Karas Kustoms G2 Render K - Pen Review

July 15, 2013

Some history about this one (if you're new to the Render K), the Render K is the first pen project from Karas Kustoms, a machine shop out of Mesa, AZ. The pens are machined from aluminum and brass in their shop, and started a line of other successful machined pens, The Bolt, and the current Kickstarter campaign for The Retrakt. If you are familiar with my other posts about some of Karas' products, you know that I am a huge fan. (Delrin Render K; Retrakt)

If you don't have a Render K, I'd say you would be hard pressed to find a more unique and stunning pen than this, and one that has more character. Every time I use this pen, not only do I enjoy the writing experience of it and how it feels, but I kind of bask in its...awesomeness.

The designer behind the pen is Dan Bishop, a designer that has created some amazing work in all of the pens that Karas Kustoms has produced. Actually, "amazing" would probably still be an understatement... Out of them all, the Render K holds a little bit of a spot in pen history (in my opinion) being among one of the first of the machined pens like this to become popular and more mainstream. What amazes me about the design that Dan produced is the fact that it is industrial, yet refined; vintage, yet timeless; functional, yet elegant. 50 years from now I think the Render K will still hold its own as a beautiful design and I know I'll still be glad to own it. I look forward to seeing Dan's future works.

The original Render K was made to fit the popular Pilot Hi Tec C, Parker style, and Fisher Space Pen refills which was a great choice, but Karas Kustoms decided to offer a different Render K that takes the more readily available Pilot G2.

To distinguish the G2 Render K, there is a machined line below the tip.

I picked up this particular pen back in December of last year because, although I love my original Render K, I wanted one to carry that had refills that were a bit better for everyday writing (in my opinion).

The barrel of the G2 edition has been machined with a larger diameter on the inside to accomodate refills like the Pilot G2, Pilot Precise RT, Pentel Energel, uni-ball Signo 207, and even the Mont Blanc Rollerball (if you're feeling fancy). The pen comes with a piece of tubing that may need to be cut to allow for the above refills, but thats what its for so cut away!

Check out Karas' website as they have a variety of Render K types to fit your preference from brass (heavy), aluminum, and anodized colors.

Retro 51 Hex-o-matic Black Ballpoint - Pen Review

July 14, 2013

Anything with "o-matic" in the name is either bound to be something really awesome, or something from a cheap, late-night infomercial. Or a home appliance from the 50's that makes french fries or something.

Luckily, the Retro 51 Hex-o-matic comes out on top and is shaping up to be an absolutely fantastic pen. I picked this one up while on a visit to my local pen shop, Scottsdale Pen. If you are local to the Phoenix area or happen to be in town, drop by Jay's shop as he carries a wide selection and is great to chat with. Summer is also the slow season for him as graduations and Father's Day are over, so picking up a pen from him will help support a local small business.

Although it doesn't really impact the feel or function of the pen, Retro did a really great job with the packaging. The pen comes in a cardboard box, but it is shaped like a hexagonal tube in reference to the barrel. There are blue schematic drawings of the pen against a matte black/gray box that make the presentation really cool. Kind of reminds me of something you'd see as a Space Mountain or Star Tours prop while waiting in line to get on the ride.

This thing feels great. It has a brass body and is very weighty and sturdy. If you aren't familiar with the Rotring 600, the Hex-o-matic takes many (if not most) of its design elements from it. This is good though as the old style Rotrings have been discontinued and I think Retro has done a great job paying homage to a classic. The barrel is thin, like the Rotring, which I've read that some people find uncomfortable.

I decided to post a few pictures of the Hex-o-matic along side the Rotring 600 Lava Ballpoint I reviewed a little while ago to get a comparison, although my Rotring doesn't have the knurled grip.

One design element that Retro put in to maintain their brand is the knurled top section below the knock. Although subtle, they tie together this pen with their Tornado line by keeping the same "lip" at the top which I think this is a nice addition. Kudos, Retro.

