Last year we launched the first MARKSMITH Titanium permanent marker, which was an incredible success for a solid metal, retractable, permanent marker that nobody needed.

Now we’re back with MARKSMITH BLACK Ti, and let me tell you why you don’t need it either.

I could go on and on about what makes Marksmith better than a cheap plastic marker, but you’re not here for that. The truth is Marksmith is an expensive marker that no one needs. 

 You’re here because you appreciate the Marksmith design, materials, and craftsmanship and want to carry it. 

I made this for people like you.

If you think Marksmith is too expensive, then it’s not for you, and that’s ok because you don’t need it.

We’ve taken the original MARKSMITH Ti and coated it with DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon), a deep black surface finish that is also the hardest, most scratch-resistant coating available for metal. 

You can choose between a matte black or satin finish. But you don’t need that many choices in life.

DLC is Diamond-Like Carbon, one of the hardest, most scratch-resistant coatings that humans have created, and naturally deep black. On the hardness scale of 0-10, where 10 is diamonds, DLC comes in at 9. It’s as close to black diamonds as you’re going to get for a surface coating. You don’t need that.

DLC Coating is a high-performance coating traditionally used for Formula 1, power generation, aerospace, medical devices, and recently adopted by high-end products like watches, pens, knives, and now markers. 

The DLC Coating is more than just a super hard, luxurious finish. DLC’s low coefficient of friction on Titanium makes the bolt slide action soooo much smoother. But you don’t need that because the original natural titanium Marksmith works just fine.

The brushed and bead-blasted samples both turned out so nice that we couldn’t decide which to offer. The brushed DLC finish has a satin appearance, while the bead-blasted DLC has a matte appearance. You get to choose which finish you want in the post-Kickstarter Backerkit survey.

First and foremost, Marksmith Black Ti has a super-strong titanium pen body that is compatible with a genuine Sharpie® brand retractable permanent marker cartridge, which means you can write on almost anything. Is almost everything enough? Yes, because even though you think you need to, you don’t really need to write on things like water, ice, oil, sharks, sand, cat tongues, baby seals, dog poop, and lava, you get the idea…

The “fine point” felt-tip is the most common and useful general-purpose size that you are familiar with, and the ink is black. You can draw fine lines with it by just using the tip, or broad strokes by angling it and using the wide edge. But you don’t need that variable stroke width.

It should not be confused with the ultra-fine tip that has a tip more like a pen (Coming soon to a Kickstarter near you).

Other ink colors are available as add ons. In addition to Black, we sell Red, Blue, and Green permanent ink. Yellow highlighter and multicolor highlighter packs are also available. But you don’t need a bunch of different color options.

Marksmith is the perfect companion for drawing and sketching on paper too. Thin(ish) lines can be drawn using the fine point, or broad lines if you use the wide edge. You don’t need a Marksmith to do any of that.

We CNC (Computer Numerical “Craft”) machine the Marksmith out of solid titanium. Now that’s exotic, but you don’t need that.

Titanium will ensure that it can withstand the elements. It is highly prized for its strength, lightweight, and corrosion resistance. In fact, it’s one of the most corrosion-resistant metals, so it won’t rust or oxidize. Therefore titanium does not have to be coated or anodized like aluminum and steel. But you don’t need that, so we coated it anyways.

•  Length: 140mm (5.51in) – This is the same length as your average pen.
•  Diameter: 14.5mm (0.57in)
•  Weight: 49g (1.72 ounces, or approximately 1/10 of a pound. That’s light!)
•  Material: Titanium
•  Clip Screws: Titanium Screws with permanent thread lock
•  Mechanics: Bolt action extension, lock, and spring-loaded retraction
•  Tip Style: Fine felt tip
•  Compatible Cartridge: Fine tip Sharpie® Brand black retractable permanent marker cartridge
• Lifetime Warranty
•  Patent-Pending: The Marksmith is officially patent pending.
•  Trademarked: The “Soul Built” and “Marksmith” brand names are registered trademarks.

The bolt action is inspired by the mechanism used in rifles. This superior method of extension and retraction provides an elegant and secure mechanical lock without parts that will wear out or break.

It allows for single-handed extension and retraction, so you don’t need to put down what you are marking just to remove a marker cap.

It’s also extremely fun to fidget with. You won’t be able to put it down.

I’ve modified the bolt motion so that it securely locks in place and requires only a push to the side to release and retract.

But you don’t need all that.

I can speak from experience of using my MARKSMITH every day for the past two years, that it is an essential everyday carry item. I use it at work and at home equally.

The cartridge has a tiny trap door that covers the tip of the marker when retracted and will prevent it from drying out. It’s a lot easier than hunting for the lost cap. Since the trap door is part of the cartridge, the mechanism is refreshed every time the cartridge is replaced, so you won’t have to worry about this wearing out. But you don’t need a fancy trap door on a marker.

The Marksmith is refillable. The cartridges can be easily replaced by unscrewing the tip and exchanging the old cartridge with a new one, but you won’t need to do that for a while.

Want to add more cartridges to your pledge?

You’ll be able to add extra refill cartridges to your order in the checkout.

Permanent Refills

Marksmith comes standard with 2 black permanent refill cartridges.  Blue and Red cartridges can also be added on during the checkout.

Highlighter Refills

Marksmith is also compatible with highlighter refills. You can add these to your pledge in the checkout. There is an assortment of colors available. But who needs a highlighter these days?

Where to Buy Replacement Cartridges In The Future?

Marksmith will ship with 2 cartridges. Additional cartridges will be available as add ons in the Backerkit survey after the Kickstarter ends.

OPTION 1: When you use up both of your included cartridges, you will be able to buy the refills for your Marksmith from us. Replacement cartridges will be available to purchase from our www.SOULBUILT.us website and online retailers like Amazon.

OPTION 2: I highly recommend buying the cartridge from us for proper fit and to reduce waste. However, I know that some of you like to do everything yourselves (myself included) so I will explain how you can refill the Marksmith if you choose not to buy the replacement cartridges from us. The cartridge is the same used in the plastic Sharpie retractable fine point marker, but we make a modification to it to fit the Marksmith Black Ti. If you’re feeling adventurous you can disassemble a Sharpie retractable marker, snip off the long tail to make it shorter, and insert that into your Marksmith.

OPTION 3: Refill the cartridge using readily available permanent marker ink, like PILOT Super Color Permanent Marker Refill Ink. This is a more eco-friendly refill method as you can continue to refill the cartridge until the felt tip is worn out. One bottle of ink will likely last a very long time.

Branding the MARKSMITH is important for us to create a sense of identity. It’s like signing my artwork. However, we have decided that we will offer a no-logo version for a premium. In other words, if you want my artwork without my “signature”, you can have it, but it will cost you… The premium version is completely blacked out, without any logos disrupting the deep, beautiful darkness, and you definitely don’t need to pay extra for that.

Choose the $199 pledge level for the premium, no logo Marksmith.

These pocket dumps were shared by customers of their Marksmith Ti (natural brushed finish). Some Marksmiths are from the previous Kickstarter while others have purchased directly from us after the Kickstarter shipping was complete.