A little bearded birdie (Dan Bishop) sent me a message that Karas Kustoms is doing a closeout sale of a limited run Raw Bar Stock edition Render K, marking them down to $39 apiece.
If you've been following the blog for awhile you may recall seeing my review of this pen back in October. Definitely a cool, industrial pen to add to your Karas collection.
Oh, and the fellas let me know that using the promo code CLICKYPOST will still get you 10% off even the sale price...
There are times when someone comes up with a really neat idea that, at first glance, would seem a bit excessive or unnecessary, but is incredibly awesome and something worth buying. I would probably put the Tiletto in this category; do we really NEED a titanium letter opener? Absolutely not, but man this thing is cool and I think everyone should check it out.
I was approached by project creator, Steve Sure, about giving my thoughts on Tiletto. I agreed, and Steve kindly sent me one of his prototypes for review. Thanks Steve!
In a nutshell, Tiletto is a sleek and stylish (with a bit of an industrial feel) titanium letter opener. I even think the name is clever.
It doesn't act like your normal, cheap letter openers that have a razor blade in them to slice through the paper, but does the job well with a blunt edge. Really, the Tiletto is more of a kick-butt desk art/accessory that is as fun to look at as it is to use.
Now, as any self-respecting, wood working, pen nerd would, I whipped up a little walnut stand for mine. It is functional although my design needs work. Not bad for a 5 minute project out in the shop...
The Tiletto also touts some multi-tool functionality like acting as a simple hex wrench and flathead screwdriver. It is no Swiss Army knife, but in a pinch you might be able to get away with using it for purposes besides opening your mail.
As mentioned, the Tiletto's edge is not sharp by any means, although it likely wouldn't be an item I'd give to a small child or try to take with you on your next airline flight as that would probably be a no-no.
The fit and finish even on the prototype is top notch. The dark grey color of the raw metal looks really cool with the various angles and geometric shapes that comprise Tiletto's design. In all honesty I think it is fantastic.
The Kickstarter campaign for Tiletto has already reached it's funding goal, but is only open through April 1st. Make sure to check it out and support Steve if you feel this killer titanium accessory is something that would be a great addition to your desk.
Our friends over at JetPens kindly sent me this rOtring Rapidograph to review and I have to admit I was pretty giddy when it arrived. Although it isn't a vintage 600 series, I was still really, really excited to give the Rapidograph a go.
Now, being a technical pen it really isn't meant for everyday writing, but more for drafting, drawing; precision while creating lines. That doesn't mean that we can't try to use it as a daily writer although it may not be best suited for the task. There are some drafting and technical pens that have a cult following for writing like the Copic Multiliner, but the rOtring not so much.
The first thing that stood out to me about this pen is how vintage it looks. The shades of brown and maroons throughout the cap and barrel, then finished off with the nice red ring down towards the base. Honestly, it looks like they haven't changed the style of this pen in 50 years, although I don't know the history. I really wish they made more pens that looked this way for normal writing; any suggestions? The look of this pen calls to me for some reason and I think it is awesome. And, while using this pen it feels like I really am using a writing "instrument".
The Rapidograph pens don't run cheap, this one weighing in at nearly $45, which for a plastic barrel some might scoff at. Well, it isn't the barrel that is so costly, but the tip. To buy just a replacement tip for the pen would fetch you $33, so best not to drop this one. The pen writes fantastic though, laying down a dark and solid line. You can feel the tip running along the page which isn't the smoothest (again, not really for daily writing), but the quality of the line is superb. In short, these babies are worth the money in my book. They have a reputation in the art community of being awesome tools and with good reason.
A special feature of the pen is how the ink system works. It touts what rOtring calls the capillary cartridge system which creates a new pressure seal (and equilibrium) each time a new one is installed. I'm not quite sure what all of that means, but in layman's terms it is that the ink is "good to the last drop", meaning that the tip will keep writing until the very last smidge of ink leaves the pen.
To assemble this pen for writing is actually pretty crazy. The finished, functioning pen consists of five parts: cap, barrel, tip, cartridge, and sleeve. To fill the pen you push the tip section down into the cartridge until it "pops" (they even have a graphic for this in the instructions), place it in the barrel, and screw the sleeve down over the top to hold everything snugly in place. I had anxiety that I was doing something wrong the whole time! Well, she started writing so I must've done an ok job.
What I need to do with this pen is work on drawing with it. I'm an artist of sorts, and drawing isn't my strongest skill, but I feel to do this pen justice I need to use it for it's intended purpose.
I would love to hear the thoughts of readers that use the Rapidograph for their artistic endeavors, so please feel free to comment.
Thanks again, JetPens, for sending me this sample to try! Super cool.