Karas Kustoms Ink Rollerball and Rhodia dotPad - Giveaway!

With the year coming to a close, how much fun would a giveaway be?!  

Bill from Karas Kustoms has kindly offered up one of the new Ink rollerball pens to be given away to a reader of The Clicky Post!  Thanks, Bill.

When the fellas asked me which Ink we should give away, my reply to Dan Bishop was: "you pick."  Dan has come up with a cool combo that looks awesome.  He has referred to it as the unofficial (copyright/trademarks and all) "Iron Man" version.

The barrel is machined from solid aluminum and anodized in a bright candy red.  There isn't a plastic piece in the construction of this pen which is one of the things I enjoy so much about it.  A lot of companies put metal sleeves over a plastic core, but not this beauty.  All metal and feels awesome. 

The rollerball grip section Dan chose is machined from solid brass which adds some extra heft and weight to the front.  It will also patina and add a bit of character to the pen the more you use it.  Included with the pen is a Schmidt Cap-less rollerball refill which writes super smooth and lays down a nice dark line.  In the rollerball realm, this refill is at the top of my list.

In addition to the Ink rollerball, I am also including a Rhodia dotPad to sweeten the deal that was kindly provided by rhodiapads.com!  The dotPad has become my favorite paper in almost all cases.

CONTEST RULES (the "fine print"):

- Contest will run through Wednesday, December 31st and will end at 11:59pm Arizona Time, USA.  I will be announcing the winner on New Years Day!  Happy New Year to a lucky winner...

- To enter, leave a comment below (limited to one entry per person; no cheating!): do you have a favorite Karas Kustoms pen or what type of pen would you like to see the guys do next?

- I will arrange the entries in numerical order and randomly select a winner.  The winner will be announced on the blog on Thursday, January 1st and will need to connect with me within a week to claim their prize. 

- This giveaway is open to both US and International readers.

Thanks again to Karas Kustoms and Rhodia for offering up the prizes!  Good luck everyone.

From Dudek Modern Goods - Thank You For Sharing

As the year is wrapping up and I've been scrambling to get all the final pen holders sent out (nearly all in time for Christmas!), I've been reflecting on just how grateful I am for the support I've received.  I've been blown away by not only the demand for Dudek Modern Goods pieces, but by the overwhelmingly positive feedback I've received.  Thank you!

I wanted to take the time to put together a post of some of the pics shared or sent to me by customers and friends (I don't have them all...) showcasing their Dudek pieces.  If you have some, also feel free to share them with me as I'd love to see how they are being used!  

Thanks again for an amazing 2014,

Mike Dudek

@Parklund

@pelletenvy

@pensomnia

@amswain12

@basandlokes

@bioworkz

@bmorejoe

@brogue_and_captoe_battle

@dag4321

@dag4321

@damondamore

@damondamore

@frosty

@hongninja

@mscollis

@pentulant

@thedailycarry

@tr4656

@trhall

@ubiquitously_

@ubiquitously_

Bob Owens

rOtring Lambda Ballpoint Pen

Its been awhile since I've posted an official rOtring review.  In my observations, it looks like the prices on the discontinued models are a bit on the decline which is good as things got a bit crazy (not that $150 isn't a bit crazy) about a year ago.

If you've been following the blog for a bit, you may recall kind of an odd rOtring I reviewed back in November of 2013 called the Lambda.  That particular review was of the rollerball version, but I've been watching eBay from time to time and was able to snatch up a ballpoint for the collection for a reasonable price of I think $30 or $40.  I've seen these go as high as $100+, so I feel pretty good about it.

The history of the Lambda is a little dicey.  I've seen some places where they say it is older than the 600 while others say it is younger, but I'm not really sure.  Regardless, they have long since been a discontinued model and are more of a collector's item today.

When I think of rOtring, I think of metal barrels, generally of the 6 sided variety.  rOtring has made several other models outside of the 600 or Newton, but they seem to be the most iconic and memorable.  Oddly enough, they still only produce the mechanical pencils which is a strange business decision all on its own.  

From a design standpoint, the Lambda can best be described as a "stealth" style pen.  It is completely matte black from tip to tail.  A pen definitely for Batman or a ninja.  The pen does have some metal components (likely brass) in the tip section as well as the knock and clip, but the barrel I believe to be a matte black, rubberized plastic.  It doesn't feel like metal.

One aspect of the pen that gives it somewhat of an edge is the knurling found on the grip as well as wrapped around the knock.  A little bit of subtle kick-butt goes a long way on the Lambda as it takes what could be your average looking clicker and gives it just enough to allow it to stand out.  Even though I'm not into anything super tactical with spears, saws, or glass breakers, I think the edgy look of the Lambda is well played.

I call the grip, "the grip", although there really isn't one.  The knurling I spoke of is a thin, 1/4" line of knurling that wraps around the circumference of the pen at the barrel and tip break point.  Since the barrel is one long cylinder, there are times that my hands don't even grip the knurling.  Lets just say it isn't as apparent as in the 600 series as it makes up the entire grip in those varieties.

The pen takes your standard Parker style ballpoint which allows you to use refills like the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000, Moleskine Gel Roller, Parker gel, or even the Fisher Space Pen with the adaptor.  I used to abhor ballpoint refills when gel pens were all the craze, but they've actually grown on me quite a bit.  Even though they aren't usually the crispiest or darkest writers, they serve their purpose and fit a wide range of writing environments where gels, rollerballs, or fountain pens dare not go...

The Lambda is pretty light weight, but feel sturdy.  In using it I'm never in fear that it will break or even that a gentle drop will damage it.  The knock has a very satisfying click and it's design makes it literally feel like you're pressing a button or plunger of sorts.

Should you race out to buy a Lambda ballpoint?  Probably not, unless you happen to be a collector.  They are, oddly enough, fairly tough to find for a decent price.  There is also a fountain pen version, but I've only seen them ridiculously priced at around $300 or so.  Pass.  Good deals do pop up from time to time it seems as I got my rollerball for around $35 if I remember correctly.

So why review a pen that is hard to find or discontinued?  Simply to provide some history and awareness.  Although, sometimes these elusive rabbit holes are the hardest ones to get out of!