Before I got this pen into my hands, I didn’t know whether or not I would like the Karas Kustoms Ink. I love their machined rollerball/gel pen bodies, such as the Retrakt, the Bolt, and the Render K, but I wasn’t sure how the machined pen concept would translate to a fountain pen, which is much more sensitive to issues such as balance and weight. Also, I’ve had difficulties in the past with metal sections. I shouldn’t have worried.
Like Karas Kustoms’ other projects, the Ink has been masterfully executed. This pen already has been reviewed to death by nearly every other blogger out there in recent months since the Kickstarter project shipped, so I won’t rehash the details about the impeccable design, construction, balance, etc. :) Instead, I’ll tell you what my favorite aspect of this pen is: customization. You can choose an anodized pen body from among various color options, and pair it with a grip sections made from different metals (aluminum, brass, or copper). I chose a black pen with a copper section and couldn’t be happier. The copper was shiny for the first day or so of use, and rapidly developed an “old-penny” patina. I’ve tried to include some photographs showing how this happened. Check out the picture that I posted to Instagram the day I received the pen, and compare to how the pen looks today. It’s awesome.
Here is the copper section just after purchase.
Here is the copper section approximately one week later.
The nib is a stainless steel Schmidt, like the old TWSBIs. I chose a medium, and it writes flawlessly. The flow is just wet enough to let me use even my driest inks without any problem. I personally preferred these nibs on TWSBI pens and have not been very happy with TWSBI since they change over to Bock.
Karas Kustoms Ink handwritten review with Sailor Naoi-Sumire.
The Karas Kustoms Ink is on my short list for best pen purchase of 2014, and should be in your pen case, if you haven’t added it already!