The Bolt: A Machined Bolt Action Pen

The Bolt, by KarasKustoms

Last week was a good pen week, and one of the pens that made it so was The Bolt, by KarasKustoms. I backed their first pen project, the Render K, and was so pleased with that pen that it was a no-brainer to back this project.

KarasKustoms sets the bar pretty high when it comes to Kickstarter projects. They provide regular updates that often contain videos of the machining process. (I’m oddly fascinated by these glimpses of the birth of a pen.) The shop truly brings you along for the ride and provides a very transparent experience. I haven’t backed a project that’s done it any better.

Like the Render-K, the Bolt is available in both aluminum and brass. I chose aluminum, as I did for their first project, and am again pleased with my choice. The pen has heft but is not heavy. The weight is just perfect for me. The pen measures 5.5″ long and 0.45″ in diameter, and feels great in hand. I’d consider it well-balanced and comfortable.

Bolt action

Unlike the Render-K, this pen is retractable, and that’s where things get particularly cool. To extend the writing tip, you push down on the knock, as you would for any other retractable. But THEN, use your thumb to twist the knock to the side so that the bolt continues to travel in the machined slot, and the extended writing tip is locked into place. (At first this action took two fingers, but now that things have loosened up, I can do the whole thing with just my thumb.) I don’t know why this is fun, but it is. It is.

Sturdy, sturdy clip

The pen comes with stainless steel hardware, AND an Allen wrench so that you can tighten the clip’s screws, if need be. (Have I mentioned that these guys have an eye for detail?) The clip on my pen hasn’t budged, but it’s nice to know that I can tighten it up if I have to.

Writing sample with the 0.5 mm Moleskine gel refill

While the pen DOES comes with the Allen wrench, it DOES NOT come with a refill. Why’s that? Well…because the body is able to accept a number of refill options (generally in the Parker-style format), Karas Kustoms chooses to leave the choice of refill up to the customer, rather than providing refills that users may toss. That’s fine for me, and I was well-stocked with my Parker-style refill of choice- the Moleskine 0.5 mm gel refill. Within minutes of unpacking the pen, I popped in the refill and was off and running. (A few folks missed this detail in the project’s documentation, and were puzzled/angry. This lack of refill is the same as with the Render K, AND is clearly stated, so I wasn’t caught off guard.)

Here’s a list of some of the refills that are compatible with The Bolt:

Faber-Castell Ballpoint Pen Refill
Fisher Space Pen Refill, PR Series- Colors (Bold, Medium, Fine)
Foray (Office Depot) Ballpoint Refill for Parker (Medium)
Monteverde Ceramic Gel Refill (Broad)
Monteverde Needle Point Refill (Fine)
Monteverde Soft Roll- Colored inks (Medium)
Monteverde Soft Roll- (Superbroad, Medium, Ultrafine)
OHTO Needlepoint Ballpoint Pen Refill PS-807NP
OHTO PS-205NP Extra-Fine 0.5mm Ballpoint Pen Refill
Parafernalia Ballpoint Pen Refill NO LOGO
Parker Ballpoint Pen Refill (Broad, Medium, Fine)
Parker GEL Ballpoint Pen Refill (Medium)
Parker Quinkflow Ballpoint Pen Refill (Medium, Fine)
Pelikan Giant Ballpoint Pen Refill 337 (Broad, Fine, Medium)
Pentel KFLT8 Ballpoint Pen Refill
Schmidt 9000M EasyFlow Pen Refill
Schmidt P8900 Super Bowl Refill (Fine)
Schmidt P900 B Ballpoint Pen Refill (Broad, Medium, Fine)
Schmidt P950M Megaline Pressurized Ballpoint Pen Refill (Medium)
Schneider Express 735 Pen Refill (Broad, Medium, Fine)
Schneider Slider 755 Pen Refill (Extra-Broad, Medium)
Stabilo Ballpoint Refill
Tombow BR-ZLM Ballpoint Pen Refill
Visconti Ballpoint Pen Refill AA49 1.4 (Broad)
Visconti Gel Refill (Broad, Medium, Fine)

Quite the list, eh?!

I have nothing but praise for the team at KarasKustoms. The Bolt is solidly made, and sports clean lines and a cool industrial look. And that bolt mechanism? It’s irresistible.

Keep ‘em coming, KarasKustoms. Keep ‘em coming.

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Want your own Bolt? Though the Kickstarter project has ended, the pen is now available via the KarasKustoms website. Check out all of their cool products by clicking here.

I was not compensated in any way for this review. I’m just a fan, and wanted to spread the word about this interesting pen and the quality workmanship.

Kickstarter #1: KarasKustoms Render K + Pilot Hi-Tec-C refills

Render K by KarasKustoms

The Render K was the first project I ever backed on Kickstarter, and the experience was a great one. KarasKustoms, a machine shop in Arizona and the maker of the Render K, posted frequent updates throughout the process, including a number of videos that showed our pens being “born.” I bonded with my pen, even before I held it in my hands. But I worried (as I am prone to do) that there might be a letdown when the Render K actually arrived and fantasy met reality. As it turns out, there was no need to fret- the real live pen blew me away.

Why was I worried?

My pen was machined from aluminum (there’s also a brass version available) and feels like a precision tool. Mated with the Pilot Hi-Tec-C (0.4 mm, black ink, is my choice), it’s one of the pens that I reach for every single day.

Built to last, then last some more

The stainless steel clip is ultra-reliable, and keeps the pen secure whether clipped to pocket or purse or messenger bag. NO worries about clip failure. I really love the look of the knurled cap. Mmmmm…knurled. Cool word.

The ultimate clip

Awesome knurling

Technically, the cap can be (loosely) posted, but I never use it that way as the added weight of cap makes the pen top heavy. The weight is perfectly balanced sans cap.

The cap threads onto the pen body and I love this feature, too. As with the Kaweco Liliput, I enjoy the tiny ritual of unscrewing the cap before sitting down to write. This action forces me to slow down for just a moment. And sometimes, a moment is all you need to get a grip. And who couldn’t use a little more grip? (Me! Me!)

Before using the Render K, I liked the Pilot Hi-Tec-C pens, but honestly, I didn’t LOVE them. Turns out that it must’ve been the pen BODY that wasn’t my favorite because the the Hi-Tec-C refill in the Render K body is an absolutely stellar combination.

This was my first venture into the world of Kickstarter projects, but it’s not my last. KarasKustoms, though, set the bar very high with their frequent updates, and ultimately, with the execution of the Render K. It’s a fine, fine pen.

Missed the Render K as a Kickstarter project? No worries…the pen body (and its brass counterpart) are available here. Note that a refill DOES NOT ship with the pen so that you can select what works for you. In addition to the Hi-Tec-C refills, KarasKustoms includes a spacer that makes it possible to use Fisher Space Pen refills as well.

Pilot Hi-Tec-C refills are available via JetPens, and so are the Fisher Space Pen refills. One stop refill shopping!

For another take on the same pen, check out this wonderfully detailed review at Gourmet Pens.