Prometheus Alpha Pen

Independent flashlight maker Jason Hui (Prometheus Lights) takes to Kickstarter and applies his machining expertise to create the Prometheus Alpha Titanium Pen.

Jason is primariy known in the flashlight community for his Alpha flashlights – so it was exciting to see that he would bring the same attention to detail and care to whatever new product he was intending to bring to the market.

He started with something simple and relatively safe: a solid titanium pen. Writing instruments are particularly popular in Kickstarter probably because its a product that any consumer can easily appreciate. A pen is a pen, so it’s very easy to notice any added value to it whether it be the materials used, design, etc. In this case, it was titanium, and it was by someone known to be good with machining metal.

Sucker for Ti that I am, I obviously backed it. I mean, I would back “lesser” Ti pens just for being Titanium, and the design of this was really different from what I was used to – so obviously I’d spring for it.

The design takes some getting used to – but it grows on you. Its along the same lines as his flashlights – so we can say that it’s his signature look. And unlike the usual Ti Pen offerings, this was to be used exclusively with Montblanc refills. Montblanc writing instruments, in general, are premium products, but for some reason, they rarely come in metals (checking the site, they only have sterling silver). Their Solitaire Martele Sterling Silver Le Grand Roller Ball ¹ That was a mouthful costs about $1,200 and that’s for a metal that’s considered “soft”, and can tarnish.

Also, when all is said and done, a pen is only as good as how it writes – but apart from balance, its mostly the job of the refill that makes for a favorite “pen.” Whether you’re a Hi-Tec C, or a Pilot, Montblanc, Fisher Space Pen, or even a fountain pen guy, that doesn’t stop Kickstarter from providing you with alternative “barrels” for putting those refills and nibs onto.

And that’s where Kickstarter pens (of any kind) shine… with titanium being more available outside of medical or aerospace applications, you now have a metal that is impervious to corrosion and is extremely light for consumer products. In Jason’s case, he took an already premium refill and retrofitted it into a body/barrel that will definitely last longer than the actual brand’s offerings.