Karas Ink

[Finalist]

The Ink is here! I waited and waited for this awesome design. I missed the Kickstarter offer for this pen, so I had to wait even more for the retail version... which was actually only a couple weeks after the Kickstarter awards shipped.

 

I love the silhouette! Flush cap to barrel with a tapered barrel! Very Naka-ai! Very AWESOME! Very Sold! The clip design is rad too. It's different, tough, modern and quality.

 

First Impressions:

So these are my thoughts seconds after opening the box... It's lighter than I imagined. Seeing an all metal pen in picks and hearing several mention it's weight made me expect a heavy pen. Not too mention my Bolt G2 is heavy, but the Ink seems lighter than expected, but not a light pen. The finish is cool, but my first thought is my Bolt's finish is cooler. The Ink has a polished satin finish which looks great, but if I got to choose I'd say the Bolt's cross hatch finish is even more stunning. The section really narrows more than I imagined. The overall body has some good width, but the section really tapers down a lot.

 

First Inking:

Wow! I'm stoked I got the Broad Schmidt nib. It did need a little 1200 grit sanding, and now this thing is slick, smooth and even whistles on some wet strokes. I love it. Typically I'm more of an xxf type that enjoys flex, but this broad, wet, smooth glider is lots of fun. The Schmidt nib compares to the TWSBI Mini's nib in size, but that's where it ends. This Schmidt nib has a hair of bounce - enough to fatten a line just a little and it makes the TWSBI Mini feel even more like a nail. This nib is definitely softer than the Mini's, and you can flip it upside down for a smooth (some grit grind required) EF size line. The converter seems nice. Better than a Jinhao's. I've only inked it once, so all I can say about the converter is that it seems quality and it has a smooth piston action.

 

The nib whistles? once in a while the nib squeaks when writing. It sounds like it's whistling. Is that because it's a wet writer with a broad nib acting like a squeegee?

 

 

So I've had the pen for most of a work day now and I like it even more now than last night. The wait was worth it.

 

Things to improve... If I were to pick this pen apart and modify it I would definitely redesign the section to fit a number 6 nib just because I like the way bigger nibs look.

 

---- These pens come in a number of colors with three section choices, aluminum, copper and brass. F, M and B nibs too. -------

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 21, 2014 by Finalist

[Davros]

Thanks for this review! I love my Inks. You're right about the weight; uncapped mine comes in only a hair more than some of my acrylic pens, which is weird. I don't think it is ideal for super long writing sessions, but short and medium length have been stellar. The fine nib is quite wet and really smooth, though upside down has some legitimate tooth.

[Finalist]

Thanks for this review! I love my Inks. You're right about the weight; uncapped mine comes in only a hair more than some of my acrylic pens, which is weird. I don't think it is ideal for super long writing sessions, but short and medium length have been stellar. The fine nib is quite wet and really smooth, though upside down has some legitimate tooth.

 

The nib was usable out of the box, but it had a hair of Baby's Bottom and really only worked perfectly at low, flat angles. So I smoothed it using various grit paper and smoothed the flip side too. Now it's easily my smoothest pen because of the wetness and broadness.

 

It's a keeper and probably the coolest tough pen out there. The nibs are cheap enough to replace and the body and cap can take a beating.

[Davros]

Yep, I think of it as a great field pen. I have zero worries about taking it with me pretty much anywhere.