Most of you know the Tactile Turn story. I (Will Hodges) started up the company back in 2012 and made one of the first pens on Kickstarter. Since then we have grown into a decent size business with 4 employees and as you are reading this we are starting to move into a 9000 square foot shop in Garland, Texas just outside of Dallas. We make everything we can in house and have a local shop make our clips to spec. A company in New Jersey makes our springs, and Schmidt (German) and Pilot (Japanese) make the refills for our pens. The mechanism for these pencils is also made by Schmidt, and there are more details about that down below. We have several CNC lathes that allow us to produce all sorts of parts proudly in the USA.
We've been asked for years to make a pencil, but so far we just haven't had time to make them. We now have the production capacity to make them, and as of the start of this campaign about 90% of the work has already been done on the pencils. There is just a little more machining that needs to be done and we will have these ready to send out just after the Kickstarter ends.
So we take the winning formula of design simplicity featuring our well known texture, our well known clips, and the same awesome materials and anodized colors found on our other lines of pens. My goal with Tactile Turn is to have every product we produce feel amazing from the second you pick it up, and these pencils exude quality from the first moment you grab them. Precisely machined metal writing instruments that you'll automatically know are built to last is what we do at Tactile Turn.
We use the Schmidt DSM2007 mechanism that comes in 0.5mm and 0.7mm lead sizes. It is an all metal construction with a plastic plunger in the back that is built to last.
Each pencil will come with one lead pack of the size you order your pencil. If you order a 0.5mm pencil, you'll get an extra pack of 0.5mm lead. If you order a 0.7mm pencil, you'll get an extra pack of 0.7mm lead. Extra lead packs will be available after the Kickstarter on the BackerKit platform where you can buy packs of lead for $2 each. After these are fulfilled the lead will be available on the spare parts section of our website - www.tactileturn.com.
The erasers are replaceable and fit in the back of the pencils with a friction fit. If you use them up we have included two extras. You'll also be able to add more to your order after we finish the campaign over at BackerKit. Extra eraser packs will be available after the Kickstarter on the BackerKit platform where you can buy packs of three for $1.50 each. If you ever need more we will carry them in the spare parts section of our website - www.tactileturn.com.
All of these pencils have texture, but it is easiest to see on this black aluminum version.
From our second line of pens, Tactile Turn writing instruments have been well known for the texture we machine on the surface of the pens. The texture allows you to easily grip the pencil, but it also obscures fine scratches that are often found on daily used items. It's incredibly comfortable and provides the perfect feeling you need from a pencil.
If you want to add some flare to your pencil, you can upgrade the bolt to Damascus steel as an upgrade for $15. If you edit your pledge and add that amount you will tell me you want that upgrade after the campaign is over. Each is Damascus bolt is slightly different as the pattern is very similar, but not exactly the same due to the process the material is made by. Here is a close up image of what the bolts look like:
If you need more than one pencil, select the first pencil you want as a reward to the left, then add the funds for whichever other pencil or pencils that you want. Do not add any extra funds for shipping as the $3 for people in the USA or $7 for those that are international is all you will ever need to pay for shipping.
If you need more than one pencil select the first pencil you want as a reward to the right, then change the pledge amount to add the funds for whichever other pencil or pencils that you want. Do not add any extra funds for shipping as the $3 for people in the USA or $7 for those that are international is all you will ever need to pay for shipping.
All parts of these pencils are made from aluminum except the clip and internal piece which are stainless steel. The anodized aluminum colors are: black, red, green, blue, gray, purple, pink, and orange.
360 brass is a beautiful material that has a fairly high copper content so it has many of the antimicrobial properties that copper does. It machines beautifully! All parts of these pencils are made from brass except the clip which is stainless steel.
Copper is our second best seller behind titanium. 145 copper, also known as Tellurium copper, is an alloy of copper that is made for machining. Obviously, the copper content in this alloy is extremely high so it has the best natural antimicrobial properties for those of you that want a pen that you can let others use and still feel like you don't have to scrub grime off every day. All parts of these pencils are made from copper except the clip which is stainless steel.
These pencils are made from 304 stainless steel, which is extremely tough and corrosion resistant and should last for generations. This is truly an heirloom quality pencil that will take any abuse you can give it and still look great. All parts of these pencils are made from stainless steel.
Titanium is always our best seller by a long shot. Titanium is tough, lightweight, and extremely corrosion resistant. All parts are grade 5, also known as 6AL-4V. After meeting some great people in the industry and having plenty of experience with the material, I have been able to bring the titanium price point down significantly. All parts of these pens are made from titanium except the clip which is stainless steel.
Risks and challenges
As this project goes live we have 90% of the machining done and most of the assembly done. All of the anodizing is done and those parts look great. We have most of the pencil mechanisms in house and a few are still coming from Germany. We have all of the erasers. We have all of the clips needed. While the project funds we will be putting the finishing touches on these and getting them ready for shipment. There is a slight possibility that some of the pencil mechanisms that we are waiting on from Schmidt might take a little longer than anticipated, but we should have everything ready so that everything is ready to ship out before the end of September with ease.
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Funding period
- (14 days)