Triple Aught Design Fellhoelter TiBolt Pen Review

I first heard of Brian Fellhoelter when he launched his TiBolt Kickstarter project in late 2012. The looks of the original pen didn’t strike my fancy so I passed on it, but it ended up being a very successful project in the end, and many backers have sung the pens praises.

Fast forward to 2014 and Brian raised the bar on his original design, launching the TiBolt ReLeaded, a mechanical pencil using the original bolt action from the first pen. The barrel upgrade was noticeable, so it was only a matter of time before these two products merged, allowing for a Parker style refill to fit into the nicer ReLeaded barrel.

One of the results of this mergining of styles is the Fellhoelter TiBolt Pen TAD Edition from Triple Aught Design. They recently sent me this pen to check out and I came away more impressed than I thought I would originally. Triple Aught Design is known for their highly engineered and functional apparel and equipment so this collaboration fits their product line perfectly. The TiBolt pen is hardcore, that’s for sure.

Tactical pens can be a confusing thing for those who aren’t into them. What is the definition of a tactical pen? While I’m no expert in the field, I define them as a pen that is over-engineered to an extreme degree to be virtually indestructible. They are often used out in the field by professions that value durability at all costs, and often times provide multiple functions or have self-defense features.

The TAD Fellhoelter TiBolt is an excellent example of a well engineered pen. The titanium body is dead solid. All the pieces fit together so well It feels like you are writing with a single block of titanium. The grip rings are deep enough to provide a good grip without digging into your fingers, and the clip is solid enough to stay attached anywhere you put it. Even the barrel markings a sleek and subdued, especially compared to what I have seen from other tactical pens.

My only hangup with the TiBolt is a Fellhoelter design feature: The extra long bolt mechanism. It is tight, snappy, and works perfectly. But it is too big for me and my non-tactical uses. I understand the reason for its size - it helps users whose jobs require gloves - so therefore it’s not something I can truly complain about. Still, it digs into my hand unless turned just right, so it is not a perfect pen for me for that reason.

The pen ships with a Schmidt Easy Flow 9000 refill, which wouldn’t be my choice for this pen, but is easy enough to replace with your favorite Parker style refill. My choice would be the fine blue Fischer Space pen ballpoint for outdoor work, or the Moleskine gel for normal use.

Some may balk at the $160 price tag for this pen, but the quality, materials, craftmanship, and buy-it-for-life nature of this item will appeal to many. Plus, it is made right here in the USA. All of that adds up to a great product in my book.

(My thanks to Triple Aught Design for sending me this pen at no charge for review purposes.)

Guest Appearance on the Erasable Podcast

Andy, Tim, and Johnny went slumming it this week, asking me to join them for Episode 11 of the Erasable Podcast. We covered a lot in the 2 hour (!) episode, and I feel like we just scratched the surface. Be sure to check it out. Thanks for having me on guys!

Etranger di Costarica Memo Book Review

I'm always on the lookout for good pocket memo books that play nicely with fountain pens and foutain pen inks, so it's no surprise that this post at The Well-Appointed Desk about the Etranger memo book caught my eye. Ana did a great job of showing the pros and cons of the book, so I ordered one right away from JetPens. I even chose the same color, because green is awesome.

Overall, this is a great little notebook, but this is one main reason why it hasn't become my number one memo book. For me, the lines are just too close together. By my measurement, the lines are 5 mm apart. I prefer something like 7 mm. That said, let's talk about the many things that make this notebook great.

The size

The size is comparable to the standard Field Notes size. It's just a bit smaller on both ends at 3.3" x 5.4". For reference, the Field Notes books are 3.5" x 5.5". The Etranger books pack in quite a few more pages than the Field Notes, however. 32 versus the Field Notes 24. Even though the books has more pages, it's still quite thin and I can barely feel it in my pocket.

The size is great and I can't really tell a difference between the size of this book and a Field Notes unless I have them side-by-side.

Paper quality

The paper quality is where the Etranger book beats out the generic Field Notes books for me. The paper doesn't handle foundtain pens like Rhodia or Clairefontaine, but it does a really good job. This is something that I've never been able to say about any Field Notes book I've used, and everyone knows that the Field Notes paper doesn't typically do well with fountain pens. That doesn't change the fact that I really would like to enjoy both the pocketable form factor and high-quality paper in a notebook.

I've used several different pens in this book so far, and it handles them all adequately. Obviously, it does better with finer nibs. Wetter nibs and inks tend to show through quite a bit, but dry inks and fine nibs do well. The paper is a nice white color, which is something I prefer.

Some inks also tend to feather a bit on this paper, but you have to look closely to notice it. If this was expensive paper, I'd complain, but for under $4, this is pretty impressive.

Now, for the reason that I can't use this book as my #1 pocket memo book: the lines. The lines! They're so close together. I normally prefer lined paper, but this is just too small. I have a Kokuyo notebook with 6 mm spacing, and it's manageable. I really like 7 mm spacing, honestly. But 5 mm is just too much for me. And my OCD won't allow me to use two lines for writing, so I'm stuck trying to fit my words into the tiny space allotted. If they had other options for lines, grids, plain, etc., I'd be extremely happy.

The outside

These books have a cover that is similar to other pocket memo books in that it's a medium-weight craft paper. What's different about the Etranger books is that they also come with a semi-transparent vinyl cover that slips onto each cover of the notebook. I wasn't sure if I'd like this when I ordered it, but after using it for a while, I've really grown to like it.

It feels good in hand, offers much more protection, and gives the plain white notebook a bit of personality. There are many colors to choose from, but I still think Apple Green is the right choice.

The book has no trouble mostly laying flat, and it closes nicely as well.

Overall

This is a fantastic notebook. For the price of a single Field Notes, you get a comparable notebook that has more pages, a vinyl cover, and is more friendly with fountain pens and inks. It's not for everyone due to the small spaced lines, but that doesn't stop me from using it every week. Even with the small line spacing, this notebook is far from a disappointment.

(You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution, Twitter, and App.net.)