EDC Pen?
- Thread starter Flakey
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mightysparrow
Enlightened
After looking and looking at many handmade pens for several years, I finally decided to try my luck on a Tactile Turn Slider after finding them on Massdrop at a very reasonable price. I am very pleased with the pen, which I ordered in black aluminum. The pen is a pleasure to use so far - it just works, and has a nice look, too. The Schmidt Easyflow 9000 refill that it came with writes like a dream - easily the nicest refill I've ever used. I was delighted to find the Schmidt refills priced very well at a popular online seller of many products. Also bought some Parker ball point refills to try with the pen.
Yes, I'd love to get a Maxmadco titanium pen, but so far I've not been able to get myself to spend that much on a pen. I did buy the aluminum version for my brother-in-law, but have not treated myself to one. Maybe some day....
Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.
Oh, now I'm glad I only ordered two extra pencils for it. If it proves too grippy for me, I'll use a different brand and just keep the 9000s at home for writing down shopping lists.
Let me know if you'd like a recommendation for an excellent pen-maker on Etsy. Like I said, I tried out many of them, and only had zero issues with two. Again, one specializes mainly in clothing. So most likely I just lucked out with that one. But that still leaves one who is a dedicated pen-maker. All those headaches.... to basically find one.
My issues with the others aren't over yet as I recently learned that two of the ones who swore they refunded my money, clearly didn't. So now I'm trying to find out what's going on, and getting the run-around from both of them. Sad to say but considering what I'm going through, despite getting a handful of custom pens out of it, the headaches weren't worth it. Wouldn't do it again. It's nice having one individual I can turn to if I want something custom for a friend as a gift. But yeah, not worth it.
mightysparrow
Enlightened
Sorry to hear of your woes in the pen market. It isn't good business in custom manufacturing to steal people's money - eventually the word will get around. This is why I have always smiled when I see your signature quote - it is, unfortunately, very true. Sad to see so many people with zero character out there. I see it every day.
Sure, I'd welcome the name of the reliable Etsy pen maker, if you have the time to PM me. Can't hurt to look. Thank you!
schuster
Newly Enlightened
If you're into machined pens (especially titanium) have a look at the products from Big Idea Design. They have a series of "any refill fits" pens featuring adjustable length and a metal collet which holds the tip firmly in the nose of the pen.
I have the PocketPro (a twisty) and Arto EDC (capped version) and wou;dn't leave home without one in my pocket.
gurdygurds
Flashlight Enthusiast
- Joined
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General's Cedar Point #333 is my all time favorite pencil. 👍🏼👍🏼 It writes and draws well in my opinion, looks cool, and the raw cedar darkens the more you use it. Who doesn't like pencil patina?! The steel ferrule is cool too.
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mightysparrow
Enlightened
Thanks. I have looked at them for the past few years and am still tempted. Their designs are innovative and attractive. Their pens don't come cheap, but they do have frequent sales.
fyrstormer
Banned
If I EDCed a pen nowadays, it would be my Ti Arto. It accepts all popular brand refills without shimming. I have a Ti Click EDC on pre-order, due in November.
https://bigidesign.com/collections/pens/products/ti-click-edc-pen
https://bigidesign.com/collections/pens/products/ti-click-edc-pen
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Just need to update this topic. Instead of one, I can now at least say there are two professional pen-makers selling their creations on Etsy. Two dedicated pen-makers, instead of one. Plus if we're splitting hairs, the one other one who specializes in clothing who created a nice bolt-action deer antler pen for me.
Yup, countless pen makers and I can whole-heartedly recommend.... two.
It's like that scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) where the Mexican General shows up with his army and asks one of the guys already there how many men they are facing. Likely expecting to be told a significant group are hold up in the house, the General is shocked, surprised, disgusted, and angry when he learns he and his army were called for to deal with two guys.
"Dos?! Dos amigos?!?!?!"
I know how he felt. Anyway, if anyone wants to save themselves a huge headache on custom made/custom turned pens this upcoming Christmas, feel free to PM me for the shop-names of those two men.
Yup, countless pen makers and I can whole-heartedly recommend.... two.
It's like that scene in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) where the Mexican General shows up with his army and asks one of the guys already there how many men they are facing. Likely expecting to be told a significant group are hold up in the house, the General is shocked, surprised, disgusted, and angry when he learns he and his army were called for to deal with two guys.
"Dos?! Dos amigos?!?!?!"
I know how he felt. Anyway, if anyone wants to save themselves a huge headache on custom made/custom turned pens this upcoming Christmas, feel free to PM me for the shop-names of those two men.
FortyCaliber
Newly Enlightened
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- Nov 19, 2012
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- 113
schuster
Newly Enlightened
As an owner of the PocketPro and Arto EDC, I'm strangely not considering this one.
From the schematic, it seems to use the same internal spiral gear to adjust the overall length.
In the PocketPro, it's this gear - all by itself - which exposes or retracts the writing tip.
In the Arto EDC, it's the cap.
Which begs the question for the Click EDC ... why?
To me, the click mechanism seems entirely superfluous, only adding unneeded length and the possibility of the tip coming out in your pocket.
It seems to be designed purely for those who must have a clicky, no matter why.
FortyCaliber
Newly Enlightened
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- Nov 19, 2012
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- 113
I'm definitely a clicky guy. Capped or twist mechanism pens and pencils just don't work for me, unless they have some other offsetting redeeming value like the bullet space pen and Kerry pencil that I carry as backup.
I'm ok with bolt actions as well.
schuster
Newly Enlightened
FortyCaliber
Newly Enlightened
- Joined
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No, I write a often, so it's about accessing the instrument quickly with one hand.
Twisties and caps slow me down.
schuster
Newly Enlightened
Honestly, as someone who collects all types of pens and writes reports daily with them, there are issues that some twist mechanism pens suffer from that click pens don't. With many twist pens, you don't get that hesitation before the tip of the pen fully extends out. Often, the pen just keeps rotating until it no longer does, and often the tip of the pen is nearly all the way out. But not quite. So, you end up writing blind since you can't see the tip of the pen on the paper while writing. And, if you're writing more than just a quick note; the pen starts to rotate back in the opposite direction. Retracting the tip before you want it to.
With a click mechanism, you might get a tip that again doesn't fully extend. But I find that to be rare. The tip extends fully and solidly clicks into place. You can access it easily with one hand too. More than makes up for the tiny bit of extra length protruding from a pocket. I mean, with a twist pen, you often have to spend a great deal to get one that works properly, or get lucky. My Pelikan M800 ballpoint was made properly. Definitely not cheap. Recently I bought a relatively inexpensive custom pen made out of coral. Got lucky with that purchase.
With a click mechanism, you might get a tip that again doesn't fully extend. But I find that to be rare. The tip extends fully and solidly clicks into place. You can access it easily with one hand too. More than makes up for the tiny bit of extra length protruding from a pocket. I mean, with a twist pen, you often have to spend a great deal to get one that works properly, or get lucky. My Pelikan M800 ballpoint was made properly. Definitely not cheap. Recently I bought a relatively inexpensive custom pen made out of coral. Got lucky with that purchase.
