Karas Pen Co Decograph Signature Pen

[Karas Kustoms]

 

Design is not a one dimensional step in product creation. Good design takes into account form and function. It’s not just the planning and the purpose but also the presence of the product. Without all elements, a design will not connect with the user. The more personal the product, the more this holds true. Sometimes the design is constrained by outside influences, like material and overall function. Sometimes outside influences are molded to the specifics of the design. Knowing all of these fundamentals made our design journey for the Decograph that much smoother. We knew going in that our design would need to be tailored to specific materials. That it would draw upon Art Deco features but be realized through modern machining. That it would be a representation of a simple, yet complex design motif. Ultimately this knowledge allowed us to move through the design and prototype phases quickly and smoothly with no outward changes to our original concept; a classically inspired pen utilizing modern material and machining techniques.

History was a major influence in the Decograph from the first moment we sat down plan out the project. We paged through books and online resources taking in pen features from the past, but also the processes used by the pen manufacturers of yesteryear. The Decograph pays homage to classic pens from the 1930’s through the 1950’s but does so with nuance when taken in as a whole. Gentle curves combined with sharp angles give the design a feeling of movement often seen in the classic pens of the fountain pen heyday. Our goal was to make the pen familiar in both look and feel without making it directly resemble any current or former pen. History was part of every step of the design process even down to the name Decograph. Combining two words to make a new word was a common naming process in mid-century American product development. We chose to come back to Art Deco and take the Deco portion and combine it with graph, a word from the Greek graphos that means “written, writing”. We find it a fitting name that captures everything about the pen.

Two of our greatest assets are technology and experience. The advanced machinery we employ on a daily basis as a machine shop has benefited us greatly in the production of writing instruments. Decades of experience with complex programming and machining can be seen in every product we manufacture. CNC lathes and mills allow for precise tolerances, unique design elements, and more direct product control. The Decograph and its packaging feature eight separate machined parts. The main features of body, cap, and grip are turned on advanced CNC lathes, as are the upper and lower metal finials. The clip is machined in custom made fixtures in a CNC mill. Our unique pen tub package uses both lathe work and milling in its creation. All told, the Decograph has more machining than any of our current pens.

The Deocgraph Signature Fountain Pen combines thermoplastic and metal machined parts in a classically inspired form. It features a smooth writing Bock #6 nib in polished steel, with upgrades in nib material including Titanium and 14k Gold. It utilizes a Schmidt standard international cartridge converter, and ships with the converter as well as five black Monteverde ink cartridges with ink sourced from Austria. The pen is packaged in one of our unique, fully machined pen tubes. The tube is made from 6061 aluminum, the same grade of aluminum we use in our other pens. The package features our K Shield logo that has been milled into the upper portion of the pen tube. The amount of protection provided by the Decograph packaging might be considered overkill, but we wanted the package to be elegant and reliable while being an homage to our manufacturing past.

The standard Decograph Signature Fountain Pen will retail for $165.00 and will be added live to our website on September 15th, 2017. It will be available in standard Deco Black and Deco Green

 

[amberleadavis]

I'm looking forward to it!

[Drone]

Your price flew about $50 over my head. That's too bad, I was looking forward to one these.

[SpecTP]

an all metal cap would probably pair really well with the bodies too.

[Karas Kustoms]

The market for U.S. made, specifically machined (not molded) acrylic/celluloid/thermoplastic fountain pens has been set by several well known brands (Bexley, Franklin-Christoph, Edison, etc). We didn't sit down with that in mind when we designed the Decograph, but with the amount of machining alone it falls firmly in that $155-175 region.

 

The Decograph could be done in aluminum. The inner cap threads would be problematic with posting and potentially with threading as well. For that to work properly a two piece cap would be a better option. and would be a bit difficult with the engineering of the pen. But I agree a metal cap would look very sleek.

[Karas Kustoms]

The packaging was something we decided on having done quite a bit of research and testing of packaging platforms. Sourcing packaging that fits the price and quality of this pen was more what we were shooting for. During our search and testing of packaging most packaging that we felt was appropriate for the pen was quite a bit more expensive than us taking on the task of creating our own, rather unique, packaging.

[Ink_Chick]

Looks sleek and clean. I wonder how heavy it is...

[ArchiMark]

Classic looking pen with clean lines, nice!

 

[s_t_e_v_e]

I don't see how this pen is "very" expensive when compared to offerings from comparable US based manufacturers like Edison, Franklin-Christoph, Bexley and more blatantly Kanilea.

This pen seems to have more machined parts (cap, barrel, clip, metal cap finial and metal blind cap) than any Edison, FC or Kanilea.

 

If I read it correctly, it is priced at $165 NOT $265, which is just $15 more than a production line Edison and also less expensive than some of the FC models. I don't even need to mention Kanilea here, they're way, way over the top!

 

For $165 you get a beautifully machined pen with metal accents, a fantastic Bock nib and the pen capsule machined out of aluminum, which in and of itself would be like machining a pen.

 

I feel it's a solid package at a fair price considering the competition. YMMV!

