Kaco Edge New Pen... Anyone ?

[penzel_washinkton]

Already ordered and seeing your review made me feel good about my purchase.

Also it is as expected (at least for me) that a Chinese EF will write more like a Japanese fine so that really pleases me.

 

Would you say that the Kaco Edge is a design ripoff of the Lamy 2K or is simply just inspired by the Lamy 2K?

[truthpil]

Already ordered and seeing your review made me feel good about my purchase.

Also it is as expected (at least for me) that a Chinese EF will write more like a Japanese fine so that really pleases me.

 

Would you say that the Kaco Edge is a design ripoff of the Lamy 2K or is simply just inspired by the Lamy 2K?

 

Being a German nib, I was surprised that it writes like a Japanese fine because all my other German EF nibs write somewhere between a Japanese fine and medium. This one writes a line similar to my Pilot 78G fine. It also has a little bit of springiness to it so you can get slight line variation on downstrokes if you apply pressure, although I wouldn't normally. I bought this to have an alternative nib to my 78G in case it wears out or gets lost and I'm very satisfied.

 

It's not a knock off, just uses the same materials with some similar shapes. Kaco is so proud of the design that they even put the designer's name on the box. There are several photo comparisons around on the web and you can see that the two pens are similar, but still quite different. One major difference which I prefer is that the Kaco has an open nib that can be easily swapped. Now I'm really hankering to get an L2K though because I love the smooth yet grainy texture of the Makrolon.

[penzel_washinkton]

I forgot that the nib was from Schmidt, maybe they fine tuned it to fit more to the Asian market?

 

That's what I thought also, based on a few picture there is some kind of resemblance to the Lamy 2K but I think they've done a really good job in making it distinct to the Lamy 2K. Their Kaco Sky is also quite original I believe design wise.

 

I am also interested in feeling the Makrolon material, it's the biggest selling point for me.

[truthpil]

I forgot that the nib was from Schmidt, maybe they fine tuned it to fit more to the Asian market?

 

That's what I thought also, based on a few picture there is some kind of resemblance to the Lamy 2K but I think they've done a really good job in making it distinct to the Lamy 2K. Their Kaco Sky is also quite original I believe design wise.

 

I am also interested in feeling the Makrolon material, it's the biggest selling point for me.

 

I was wondering the same thing about the possible tuning of the nib, but I'm not willing to drop $20 to get a branded Schmidt EF nib for comparison.

 

The Sky is also available in a Makrolon version, but that triangular section is a deal breaker for me.

[penzel_washinkton]

Interesting to know that the Sky is also available in Makrolon.

Nice to hear that the Edge is not the first time they used Makrolon as the base material

[Holon]

I got my Kaco Edge last week and I really like it .In my opinion it feels and looks better than the Kaco Sky II (that is the mentioned macrolon version), quite solid and well made.The brushed makrolon feels really good in the hand (the sky II isn't brushed btw).

And as already said by others, the nib is good and the clip useless.

 

But there is one other downside, the capping mechanism. I can't describe it properly (enlish isn't my first language), but there is some friction between some metal tongues inside the cap and the section involved. This already scratched my section a little bit.

 

The clip and the scratches don't bother me. It's a nice pen and a really good deal for the price (I paid 13$ with converter).

 

 

Regarding the Lamy 2000: I think Lamy uses glassfiber reinforced makrolon and for me the Edge seems to be just makrolon.

I don't have a L2K, but I had one in my hands 3 months ago (and really want one). The Edge feels not as rough as the Lamy. It's not the same experience, but compared to smooth acrylic or brushed aluminium the Edge and the Lamy are quite similar.

[truthpil]

I got my Kaco Edge last week and I really like it .In my opinion it feels and looks better than the Kaco Sky II (that is the mentioned macrolon version), quite solid and well made.The brushed makrolon feels really good in the hand (the sky II isn't brushed btw).

And as already said by others, the nib is good and the clip useless.

 

Good to know about the Sky II. I agree that the Edge feels great in the hand.

 

Regarding the Lamy 2000: I think Lamy uses glassfiber reinforced makrolon and for me the Edge seems to be just makrolon.

I don't have a L2K, but I had one in my hands 3 months ago (and really want one). The Edge feels not as rough as the Lamy. It's not the same experience, but compared to smooth acrylic or brushed aluminium the Edge and the Lamy are quite similar.

 

Thanks for the comparison between the Edge and L2K. From comparison photos the Edge looks longer than the L2K, but I imagine the L2K is heaver.

 

Right now my Edge is sporting a Schmidt broad nib I purchased from Jetpens a couple months back. It's a great combination!

[Garibaldi]

After reading here, I had to order one from Bobby, will report when I get it

[dan in montreal]

But there is one other downside, the capping mechanism. I can't describe it properly (enlish isn't my first language), but there is some friction between some metal tongues inside the cap and the section involved. This already scratched my section a little bit.

 

The clip and the scratches don't bother me. It's a nice pen and a really good deal for the price (I paid 13$ with converter).

 

Well at least one person acknowledges this problem - and it is a real problem. The capping / uncapping of the pen does leave scratches and after a few days, I found something that looked like rust residue on the section (I had not used it for 3 or 4 days).

 

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but let's be realistic: the fact this is made of the same type of material as the Lamy 2000 does not make it alike - in design or in quality (in fact, they have very little in common). Makrolon is a type of plastic, it does not have any magical qualities. It's not kryptonite.

