*D* Rocket Titanium Oval Bolt Pen Prototype Review

Darriel Caston reached out to me a couple of months ago about his first Kickstarter project, the D Rocket Titanium Oval Bolt Pen. We exchanged emails, he shared his designs and thinking behind the pen, and a few weeks ago was able to ship me out a prototype, which I have put through the paces.

The primary design decision with the D Rocket was to keep the bolt as clean and flush with the side of the barrel as possible. Darriel succeeded in doing this by making the barrel an oval shape. This may be confusing to process, but the shape is subtle and in practice works quite well. I have a standard grip and I picked up the pen and was comfortably writing without hesitation.

The bolt action is smooth and snappy as well, a feature that is a must with this style of pen. It is easily workable with one hand, but something odd hit me after about the third click: The bolt is located in the left-handed position. Mike Dudek pointed out the same thing, so I'm glad I'm not crazy in thinking I've never used a bolt with this setup. It's not a deal breaker, but I have to flip the pen around to use it with the clip out after engaging the refill.

Materials wise, titanium is found in all the primary parts of the pen, making it a durable choice for EDC. I asked Darriel to send me the model with the D Rocket logo and laser markings to see how it would look on that type of finish and I like it. It gives the pen design a little extra pop.

The primary question with the D Rocket Oval Bolt boils down to this: Are titanium materials important to you? If so, this pen is well worth looking at. It fits Parker compatible refills, such as the Fisher Space Pen and the cool Ohto 0.5 needle ballpoint that shipped with mine, making it a durable, functional choice. If not, the aluminum Karas Kustoms Bolt or Maxmadco Bolt will save you a few bucks and suit your needs just fine.

My thanks to Darriel Caston for sending this pen over for review. If you like what you see be sure to check out the Kickstarter project for more details.

Three Questions With Kevin Mellon

I first ran across Kevin Mellon’s artwork when I was working for JetPens. I was impressed with his style, and was interested in the tools he used to create. Watching his career take off - he is now a storyboard artist for Archer and created his own comic series called Suicide Sisters - has been really exciting to follow. My thanks to Kevin for taking the time to answer Three Questions.

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

Sadly, not as much daily as they used to. I work on the FX cartoon Archer, doing storyboards, and most of that process is digital using cintiqs. That said, I keep sketchbooks with me to work out my thoughts on scenes I’m assigned and various pens to doodle/take notes with.

I love pens/paper/etc. I have a severe JetPens addiction, as the drawers of various tools I’ve bought from them over the years continues to fill up rather than diminish. I will often buy pens just to try something, as they’re fun for me and I like finding/trying different things.

For my comics work, I often do my layouts/thumbnails in sketchbooks, so those are usually pencil, pen, and paper. I vary what I use, and a lot of the pens I buy to try out get used there.

When I do get a chance (read: make the time) to sketch for myself, that’s when I really go through what I have, just trying everything I’ve bought but haven’t gotten to yet, or just enjoying my old standbys.

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

For paper, I’ve been really digging Strathmore 297120 60-Pound 192-Page Sketch Book, 8.5 by 11-Inch.

It’s a sturdy paper that’s almost bristol-like. I prefer a bit of tooth to my paper, and this one certainly has a nice bite to it.

For comics pages, I’m pretty standard. I use Strathmore 300 series Vellum surface Bristol. I buy the 11x17 (unruled/no blue-line) packs of 24 in bulk from Dick Blick. Since my comics output has decreased the last few years, I’m still sitting on about a dozen packs, but they’ll get used over time.

For pens, my go-tos at the moment are:

Uni-ball Vision Elite roller ball pen. I love this one for just general use. Writing, sketching, whatever. It’s just a solid, cheap pen that never lets me down in every day use.

Platinum Carbon Desk Fountain Pen (Super Fine). I’ve used quite a few of these in the last two years, and I beat the heck out of them and they keep going. (I’m bad about chewing on the caps/stocks while working). I love the response and line that these get and the long stock is like holding a brush, which is nice since my traditional comic/illustration inking is done with brushes. These I just use for sketching, though.

Another one that’s very similar is the Sailor version of the same pen. They’re different in ways I appreciate subtly, but the Sailor is a solid one to have.

I use the Platinum Carbon ink, as I can’t be bothered to mess with filling my own ink into the converters that I have, and the carbon ink has done me well in all my various brush pens over the years.

I’ve also been messing around with Deleter G nibs using this stock (I might mention that the pink handled nib holder is slightly shorter than the blue one. I have one of each, but use the pink more, as I prefer it better).

For brush pen sketching, I use the Kuretake Fudegokochi Super Fine and Regular.

And my go-to brush pen for many years has been the Kuretake no. 13. It’s a work horse and the ability to replace just the brush half makes it invaluable for sketching and travel. Also, as long as I’m not too hard on them, they last me quite a while.

For pencils:

A couple years back, you yourself got me onto the Palomino Blackwings which I didn’t expect to like, let alone fall in love with, but I did. It’s a pencil that reacts like a brush. From there I dipped even further and have switched over to the Blackwing Pearls for the most part, and those have been a mainstay for the last year or so.

Otherwise I’m using a Pentel Graph Gear 500 filled with blue lead for sketching and whatever else. The weight and feel of it, plus the metal grip is what sold me on that pencil.

Digitally, I’m forever in love with Sketchbook Pro. It’s my go-to digital sketchbook/workhorse. I swoon over every new iteration of it, and it’s been my mainstay for digital sketching/design/comics penciling for about 6 years now.

3. What creation are you the most proud of?

Hmm. This is a tough one. I’d have to say that my most recent full-length book, Suicide Sisters would have to be it. Before putting that out, I’d have said LoveSTRUCK, my second graphic novel with writer Dennis Hopeless, but since I conceived, wrote, and drew Suicide Sisters myself, I have to go with that one. Wow, that’s a lot of commas. Obviously I’m good at writing.

Sakura Kakikata Felt Tip Pen Review

The Sakura Kakikata gets it done with simplicity. No bells, no whistles, no frills, Just excellent performance at a fair price. What more can you ask for?

The Kakikata looks like a throwback to marker pens from the 70's and 80's that you would find by the dozen in some beat up box in an office supply closet or desk. They may have even had dust on them when you saved them, but after popping the cap off and scribbling a few test lines you knew you were on to something. Where is the love for a simple pen like this?

This is another one of those pens where I'll take two or three of them, stash them in the places I like to write, pick up from time to time, and remember how nice it is to write with. The fine felt tip is clean and sharp, and the lines are dark. The ink is water and fade resistant too, so artists will enjoy them as well.

Will this pen replace the Pigma Micron, Uni Pin, or some of my other favorite art pens? Not likely, but its a fun pen and a reminder that you don't need much to make something awesome.

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