The knock on the Hex-o-matic feels almost exactly the same as the Rotring although, maybe just a bit stiffer. To actually depress the knock you have to push it down slightly first for it to engage in actually extending the tip. This is similar to "double action" mechanical pencils (which Retro and Rotring both make) where you push the tip down all the way to extend the tip, but then smaller, more subtle clicks to extend the lead. On a pencil like that, I get it. On the pen? Not necessary, but I assume that Retro uses the same mechanism. Not a deal breaker, but an observation.

The clip is pretty stiff, although with enough force (or catching the pen on something), I'd imagine it could bend out. This isn't something that I would lose sleep over though. I like also how the "O" in Hex-o-matic is actually a hexagon. Nerdy? You bet, but awesome.

The Hex-o-matic comes pre-loaded with the Schmidt EasyFlow, and the more I use this refill the more I like it. For a ballpoint it lays down a nice dark line. The EasyFlow is a "Parker Style" which means there may be other option to pop in here like the popular Moleskine Gel Roller, Parker QuinkFlow, and maybe even the Fisher Space Pen (with spacer). The tip does move a little bit, but I don't consider it distracting.

I'm going to say overall that Retro 51 did a fantastic job with this one. At around $35, could this be seen as expensive? Maybe, but not compared to buying a NOS Rotring 600 ballpoint in the same style... (although I do want one of those too...)

Retro 51 Tornado Stainless Steel Pencil Review

July 12, 2013

Retro 51 does make some pretty sweet products. The Snapper? Not so much in my opinion, but we won't really rehash that.

I don't often write with pencils, nor do I own very many. I'm pretty sold on ink... The Retro 51 Tornado pencil I thought might be cool, but never really had plans of acquiring one. That was until I went to Scottsdale Pen about 6 months ago...

While perusing the displays at Scottsdale Pen I noticed that Jay had a stainless steel gift set of both the rollerball Tornado as well as the pencil which caught my eye. Upon closer inspection I noticed that the price on it was only $30 which I thought was crazy, but he may have just been trying to clear it out. The wheels began to turn... I had plans of buying my wife a stainless steel Tornado soon anyway, and thought, "she could get the pen and I could get the pencil." That logic seemed sound to me, so I went home with a new set to share with Mrs. Dudek. Win-Win, right?

The Tornado pencil is built solid like the regular rollerballs which I was very pleased with. It feels great in your hand and has a nice weight to it. It isn't a click mechanism pencil, but a twist. The knurled section on the top spins and extends and retracts the lead and feels really smooth. Essentially, if you've used a Tornado, this thing is identical; no shortcuts or changes, but just an eraser.

The eraser on the top is pretty huge, but goes with the overall aesthetic of the pen I think. It is nice and squishy and does the job well. Retro sells both black or white erasers if you felt inclined to live a bit on the wild side...

To be honest, as neat as this pencil is I don't know if I quite have a purpose for it. This would not be a good every day writer in my opinion because the oddly sized 1.15mm lead (can we say proprietary?) is like writing with the blunt end of a stick. I mean, this sized lead might be good for marking a scorecard or something, but it doesn't strike me as a size that would be comfortable to use for extended periods of time. To keep a remotely clean line you have to turn this one pretty often to keep on the sharp side (if you consider 1.15mm sharp...).

To load the lead is kind of an ordeal too as it works kind of like a lead holder. No, popping out the eraser to shove about 5 leads in there to use for awhile. You put a single piece of lead down into the tip and then twist the knurled section to retract it back until it is loaded. I guess it isn't that weird considering it is a twist mechanism, but isn't overly convenient to store spares if you did opt to use it for writing.

Retro still makes their Hex-o-matic pencils (nod to Rotring 600) in a 0.7mm which would make for a good every day use pencil. It would be nice if the Tornado pencil had a thinner line, or at least the option of buying a Tornado in a 0.7mm or even a 0.9mm.

Very cool product that is well built; don't really have a use for it unfortunately.