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Kyle Kinghorn wanted to give a good pen a better, nigh indestructible home. He created the X-Pen, a carbon fiber housing for a gel pen, that's garnered more than $6,000 in orders and donations on Kickstarter, the online funding platform.
Kinghorn, who owns the two-person Rexburg manufacturing company Citius Composites, said the X-Pen bestows bragging rights, since it looks cool and is made out of an interesting material. Carbon fiber is stronger than steel but weighs much less. It's used in some planes and high-end cars that want to drop weight but not safety.
"There are a lot of things inherent in carbon that make it great for certain uses," Kinghorn said. The X-Pen will be available on Kickstarter until Dec. 14. The carbon fiber case comes with a Pilot Hi-Tec C gel pen, which has drawn raves from Kinghorn and other pen enthusiasts. Kinghorn is selling the X-Pen on Kickstarter starting at $50, with a cap or display base costing more. After Kickstarter funding ends, it will retail...