Green Lantern... or... #10

[Xander]

Hi. (fanfare...) Just finished my 10th pen. It's a beauty. Photo does not do it justice. This thing really POPS. REALLY. Honest. Would I lie to you? :wink:

OK, it's a Cigar from Woodcraft. Finish is Satin Nickel. Blank... Green.

The second photo shows #9 ... the red one, along side #5.
It is a Navigator (Woodcraft) in Black Ti.

The Blue pen is a Newport (Rockler).

The thing that I'm showing here, besides the pens, is the difference in the 2 kits. The Woodcraft kit (RED) has plastic threads whereas the Rockler kit (BLUE) has metal threads on the barrel. Still plastic in the cap.
Interesting.

As always, all comments welcome. Thanks for looking.

 

[RMayoIII]

Very nice job! Spot on finish.

 

[bobjackson]

Great job. They look super.

 

[1dweeb]

Cool pens.

 

[paintspill]

take a really close look at the black threads cause it looks like the kits i use and the are metal just coated black. good job on the pens. and i'll back you up on the pictures. i've turns similar blanks and pictures don't always do them justice

 

[MarkD]

Great Looking Pens!

 

[Xander]

take a really close look at the black threads cause it looks like the kits i use and the are metal just coated black. good job on the pens. and i'll back you up on the pictures. i've turns similar blanks and pictures don't always do them justice

They are definately plastic. This is supposed to be a Berea kit. It strikes me odd that the 'better' kit has plastic threads/couplers while the 'inferior' kit is all metal (and cheaper for the same plating)

I need to start working on taking better picture. My set-up is the living room floor.

 

[crabcreekind]

I am pretty sure the newport is a dayacom kit. It is also the jr gent 2. The baron is good threads but i would hardly say that it is better.

Btw great job on all 3 pens. They look spot on!

 

[leestoresund]

To make the pen really pop go to exotic blanks. Virtually the same price for the blanks but much MUCH better quality.

Just my $.03.

Lee

 

[Xander]

To make the pen really pop go to exotic blanks. Virtually the same price for the blanks but much MUCH better quality.

Just my $.03.

Lee

what makes you think the blank did not come from exotic blanks?

Comments like yours are not constructive and just show what kind of an...... well I'll stop before I get banned.

 

[Texatdurango]

To make the pen really pop go to exotic blanks. Virtually the same price for the blanks but much MUCH better quality.

Just my $.03.

Lee

what makes you think the blank did not come from exotic blanks?

Comments like yours are not constructive and just show what kind of an...... well I'll stop before I get banned.

Ed,
Not to make a big deal out of it BUT you did say all comments welcome!

......As always, all comments welcome. Thanks for looking.

I learned a long time ago not to say "all comments welcome" when I didn't really mean it. The way I see it, if all you want are constructive comments, you should state... "constructive comments only"! That's what I do and it helps keep some of the unrelated comments and advertising out.

As far as the kits, I never liked the black threads whether they were plastic or black coated metal and I definitely didn't like the five sided sections, not comfortable to write with. Have you tried writing a while with them yet to see which is more comfortable?

 

[Xander]

To make the pen really pop go to exotic blanks. Virtually the same price for the blanks but much MUCH better quality.

Just my $.03.

Lee

what makes you think the blank did not come from exotic blanks?

Comments like yours are not constructive and just show what kind of an...... well I'll stop before I get banned.

Ed,
Not to make a big deal out of it BUT you did say all comments welcome!

......As always, all comments welcome. Thanks for looking.

I learned a long time ago not to say "all comments welcome" when I didn't really mean it. The way I see it, if all you want are constructive comments, you should state... "constructive comments only"! That's what I do and it helps keep some of the unrelated comments and advertising out.

As far as the kits, I never liked the black threads whether they were plastic or black coated metal and I definitely didn't like the five sided sections, not comfortable to write with. Have you tried writing a while with them yet to see which is more comfortable?

The first thing I said in the opening post was.... "this thing really POPS", so for a comment to say if I want it to pop go to "insert vendor" is just asking for a punch in the nose. I had to edit my reply 3 times to remove ... questionable remarks.

Anyway, yeah... the black (plastic) threads are not to my liking, and that is the 'better' Berea kit. The other pen is, in my opinion, better quality and cheaper. As for writing with them, no I haven't. The red one (Navigator) was given to a friend and the others are sitting until I get enough to sart selling.

