Tactile Turn Mover Review

July 16, 2015

This is a review that has been waiting for quite a while. I received this pen roughly five months ago (you can watch the unboxing video here), and I think I have used it nearly every day since then. So it seems inexplicable that it could be so difficult to write a review of a product that I obviously really enjoy, but I find that it's always most difficult to talk about the things I like the most. Still, I will try to do my best to not gush too much.

The Mover is a machined pen made by Will Hodges that fits refills of the same size as the Pilot G2. He also makes a pen called the Shaker that is a bit shorter and thus fits Parker-style refills. You can check out and buy both of these pens on his website, as well as oogle at some of the more exotic materials he makes these pen from, such as copper, titanium, brass, and bronze. Mine is an anodized aluminum version, and I find the aluminum to be just the perfect balance of solidity and weight without being too heavy or clunky for writing. (Still, that copper is gorgeous!)

Given that this pen is essentially a holder for your favorite gel/rollerball/ballpoint ink refill, I'll abandon my usual format and mostly just talk about the body of the pen here.

The most distinctive part of the Mover is the grooved grip section on the business end of the barrel. The last inch-ish of the pen is spiraled with a shallow groove that really allows your fingertips to lock into place and get a solid grip for writing, no matter how sweaty your hands might get. The grooves are not sharp in any way and are not even particularly rough to run your finger over, but they do their job of providing grip exceptionally well and I find them far preferable to any sort of knurling, which always feels far too abrasive.

Moving up the pen is a long, straight, featureless barrel. This sounds like a bad thing, but I prefer the straight barrel versus a taper or unnecessary ornamentation. Because it is a machined pen, there is a bit of texture that is noticeable if you run fingernail along the length of the pen, but it is not rough and overall is fairly smooth.

At the opposite end of the pen you find a shiny stainless steel clip and knock mechanism, and these are the same regardless of the color or material the rest of the pen is made of. I really like this element, even though I know it probably wasn't a conscious choice. The same colored clip and knock really ties all the pens together and gives them a distinctive design element, as well as looking great. The clip is super beefy and allows the pen to actually, you know, be clipped to stuff. I am a chronic clip breaker, so this is great for me.

And, if you do somehow manage to bend the clip, you can fully disassemble the pen and easily bend it back into shape. The pen unscrews along a nearly invisible seam at the middle of the barrel and the knock and clip can be removed from the end as well to make this a 100% user serviceable pen.

On the topic of the knock, I have seen some people complaining that theirs does not always work properly, sometimes getting stuck in an ultra-extended position or refusing to retract. The same mechanism is used on pens from Karas Kustoms, so it's not a problem unique to Tactile Turn. While the knock is quite sturdy (and nearly silent!), it does involve moving parts and thus will wear out with enough use. If this is the case, you can buy a replacement pretty inexpensively here.

I have also experienced click malfunctions on occasion, but I find that taking the pen apart and flipping the included spring around usually solves the issue. I think that sometimes it just gets caught up on something and needs to be repositioned and usually after that small effort the pen works smoothly.

While you can find numerical measurements for the size and weight of each pen on the Tactile Turn website, I find that the aluminum Mover feels very similar to writing with a Pilot Vanishing Point. They are roughly the same size and weight, so if you are a fountain pen user who is fond of the VP, this might be a good option for you. Even if you prefer lighter fountain pens, most people can get away with a heavier gel/rollerball/ballpoint pen because of the different writing mechanism, so don't let the heavier weight discourage you if you otherwise really like this pen.

In terms of the rest of the writing experience, that depends heavily on the type of refill you use. I have used the guts from a Pilot Juice since I received this pen and I really think that it is one of the best gel pens you can buy. It writes very smoothly, especially with the heftier body of the Mover behind it, and all the colors are well saturated, waterproof, UV proof, and available in pretty much ever color you could ever want. That being said, there are plenty of other refills that will fit, so check the website for the full list and see if your favorite is on there.

One last point that might seem minor but really does improve the writing experience on this pen is that, at least with the Pilot Juice and G2 refills, there is a very precise fit of the nose cone around the refill tip. This means no distracting tip wiggle while you write, which is a very good thing.

If you couldn't tell by now, I really like this pen. I highly recommend you check it out if you are in the market for a machined pen. There's a lot of options out there these days for these types of pens, but let me put it this way - I purchased this pen for myself, and I would gladly spend the money again on another. I don't know much more I can recommend it other than to say that it's awesome and Will really has a great thing here.

This pen was purchased with my own money and I am not being compensated in any way for this review. All opinions above are my own and you are free to disagree with me if you like.

