Karas Kustoms has been innovative in new pen designs, materials, and colors. At the end of 2017, they analyzed their entire product line to find any gaps they needed to fill and found they did not have any products in the “Pocket Pen” market. Taking inspiration from the Space Race as well as mid-century Americana, which has always played a big role in Karas Kustoms, they developed the new Reaktor series. This new affordable product series consists of two lines – the Galaxie and the Starliner. The Galaxie line includes a clipless, smaller ballpoint pen and an XL rollerball pen with a clip. The Starliner line includes a clipless, smaller fountain pen and a XL fountain pen with a clip. This review will be of the Starliner line. Paul from Karas Kustom graciously sent me several of the new pens to review, and I will be running two giveaways – one here and one on my blog, pengeek13.wordpress.com. This giveaway is for a Starliner XL with a blue grip section and medium nib as well as a Galaxie XL rollerball with a blue grip section, both in the silver anodized aluminum finish. The giveaway will run from August 14, 2018 […]
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Karas Kustoms has really made a name for themselves in the pen community over the last few years. Their innovative designs, materials, and durability have helped build a loyal fan base of their products. Located in Mesa, Arizona, about 20 miles outside of Phoenix, their products are all manufactured in the United States and they control everything from the design to fabrication. Needless to say, their quality standard is pretty high. The review today is of the Karas Kustom Fountain K, but this isn’t the normal Fountain K, this model has been upgraded with a Bock Titanium Flex Nib. This was sent to me for review by the fine folks at Karas Kustoms. I really like the packaging that Karas Kustoms uses. The pen comes in a simple folded cardboard box branded with the Karas Kustoms logo, pictures of their various models, and the phrases “Fully Machined in the USA”, “Quality writing instruments”, and “Dozens of satisfied customers” and their website karaskustoms.com. I am not a huge fan of wasteful over-engineered boxes that take up drawer space, and I like that if I choose to keep the box it takes up little space or if I decide to get rid […]
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This is a review of the Diplomat Excellence A² Skyline Red Fountain Pen. Last year, I had the privilege to review the Diplomat Excellence A Skyline in blue as my first published fountain pen review. Diplomat Pen Company was purchased in 2017, and the new owners have revisited the company’s existing lines to make improvements. I recently met Hillary and Larry Ragland from Points of Distinction, the U.S. importer for Diplomat Pens, at the Baltimore Pen Show. A new and improved version of the Skyline came to the U.S., which they generously sent me to review. The new model is the Skyline Red Excellence A2 in extra-fine with a stainless steel nib. The pen comes in a white box with the black Diplomat logo on the front. Inside is a smaller box with a grey metal sleeve, also with the “Diplomat since 1922” logo. The box contains the pen resting on a Diplomat-branded satin pillow with a converter, two ink cartridges, and service guide. The new red finish is a knock-out. Thin repeating lines of red and darker red make the pen almost shimmer when it catches the light. The new color works well for business settings as well as […]
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Welcome to The Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show!!!!! The Annual Baltimore-Washington International Pen Show was held March 2 – 4, 2018, at the Marriott Inner Harbor Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD. The show was run by Bert Oser and his staff from Bertram’s Inkwell of Rockville, MD. This was a new location for this show and it was the perfect venue. There were plenty of restaurant options with nearby parking and attractions if you needed to take a break from the show, but let’s be honest… why would you want to? This was my fourth year attending this show and I brought my father, Terry, with me. You could find everything from vintage to new pens, pencils, inks, papers, writing paraphernalia, classes, and accessories. There were also after-hours events, including a mini concert by Larry Ragland of Points of Distinction (the U.S. Diplomat importer). I want to bring you some of the sights from the show to help you feel like you were there. Arriving at the show… We parked at a nearby parking garage and after a brief but very cold walk, we arrived at the hotel. The hotel staff was very accommodating and helped direct us to the location […]
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BENU began in January 2016 when Alex Semanin and Kate Dmitrieva started a new creative concept “to make writing instruments and desk accessories for those who prefer bright colors and new designs that are playful, stylish, and fun.” The name BENU comes from the Egyptian deity linked to the Sun, creation, and rebirth, and is a symbol of constant change, recurrence, and renovations. Their fountain pens, ballpoints, and rollerballs are all designed and handcrafted in their Moscow workshop, and all fountain pens come with a Schmidt nib in Fine, Medium, or Broad. I first heard about BENU pens last year from a few friends that had purchased the BENU Minima model in Classic Black with Skulls. They raved about the design and how it grabbed people’s attention every time they used them. When I saw that BENU was launching a new line of pens called Chameleon, I knew I had to get one to try out for myself. All the Chameleon pens have the same body design, but vary in colors and patterns. I reached out to BENU pens to learn more about the line, and Kate Dmitrieva agreed to send me a Benu Jolly Chameleon to review and test. […]
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Welcome to The Philadelphia Pen Show!!!!! The Annual Philadelphia Pen Show was held January 12th-14th at the Westin Hotel in Philadelphia, PA. This was my first year attending after hearing stories about how amazing it was. You could find everything from vintage pens to new, pencils, inks, papers, writing paraphernalia, classes, accessories, and the best find of all is the friendships and stories that you will take home with you. I want to bring you some of the sights from the show to help you feel like you were there. Arriving at the show… Upon arriving at the hotel, you could already feel the energy from the guests. Everywhere you looked, people were sharing their pen and ink collections, showing those amazing items they found at various seller tables, trading pens, and exchanging stories. There was a registration table to check in and a name tag station which Eric Orozco who was in charge of the show was helping at. The table across from the check in table was run by Pen World, offering subscriptions and giving out a free copy of Pen World. Entering the show… The main hallway had tables lining both walls with various vendors including: InkJournal, […]
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