[woleizihan]

I also don't see this pen as "very" expensive or luxury. I don't think it's a very competitive pricing either and don't completely agree with the above comparisons. For instance, at $170, you can choose from many FC models with a very practical $20 leather pouch and a Masuyama nib. I think the Masuyama nib is much more interesting than a stock Bock nib and the nib service worth more than $20 you pay FC pretty much anywhere else. As for Bexley, at $165, you can choose from tons of interesting models with good packaging, probably an ebonite pen body, probably a gold nib, probably a piston filler, probably special/limited editions. Or if you are not interested in those, you can always buy from Bexley on Ebay and walk away with a steel nibbed Bexley for well under $100. No packaging though but I believe many of us don't really care about that. For these reasons, I don't really think the pricing is competitive, compared with the offering from FC and Bexley.

 

I was like wow when I saw the picture upfront and try to look for the price and was a little disappointed when I saw it. Just my actual feeling and no offense. I quite like the previous Karas Kustoms pens, the design, the quality, the pricing and I always appreciate the existence of a company that makes attractive, high quality and robust pens at very good prices. One of the things that could possibly add some value is to include a double/triple pen insert with the tube so it can serve as a pen case. After all, the maker has every right to set the price they feel comfortable and think is fair and I say the above things with all my respect. Good luck.

Edited September 8, 2017 by woleizihan

[langere]

This is very nice! I especially appreciate the green version; other than Pelikan, where green is their standard, it seems to me that few pen companies make one of the main colors green.

 

Erick

[mmg122]

Karas Kustoms continues to impress with each new iteration of their fountain pen. I am especially impressed with the pen tube...harkens back to the Waterman Lady Agatha.

While I love their Bock Titanium nibs, I am unabashedly a fan of JOWO nibs.

As to price, I think the price is quite appropriate for what you get. I am the proud owner of three KK fountain pens and am always impressed with quality and function.

Congrats to the Karas Kustoms team on your latest creation!

Edited September 8, 2017 by mmg122

[Karas Kustoms]

For more information on the Decograph we've put together a few videos covering the complete design as well as a brief video covering all aspects of the pen.

[amberleadavis]

LOOKS GREAT

[Misfit]

Edison can be in the $300 range for their innovative filling systems. Videos help us see that machines do a lot of the work, but there is hands on too. I got a Fountain K this year when Karas had that nice sale, and let me use a coupon code I got from The Well Appointed Desk.

 

I'm not in the market for a new pen (except for the one I'm going to get as a birthday gift). This new Karas pen is attractive, and I wish them good sales.

 

Two Edison colors are on my wish list because I'd really like a Beaumont Nouveau and maybe a C/C version, but I've wanted those for a few years. But the Beaumont is close to $350.

 

Again, to Karas Kustoms, I wish you good sales, and commend you for not standing still.

[Bold2013]

Anyone know if this pen fits an international long catridge?

[KellyMcJ]

Beautiful!!!! I've had my eye on Karas pens for a while, because the all metal ones are apparently engineered to survive being run over by a truck. My fear though, is that I would lose them immediately, having just that sort of luck, so I stick with cheapies for EDC.

 

This though, I may have to bite on. I like this departure from "purely utilitarian" and as a history buff, I can't help but be excited about this design!

[Valkyrii]

The pen gods smiled favorably on me and I was lucky enough to acquire one from Figboot's YouTube giveaway. I have to say I am excessively pleased with this pen. It has been inked and used every day since I received it. It is very lightweight, and yet very comfortable to use. I'm writing a novel by hand and have had no issues with fatigue. I have 2 or 3 go to pens for long writing periods. This pen has quickly found a spot in that rotation. The grip section is contoured nicely and is a good size. The construction is excellent, retaining a hint of the utilitarian element Karas is known for but in a far more stylish package.

 

Some day I'll add another (different color) to my collection, perhaps when my book is done!

 

Damn I just realized I may have to give them credit in the book based on the enclosed instruction sheet...haha!

[Mongoosey]

Well this post does it for me. I'm picking one up.

 

I'm going to have to pick up a titanium nib, too .

[Mongoosey]

I recently got a hold of the Decograph and I must say:

 

Wow!

 

To start off, the aesthetics are lovely. It's a slightly minimalistic design, but accented with the art deco style to give it character without ostentation or going overboard. The aesthetics are well balanced and unique.

 

The length and width of the pen, barrel, and section is a sweet spot and very comfortable.

 

The section is one of the most comfortable I've ever used. From starter pens on up to Franklin-Christoph, Edison, Pilot Ch 74, Lamy 2000, to all those prestigious $X00.00+ pens I've tried at the pens shows, this is at the top.

 

The slight taper and healthy flare of the section, all without being drastic, but still significant, create an immediate "at home" feeling that's not common among popular pens, especially modern ones and this is the first time I've felt that.

 

It is lightweight, and noticeably so. But I found that it's not so light that it floats, but rather, and I was impressed by this, it melds as an extension of the hand like other lightweight pens I've tried that are great for any duration of writing especially on up to long writing sessions. This felt like it was intentional.

 

A lot of consideration went into the comfort of this pen especially for writing and to a level I find is uncommon in today's pens.

 

For me this is an excellent pen, and I think a must try if it has hinted at your interest at least. They've managed to create an exceptional EDC pen that is also an exceptional writer.

 

I think it's worth a try and if you've heard, like I have, the quality that Titanium nibs can provide I think this is a potential for one of the best fountains out there regardless of its excellent price/performance ratio.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/339830-bock-titanium-nib-fine-v-medium/

 

Let's just say I am impressed.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Mongoosey