Pen Review - Franklin Christoph Model 65

June 1, 2015

I admit, I'm usually the last one to the party, if I even show up at all. (Metaphorically speaking, of course - if I actually have somewhere I have to be, I'll show up at least 10 minutes early...) There was quite a bit of buzz last week about the FC Model 65, due to great reviews over on The Pen Addict and The Gentleman Stationer. My review comes courtesy of my friend Paul loaning me his black Model 65, and if you want to skip all the wordy bits you can head down to the bottom of this post where there is a video, though it's not my best production since my autofocus was constantly being thwarted by the highly reflective finish on the pen.

Physical presence
Let's start with the obvious, at least what will be obvious if you get this pen in your hands - it is a loooooonnnggg pen. This is because the Model 65 is meant to be a desk pen, which in general tend to be longer in order to be more comfortable for longer writing sessions. Luckily, it is also quite a light pen, so the extended length does not become unwieldy in any way.

L to R: Lamy Safari, Model 65, TWSBI Vac 700

As you can see in the picture above, the Model 65 is just a bit longer than the Vac 700, which is the largest pen I own and certainly not a lightweight at all. The real feeling of the size of this pen can be seen when it is uncapped, where you can see that most of the length of the pen is in the body:

This pen does indeed post and because the cap is so short and the pen itself so light and well balanced, I found that posting did not throw off the balance of the pen at all.

I am pretty sure that the Model 65 is made from acrylic, and while it is polished to be very shiny, this pen is not slick to hold. The material has a bit of grip to it, in a way that is hard to describe in words. Just know that this pen never felt slippery to me, though I do not have especially sweaty hands.

Being a desk pen, the Model 65 is clipless since you don't need a clip for a pen that will never be clipped to anything... I happen to not be the biggest fan of the aesthetics of a clipless pen, but a nice feature that was included on this one is a flattened side on the body of the pen, so that you never need to worry about things rolling away and landing nib down, as we know nice things are wont to do. You can see this in the very first picture of the post, as well as the name of the pen engraved in said flat spot. The engraving is very subtle when not seen in direct light, and I think the whole presentation is a very classy way of branding a pen.

Writing experience
The Model 65 takes #5 nibs, so I'm assuming that you could swap in a lot of vintage or modern nibs of that size. However, given the huge selection of nibs that Franklin Christoph offers, including custom grinds from Mike Masuyama, I doubt you would need to do searching elsewhere to find a nib that fits your style.

The nib I tried was a basic steel M. It was not the best nib I've ever used, but it was pleasant, smooth, and reliable, so I can't complain. Given that even the most "boring" nib I could have used was not disappointing in any way, I would have great confidence in future FC nibs.

The section of the Model 65 has a slight hourglass shape which combines perfectly with that slight "stickiness" of the material to really lock your fingers into place and make writing very stress-free. There is also no concern of threads getting in the way, since FC does a neat little trick of putting them at the nib end of the section, thus allowing users to hold the pen as high or low as they want and never having fingers rub on threads (though they are quite smooth on this pen anyway, so it wouldn't be an issue regardless of placement).

Filling system
Not too much to say here - this is a cartridge/converter pen, that takes standard international sizes. Given that there are no metal parts other than the nib, you can also use it as an eyedropper and given the huge size of the pen, I would be that eyedroppering it would give a giant capacity suitable to starting the draft of an epic novel.

Closing thoughts
I like this pen. I don't really have a need for a desk pen, but if I did I would seriously consider one of these. My biggest problem is the cost, which I guess is a common theme around here? It's not that I think all pens are overpriced, but this particular pen with a steel nib will run you $150, and it goes up from there if you want a gold or custom ground nib. And for that price you are getting into other pens that come with a gold nib as a default and are also quality products (I'm thinking Pilot here, as well as a few Lamy pens).

However, if you are in the market for a desk pen, chances are you are not looking for a "budget" item because, well, a desk pen is not the pinnacle of convenience for all-purpose use. If that's the case, I would definitely recommend this as a desk pen, and I am hoping that when I go to the DC pen show this summer, I will be able to check out some of the other finishes that might be a bit flashier than the basic black.

And, if all those words were not quite enough (or if it was too many words), here is the review in moving picture form:

Pen Review: Pilot Custom Heritage 92

April 25, 2015

(PSST! If you would rather watch this review than read it, you can find the video version here.)

This is another pen where I have mixed feelings about it. Full disclosure, this pen is on loan to me from a friend (you should click on that link and check out his blog!) for this review, and the fact that I did not buy the pen myself factors into my overall feelings later on. But for now, let’s break it down a bit:

Physical presence
As is my custom, I won’t list any hard numbers here because there are plenty places that you can find that information online. Rather, let’s talk about some things that are less tangible, because those are what makes all the difference.

