New at Kickstarter: Render K

The Render K is the latest machined pen to hit Kickstarter, built to take advantage of the world-famous Pilot Hi-Tec-C refill. I have been lucky to be able to test drive a prototype of the Render K for the last few days, so let me explain a few differences this pen has over previous Kickstarter projects.

The Render K is manufactured in the US by KarasKustoms. I have chatted with Dan from KarasKustoms via email several times and he made it clear: the guy selling you the pen is the same guy manufacturing it in his shop in Mesa, Arizona. This is one of the reasons I was able to get an early prototype.

The Kickstarter page is full of details, drawings, and videos of the Render K for you to check out, but let me tell you what sets it apart. First of all, the design is portable. I backed both the Pen Type-A and PHX-1 projects and can’t wait to get both of those pens. The thing is, neither one is going to leave the house with me. The Render K is based around a standard pen design. Standard length, standard weight - hey look - a pen clip! Toss it in your shirt or pants pocket and you are ready to go.

Another unique feature is the ability to swap out the Pilot Hi-Tec-C refill for a Parker compatible refill. KarasKustoms provides a spacer and a spring to make this happen, giving you more flexibility and choice in your ink.

I have been really happy with my prototype so far. I included a few pictures so you can see it for yourself. Dan made it perfectly clear that the pen I have is not in its final production state, so keep that in mind when looking at the photos. My untrained eye is hard pressed to find any flaws.

Thanks to Dan and KarasKustoms for giving me an early look, and don’t forget to check out the Render K project on Kickstarter.

Rotring Tikky Graphic Drawing Pen 0.4 mm Review

Rotring makes some of the best looking pens on the market. I am a big fan of the high quality construction and clean design. Yes, you do pay a premium for them compared to other similar pens on the market, but in most cases I think it is worth it.

The Rotring Tikky Graphic Drawing Pen is a relatively new item at JetPens. It had been requested a few times by artists and art students because of its durability. I certainly don’t put these pens through the rigors and stress that an artists does, so I take their word when they say how durable the tip of the pen is. Like your favorite coffee, they are good down to the last drop of ink.

I use this pen mostly for writing. My lettering looks amazing, but since the ink flows so fast and heavy it tends to bleed through regular weight paper like the Doane Writing Pad I use for reviews. Compared to the Sakura Pigma Micron, the Rotring Tikky is a true artists pen, made to be used on heavier weight sketch paper. I can get away with simple note taking with the Micron where I can’t with the Tikky.

There are always so many different things to consider when purchasing a pen. If you are a writer this pen might not be for you. But if you are an artist this might be your new favorite pen.

Uni-ball Roller Grip 0.5 mm Blue Review

One piece of information I wish were more readily available is the year a pen was introduced. Very few people care about this other than me, but I think it is useful. I’m guessing this Uni-ball Roller Grip has been around for at least a decade and I would love to say “Introduced in 1998,”.

Why do I care about this all of a sudden? Because this is a pretty darn good pen, and it seems to have been lost in the shuffle over the years. I have been asked to review it several times in the past but it wasn’t until Carmen grabbed me one in Spain that I had one available to review. How funny is that? A great American pen that had to travel across the Atlantic to get reviewed.

It’s not that it is impossible to find in the States, it’s that it is just a pen. From Uni-ball’s perspective, it’s not going to get the same marketing push as the Jetstream or the 207, and therefore isn’t going to be on retail shelves everywhere. It is more of a buy it by the dozen office supply cabinet workhorse.

What I like about the Roller Grip is the ink. It is a liquid ink, but it is not too wet. As long as you don’t hold the tip on the page excessively the bleed is minimal. Uni-ball seems to have improved the overall ink quality over the years as well. It is listed as a pigment based ink that is archival, acid-free, and water-resistant. I had no idea until I read the specs when typing up this post.

Has and old standby become a new favorite? Well, I had a little grin on my face when I was writing this review, sort of a “I can’t believe it is this good” smirk. I think a dozen black are in my future.