My friend Dan Bishop and the gang at Karas Kustoms are back at it again. Monday marked the launch of their latest Kickstarter campaign - simply called Ink - which features a machined aluminum rollerball or fountain pen in a rainbow of barrel colors. Finally, a fountain pen worth backing on Kickstarter!
Dan was nice enough to send me an aluminum prototype model to check out, and I am impressed. The barrel shape is a huge winner in my book, with the size and diameter of classics like the Nakaya Piccolo and Edison Pearl. Beauty in simplicity I say.
Despite the size, the Ink is far from too heavy to write with. It has some weight to it, but the aluminum barrel is balanced so well that writing is effortless with the cap unposted. When capped, the extra heft gives this pen an indestructible feel that works as well in your jeans pocket as it does in your suit pocket.
L to R: Karas Kustoms Ink, Edison Pearl, TWSBI 580
The choice of a medium Schmidt #5 nib was a good one, giving this pen a solid foundation to lay down ink, plus some choice for those who like to tinker and may want to swap it out for a different size or other compatible nib (Note: I tested my TWSBI and Kaweco nibs and neither fit.) It is a firm, smooth writer and I have had zero issues with ink flow in the few days I have had this pen inked with Noodler's 54th Massachusetts.
The coup de grace in parting me with my money is the ability to back different color barrels at launch. The orange Render K is still my single favorite Karas Kustom pen, and an orange Ink will be joining it soon. And maybe black. Or blue. Or grey. And maybe a rollerball model because it fits my favorite Retro 51 refill. The options on this campaign are fantastic and it was hard to limit myself to one. Addicts have budgets too, right?
Check out Ink on Kickstarter. It's a great pen by great people and would make an excellent addition to any writing arsenal. Thanks to Dan for giving me an early look at was is sure to be Karas Kustoms best pen yet.
(P.S. Video. Is. Amazing.)