There’s no denying that the 92 is a real looker. I would describe the aesthetic of the pen as “modern but classy” and I think all the parts really fit together well, from a design standpoint. If you aren’t a fan of demonstrators then this is probably not for you, but I am. I especially like the black plastic used at the top of the cap (finial? I’m never exactly sure what part of the pen that is) and on the piston knob. These parts seem minor but to me they give a sense of the boundaries of the pen. I also appreciate the silver colored hardware, since I find gold hardware on pens to be a bit stodgy.

One of the first things I noticed about this pen was how light it is. The pen is (obviously) plastic, so it would unreasonable to expect it to be very heavy. Still, I think I subconsciously equate weight with quality and that is simply not the case most of the time with fountain pens. This is also the first pen with a premium price tag I have used made out of plastic and so I was surprised when I held it and it felt just like a Lamy Vista. I would assume that the quality of the materials that go into the 92 is higher than a $30 fountain pen meant for children, but I don’t know anything for sure about that.

Another thing that contributes to the light weight of the 92 is the fact that it is a relatively small pen. It’s both slightly shorter and slimmer than a Safari, especially when uncapped. It can be posted, but I find it comfortable enough to use unposted. The weight when posted is slightly shifted toward the back, but still comfortable.

Writing experience
The nib on this particular pen was a F and boy is it fine! Below you can see the line width compared to some other writing instruments I had on hand:

Though the nib lays down a quite thin line, I did not find it to be unreasonably scratchy. I also have experience with a F from a Pilot VP and I found the performance to be similar. In my limited experience (5 pens) with Pilot’s nibs I have never been disappointed and I would expect that to be the case most of the time. Though this is a gold nib, I didn’t find it to be at all flexible or springy, and especially with how fine it is I would suggest making an effort to keep a light writing pressure.

Of course, the writing experience is not just about the nib. You can have a great nib on top of a poor section and the result is a pen that doesn’t get used. The section on this pen is short but there is nearly no step between the section and barrel so you can hold the pen as far back as necessary. The threads are fairly shallow and I do not find them uncomfortable to hold at all. The nib end of the section flares out just slightly and prevents fingers from slipping down to far onto the nib.

Filling system
As far as I know, this pen is Pilot’s only piston-filler, at least in the American market. I found the piston on this pen to be very smooth to operate and the knob at the end of the pen is large enough to turn easily without needing lilliputian fingers. While I, again, do not have an exact number for the ink capacity of the pen, it seems like it would be fairly large, definitely over 1 mL.

Otherwise, the filling system is not all that noteworthy. That may sound like a bad thing, but I prefer a filling system that doesn’t require much thought beyond filling and cleaning because in between those times I would rather think about writing!

One thing I noticed while using this pen was that there seemed to be a bit of ink seeping past the piston seal. I’m hoping that the previous pictures show this, but without a dedicated macro lens it’s a bit difficult to photograph. I’m confused as to how this happened, since the pen never left a safe spot on a flat surface in my apartment. It certainly isn’t enough of a problem to cause concern, except that the pen seems to be unable to be taken apart. As far as I can tell the body and section are all one piece, which means that it is tough to take the pen apart to dry after cleaning. I found a hint that the piston can be removed using the same wrench that comes with TWSBI pens, and it certainly looks like this could be the case. However, given the cost of this pen and the fact that it’s a loaner, I don’t want to start disassembling the pen.

Closing thoughts

If I did not know the cost of this pen, I would be all over it like a monkey on a cupcake. It writes well, looks snazzy, and has a high capacity filling system. But, the fact is that price is a factor for those of us trying to live within our means, and that’s where I find the problem with this pen. As of the writing of this post (spring 2015), you can find the 92 for ~$130 on eBay and Jetpens, and $220 on Goulet Pens (and others, I don't want to paint GPC as the bad guys here!).

Facing a price tag greater than $200 seems ridiculous for this pen, especially since the materials it is made from are not all that special. You are either paying an extra $60 for a piston (92 vs CH 74) or an extra $150 for a gold nib (92 vs TWSBI 580, though I do know that this is roughly the cost of a gold nib).

The $130 price seems a bit more reasonable, but for that price I would rather have a Vanishing Point. The VP is built like a tank and I never worry about tossing it in my bag and taking it with me anywhere. The 92, being made out of plastic, feels a bit more fragile and I would feel the need to always keep it in a pen case, which is slightly inconvenient. And, the fact that it has a screw top makes it far less useful to me than a click pen.

Overall, I think this a great pen with a high price. I think that if you want this pen you should definitely hunt for a way to get it under $150, even though that might mean ordering it from a seller in Japan. Or as for it as a gift from a rich relative, either way…