 

[SDB777]

Reverse painted tubes? Or commando?


Both are nicely done!








Scott

 

[rich gubbin]

Nice lot of pens Xander, i love these blanks, used a few myself they turn a dream.

 

[Akula]

Nice pens.

I have wondered when you get two almost the same (plastic threads vs metal) will one hold up better over time? I would think, metal on metal would wear off the finish faster. But then you run the risk of someone over tightening the plastic threads.

 

[Texatdurango]

Nice pens.

I have wondered when you get two almost the same (plastic threads vs metal) will one hold up better over time? I would think, metal on metal would wear off the finish faster. But then you run the risk of someone over tightening the plastic threads.

While in California over Christmas I visited my friend Fred Krinke who runs the oldest pen shop in California and has hundreds of beautiful vintage pens, all of which have withstood the test of time. The pen I bought this trip was made in 1928 and is hard rubber to hard rubber threads and one would think being
88 years old and having been used for many many years that the threads would surely have given up the ghost by now but the cap threads on and off perfectly. How's that for a test of time!

The reason I mention this is that I have never gone along with the notion that metal to metal threads in a pen was better and actually think the kits I dealt with, that did have metal to metal threads were the cheapest kits I could find and quickly learned that they were pure junk and stopped making them a few months after I started making pens.

You will find that a huge percentage of the nicer kits while having metal male threads, will have delrin or acetal (plastic) female threads and work just fine.

Most of your better designed pens have what are called section stops or body stops that will not allow the lower body to be threaded on past a certain point. Can one still over tighten and ruin the threads, yes, but then again these people can ruin just about anything if they put their mind to it, I would not carry and sell cheap pens because of those people!

I think over the years, vendors of pen kits have tried to persuade us that metal is better, heavier is better, to the point that some think that unless a pen is capable of being run over by a Sherman tank that it's not worthy of having and that's simply not true! One of my favorite pens is a huge, heavy metal pen (The "Lotus" by Craft Supply) with metal to delrin threads. Another favorite is 100% Alumilite (including all threads) and is light as a feather and both will give me years of enjoyment!

 

[Akula]

great answer, Thanks

 

[Xander]

Reverse painted tubes? Or commando?

Both are nicely done!

Scott

Yes, reverse painted blanks. I use Testors Metalic enemel in a color close to the blank.

Thanks everyone for the compliments.

 

[Xander]

Nice pens.

I have wondered when you get two almost the same (plastic threads vs metal) will one hold up better over time? I would think, metal on metal would wear off the finish faster. But then you run the risk of someone over tightening the plastic threads.

While in California over Christmas I visited my friend Fred Krinke who runs the oldest pen shop in California and has hundreds of beautiful vintage pens, all of which have withstood the test of time. The pen I bought this trip was made in 1928 and is hard rubber to hard rubber threads and one would think being
88 years old and having been used for many many years that the threads would surely have given up the ghost by now but the cap threads on and off perfectly. How's that for a test of time!

The reason I mention this is that I have never gone along with the notion that metal to metal threads in a pen was better and actually think the kits I dealt with, that did have metal to metal threads were the cheapest kits I could find and quickly learned that they were pure junk and stopped making them a few months after I started making pens.

You will find that a huge percentage of the nicer kits while having metal male threads, will have delrin or acetal (plastic) female threads and work just fine.

Most of your better designed pens have what are called section stops or body stops that will not allow the lower body to be threaded on past a certain point. Can one still over tighten and ruin the threads, yes, but then again these people can ruin just about anything if they put their mind to it, I would not carry and sell cheap pens because of those people!

I think over the years, vendors of pen kits have tried to persuade us that metal is better, heavier is better, to the point that some think that unless a pen is capable of being run over by a Sherman tank that it's not worthy of having and that's simply not true! One of my favorite pens is a huge, heavy metal pen (The "Lotus" by Craft Supply) with metal to delrin threads. Another favorite is 100% Alumilite (including all threads) and is light as a feather and both will give me years of enjoyment!

To clarify... the Newport (blue from Rockler) has metal threads on the barrel and plastic threads in the cap. And both pens have a 'stop' to prevent over tightening.