very long thread here:

Here is a link that might be useful: modern or annoying?

I'm still considering it as well. It's impressive in person and a woman who has one posted a video that's great on the thread above. Kohler is pushing it like crazy. My reservation is that it's barely a year old and I worry about it holding up long term. They tell me that it has a lifetime guarantee and they will replace parts if there are any issues (shouldn't be). It does loosen with use, according to the owner hence my concern, probably unfounded.

It is super cool looking and highly functional especially in tight spaces like mine. So it's still on my clipboard.

Thank you writersblock and rococogurl for the information and the links. Lots to think about there! I hope we'll hear more in the next few months.

rc
in
VT

It's not my style, but if it were, the only thing that would make me hesitate is the fact that it doesn't take a standard sized hole in the countertop.

Have you considered the wall mounted Karbon?
It saves space.

Since you're in Vermont I'll assume you know what an insulated exterior wall is. Really.
You need to be sure your insulation is airtight if your supply plumbing pipes go inside an exterior wall.

Here is a link that might be useful: wall mounted Karbon

Thanks davidrol, the Karbon's wall-mounted capability is one of the reasons I'm considering it. I've searched for other wall-mounted pull-down-spray kitchen faucets and found only one or two others, neither of which are kool like the Karbon.

And I hear you about inside walls vs. outside walls in Vermont. The faucet would be mounted on an inside wall. If necessary, its innards could be accessible from the adjoining room. I have indeed lived through Vermont frozen-pipe nightmares and I wouldn't willingly set myself up for that again!

Thanks,
rc

I have been reading this forum for months and just joined today.

Kohler Karbon faucet. Very cool, very aesthetically pleasing. I just love the look and was convinced I wanted it for my soon-to-be-built kitchen. A friend of mine has it in his ultra modern, almost minimalist home (whereas I'm more contemporary with a tendency to pull in more traditional elements here and there), but know that it would fit in seamlessly with the scheme I'm going for. Then last week, I went to a local showroom where they had it plumbed in for demo use and have now changed my mind.

It really is stiff and requires firm wrist action to coordinate the arcs you need to get it to swivel around 360. I was imagining rinsing off suds from the sides of the sink basin, or rinsing out a large pot, and realized it would not be anywhere close to a fluid motion. I'm sure there is a learning curve to it, but that point alone is a real con to me in the context of such a hefty price tag. Also noteworthy is the fact that you have to TURN OFF THE WATER AND TURN IT BACK ON in order to switch from spray to stream. Of all the demos lined up, this was the only faucet that had this limitation (and was by far the most costly).

I'm probably opting for a Hansgrohe pull-down.

Thanks to everyone for such useful commentary! It has really made some of these huge decisions easier.

Thanks sigurds for the report of your on-site visit. Did you happen to see set-screws or some other adjustor that would make it possible for the user to choose firm or less-firm action? The female model in the Karbon video on the Kohler site seems to do a smooth ballet with the Karbon. How'd she do that?

Kohler has just enabled the Karbon to become even more expensive by offering it in black and brass and gold. Aaaargh. It was already extravagant enough, don't you think?

All I want is a hardworking flexible wall-mounted kitchen faucet. Wall-mounted is essential, and a pot-filler won't do the job I need (which is for the faucet to behave like a pull-out or pull-down). Karbon could be The One, if it will behave nicely, and if it will come down in price.

Thanks again,

rc
in
VT

The one I saw on display wasn't hard to move at all.

It's not really supposed to work like a sprayer on a hose (side or pulldown/out). It's supposed to stay where it's put. So it's harder to move with the water on. This makes it better for me (mine is still waiting for installation). I would hate to have to worry about bumping it a little during use and having it wet everywhere I didn't want wet.

rcvt:
I did not notice any variables that could be adjusted. Another posting mentions that the hinges relax a bit over time, and if that is the case, it would probably be just fine. To me, it just seems to require a fair bit of coordination to get around the inherent stiffness of the swivel, not to mention the to-and-fro traction needed to get it to lengthen and shorten. This is just my own (very subjective) sense of it, as I like things in the kitchen to be as effortless as possible. If you're a guy with strong forearms this might not bother you one bit.

All that aside, it is still my favorite faucet from a purely cosmetic standpoint, and the colors they offer are pretty enticing.

Good luck! Hopefully you can find an active unit somewhere to try out for yourself. If people strongly disagree with my take on this, please speak out!

A quick addendum since I had not read plllog's entry before my reply which precedes this (and plllog raises a good point). If it's meant as faucet to be mainly stationary, then this may indeed be the one for you. As an equal or better alternative to a well-built pull-down or pull-out, perhaps not, if flexibility is a leading priority.

My wife and I were in love with this faucet until we saw one at a local supply house.

It looks great but the joints really don't seem to move smoothly and the one right by the head unscrews itself fairly easily (or at least theirs did) requiring one to always turn it in one direction lest it unscrew.

I'd love to see an active unit as I'm a really, really big fan of laminar flow water.

I was a bit underwhelmed by the Karbon when I saw it too.

I put the Grohe Freehander in my shower 5 years ago so I know it is possible to have a many-jointed water delivery device and be happy.
I have often wondered why there are no spare "joints" available as parts for one to build their own device with. Like for the Freehander or the Karbon.
I didn't go looking very far, as I settled early on for a Hansaclear flex leg idea for a handshower in the kitchen, with a lot of custom work still to go on this idea.

hth.

davidrol, you said "I settled early on for a Hansaclear flex leg idea for a handshower in the kitchen, with a lot of custom work still to go on this idea."

Please, can you elaborate on your idea and your design?

Many thanks,
rc
in
VT

Always difficult to design right, the first time.
Always an iteration needed.

The idea is that when you want to immobilize / perch the hand shower, ones places its universal butt end into a
-- holder clip designed as part of the steel support around the sink rim, or into a
-- option 2.) removable extension holder normally stored in the cubbyhole with the hand shower.

I'm assuming you can picture a hand-shower thingie, in a kitchen. Made of a typical kitchen pulldown tip. And, also, that you can picture a handshower holder inside the sink, under the counter, in an undermount sink.

The hand shower / faucet is then invisible, when stored away. Its hose is too.

To get the hose to come from somewhere that make sense, picture a 5" x 24" opening cut out of the counter, along the back wall.
This gives you room to reach into garbage and storage below.
Cabinets can be pulled forward (e.g. 3") and trimmed down to leave space behind.
In that space (behind cabinet drawers) are containers
for refuse / garbage / compost, and
for the handshower and hose, and
for some food (e.g. onions+garlic, root vegetables, bread box / bakery)
See "1/6 size" and "1/4 size" restaurant containers (stainless steel, polysulfonate, polycarbonate) 6" deep or deeper.

The hose is connected to flex lines behind the counter.

In the rim around the sink there is a gap (horizontal slot) greater than 0.75"h 24"w in the steel support (custom built). Under the counter. This gap is where the handles are for IHW, filtered water, and regular tap water. And soap.

Thank you davidrol for the time and effort you spent in your response. I actually understand it, and I have the kind of husband who thinks this way and would try to make something like this for me. I'm still quite far from beginning the kitchen remodel so if you go ahead with your invention, will you come back and post your experience? I will if I ever have anything worth posting.

Many thanks,
rc
in
VT

appreciate very much your acknowledging time and effort needed just to find words
to express it simply, above and beyond what's involved in the project too.
Although plumbing parts are available, it is real work, to look at many, select a few,
work with them, and keep refining... Probably good to have two sinks side by side
while things get tested, positioned and adjusted.