REVIEW: MODERN FUEL BOLT ACTION PEN

Several years ago I reviewed (HERE) a then-Kickstarter project for what was - and continues to be - arguably the most overengineered mechanical pencil I've ever seen, by US-based brand Modern Fuel. The precise machining and meticulous details of the Modern Fuel Pencil got me hooked. While their products aren't exactly cheap, I do feel confident that they are as close to heirloom quality as they get. I was really curious to find out if the same would hold true for their newer products, in particular the Modern Fuel Bolt Action pen. (Spoiler alert: it does!)

Designwise, Modern Fuel has a set-in-stone design language: sleek and clean aesthetic that runs across all of their products. While I compared mechanical pencil to an overengineered version of the Bic pencil, that comparison obviously doesn't hold true for the Bolt Action pen, but through the same, straight cylindrical profile, same thickness, tip shape and almost identical length, it's not hard to see where the design inspiration comes from. The entire pen received a hand-brushed finish, which adds a bit of random texture to the otherwise clean and modern look of the pen.

Other than that, the Bolt Action shares a very similar shape with Modern Fuel's own ballpoint 'Pen'. It has a j-shaped cutout for the bolt mechanism (obviously), but also a knock button on the back. 

The Modern Fuel Bolt Action's mechanism is essentially a hybrid between those found on the Karas and Tactile Turn Bolt Action pens

However, unlike the Karas Bolt Action pen, the knock doesn't serve an actual purpose (other than aesthetics). It completely retracts into the body when you engage the pen (and sits perfectly flush - a really nice detail!), making it impossible to activate the bolt-action mechanism just by pressing the knock. You'll really want to use the actual bolt for that. The bolt itself is a small cylindrical button with very crisp knurling on the side, almost like a small cog (The knurling actually serves a dual purpose!). The mechanism has surprisingly little travel, so it engages quickly with one swift motion.

L to R: Karas Bolt Action, Tactile Turn Bolt Action, Modern Fuel Bolt Action, Modern Fuel Pen, Modern Fuel Pencil, Wingback Mechanical Pen, Lamy 2000, Lamy Safari

The Bolt Action looks nimble, mostly thanks to the fairly slender design (9.3mm/ 0.37"). It measures 13.8 cm/ 5.43", down to 13.6 cm/ 5.73" when the bolt mechanism is engaged, so it's definitely a full-sized pen, just noticeably narrower than some of the competition (by comparison, the Tactile Turn Bolt is 11mm). All Modern Fuel products are available in either stainless steel, titanium, bronze, or copper. I was sent the steel version of the Bolt Action, which weighs 36 grams. It strikes a good balance between feeling solid yet nimble in hand. Interestingly, no weight measurements are given on Modern Fuel's website, but according to my guesstimate calculations, the titanium version should come in around 20 grams, with the bronze and copper versions both around 40 grams.

Machining is top-notch on this pen. Nothing rattles around when you write, and the tolerance on the tip is so small that there's almost no wiggle room for the refill. Same can be said for the bolt-action mechanism, which fits precisely in the barrel, yet moves smoothly up and down and engages with a satisfying 'snick'. The bolt is fun to play with, but the knurled edges are quite sharp so you do feel that on your finger after a while (maybe to prevent you from getting distracted for too long!)

Modern Fuel's Bolt Action pen is much sleeker and low-profile than comparable Tactile Turn (top) or Karas Pen Co (bottom) offerings

Modern Fuel ships this pen with a Pilot G2 refill as standard. I like the G2 refill a lot, but the Modern Fuel Bolt Action is also a very nice housing for it. It's a massive departure from the chunky and heavy copper Tactile Turn Bolt Action (the older-style Glider) that I daily. And it looks super sleek on the desk. While I'm personally not particularly bothered by it, the biggest complaint could be the all-smooth metal barrel. While the brushed finish adds a little to the grip (it's better than a polished metal finish), it can still become a bit slippery after a while.

