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Design the Perfect Bolt Action Pen

I'm Matt with Modern Fuel — I want to build a bolt action designed by the people who actually collect, carry, and use them, and I need your help.

Every question below is a real machining decision. It's anonymous unless you want to enter the prototype drawing (then put your email at the end).

This should take about 3 minutes. I'll post the full analysis back to the community in a week or two (or sooner), and one random respondent gets the first (decent) prototype off the machine.

Note -- this will be a process. I don't do this full time, so I won't move as quickly as any of us want -- but it will be a fun journey I think.

Which machined pens do you own or have owned?

Tactile Turn (Bolt Action / Side Click)

BIGiDESIGN (Ti Arto, Ti Pull, etc.)

Karas Kustoms

Fellhoelter (TiBolt)

Q3D

Confounded

Inventery

Autmog

Grimsmo

Refyne

NTI

Modern Fuel

Other

None yet — researching my first

How should the bolt be actuated?

*

A

Bolt / Pin — a knob/pin riding in a slot on the body (classic bolt action)

B

Clip action — the clip itself is the actuator

C

No strong preference

If it's a Pin-bolt pen, how should the clip attach?

*

A

Rotates freely 360° around the body

B

Fixed in place with screws

C

Removable by design — pen works clean with or without it

D

No clip at all

Slot shape?

*

A

J-slot

B

L-slot

C

Don't care — just make it smooth

Bolt throw?

*

A

Short and snappy

B

Longer and deliberate

C

No preference

Character of the action?

*

A

Light and smooth — low-effort, damped glide

B

Heavier and deliberate — firm spring, positive thunk

Top of the pen?

*

A

Bolt/slider protrudes from the top when retracted and flush when deployed (similar to a TiScribe, Modern Fuel)

B

Capped/flush top — (similar to SPP, Q3D, Confounded, etc)

Anything else about the mechanism? (optional)

Body diameter at the grip?

*

A

9.5 mm / 0.374"

B

10.0 mm / 0.394"

C

10.3 mm / 0.406"

D

10.5 mm / 0.413"

E

11.0 mm / 0.433"

F

Other

Overall length?

*

A

Compact — about 115 mm / 4.5"

B

Standard — about 130 mm / 5.1"

C

Full — about 140 mm / 5.5"

D

Other

Weight character?

*

A

Light — disappears in hand

B

Balanced — there, but not fatiguing

C

Hefty — I want to feel it

If you know your ideal weight, what is it? (grams or oz — optional)

Grip texture?

*

A

Smooth / bare machine finish

B

Machined grooves

C

Knurled

D

Other

Tip geometry?

*

A

Short / higher angle

B

Longer / straight angle

C

Parabolic / bullet shaped

Anything else about size or feel? (optional)

What refill do you actually run day to day?

*

What refill standard should this pen be built around?

*

A

Pilot G-2 style

B

Pentel EnerGel style

C

Parker-style (international G2 standard)

D

Other

If you could pick the material:

*

A

Titanium

B

Zirconium

C

Copper

D

Bronze

E

Stainless steel

F

Other

The machined bolt actions you respect — what do they cost?

*

A

Under $75

B

$75–125

C

$125–200

D

$200–300

E

$300+

Design the Perfect Bolt Action Pen

Which machined pens do you own or have owned?

How should the bolt be actuated?

If it's a Pin-bolt pen, how should the clip attach?

Slot shape?

Bolt throw?

Character of the action?

Top of the pen?

Anything else about the mechanism? (optional)

Body diameter at the grip?

Overall length?

Weight character?

If you know your ideal weight, what is it? (grams or oz — optional)

Grip texture?

Tip geometry?

Anything else about size or feel? (optional)

What refill do you actually run day to day?

What refill standard should this pen be built around?

If you could pick the material:

The machined bolt actions you respect — what do they cost?

Is there anything we didn't ask about that matters to you?

Want in on the first-prototype raffle? Drop your email. (Used for the raffle only — no marketing list)