Mr. Will Hodges of Tactile Turn is again making a splash in the world of machined pens with his newest line of Mover and Shaker pens which debuted on Kickstarter this last week. Many people are probably familiar with his previous successful campaign consisting of all aluminum barrels, but the new offerings of brass, copper, bronze, and titanium are bound to be show stoppers.
Will was kind enough to send me some samples of the new runs and I'm completely thrilled with how these turned out (pun?). He sent me the following: Movers in bronze and brass, and Shakers in brass and titanium. I have to admit, I get the names mixed up most of the time but, to clarify, the Mover is the longer version which takes the G2 and the Shaker is the shorter that takes Parker style or Space Pen refills.
If you own or are familiar with the previous run, you will understand why there is hype around these pens. The machined surface is smooth, clean, and the break points are nearly invisible. "Seamless" is what everyone says and it is true.
I was probably most excited about the bronze version as I don't have (nor have seen) any pens made of this material so it is a first for me. The bronze finish is close (very close) to the brass in color and appearance although having a more reddish hue, but from my understanding it will not tarnish as much or as easily which for many people will be a good thing.
The raw brass tends to show the very first fingerprints as it comes in contact with our oily fingers and overtime becomes dark with patina, but the bronze will maintain more of its luster for longer.
The brass and bronze versions are hefty, but feel great. As I've mentioned about other heavier pens, this may not be for everyone as long writing sessions could be tiresome and carrying one in a shirt pocket could weigh you down a bit. Outside of those concerns, they are fantastic.
The titanium version is pretty slick and looks similar to its aluminum predecessor, but with a richer, darker grey finish. It looks and feels awesome as one would expect. It weighs in just under an ounce more than the aluminum version, but is a great weight that fits snugly in between not too light or not too heavy. I may have to spring for the Mover in titanium... C'mon? Who doesn't like titanium?
Aluminum on the left, Titanium on the right
One of the distinguishing features of Will's pens is the long spiraled groove he machines into the grip or, in some instances, along the length of the entire pen like the "Z". (This is the one in the pictures that looks different...previous review here)
Head over and check out Will's new Kickstarter campaign to peruse his wares. A big thank you to Mr. Hodges for sending me over these samples to try! He is a top notch guy that is passionate about making really great stuff.