In May 2018, I subscribed to the Studio Neat Kickstarter campaign for the Mark One pen. I selected the two pen option, deciding to have one white and one black pen.
The design of the pen is very simple. Straight sided with a retractable refill. The pen body is aluminium coated with cerakote. The refill is a Schmidt P8126. Not much one can say about the refills that hasn’t already been said. The refills are also used in Retro 51s. I have a Retro 51 (or two, okay, three. Okay, make that four) so I know the refills are good.
The Mark One pens are nicely balanced in the hand, and easy to write with. I took one of the pens and added it to the pen loop on my daily carry notebook. I’ve used it everyday since it arrived. It is easy to write with, and for longer writing sessions I have had no issues such as hand cramp.
The pens are plain. There is no clip, nothing to stop the pen rolling off the desk. The package it comes in is made of cork, and once opened provides a pen tray, which allows you to keep the pen on the desk. You just have to remember to put it back in the pen tray.
You may have noticed that it took around ten months from backing the project to getting the pens. It had originally been hoped to have had the pens before Christmas 2018. It seems, though, that the white pen was more difficult to produce than the black. Production was slower for the white pens. It was frustrating having to wait so long for the pens to arrive. Were they worth it the wait? Yes.
Want to give one a try? You can order them from Studio Neat.