Mini pens are difficult to get right. For a product that, by design, should be very simple, it is tough to nail all the important elements and have those elements work together as a cohesive package. Size, feel, fit, finish, refill, mechanics - all of these things have to be considered, and the small size of the pen leaves no room for mistakes. The Move, designed by Oliver Sha succeeds where others have tried and come up ... short.
The premise is simple, right? Make a small pen for pocket or keychain carry. I've tried many, such as the Fisher Space Pen, Kaweco Lilliput, Lamy Pico, and more. None are able to bring to the table what The Move can. Oliver sent me the polished Titanium Move Pen to check out and I knew it was a winner the moment I opened the package.
The feel and finish of the pen were noticeable immediately. Smooth lines, well machined seams, and one of the best bolt action mechanisms I have used highlight the design of The Move. I could really tell the time and thought that was put into this pen by the smooth grinding around the keychain attachment hole. It is silky smooth and honestly I couldn't stop looking at it I was so impressed.
To keep the profile of the pen as small as possible, Oliver chose to design it around the Lamy M22 refill. I recently picked up a Lamy Pico (review coming soon) which was my first M22 experience and I was plesantly surprised. I especially like that there is an 0.5 mm blue option which is my preferred ammo. The lines are smooth, clean, and mess free. The M22 is not a pressurized refill like the Fisher Space Pen so keep that in mind if that is a requirement for you.
From L to R: Kaweco Lilliput FP and BP, The Move, Lamy Pico, Kaweco AL Sport
When writing with the pen unattched to a keychain it is just long enough for me to use comfortably. I have average size hands and could see an issue for those with larger hands than myself. Attaching it to a keyring would probably help with that. You can see where it falls in the size spectrum compared to many popular pocket pens in the picture above, although I will say The Move is in a different product category than some of those.
Right now, Oliver is weighing his options to see if it is worth making another production run. He still has some inventory left from the Kickstarter campaign so email him at osdesignstore@gmail.com if you are interested. Prices are the same as the Kickstarter campaign: $52 for the aluminum versions and $98 for the titanium, both with free US shipping.
Thanks again to Oliver for sending me this review sample. Be sure to follow his work at OS Design Store and get in touch with him soon if you would like to pick up The Move.
