famicomaster2
Experienced Member
Since I've decided to start participating here a bit more, I figured I would show off some of the things I have acquired. This is my most recent "Complete" section, with two exceptions.
I don't really have any displays set up for my things or any good studio space to take pretty pictures of these things - My workbench will have to do for now.
Drives pictured, top left to bottom right:
-Xebec XE-3080 (Kalok Octagon II KL-380) (80MB) (ATA)
-Kalok Octagon II KL-3100 (Xebec XE-3100) (100MB) (ATA)
-Kalok Ocatgon II KL-3120 (Xebec XE-3120) (120MB) (Rev 1.1) (ATA)
-Kalok Octagon II KL-3120 (Xebec XE-3120) (120MB) (Rev 1.1) (ATA)
-Xebec XE-3120 (Kalok Octagon II KL-3120) (120MB) (Rev 1.6) (ATA)
-Kyocera KC-20B (Progenitor of the Octagon design) (20MB) (ST-412)
-Kalok Octagon KL-320 (20MB) (ST-412)
-Kalok Octagon KL-343 (40MB) (ATA)
I am actually missing two drives from their lineup:
-Kalok Octagon KL-330 (30MB) (ST-412HP)
-Kalok Octagon KL-341 (40MB) (SCSI-1)
The KL-330 is identical in every way to the KL-320 other than the stickers, it's just "RLL" certified for 26 sectors/track.
The KL-341, on the other hand, I've *never* seen a photo of and *never* seen listed for sale, it's only mentions are in TH99 (Not known for reliability) and the CSC Hard Drive Bible.
There are also some listings for a possible KL-360, 60MB ATA unit in the Octagon II lineup, but I've never seen convincing evidence that this drive actually exists either. It's only mention is on a website called "M.Farris"
Not pictured, I have a boxed example of Kalok's most advanced product, the P5 cartridge system. Kalok actually licensed production to Teac which was rebranded as "TEAC-STOR," which is the unit I have. It is a removable hard disk system for ATA machines.
That is, however, unrelated to the Octagon lineup, for which Kalok made their fame... One way or another. 1994 was the final year for the stepper hard disk, and Kalok was one of just two competitors left in the ring, the other being failing "Daeyoung" with just two models - The DX-3100 (100MB, ATA) and DX-3120 (120MB, ATA), which were both slimline drives. Ultimately, Kalok won the war but the price competition had hurt them dearly and they were not long for the world. At the end of Q3 1994, Kalok shut their doors and their remains were bought by a company called JT Storage who immediately canned the entire Octagon lineup and turned the P5 removable drives into slimline ATA hard disks, which were then sold as the CHAMP series. Different from the later Champion units, confusingly.
It's interesting to think what might have been, if the price war had not killed Kalok, or if the JTS buyout had optioned to keep the Octagon II lineup instead of the P5 cartridge system. Maybe the rotary band stepper hard disks would have gone a bit further on. Could you imagine 200MB, 500MB, 1GB stepper hard disks? It's an interesting and not entirely unfeasible thought - We were inches away from this reality.
Hopefully that has been an interesting read to some of you here - I've got a crap load of other things I could show off, but I have always been proud of my Kalok collection and the fact that almost all of these drives work is nothing short of a miracle with their reputation in mind. I'd be happy to answer any questions, comments, concerns you may have. Thanks for reading!
I don't really have any displays set up for my things or any good studio space to take pretty pictures of these things - My workbench will have to do for now.
Drives pictured, top left to bottom right:
-Xebec XE-3080 (Kalok Octagon II KL-380) (80MB) (ATA)
-Kalok Octagon II KL-3100 (Xebec XE-3100) (100MB) (ATA)
-Kalok Ocatgon II KL-3120 (Xebec XE-3120) (120MB) (Rev 1.1) (ATA)
-Kalok Octagon II KL-3120 (Xebec XE-3120) (120MB) (Rev 1.1) (ATA)
-Xebec XE-3120 (Kalok Octagon II KL-3120) (120MB) (Rev 1.6) (ATA)
-Kyocera KC-20B (Progenitor of the Octagon design) (20MB) (ST-412)
-Kalok Octagon KL-320 (20MB) (ST-412)
-Kalok Octagon KL-343 (40MB) (ATA)
I am actually missing two drives from their lineup:
-Kalok Octagon KL-330 (30MB) (ST-412HP)
-Kalok Octagon KL-341 (40MB) (SCSI-1)
The KL-330 is identical in every way to the KL-320 other than the stickers, it's just "RLL" certified for 26 sectors/track.
The KL-341, on the other hand, I've *never* seen a photo of and *never* seen listed for sale, it's only mentions are in TH99 (Not known for reliability) and the CSC Hard Drive Bible.
There are also some listings for a possible KL-360, 60MB ATA unit in the Octagon II lineup, but I've never seen convincing evidence that this drive actually exists either. It's only mention is on a website called "M.Farris"
Not pictured, I have a boxed example of Kalok's most advanced product, the P5 cartridge system. Kalok actually licensed production to Teac which was rebranded as "TEAC-STOR," which is the unit I have. It is a removable hard disk system for ATA machines.
That is, however, unrelated to the Octagon lineup, for which Kalok made their fame... One way or another. 1994 was the final year for the stepper hard disk, and Kalok was one of just two competitors left in the ring, the other being failing "Daeyoung" with just two models - The DX-3100 (100MB, ATA) and DX-3120 (120MB, ATA), which were both slimline drives. Ultimately, Kalok won the war but the price competition had hurt them dearly and they were not long for the world. At the end of Q3 1994, Kalok shut their doors and their remains were bought by a company called JT Storage who immediately canned the entire Octagon lineup and turned the P5 removable drives into slimline ATA hard disks, which were then sold as the CHAMP series. Different from the later Champion units, confusingly.
It's interesting to think what might have been, if the price war had not killed Kalok, or if the JTS buyout had optioned to keep the Octagon II lineup instead of the P5 cartridge system. Maybe the rotary band stepper hard disks would have gone a bit further on. Could you imagine 200MB, 500MB, 1GB stepper hard disks? It's an interesting and not entirely unfeasible thought - We were inches away from this reality.

Hopefully that has been an interesting read to some of you here - I've got a crap load of other things I could show off, but I have always been proud of my Kalok collection and the fact that almost all of these drives work is nothing short of a miracle with their reputation in mind. I'd be happy to answer any questions, comments, concerns you may have. Thanks for reading!