 

This is a cheap but interesting pen with a very acceptable ef nib. Time will tell how it will hold up. I'm happy with mine, but I don't expect it to last a very long time. The jury is still out.

Edited October 9, 2018 by dan in montreal

[Mech-for-i]

Well at least one person acknowledges this problem - and it is a real problem. The capping / uncapping of the pen does leave scratches and after a few days, I found something that looked like rust residue on the section (I had not used it for 3 or 4 days).

 

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but let's be realistic: the fact this is made of the same type of material as the Lamy 2000 does not make it alike - in design or in quality (in fact, they have very little in common). Makrolon is a type of plastic, it does not have any magical qualities. It's not kryptonite.

 

This is a cheap but interesting pen with a very acceptable ef nib. Time will tell how it will hold up. I'm happy with mine, but I don't expect it to last a very long time. The jury is still out.

 

I think people had hype the Makrolon myth all along , especially those L2K fans , but the fact is that this material is no more than a better but not excellent quality plastic , and in itself no more another thermo injection plastic. And as regard the capon the Edge, I go back and check mine, do not see any scratch mark yet and its capping fine. Let's see how it goes in long term.

[truthpil]

I haven't had any scratches or rust yet, but I just don't like the way the cap feels when capping. It feels "squishy." Like I noted above, the feeling of posting the cap to the back of the barrel actually feels better and more secure than capping the cap haha.

 

Anyway, I bought it for the nib and am quite happy having a Schmidt nib unit for cheaper than dirt.

[taike]

[snip]

 

It took me some work to get the nib out because they put a little bit of sealant or something on the threads of the nib assembly. I had to pull the nib and feed out first, then use some rubber gripping material to twist out the sleeve. Once the whole assembly was removed I compared it side by side with a Schmidt assembly and guess what....they are identical. Kaco is using a standard #5-size Schmidt nib unit with their own branding on the nib. I was able to screw my other Schmidt nibs into the Edge without any problem, opening up a world of possibilities for this pen!

 

[snip

 

Good to know. I had a couple of tugs at the nib but it wasn't budging so didn't go further. At some point I probably will as I discovered I have another No 5 Schmidt nib unit I can swap in.

 

Still for now, I'm impressed with the EF. It's a great writer. The supplied black ink works very well too. All in all this is a cool pen. The color and tactile similarity to a Lamy 2K is pretty uncanny.

[penzel_washinkton]

Well, honestly I bought it because of the Makrolon material since I'm very curious on how it feels having never held it in hand before.

The Schmidt nib is interesting too but it's just the side dish for me

[Holon]

But there is one other downside, the capping mechanism. I can't describe it properly (enlish isn't my first language), but there is some friction between some metal tongues inside the cap and the section involved. This already scratched my section a little bit.

 

 

Well at least one person acknowledges this problem - and it is a real problem. The capping / uncapping of the pen does leave scratches and after a few days, I found something that looked like rust residue on the section (I had not used it for 3 or 4 days).

 

 

 

After cleaning my Edge, I realized that I was wrong about the scratches. It doesn't scratch the section, it wears off fine metal powder from the inside of the cap. These metal powder just sticks really good in the brushed aluminium section, but you can clean it with your fingers and a little bit of pressure.

 

As TruthPil said, the capping mechanis is a bit squishy, but it really has grown on me and now I like it.

 

I can really recommend this pen, if you don't need a working clip (but its nice to play with)

The design is gourgeous, it's well made, feels good and is a good writer. It writes every time, no hard starts (but I never let it sit for more then 2 days)

[Garibaldi]

 

 

After cleaning my Edge, I realized that I was wrong about the scratches. It doesn't scratch the section, it wears off fine metal powder from the inside of the cap. These metal powder just sticks really good in the brushed aluminium section, but you can clean it with your fingers and a little bit of pressure.

 

As TruthPil said, the capping mechanis is a bit squishy, but it really has grown on me and now I like it.

 

I can really recommend this pen, if you don't need a working clip (but its nice to play with)

The design is gourgeous, it's well made, feels good and is a good writer. It writes every time, no hard starts (but I never let it sit for more then 2 days)

Thanks to update! The scratches reports appeared just after I ordered mine and I was start getting worried ( worried it could get worse than just aesthetic scratches), can't wait to get it, a decent nib and nice ergonomic are what I'm after.

[truthpil]

For me this pen is a dream to write with unposted because I have small hands.

The textured finish is also a major plus for me because my fingers often get slippery when writing.

 

Yesterday I found my black Waterman Hemisphere to be utterly useless because the section was so slippery, but no problems ever with the Edge.

[taike]

I've posted my thoughts on this pen in reviews.

[penzel_washinkton]

Should be arriving within this week, can't wait to try this baby out

[Garibaldi]

Just got mine from Bobby and tested a bit, it's a really nice pen, feels good in the hand, has a nice neat line (on common paper), after flushing it was straight away consistent writer with no skp; nib has a pleasant feedback. Will use it more in next couple of days, but I'm impressed so far. Only note is the cap doesnt lock, if is not pushed deep enough will fall from the pen, but at same time is very pleasant to post due to this springy mechanic. It came with 2 long ink cartridges and bobby's bonus converter.

[5thhistorian]

I've been looking at this pen and the generally positive reviews with interest. Can anyone tell me whether the clip can be removed or replaced? The clip design is kind of a deal-breaker as far as I'm concerned.