The Pen Addict Podcast: Episode 380 - A Little Bit of Extra

The Visconti Iopenna. (via Giardino Italiano)

This wasn’t just any new product discussion on this week’s podcast, it was some of the most unique and wild stuff we have seen this year. Montegrappa, Visconti, and Platinum all made appearances, plus, we follow up on Myke’s trip down the rabbit hole.

Show Notes and Download Links

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Karas Kustoms Vertex (Acrylic): A 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.)

The Karas Kustoms Vertex in acrylic is the second release in the company’s Signature Line. The pen comes in either black or dark green acrylic, and you can choose from nine colors for the grip section.

The pen comes in a rectangular machined box with a black, slip-in lid. The box itself is a work of art.

Although my pen didn’t come with a soft pipette or a cartridge, apparently these accessories are normally included with purchase.

The pen has a sleek, streamlined look, with a slip on cap, no clip, and a tapered barrel. It’s a small to medium-sized pen, measuring 5.24 inches/133mm capped, 5.11 inches/130mm uncapped, and 5.9 inches/150mm posted.

The cap posts deeply and securely on the barrel. Because the cap doesn’t have a clip and rolls easily, either post it or set it down vertically. The pen is light, weighing 18.73 grams posted and 12.5 grams unposted (filled with ink).

Although the cap top looks flat from side, it is actually concave, and this adds a little touch of flair to the design.

You have a huge selection when it comes to the grip color. It comes in nine colors: transparent amber, transparent blue, transparent orange, transparent red, transparent smoke, sea glass, Coke bottle, green apple, and UV clear “Italian Ice.” I fitted my pen with the Italian Ice grip. The grip is a nice size, measuring 10.74mm, and it screws onto the barrel seamlessly--no threads, no huge drop from barrel to grip. Another cool thing about the grip is that it acts as an ink window when the pen is capped.

The Vertex is intended to be used as an eyedropper, though you can use a standard international converter if you wish. Three o-rings are in the pen: in the barrel, in the grip, and in the cap, which means you don’t have to use silicone grease to prevent ink leakage. It’s a little hard to see the ink in the black barrel when you’re filling it, so go slowly.

The pen comes standard with a #6 size steel Bock nib. My nib is a medium, and it writes smoothly. The nib sports an etched design with the Karas Kustoms logo and the nib size engraved.

I’ve experienced no burping, hard starts, or dryness when writing with the Vertex. The pen feels wonderful in the hand because of its seamless construction.

The only negative about the design is the slip cap combined with the eyedropper system. You have to be careful when you pop the cap off to avoid spurts of ink on your hands or clothes. So far, I’ve managed to remember to hold the pen with the nib pointed up, but I suspect one of these days I’ll forget and have a mess. The pen comes with a warning about this issue, but I wonder if a screw cap would have been a wiser decision.

The Vertex in acrylic is available from Karas Kustoms at the base price of $130. Steel nibs come in sizes EF, F, M, B, Stub 1.1, and Stub 1.5. You can upgrade to a two-tone steel nib (F, M, or B) for $3.00, a titanium nib (EF, F, M, or B) for $35, and a gold nib (B) for $80. You can also purchase the Vertex in Delrin models (black and white) for the same base price of $130.

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

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Colorverse Apollo 11 50th Anniversary First Moon Landing Limited Edition Ink Set Review, Part 2

(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. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

In my last review, I covered the lovely contents of the Colorverse Apollo 11 limited edition ink set. It's a very droolworthy, if pricey, gift set of inks that has won my heart but not my wallet. This week, I'll talk more about the individual inks included with the set.

Apollo 11, the large bottle of blue-black ink is the primary feature of the set. It goes down very dark and dries to a slate-navy color. It's decently lubricated and shows lovely shading even with a fine nib. In a water test, the blue color washed away but the grey tone remained behind, both when the water was wiped away and left to soak, so it may have a little bit of water resistance. This is a great workhorse ink. It's formal enough to be professional, but has enough character that it's still a joy to write with.

One Small Step is the mysterious grey that splits into orange, pink, and teal in chromatography. A touch of that character shows on the page, where I honestly can't tell if it's a warm color or a cool color. This one feels drier, but shows phenomenal shading. Its lighter color appears like a graphite line, and it pools to almost black. With a stub nib, the effect is almost ghostly and I adore it so much.

Columbia is the pinky-red ink of the set. It has a fantastic tone, though it doesn't show much character on the page. There's a small bit of shading, but it's mostly a flat color. It washes away completely in water. Do you remember the wee red hot candy hearts at Valentine's Day? This ink looks like those taste. Spicy and sweet at the same time.

Eagle is a pale sky teal. It's the driest ink of the batch, with a tendency to dry out in the feed. It's also a bit pale, so it might be tricky to read at times. It doesn't show much shading, but there is some. It washes away completely in water. The color itself is beautiful, but it's probably the one I'll use least from the set. I think it's perfect for highlighting something or for decorative notes, but it isn't a staple color.

The last color of the bunch is Tranquility Base, a beautiful grey-green that has a soft matcha tone to it. It is nicely wet, shows a lot of shading, and the grey notes remain behind when water is applied. Like Eagle, it's a bit pale for everyday use, but its darker tones are grass-green and easier to read. It's more of a Spring green than a Winter green, and it makes me think of light teas and Easter grass.

I think what appeals to me most about this selection of colors is that it perfectly suits the way I write. It has everything I need, all in one box. I'll be drafting in Apollo 11, interjecting thoughts or questions to myself in Eagle, making proof marks in Columbia, adding research notes in Tranquility Base, and inserting new text with One Small Step. I already write this way, to keep my manuscripts color-coded as I draft and re-draft. I just never expected to be handed a kit that anticipates my needs so well. Admittedly, I could have assembled a similar kit myself just from what's on my ink shelf already--which is why I'd likely not shell out the cost of this one--but I really do like the individual characteristics of these inks. I think One Small Step is easily the best grey in my collection, and I have a feeling I'll be lamenting the tiny size of this bottle before long.

My final thoughts are: if you love this, grab it. You won't regret it at all. And if you find it at a good deal, it's definitely worth picking up. For any shade of ambivalence, it's not worth the price. Though... it does come with stickers, if that sways you.

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

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