think this is an interesting choice, and a good path to take for the launch of a new product. From a business perspective I'll definitely be paying attention to how it works out.

But we aren't here to talk business, are we? So let's talk pens! The EDK is a well designed pocketable, retractable, metal-bodied every day carry type of pen. The style and shape are pure Karas, and that's a good thing in my book. The model I was sent for review by Massdrop is the Tumbled Aluminum + Tumbled Copper version and it is a real looker. I had only seen pictures of the black aluminum model prior to this, so needless to say I got a silly grin on my face when I opend the box and saw the contents.

The EDK is built around the Schmidt P8126 refill, also commonly know as the Retro 51 refill. Parker style refills also fit, such as the Fisher Space Pen refill. And, as is the case with many machined pens, the refill will determine your buying decision. I love the refill, but it isn't a primary writer for me, like the Pilot Hi-Tec-C in my Render K or Pilot Juice in my Retrakt. It is a primary writer for many though, and a much loved refill, so it will do very well.

The two-tone options for the EDK are something I love. Before getting the aluminum/copper model in, I think my first choice would be one of the aluminum/black aluminum models. Again, just like my Retrakt. Such a killer look in my opinion. They are also available in other single and combo material barrels, including brass.

Pen tip extended (before)

I had one minor issue with my EDK that may only apply to me and my visual aesthetic. With mine, the tip did not extend out of the pen opening as far as I prefer. The edge of the refill tip cone was flush with the barrel opening. I prefer the flat of the refill body to show just a slight bit - we are talking millimeters here - for a better visual when writing. I fixed that easily with the tiniest piece of double sided tape on the end of the knock. Easy fix, and like I said, a personal preference thing.

Pen tip extended (after)

Overall, I think the EDK is going to do extremely well for Karas Kustoms. The quality and design are on point and it fits right in with the rest of their product lineup. The EDK just launched on Massdrop, so head over there now and check out all of the options.

(Massdrop provided this pen at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)