Engineering for Its Own Sake: A Pen That Folds Into a Credit Card

In some sense this object is the opposite of good industrial design, where you're trying to do more with less. This Zero Mk2, seemingly created by engineers for the sake of engineering, is a pen that folds into a credit card form factor. Whatever world this creates convenience in, is not a world I want to live in. The object is admittedly nifty, though obscene from a manufacturing standpoint; it consists of no less than 54 precision-made parts. The startup behind it, Hancept, announces this number as if it's an accomplishment in its own right. I can't picture the situation where carrying a conventional pen is impossible and this thing saves the day. But we're living in a time where people are running out of things to spend money on, and this $170 object will apparently fill some void. At press time this had been successfully Kickstarted with over $80,000 in pledges and 39 days left in the campaign.

Mar 26, 2025 - 15:27

Engineering for Its Own Sake: A Pen That Folds Into a Credit Card

In some sense this object is the opposite of good industrial design, where you're trying to do more with less. This Zero Mk2, seemingly created by engineers for the sake of engineering, is a pen that folds into a credit card form factor.

Whatever world this creates convenience in, is not a world I want to live in. The object is admittedly nifty, though obscene from a manufacturing standpoint; it consists of no less than 54 precision-made parts. The startup behind it, Hancept, announces this number as if it's an accomplishment in its own right.

I can't picture the situation where carrying a conventional pen is impossible and this thing saves the day. But we're living in a time where people are running out of things to spend money on, and this $170 object will apparently fill some void.

At press time this had been successfully Kickstarted with over $80,000 in pledges and 39 days left in the campaign.