Ultem Hive Modal Limited Release
- Description
Description
Limited Release
Ever experimenting and prototyping, Josh has been hard at work on some new grip profiles for the Bolt and Modal pens. We set aside a significant portion of the latest Bolt body production run for these treatments with secondary machining taking place on one of our mills. Josh programmed three or four different patterns and utilized a variety of techniques for this process. The second of these experiments is here in the form of what we’re calling the “Hive” finish. This is a brand new design for us, and one of the most time-consuming. 33 honeycomb (hexagonal) patterns have been milled into the grip section in alternating rows of five or six honeycombs. We sold a limited supply of this grip at the Colorado Pen Show on Brass and Copper Bolts and Modals, and it was a big hit. We’re now on to the third or forth release, but the first in Ultem.
The Ultem “Hive” Modal Limited Release features our latest experimental grip profile, the “Hive” on the thermoplastic of the moment, Ultem. This combination is one we decided to test out in the shop to see how it would look but also how the pens would hold up. The results are in and these are just as awesome as our standard Ultem Modals but with the added grip the “Hive” provides. For this release we’ve paired the Ultem with Matte Black anodized clips and buttons and the result is a very bee-utiful looking pen indeed, reminiscent of that wondrous pollinator that gives us honey, food, and flowers. The pen comes outfitted with a Pilot G2 refill with black ink and ships in our standard recyclable packaging.
Limited Availability
Specifications:
Length – 130.17mm / 5.125″
Body Width – 11.11 mm / 0.437”
Width w/Clip – 14.73mm / 0.577″
The Bolt is made from C360 brass on our CNC lathes and Swiss machining centers, in Mesa, Arizona. Pilot refills are manufactured in Japan.
The Ultem Modal features a body machined from polyetherimide or PEI (Ultem is a brand name of PEI). Polyetherimide is an amber-to-transparent industrial thermoplastic that has a high temperature resistance and as such is used in certain applications requiring plastics that withstand heat and steam. It has a greater tensile strength than ABS and polycarbonate, making it a great option for lightweight applications that require temperature resistance and strength. We’ve elected to use a machined Ultem slider combination along with a specially sourced clear o-ring to make the body of this pen completely uniform in appearance.
The long wait is over, our latest pen is here. The Modal is our latest everyday carry, retractable pen that features several new design and functionality elements. This pen has been the most requested design in the history of our company. From the day our Bolt Kickstarter launched, we were asked if we would ever add a traditional side-actuated bolt-style pen. Our response was always, “Only if we can find a reason to make one in our style because the market is saturated with that type of pen.” It’s been over ten years since the Bolt was released, and we finally found our reasons. Initially, we wanted to create a pen that was roughly the length of the EDK but accepted the Pilot G2 or other 110mm refills. A five-inch length pen is about the shortest pen that is comfortable to the average pen user. Our second reason was that most bolt-style pens on the market use a side button that sticks out pretty far from the body of the pen. The button is uncomfortable and often gets caught on clothing or jabs into your hip if you’re pocket-carrying the pen. Also, for some reason, most of the current bolt-style pens feature a backward J-slot, requiring the user’s thumb to move in a weird motion bringing the button down and back towards the heel of the palm. We designed a button that is oval shaped, with a slightly convex face that is raised just enough off of the body of the pen to be functional but doesn’t interfere with clothing and won’t jab you in the hip. Our J-slot is more of a modified checkmark, and requires the user to simply push their thumb down in a swift motion before the action “catches”. The button is easily retracted with a swift upward motion of the thumb, but the catch on the slot is positive enough that the refill won’t retract during use. Finally, we developed a deep pocket carry clip somewhat resembling the INK clip but fastens via an internal thread that isn’t visible. The internal slider mechanism is machined from Delrin which provides a perfect, smooth action. The body, clip, slider, and button are designed and manufactured in our facility in Mesa, Arizona. The standard Modal ships with the Pilot G2 refill, and will accept most 110mm/Euro style refills.
