Karas Kustoms Starliner XL Series Fountain Pen 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.)

A few weeks ago, Jeff introduced Karas Kustoms Starliner pens which are part of the company’s new Reaktor Writing Instrument line. This week, I’ll be highlighting the Starliner XL pens which are part of the same line but are full-sized pens rather than pocket-sized like the Starliner.

The Reaktor Writing Instrument line harkens back to the atomic age of the 40s and 50s and the space race in the 60s and 70s. The name “Reaktor” is a play on the atomic idea, and the pens in the range are designed to reflect elements of the space race (more on that below). In addition, Karas Kustoms wanted to make a series of pens at a lower price point than their other lines. With that in mind, they kept the pens simple both in design and color range (silver, black, and tumbled finish).

The Starliner XL pens are full-sized pens, measuring 5 inches (127mm) capped, 4.8 inches (123mm) uncapped, and 5.3 inches (135mm) posted.

The cap snaps on and has a machined clip. You’ll notice that while the cap and barrel look flat at the top and bottom, they both actually have small peaks. This detail is meant to evoke the glint of a star.

An additional space design element is the six machined rings—three on the top of the cap, two on the cap lip, and one near the barrel’s bottom. These rings evoke the “3-2-1” countdown of a rocket launch.

As I stated earlier, the Starliner XL series comes in only three finishes: black, silver, and tumbled. However, you can choose either blue or red anodized grips for the silver pens. These colors were chosen for their association with space suits, which often had red and blue fixtures.

The Starliner XL comes with a polished steel Bock 076 (#5) nib in sizes from EF to 1.5mm stub. You can also upgrade to a Titanium nib or a 14k gold one. The nib is a standard Bock design with some scrollwork and the Bock name and logo. All the nibs on the pens I received write smoothly and are unproblematic—no hard starts, skipping, or blobbing.

Included with each Starliner XL is a Schmidt K5 Converter and one Monteverde black standard international cartridge.

You can purchase the Starliner XL from Karas Kustoms for $55.00 with free shipping in the US (international shipping will cost $15.00). At the time of this post, the pens are not yet up for sale, but they should be available soon.

I’ve enjoyed using the four Starliner XL fountain pens for the past month. I love the sleek design and the snap cap works well—easy on and off. And, wonder of wonders, I even like posting the cap on these pens. It posts deep onto the barrel and does not throw off the balance.

I think you’ll find the Starliner XL to be a terrific every-day-carry pen. They are rugged and the clip makes it easy to stow them in a pocket. $55.00 with free shipping seems like an excellent deal, especially for a pen that will last for a long time.

(Karas Kustoms provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on July 27, 2018 by Susan Pigott and filed under Karas Kustoms, Fountain Pens, Pen Reviews.

The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 318 - The Pen Thief

*Studio C Composition Book via Comfortable Shoes Studio*

How many years have you been blogging? Whatever the number, I bet Less has you beat. Join us in our wide-ranging conversation about how she has been able to keep at it for so long, plus plenty of pencil talk, and how to find a quality composition notebook.

Show Notes & Download Links

This episode of The Pen Addict is sponsored by:

Harry’s: New customers get $5 off with the code PENADDICT.

eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code PENADDICT for free overnight shipping.

Posted on July 26, 2018 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Podcast.

Graf von Faber-Castell Olive Green Ink Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

A lot of times I can't tell the difference in performance between luxury ink brands and some of the smaller indie companies. There's no discernible justification for the difference in price or hype. But every time I've used a Graf von Faber-Castell ink, I've definitely noticed the quality and they never fail to impress me.

The ink comes in a 75 ml bottle--it's one of the biggest ink bottles in my collection. It's a sturdy glass bottle with a weighted bottom that prevents any tipping or sloshing. The glass is fluted and beautifully accented. The bottle is deep enough that I haven't had any trouble filling pens, but it is a bit squat, so I imagine that there may be some challenges as the ink level lowers. The inner chamber is flat on the bottom, so there's no interior well to position your nib in to get the best fill when the bottle runs low. Overall, it's a very heavy bottle. It makes a lovely paperweight. The lid is chrome with the Faber-Castell shield in black plastic set into the top. The front of the bottle has a cream sticker label with the color name on it.

The overall effect is a charming vintage look. I could see this bottle feeling right at home on a desk in the 30s or 40s. That's plenty enough reason for me to be enchanted, but it also happens to be full of some really great ink.

This is a lovely grassy Olive Green. It's a very mature color--there's nothing garish or exciting about it. It seems very businesslike. There aren't any flashy effects--no sheen that I could see, very little shading, and no shimmer. The pigments separate into a lime green and slate blue--it's not a complex color, but it's a very relaxing shade. If you prefer bright colors or fun effects, you could easily say that this ink is boring. But sometimes you need boring. And the things that win me over with this ink are in its performance.

This is a wet-flowing ink. It's smooth and pools nicely in the line to give it just enough character. But somehow, it's also very fast-drying. There's barely any smearing at 15-20 seconds, and at 25 it's completely dry. It's also very water-resistant. I tried dripping water and wiping it off, allowing the drops to soak in and let them stand for several minutes, and I can still see all of the lines as plain as new with hardly any color running at all. With as wet as the ink was going down on the paper, I expected it to smear all over and then wash away in the smallest raindrop. But no, this ink is super well trained. If you're a leftie who likes wet inks, this might be a great one to try.

A wet, smooth ink in a professional color that dries fast and stays put is the kind of ink that gets good use around here. I love bright, fun effects, and I always have a few playful inks in rotation--but I need inks like this on a daily basis for work and other important things. Boring things. And if I can lighten the boredom with an ink that is a true pleasure to use, that's a huge plus.

$30 for 75 ml of excellently behaved ink is definitely a good price. And there are other more exciting colors available, too, if this rich olive doesn't suit your fancy. I have a few colors in my collection, and I've been happy with all of them.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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