When I say this pen is over-engineered, I mean it! The Bolt Action pen arrives with an 11-page manual, and you'll probably want to hang on to it. Like with the pencil, part of the beauty of Modern Fuel's products is that there's no obvious way to disassemble the Modern Fuel Bolt Action. The body and tip are all a single piece of metal, so the only way to get to the refill is through the mechanism. But how? Well, included in the box are a few small parts (all metal, by the way!), including a little wrench with what looks like a geared hole on one end. That hole fits precisely on the cog-shaped bolt to help unscrew it, and out pops the entire mechanism. 

The biggest engineering feat is that, despite it being such a slender and seemingly simple pen, the Bolt Action can accommodate anything from a Fisher Space or standard Parker G2, up to refill types that are even longer than a Pilot G2 (think: certain rollerball refills, etc.). Adjusting the pen to fit those different size refills is done with the other end of the little wrench-tool, which doubles as a screwdriver to tighten or loosen a long threaded set screw on the inside of the bolt mechanism to control how far it protrudes (This can also serve as a fine-tune mechanism to have the refill tip extend more or less from the tip of the pen, according to your personal preference!). 

You'll want to hang onto the instruction booklet for this one!

For very short refills like the Fisher-Space, a black metal adapter is included in the box, while an included shorter set screw allows accommodating very long refills. They even added a longer spring to better suit different refills. 

Perhaps the only thing missing in the box is a clip, contrary to the slide-on clip included with the regular pen and pencil. However, there's a simple reason for that: the slide-on clip can't work because it would interfere with the bolt mechanism on the side of the barrel. That means you'll have to go clipless with this one, perhaps a bit unfortunate for a pen that's otherwise quite pocketable!

MSRP on the Modern Fuel Bolt Action starts at 150$ for the bronze pen, up to 200$ for the all-titanium version. As said, Modern Fuel products don't come cheap, but I continue to be amazed at their design ingenuity and machining perfection. The looks of the Bolt Action are sleek and unobtrusive, making it even more impressive when you see all the practical engineering going on inside!

Note: This product was provided by Modern Fuel, free of charge, so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review. The opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affiliate links.

MODERN FUEL MECHANICAL PENCIL 2.0 REVIEW

What do you get when you completely over-engineer a standard boring BIC Matic mechanical pencil, and make it into a sleek, minimalist metal design piece? That's the first question that came to mind when I first saw the Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil version 2.0! 

You might wonder why and how you'd possibly over-engineer a pencil that's based on a cheap disposable plastic pencil? Well, Andrew from Modern Fuel proved that it's possible indeed, and he did so in a most impressive way: enter the Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil 2.0! 

This isn't Andrew's first rodeo with his mechanical pencil -as the '2.0' suggests. It's an improved version of the design he launched a couple years ago on Kickstarter. Once more he aims to create a heirloom quality product with a combination of great aesthetic and quite clever engineering. Let's dive right in! 

The eraser can be replaced with a  capacitive stylus tip, or a nut if you prefer the more minimal look

Designwise, I've always found this a fascinating pencil. Of course the strong aesthetic resemblance to the classic Bic Matic disposable mechanical pencils has a lot to do with that sentiment. The Mechanical Pencil, just like its' predecessor, has a slender design with gently rounded and tapered shape towards the tip. The recogniseable knock mechanism with exposed eraser on top defines the entire design.

Ok, I guess they probably don't like me constantly comparing this to a cheapo disposable BIC pencil. I just can't help see the resemblance between the two. To make things very clear: apart from an aesthetic resemblance, the two are in no way comparable, believe me! Maybe look at the Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil as a BIC Matic on serious steroids, CNC'd from solid metal, and built to last. 

Straight away, a light patina forms on the brasss pencil

For version 2, Andrew stepped away from aluminium and brass, and branched out into a couple new metals to make things a bit more exciting. You now have the choice of four metals: titanium, bronze, copper or stainless steel. Bronze appealed to me most, as it's quite an uncommon metal in the pen world . It's a copper alloy just like brass, but it has a more reddish color. Which metal you choose obviously has a huge influence on the feel and balance of the pencil, but more on that later. 

