The Alpha Bamboo Fountain Pen is a modern tool inspired by the ancient roots of writing.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Already time for good news and bad news
almost 8 years ago
– Wed, Jul 11, 2018 at 11:27:42 PM
Good news first right?
Well we are starting to get material in and cut to size so we can feed the beast. We've also been getting shipments of ink and nibs. Both items are coming directly from Germany and we are hoping (fingers crossed) to get everything in before they go on a 3 week holiday in August.
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More good news...
A bunch of Backers have been asking about some additional items we carry in the store: Munky Spunk, Nano Oil, and Sunshine Polishing Cloths. These items are now live in BackerKit. If you've already answered your survey you can just log back in and add any items you'd like.
If you need help getting into your BackerKit account, please email [email protected].
For more info see below :)
Munky Spunk is a specialty lubricant that we use on all of our titanium threads. It works better than Nano-Oil for gummy materials like titanium and stainless steel. Also works great on flashlights :)
Nano-Oil is my go-to lubricant for any metal-to-metal contact. We use this on everything except Titanium. Also works great for lubricating o-rings.
The Sunshine polishing cloth was developed for jewelers and you can use it to restore the shiny finish on brass, copper, nickel, and other metals that tend to patina with use.
Yes, unfortunately there is bad news
Last Tuesday our primary lathe started making a lot of noise...abnormal noise. This is the machine I bought in 2012 to run pens from my second ever Kickstarter project! Normally a spindle should last decades but this one decided on early retirement.
Houston - we have a problem
We've already received the replacement spindle and are waiting on a service tech to come install it and get the machine dialed back in. Probably going to run $6,000+ in the end, not counting lost productivity. See, manufacturing is fun!
Right now it's not looking like it will cause a significant delay in delivery. On the plus side, usually a major malfunction at the beginning of a project means smooth sailing for the rest :)
As always, I'll keep you posted!
Jason
BackerKit surveys just went out!
almost 8 years ago
– Thu, Jul 05, 2018 at 10:36:18 PM
Hey folks. Hope everyone is well! Let's get down to business. I'm typing this update instead of getting work done in the shop!
BackerKit Invites
Many of you have already received the email and verified your pledge. Thanks! If you haven't already, please do that as soon as you can. This helps with a few things.
1) This is how I collect your shipping address so I can ship your reward!
2) Filling out your Backerkit survey is the only way I can get an accurate count on how many parts I need to make and ship. I will literally be pulling my hair out until everyone gets their information updated, and I can't afford to lose much more hair.
3) Completing your survey ASAP also means you and your fellow backers will receive your rewards in the most timely manner. Please don't wait :)
4) If you didn't get the survey, please check your spam filter and also note that the email will go to whatever address you have on file with Kickstarter. If you changed your registered email address *after* you backed this campaign, the email will go to the original address, not the new address.
5) If you have any questions or concerns about anything on the BackerKit platform, please email them directly via [email protected]
Follow me?
If you really want to be "up to the minute" informed, you should follow me on Instagram" @prometheuslights !
Surveys going out soon!
almost 8 years ago
– Wed, Jun 27, 2018 at 09:31:48 PM
Hey Backers!
So the two week quiet period is almost over, we are just waiting for Kickstarter to finish up on their end. When surveys go out, please complete as soon as possible to ensure smooth running.
Just to confirm, the email will go to whatever email you have registered on your Kickstarter account. If you log into Kickstarter via Facebook, it will go to the email on that account.
Over the last week we've been getting material delivered and getting it cut to length for the lathe. So far we have copper, brass, and aluminum. Ti should be here in the next week or so!
Also, I'm excited to announce that we are going to have some custom notebooks made by the fine folks over at Scout Books! The image above is our artwork with the book unfolded.
I tested samples from a number of vendors, and these have thick enough paper to keep the fountain pen from bleeding through and have a nice feel. They will be available as add-ons via Backerkit and run $10 for a pack of 3. Size is 3.5" x 5" .
These will be ordered once enough people complete their surveys, since we need to know how many to print.
Stay tuned for more updates as we get production under way!
Cheers, Jason
Thank You & Next Steps !
almost 8 years ago
– Fri, Jun 15, 2018 at 04:19:27 PM
Thanks Backers, we did it!
A few things need to happen before we can kick off production and fulfillment.
Here's a quick rundown:
First: Kickstarter needs two weeks to collect and transfer the campaign funds, and follow up with any Backers with credit card issues. Kickstarter calls this the "quiet period" but we'll be full speed ahead. We've already ordered metal stock, nibs, ink and we'll use that time to get organized for production.
Second: we have to find out and where we need to ship your rewards and if you want to add any extra items. We’ll send out a BackerKit survey to collect this information.
Third: we have to make a ton of parts!
Fourth: nibs and ink have already been ordered. Both are coming directly from Germany and they are "supposed" to arrive by the end of July. If all goes well that will coincide nicely with finishing up the production machining. Fingers crossed!
Survey = Pledge Confirmation + Add on Items
We’ll give you a heads-up before we send the survey so that you can watch for it. You don’t need to create a BackerKit account to answer your survey. The invitation email contains a link to your personal survey. It is important to submit your responses as quickly as you can since we need this information to process your rewards.
Making Changes to Your Pledge
If you need to change your survey responses, purchase add-on items, or update your shipping information, you can click the link in your survey email again or request your survey link under "Lost your survey?" on our BackerKit project page. (This page will only start working after we send the surveys out.)
If you prefer, you can contact me directly and give me your information, but answering your survey help us get your rewards out to you faster. BackerKit helps us save lots of time by streamlining the survey process, automating data organization, and providing us with pledge management software to make it easy to process your pledge reward shipments.
Basically if you ask us to take your shipping info over email, we are working on email instead of making parts and shipping rewards. You will not be able to add any extra items if you opt out of BackerKit.
We will email the survey based on the information below:
We will send the confirmation email to the address you have registered on your Kickstarter account.
If you used your Facebook credentials to log in to your Kickstarter account, the BackerKit survey link is sent to the email address you use for your Facebook account.
Again, thanks for all your support. We can’t wait to send your rewards!
Cheers,
Jason & the Prometheus Team
Home Stretch
almost 8 years ago
– Wed, Jun 13, 2018 at 01:26:42 PM
