Clash of the entrepreneurs: Kickstarter used for evil as well as good
UPDATED
Torr pen CompanyFalse accusations regarding TORR and co-founder Allen Arseneau have circulated online since August 2012, claiming that TORR “stole” the TORR Classic design from CW&T’s Pen Type A. We are grateful to our customers and investors for their continued support, and would like to correct this slanderous misinformation for the general public.
Until now, TORR has not responded to this smear campaign, despite the months of cyber-slander and blog attacks. These attacks were initiated through our competitor’s Kickstarter platform, and then exposed to over one million people through blog posts written by their Kickstarter backers. Since this misinformation has recently resurfaced, we have decided that we must set the record straight. We invite anyone with remaining questions to contact us directly.
We’d like to take this opportunity to clear up any confusion: (1) TORR and Allen Arseneau have acted ethically and professionally at all times, (2) the aesthetic look of TORR Classic stems from a combined surgical pen and ruler design that has been in the public domain since 1995, and (3) TORR Classic and Pen Type A are different pens, with different functions, for different markets.
Torr Pens - tip and mens gifts
Competitive tip and minimal package
Truth 1: A legacy of honor and perseverance
Torr Pen Company - Allen and DianaTORR is a Boston-based men’s gift company, founded by Allen Arseneau and Diana Hudak, which is committed to re-inventing traditional gifts for men. Socially, we are focused on helping US Veterans and children in need.
New York-based CW&T Studios launched a Kickstarter project, Pen Type A, in July 2011, pre-selling 5,000 pens and raising $280,000 in 30 days. After making a series of costly blunders due to its lack of large-scale manufacturing experience, CW&T gladly agreed to an exclusive partnership with a socially-responsible start-up manufacturer, for which Arseneau then worked, to help them fulfill their Kickstarter orders.
The manufacturer invested more than $100,000 to resolve a major design flaw with CW&T’s pen, and to set up and operate its custom manufacturing process. But seven months later, CW&T reneged on the agreement. The manufacturer, a start-up that was unexpectedly served lemons, decided to make lemonade by partnering with Arseneau to come up with a different pen design, for a different market. Their efforts resulted in the TORR Classic, which Arseneau and Hudak successfully launched in 2012 through their start-up company, TORR.
Truth 2: From surgical tool to gift for everyday man
TORR Classic’s pen-in-ruler design stems from a surgical tool patented more than 30 years ago, released for common use in 1995. Patent USD258911 has been adopted by more than a dozen pen companies since then, with variations appropriate for different uses and markets. Though we were not the first, or the only, to make a pen with these design features, we like our design best.
Torr Pen Company - Patent and Torr Classic
“Ideas are limitless and patents expire for a reason: to encourage competition, innovation, and the evolution of new ideas that ultimately benefit the end user. If patents never expired, we would have only one car company, and the cars they develop would likely not be readily available and affordable to so many people all over the world. Imagine that!”
- Official statement by OXO, after being falsely accused of copying a Quirky design in 2013
Imagine if we were all still driving Model-T’s, and anytime someone made a new car with better gas mileage or safety features, the Ford Motor Company cried, “Thief!”
Truth 3: TORR Classic and Pen Type A are not the same pen – not at all
TORR Classic is a beautifully crafted pen for everyday use
Pen Type A is a drafting pen for technical users
TORR Classic is the reinvention of a traditional gift for men. It sports a secret compartment (parchment scrolls included!), is exceptionally well balanced, pops like a bottle of champagne when pulled from its jacket, has a patent-pending click-and-lock mechanism, can be personalized with laser engraving, and comes in a bamboo display and carry case. It accepts high-quality ink that is widely available, including Fisher Space ink – a pressurized refill that writes smoothly and evenly, upside down, and under water.
In contrast, Pen Type A is a minimalist drafting pen, with an ultra-fine tip, designed as a homage to Hi Tec C ink, a specialty item imported from Japan. Pen Type A comes in an equally minimalist white cardboard tube.
Competitive tip and package
Torr Pens - tip and package
Looking Forward, Not Backward
Regardless of the coordinated efforts by CW&T to disparage TORR, we have abstained from joining the fray until now. Our aim here is to put these false accusations to rest, so that we can focus on what’s really important: our products and our customers.
We maintain our commitment to re-inventing classic and timeless gifts for men. We do this with high regard for the innovators and dreamers who came before us, and in hopes of sharing the journey with those who continue to push the envelope forward.
Together, we can all create wonderful products that make gift-giving for all a joyful experience. Thank you for your support.
Contact:
Allen Arseneau
info@torrpens.com
617-259-7471