Huckberry Essential Desk Collection Giveaway

My good friends at Huckberry are offering up The Essential Desk Collection by Appointed to one lucky reader of The Pen Addict.

If you aren't familiar with Appointed, they create wonderfully styled stationery goods, including the Chambray Notebook, Navy Workbook, To-do Pad, and Brass Ruler, all of which are included in this collection. Here is how you can enter and win:

1. Head over to Huckberry.com and sign up as a member (if you aren't already one.) All you need to do is enter your email address and a password, or connect with your Facebook account. It is that simple and there is zero commitment.

2. Leave one comment on this post anytime between now and Friday night, October 30th, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. You are limited to one entry. International readers are welcome to enter!

3. For this contest, I will pick one winner at random from the comments section of this post. The comments will be numbered in the order they are received, i.e. the first comment is #1, the second #2, and so on. The Random Integer Generator at random.org will be used to pick the number of the winner.

4. The contest winner will be posted on Saturday, October 31th. The winner will have one week to email me via the Contact link at the top of the page.

My thanks to Huckberry for providing these goods for Pen Addict readers. It is greatly appreciated!

(Note: I am a Huckberry affiliate and links to Huckberry.com are affiliate links. If you patronize them through these links I get a small percentage back which helps support this site.)

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 178 - Big Dan Episode

Dan Bishop from Karas Kustoms joined Myke and I to discuss all of the Karas Pen goodness that has hit the internet over the past few months. The Fountain K and the Ink v2 just scratched the surface before we too a deeper look at yesterday's EDK release. I also get clarification on pencil sharpener terminology, discuss off the shelf pen choices, and talk about my adventures with Taylor Swift.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Pen Chalet: use the code PENADDICT to save 10% on your order or click the ‘podcast’ link at the top of the website and enter the password 'penaddict' for even more savings, as well as your 10% off.

Harry's: An exceptional shave at a fraction of the price. Use code PENADDICT for $5 off your first purchase.

Squarespace: Build it Beautiful. Use code INK for 10% off.

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.)