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Kind Of Blue


Namo

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I recently order a pen from member drgoretex, Ken Cavers. I was looking for something big cigar shape, with some custom features. Here is a review; sorry for the quality of the pics. You can see better ones on Ken Caver's blog's photobucket.

 

My first step was to go on Ken's blog, where you can look at his production. Beautiful pens and designs. I was hoping for something in celluloïd, a material Ken does sometimes have in stock.

 

Then I contacted Ken by e-mail. Great experience since Ken is very open minded, answers his emails promptly in a polite and warm manner. It was really a pleasure to deal with him, and so much more since I became aware of him learning French, a langage he does write very nicely; better than I write English to say the least.

 

Among the designs Ken is offering, my eye was catched by a "Cigar classic" in black ebonite. This is indeed what I was looking for, but for a few features: so I asked him if it would be possible to:

 

1) Have a closer to 50% proportion regarding the relative size of the cap and the barrel, when the pen is closed;

2) Have a slightly longer grip section (about 3mm)

3) Make the cap so it takes only one turn to open

 

All these asking features were granted and very well made.

 

post-21880-0-95560800-1350844195.jpg

 

As a good surprise, as if Ken did read my mind, he tapered the end of the barrel a little bit more than he did for the original cigar design. I think the result is a stunning design with a great sens of equilibrium.

 

post-21880-0-18820900-1350844207.jpg

 

The only bad surprise was that there was no celluloïd left for my pen. So I hesitated. I love ebonite, and Ken offers a wonderful cumberland ebonite. But, well, I wanted something a little bit more cheerful, and I selected this amazing blue crush acrylic, after much hesitation: there is a orange crush acrylic that looks really nice too, very close to the one used by Delta for the Dolce Vita line. But blue it was, and I can say that even if I don't really care fpr the feel of the material, not a match to ebonite or celluloïd, I don't regret my choice.

 

post-21880-0-54745400-1350844213.jpg

 

The pen is very comfortable to hold. The longer section is exactly what I was looking for. The details of the pen are wonderfully made and the pen worked perfectly out "of the box". The JoWo board nib is not the kind of nib I really care for, but it writes perfectly as it should. I will probably get it customized or maybe even aquire a springier nib for this pen in due time.

 

I own an Extended Pearl from Edison (this one in celluloïd). I don't want to make any comparisons here since I love both pens and that I am no connaisseur, but only a humble user. But I can say that I will use the drgoretex pen with as much pleasure as I have when using my Edison.

 

In the end, I got a exceptionnal pen, customized to my likings, and a great contact with Ken Cavers. And the best part of it is that I got my pen in 24 hours after it was finished (xpress post from Winnipeg to Montreal; amazing!); the overall process taking about three weeks.

 

Thank you, Ken!

Edited by Namo

amonjak.com

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free 70 pages graphic novel. Enjoy!

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Ken, I love the pen! And the material is great, putting what I think about acrylic to a real challenge!

 

watch_art: you are very kind about the pics, although the second one is kind of giving a good idea of the design of the pen. The Safari is not the appele green of 2012, but the lime green, so it can give you an idea of the color distortion.

 

vitafan, Uncle Red: yes, the more I look at it, the more I love it! the design is so well balanced and so comfortable that I can barely put down the pen.

 

Thanky for reading and for your comments. :bunny01:

amonjak.com

post-21880-0-68964400-1403173058.jpg

free 70 pages graphic novel. Enjoy!

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  • 3 months later...

 

The pen is very comfortable to hold. The longer section is exactly what I was looking for. The details of the pen are wonderfully made and the pen worked perfectly out "of the box". The JoWo board nib is not the kind of nib I really care for, but it writes perfectly as it should. I will probably get it customized or maybe even aquire a springier nib for this pen in due time.

 

 

 

Just to update:

 

I did change the nib, twice actually:

 

My first try was with a Noodler's felx nib. It was nice, but the nib doesn't fit perfeclty in the JoWo sleeve, leaving maybe half a milimeter between the feel and the nib. It was working nie, though, but I guess I was just lucky with this one.

Anyway, I tried something else: I have a OBB Waterman Super Six nib missing a body. As you know, the Super 6 nib is considerably smaller than the JoWo num. 6, so the feed was too long. So I had to cut maybe two-three mm. so the nib was a fit. And I don't know if I was lcky agai, but it works, and it works really well. The pen is very comfortable, and with this nib is a real dream, giving my favorite "long session" writing pen a real challenge. I am currently rewriting some stories I hop will soon become scenario for a grahic novel, and I do the whole rewriting with the DGT blue Cigar. As a plus, the OBB nib makes me write bigger and slower, a welcome add on at this stage.

amonjak.com

post-21880-0-68964400-1403173058.jpg

free 70 pages graphic novel. Enjoy!

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The pen is very comfortable to hold. The longer section is exactly what I was looking for. The details of the pen are wonderfully made and the pen worked perfectly out "of the box". The JoWo board nib is not the kind of nib I really care for, but it writes perfectly as it should. I will probably get it customized or maybe even aquire a springier nib for this pen in due time.

 

 

 

Just to update:

 

I did change the nib, twice actually:

 

My first try was with a Noodler's felx nib. It was nice, but the nib doesn't fit perfeclty in the JoWo sleeve, leaving maybe half a milimeter between the feel and the nib. It was working nie, though, but I guess I was just lucky with this one.

Anyway, I tried something else: I have a OBB Waterman Super Six nib missing a body. As you know, the Super 6 nib is considerably smaller than the JoWo num. 6, so the feed was too long. So I had to cut maybe two-three mm. so the nib was a fit. And I don't know if I was lcky agai, but it works, and it works really well. The pen is very comfortable, and with this nib is a real dream, giving my favorite "long session" writing pen a real challenge. I am currently rewriting some stories I hop will soon become scenario for a grahic novel, and I do the whole rewriting with the DGT blue Cigar. As a plus, the OBB nib makes me write bigger and slower, a welcome add on at this stage.

 

Too late for editing, I guess. Just wanted to add a pic:

 

post-21880-0-46913600-1360955594.jpg

amonjak.com

post-21880-0-68964400-1403173058.jpg

free 70 pages graphic novel. Enjoy!

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Hey, Ken! Your pen is truely wonderful, and I am doing a lot of writing with it these days. Best acquisition ever (well, Bex Corona is a match), and I truely love these Waterman Super 6 nibs. Best possible match!

amonjak.com

post-21880-0-68964400-1403173058.jpg

free 70 pages graphic novel. Enjoy!

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