Thanks to KarasKustoms for sending this superbly cool Fountain K for me to check out! It was not requested I review it, but it's too neat not to. These pictures are of the copper in its new state, and since it won't last long looking like this, I wanted to capture it. See the pictures near the bottom for what copper looks like when it develops patina.
ABOUT
Body Material: Copper
Trim: Metal
Length (capped): 129.8 mm/5.1''
Length (uncapped nib-end): 121.3 mm/4.77''
Length (posted): 155.0 mm/6.10''
Barrel Diameter: 10.1 - 12.4 mm/0.39'' - 0.49''
Section Diameter: 7.9 - 8.5 mm/0.31'' - 0.38''
Weight (all): 82 g
Weight (cap): 30 g
Weight (body): 52 g
Nib Material: Steel
Fill type: Cartridge/Converter
Price: Starts at $75.00USD
Where to buy:
KarasKustoms
APPEARANCE
The Fountain K is the fountain pen version of KarasKustoms Render K machined pen. It is a round pen, widest at the top of the cap, and tapering towards the end of the barrel. Both ends are slightly rounded and raised. The finial is smooth. The top of the cap is knurled, just like on the Render K. It looks and feels great, and adds some texture to the otherwise smooth body. The clip is bolted on through the knurling. It is a thick, wide clip that angles upwards a little, right at the end. The section is fairly short, and is pinched at the center. The pen is turned out of copper. In its new state, the color was rich, shiny, and copper, of course.
With use, the pen has started to develop a patina, particularly on the grip, where I touched it the most. The patina on the grip is now a shiny green and purple, which I think looks really cool and unique. The patina developing on the cap and barrel is different - it's a dark copper color, for now.
Lastly, the whole pen has tiny, shallow rings on it from machining. It adds a bit of texture in addition to the knurling, and it breaks up the smoothness of the body.
NIB & PERFORMANCE
My pen arrived with a broad steel Schmidt nib. To read about how this nib performed, check out my review of the
KarasKustoms INK. I swapped the #5 nib for a steel broad italic from my Italix Parson's Essential. Great nib, and it made this pen even more fun!
IN HAND
The clip is tight, so it's hard to put it in pockets and pouches. It's also a very heavy pen, so putting it in pockets is probably not very feasible anyway. The angle at the end does make it easy to slide on to things though, ignoring the weight of the pen. It fits really well in my Nock Co. Lookout (cotton candy case).
The section, although short, is comfortable. I like the pinched shape. I find it a little thin, but it isn't too thin that I cannot use it comfortably during longer writing sessions. The threads are sharp and a little rough, but I do not grip them.
Unposted, the pen length is comfortable. However, this is a very solid, very substantial, heavy pen. The slightly tacky texture of the copper serves as a grip aid - the pen, despite its weight, did not slide at all in hand. The cap can be posted, but this makes the pen very long and excessively top-heavy, as the cap is quite heavy itself
PROS & CONS
OVERALL
The copper won't be for everyone - it's very heavy, has copper texture, and it smells like pennies. I really like this model, a I already own the Render K - the very first KarasKustoms pen I picked up from Kickstarter - so I am a fan. It's not as large as the INK fountain pen, and it fits well next to the Render K - one gel pen, one fountain pen, always a perfect pair!
Matchy matchy!
I received this pen free of charge. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review.
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