Designing A Minimalist Pen
How to design a minimalist pen? When we started tinkering with the idea we decided to look for the slimmest ink refill in the market. In order to reduce the pen diameter we needed an incredibly thin cartridge. After analyzing hundreds of samples we discovered the Hi-Tec C Coleto by Pilot - the largest pen manufacturer in Japan. The Hi-Tec C Coleto is a multi-color pen system. The ink cartridges are the thinnest in the market, but the pen tip is exactly the same as the regular Hi-Tec C, which is one of the most beloved refills worldwide because of its super smooth writing. In addition, the Hi-Tec C Coleto line comes in a variety of colors and line-weights. The cartridges are also very inexpensive and are widely available online and stationary stores.
After several months of designing we came up with pen UNO, which is an investigation in liberating a pen of any unnecessary components and ornaments. The result is a pen with only 5.3 mm in diameter - perhaps the thinnest pen in the market. The grip section was designed to be wider, similar in diameter to a traditional wood pencil. This grip section also serves as an innovative twisting cap in which a few turns will open or close the pen.
We believe that the result is an incredibly beautiful pen which is machined out of a solid block of aluminum and anodized in distinct colors. If you are in the look for a super minimal writing instrument, UNO might be your pen.
