Stilform Kosmos Ballpoint Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

I can honestly say that I've never seen a pen like the Stilform Kosmos, and that's a good thing. The unique design of this pen is something that makes people stop, pick it up, and ask about it. They want to know where it came from, how it works, and (most importantly) "can I have it?"

The idea of using a novel concept to extend and retract a refill inside a barrel is one that many companies have tried and successfully sold. Anything beyond the classic pen cap or click button nock mechanism is fascinating. I'm sure that other companies or individuals have employed a similar method as the Kosmos, but I haven't been lucky or observant enough to see one in action.

The Kosmos relies on strong magnets to keep the pen in either extended or retracted position, and the movement between those two modes is smooth and incredibly satisfying. Given the full-metal construction of the pen body and cap mechanism, there's a hefty "ker-thunk" when opening or closing it. The magnets are the reason that this mechanism works so well, and they're also the reason that it's so darn satisfying to use.

Inside the pen is a standard Parker-style refill. The included refill is a Stilform branded cartridge with black ink and a medium (~1.0mm) tip. It reminds me a lot of the Schmidt P900. It's smooth, but the ink is a bit light and grayish and can be a bit skippy at times. It also has a problem with starting after being unused for a few minutes. The ink dries quickly, and that can be an annoyance. Luckily, if you don't like the refill, you have hundreds of other options that can be swapped in effortlessly.

To replace the refill, simply unscrew the front section from the body to gain access to the inside. There's not much to see inside the pen, which maintains the mystery around the magnetic mechanism.

This pen is a delight to use, but it isn't without flaws. Namely, the price.

The unit featured in this review is the Titanium matte finish, which sells for about $133. That's quite a chunk of change for a ballpoint, and one that I see a lot of people having major heartburn over. Luckily, there are several aluminum versions available as well for the lower price of $68. Still not cheap, but more in line with what most people consider a high-quality novelty pen or the infamous graduation gift. Personally, I have several other pens with unique mechanisms or magnets that cost between $40-$80. I'm not sure this one would make the cut for me. It's simply a bit high, but you cannot ignore the ingenious magnet closure system. It really is brilliant.

While the design of the Kosmos is the selling feature, it also introduces some usability setbacks. For one, it rolls away quite easily since the body is completely round. Also, due to the strong magnets inside the body, it can easily roll away toward a larger metal object (think a metal subframe under a wood top desk) or it can pull small metal objects toward it. This isn't a huge deal, but it has annoyed me.

Another design flaw with the retractable mechanism is that it's incredibly difficult to operate with just one hand. It's possible, but it's awkward. I've dropped it several times trying to open or close it one-handed, and I eventually gave up hope after dropping it a few times.

Aside from the price, the small design gripes, and the "meh" nature of the included refill, the Kosmos really is an astonishing pen. Pair this with a Fisher Space Pen refill, a Schmidt EasyFlow 9000, or Moleskine gel ink refill, and you're off to the races.

In the aluminum category, you have color options of Night Sky, Warp Black, Rose Moon, Comet Grey, and Star Silver. In the titanium category, you can choose between matte (featured here) or mirror-polished.

I always look for the overall value with "all things considered" when reviewing pens, and the Kosmos just doesn't deliver on that front. It's a unique, delightful pen with plenty to love, but it will end up a non-starter for most shoppers due to the price and incredible competition in this category. If the design speaks to you and you can stomach the price, you can't go wrong with the Stilform Kosmos.

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

Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Stilform, Pen Reviews.

TEC Accessories Ko-Axis Rail Pen Giveaway

The TEC Accessories Ko-Axis Rail Pen is one of the more unique pens to cross my desk in some time. Its flat, rectangular shape makes for a slim profile while retaining a shockingly comfortable grip area. Speaking of which, the grip is a slider that deploys and retracts the refill. Not only does it work well, it is flat-out fun to carry and use.

My friends at TEC Accessories are providing one Ko-Axis Rail Pen in Black Aluminum for giveaway to Pen Addict readers. Check out the rules below and enter away.

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Brad Dowdy and filed under TEC Accessories, Giveaways.

ystudio Portable Brassing Ballpoint Pen

ystudio has become one of my favorite brands to follow over the past few years. Their product designs are classic and functional, while adding modern touches with their choices of materials and finishes. And, they want you to use, love, and destroy your pen or pencil in the process.

Their latest release is the Portable Brassing Ballpoint, which features - wait for it - a gel ink refill. An exceptional Ohto 0.7 mm Parker-style refill at that. This one caught my eye because they added new barrel colors to the regular lineup, in this case red and white to go along with the standard black. They have offered red and white in special editions previously, and now they are part of the regular lineup.

And they are different, at least in the case of the red model I have for review. In the past, ystudio’s barrel finishes have been either raw metals, like brass and copper, or a satin-like black paint coating. All of these materials lended themselves to patina and wear - core features of the brand. The new ballpoints, however, have a glossy paint finish that I’m not quite sure what to make of yet.

It’s different, that’s for sure. And unexpected, based on my past experiences with ystudio. I like it, and it is beautiful, but will I be able to get the full brassing effects like with their other models? Do I even want to since it looks so nice right now?

Like the other brassing pens and pencils, this one ships with sandpaper to help you customize the look. This caught me off guard the first time I saw it years ago, and I still find it funny that a strip of sandpaper is included with each pen. You can see the effects of its use on my ystudio Brassing Ballpoint review. It is forced patina, if you will. And I don’t plan on forcing this one.

The name of this pen has “portable” in it, similar to the portable fountain pen, but I find it to be far less portable in reality. It is a twist barrel, which is easily manipulated with one hand, but the accessories that ship with it make it less usable, even though they may help with the dictionary definition of portability.

The top of the pen contains a built in brass loop, made to be used with the included leather rope necklace or brass shackle. The necklace accessory isn’t the right choice for a twist pen. Necklace pens are usually capped so you can remove the pen and write while keeping the cap safely secured around your neck. You would need to remove the necklace over your head every time you want to write with this pen, unless you are constantly writing at eye level.

I thought the shackle might be a cool accessory to add on to the back end of the pen, but when put in place is it so loud bouncing off the barrel when writing that it becomes a distraction. I guess you can attach it to a clip on a bag or purse (Portability!) when not in use, but that is the only benefit besides aesthetics that I can think of.

To me, the idea of a portable pen is one that I can carry in my pocket and can use easily when needed. The ystudio Portable Brassing Ballpoint tries to be portable with its added accessories, but in each case, it makes the pen more difficult to use. If anything, this is a desk pen or pen case carry pen. And a good one at that.

In a nutshell:

Is this a good pen? Yes.

Would it make a good gift? Yes.

Would you enjoy it? Yes.

Do I enjoy it? Yes.

Would I recommend it? Maybe.

Would I choose it over any other ystudio pen? No.

That’s what it boils down to. It is a good pen. Some will even find it to be great. I find it to be ystudio’s least interesting and least useful design. In fact, I think it goes against many of their design principles. The funny thing is, if they called it the Glossy Barrel Gel Pen and dropped the accessories it would make more sense based on what this product actually is.

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

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!