About

 

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

Hey, I’m Vin. I live in Melbourne, Australia. Ketalon Gear is a result of my obsession with tough, unique gear. 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.

 

From science to design

Some ideas embed themselves like code in memory. Mine started in a laboratory, buried in molecular models and systems biology. I worked with elegant, invisible architectures, solving problems measured in nanometres, yet I felt detached from the physical world. I wasn’t creating anything tangible. I wanted to forge something with intention, feel the resistance of materials under pressure, create objects that respond to the hand, not just the mind. 

That impulse led me to drawing. I reimagined 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?

Pens weren’t an obvious choice. Who even 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 never made sense to me. I use a pen every day and it’s something to rely on, so it should be built to last. Besides, the things you carry are a subtle expression of identity. The challenge was compelling: How do you design a product that reflects a mindset?

 

Behind the scenes

What won’t crack in the cold? What absorbs shock? What doesn’t corrode? How does it express purpose? Answering these led to military hardware and aerospace materials. And cyberpunk aesthetics. 

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. Together, we make sure every detail is perfect. 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 those 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