About

 

A brand to reflect you: Tough. Discerning. A bit obsessed.

Hey, I’m Vin. I live in Melbourne, Australia. Ketalon Gear exists because I got tired of boring, breakable stuff that looks like everything else. Before this, I did a couple degrees in biomedical engineering, then a PhD in molecular biology. I quit all that when I moved from the US to Australia. Career pivot of the century.

 

From science to design

I spent years in labs working with molecular models and systems biology—elegant problems, invisible solutions, nanometre precision. It was intellectually satisfying, sure, but I wasn't making anything I could hold. I wanted to feel materials under pressure, create objects that respond to the hand, not just exist as data on a screen.

So I started reimagining the gear I carried daily—backpack, motorcycle helmet, pocket knife—stripped of convention and without aesthetic restraint. What emerged was a fixation on durability and convention-defying style.

 

Why a pen?

Fair question. Who writes by hand anymore? (Although that’s changing as brain hackers rediscover its benefits).

Most pens are designed for obsolescence—minutes in your hands, centuries in a landfill. That's silly. I use a pen every day. It should be built to last. Besides, the things you carry say something about you.

The challenge was compelling: How do you design a product that reflects a mindset?

 

Behind the scenes

What actually lasts? What absorbs shock? What doesn’t corrode? In answering these, I went down rabbit holes into military hardware, aerospace materials and cyberpunk aesthetics. As one does.

Every product starts as a hand-drawn concept, refined through extensive DFM. I handle concept design, 3D modelling, prototypes, materials testing, production oversight and sometimes, assembly and shipping. I work with skilled (and kind) designers, manufacturers and logistics partners who help make sure every detail lands right. Manufacturing is done in small batches; I test new releases on Kickstarter.

 

The promise

A Ketalon product looks like nothing else out there. It's for people who don't care about fitting in.

Every piece comes with a lifetime guarantee. No gimmicks, just raw durability and utility. Customer support is fast, personal and generous. There are only pens available for now but there’s more coming.

Thanks for being here.

— Vin