Write On! – The Right Pen pt. 1

What is the right pen for you? How does someone even know where to start when trying to identify the right pen? Is it personal? Is it task specific? We get asked so many questions like this fairly often. This is especially true when a non-pen person decides to splurge on a nice pen and ends up on our website or even when they stop by the shop. It's not cut and dried. There's a decent amount of knowledge you need to possess about the differences in pens, and when you're looking at spending more than five or ten dollars on a writing instrument, you want to be informed. Finding the right pen for you isn't as straightforward as it should be. In an attempt to make it easier for potential customers, we're going to do a series of blogs explaining our pens, and pulling from our historic sales data, we'll try to identify the type of new pen customer each pen fits best. We'll start with the Bolt rollerball pen.

Our second successful Kickstarter campaign was a step in a completely new direction for us, moving away from a traditional capped pen in designing and manufacturing a retractable pen that uses a bolt-action mechanism to actuate the refill. Not only that but we went with a stripped down, almost minimal aesthetic look. "The BOLT - A Machined Bolt Action Pen" launched on Kickstarter in September 2012, funded shortly after, completed with 734 backers, and ended at over 1,000% funded. But almost immediately we began to make additions and adaptations to the product line. Before the Kickstarter even ended, we were inundated with requests to add Pilot G2 functionality. Initially we used a stretch goal to provide all backers with a G2 barrel, but that stretch goal was never reached. As we completed the Kickstarter production run, we went straight into machining G2 barrels. All pledges shipped in early March 2013, and we ended up adding a full spectrum of anodize colors and the G2 barrels to our website in early April 2013.

Bolt action pens were nothing new at the time of our Kickstarter launch. They'd been a staple of the everyday carry (EDC) community for some time, with a variety of small boutique pen makers producing some amazing bolt-action pens. All of those pens used an extended side knob or bolt that was used to actuate the refill. Several larger US companies were making or launching Kickstarters that adapted those designs to their own pens, and we made the conscious decision to adapt the bolt action/capture system into a more traditional "push button" style pen. Combining the two systems into our knob and bolt capture system that was used on the BOLT. This wasn't a bad choice on our part, but it split the community of Bolt pen users almost straight down the middle. We received almost daily emails asking if we planned on making a "traditional" bolt style pen, or some parts kits to adapt our version and make it work with a side bolt only.

As time went on we began compiling a massive list of requests and suggestions where the BOLT was concerned. We branched out and added numerous other pens, but over the next 5 years the BOLT became immensely popular. Not only is it our most popular pen, but our best-selling pen by quite a large margin. Shortly after we successfully adapted the Render K pen to accept multiple refill styles, we began actively working on major revisions to the BOLT. Not just refill revisions, but revisions that would address the pen coming unscrewed in a persons pocket. A few years after the Kickstarter launched, we released the Bolt V2; a redesigned and improved Bolt action pen that kept the overall aesthetic of the BOLT but implemented a large variety of suggestions and improvements we'd identified as being needed. We moved the J-slot upwards, allowing us to fit the G2 refill in the standard 5.5 inch Bolt body. We also changed the shape of the J-slot and recessed the J-slot more, making a far cleaner design detail on the pen. Lastly, we successfully added an internal o-ring to the lower barrel that kept the lower and upper barrels threaded together when the pen was pocket carried.

These revisions and adaptations allowed us to consolidate the BOLT and BOLT G2 pens into one body, but still allow for the Bolt to accept a wide variety of refills. We've expanded and improved our manufacturing process to improve overall fit and finish. We've dramatically expanded our anodize options and even added some lower barrel options (fluted) to provide the Bolt with a broader look and feel. In 2021, the additions of bronze and titanium to our list of materials finally happened, and finished a production run of each material for the Bolt. We officially dropped the "V2" designator on all of our pens in 2023, simply referring to the pens by their branding. Cerakote became a more readily available option in 2024 when we began partnering with a local Cerakote applicator which allowed us to get consistent, quality Cerakote at a very reasonable price. And we've expanded to add multiple new grip profiles including: Dragonskin, Hive, Scale, and a few other experimental options.

Though the Bolt is our most popular pen that doesn't mean it's the right pen for everyone. It has become one of the two pens we recommend to customers who are just getting into pens. That's largely due to it's unique look combined with it's fidget level being very high. There seems to be an innate desire to fidget with a pen when your handed one, and the Bolt is a fidget-friendly pen. First off, the 5.5 inch length and overall design of the pen, make it perfect for absent-minded twirling between fingers. The aluminum version isn't very heavy which means fatigue isn't likely to occur when twirling. The knob design is also a magnet for fidgeting. Whether that's actuating the refill fully, or simply pushing the knob up and down while holding the pen. Customers are drawn to the Bolt when they see it, then they're further pulled in when they actually hold it for any period of time.

The Bolt is the right pen for someone who enjoys a unique looking pen, who wants to stand out on some level and doesn't mind being interrupted by a stranger who wants to ask about the pen. Its the right pen for someone who clicks their pens a lot or finger twirls in between note taking. It's the right pen for someone who appreciates a very clean, streamlined design. Because it has both rollerball and ballpoint versions, it can be used by either the ballpoint or the rollerball writer. It's the right pen for someone who has good dexterity because the bolt action itself does require some thumb dexterity to actuate the refill. It's the right pen for someone who carries their pens in a backpack, bag, purse or shirt pocket. It's a great option for someone just dabbling their toes into the EDC community because it's unique, relatively inexpensive in comparison to other options, can be matched with other pocket accessories in terms of colors and Cerakote options, and is probably our most "pocket dumped" pen. The Black Bolt and Brass Bolt are our two highest selling pens in terms of quantity we've sold over the life of the brand, and they both remain very popular options for first time pen purchasers, making up over 60% of sales to new customers. The Bolt is a pen we continue to feature in a variety of finishes, external machining options, and unique color combinations which also makes it extremely accessible as an option because there's like a Bolt for just about anyone out there.

Let us know if the right pen for you turned out to be the Bolt.