A brushed finish is applied by hand on each pencil. I quite like that hand-finished aspect about it, it shows that the maker really puts care and time in his product. The brushed finish also does an excellent job at hiding the seam between the nose cone and barrel, which is almost impossible to see at first sight. But then on the flipside, it doesn't exactly do much in terms of comfort, unfortunately. It can definitely get a bit slippery at times, with the straight cylindrical barrel and smooth finish, which is something to keep in mind when making a purchase decision. 

L to R: David Hayward Hexagonal, Kaweco Brass sport, Parafernalia Linea 2mm leadholder, Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil 2.0, Lamy Safari mechanical pencil, Lamy Safari fountain pen.

In terms of size, the Mechanical Pencil is relatively large and slender, a design that seems to work well in general with (mechanical) pencils. It measures 14.5 cm (5.7"), and 0.95 cm (0.375") in diameter. As mentioned earlier, the choice of metal sets them apart in terms of weight. Titanium is lightest, at 27g, followed by stainless steel (42g), bronze and copper both being the heaviest at 47g. I personally tested the bronze version. The heft is surprising for such a slim pencil, but I didn't find it too heavy in use.

Perhaps the most important aspect here is the build quality. This is really the strong suit of the Mechanical Pencil 2.0. The entirely metal build feels rock-solid, especially in this heavier bronze metal, and everything fits together with tight tolerances. There's the tiniest bit of play between the barrel and mechanism knock, which may cause some rattling at times. But it's subtle, but definitely not a deal breaker. The mechanism is where version 2.0 gets the biggest upgrade over the previous itteration, with an all-metal custom removable mechanism (available in 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9mm lead thicknesses). 

The new mechanism also meant a complete redesign of the pencil's interior, so dissasembly of the pencil is now a bit different... and not so straightforward! When I say over-engineered, I'm not kidding: this thing is HARD to dissasemble. The eraser can be pulled out, after which you can unscrew the push button ("knock") using the included hex wrench. This step is where I failed a couple times, as you have to unscrew the knock while keeping the wrench and rest of the pencil steady. The front tip of the pencil unscrews next, which is kept in place with a rubber o-ring. After that, the mechanism can be removed from the barrel.

Being able to dissasemble completely makes it easy to service the mechanism or replace broken parts (IF something breaks, but I doubt that'll ever happen). Aside from the practical aspect, I also just really like the technical complexity of this product, but hey I'm a nerd!

The mechanism, as I said, can be had in 0.5, 07 and 0.9mm versions, and can be purchased separately. Mine came loaded with the 0.5mm version. For mechanical pencils, I prefer a smaller lead size like this, as I like the fine line it produces. The mechanism works smoothly, and the knock is relatively silent. The sleeve is retractable, perfect for those that want to pocket carry their pencil (a detachable clip is included with every pencil, so you can clip it to your shirt or pants pocket). The included HB leads are very smooth, even though they seem to be of no particular brand. The marks are legible, not overly dark but well-balanced. 

A pencil as precision machined and designed with such meticulous care as the Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil 2.0 is not something you come across every day. Admittedly, it might be a bit overkill, but it's really cool nevertheless! The Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil retails for 180$ (for copper and bronze options), 200$ for stainless steel or a sloppy 250$ for the all-titanium version. But as of the moment of posting this, you still have a little under three weeks to snag one up during the kickstarter campaign for a more manageable 80 USD (or 130 USD for the titanium). 

For the price, you do get a complete package that includes: a cork pouch, spare erasers and stylus tips, extra leads, a nut, hex tools, a detachable clip and scotch brite to remove small scuffs and scratches

To be honest, the price tag is a bit of a stumbling block. Having had the opportunity to play with this prototype partially made me reconsider my initial impression, but I still think it's slightly too expensive. The end result is quite stunning though, and you definitely get a quality product for what you pay. If they could press the cost to keep the MSRP at the original Kickstarter level, I think it would be more manageable for a larger audience. As for now, it's definitely not the ultimate pencil for everyone, but for those that can appreciate a clean design and on point engineering, this could be it! 

Note: This product was provided on loan by Modern Fuel, free of charge, so I could write this review.  I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.