I decided I'd give this new material ( at least new to me) a try. My impressions are:
1. It's very much like acrylic. It turns about the same except that you need to go a little slower when making cuts. It also smells much the same.
2. Tool sharpness isn't much different. There is more dust than acrylic but not as much as wood.
3. It is very forgiving. I made a couple of mistakes due to my over caution and was able to go back and fix them with no visible damage.
4. It finishes, I believe, easier than either acrylic or woods. Just sand down to 8 or 12 hundred and then apply a good metal polish.
5. You will want to be more careful if for no other reason than the cost of the blank.
All in all I'd use these blanks again. One thing for sure, it makes for a very classy look. The heft and appearance give it a very rich look and feel.
P.S. This is a full size Statesman fountain pen in rhodium and black titanium. The M3 blank is called "Damascus Steel"
I should also point out that the finish is actually shinier than I was able to bring out in the photos
1. It's very much like acrylic. It turns about the same except that you need to go a little slower when making cuts. It also smells much the same.
2. Tool sharpness isn't much different. There is more dust than acrylic but not as much as wood.
3. It is very forgiving. I made a couple of mistakes due to my over caution and was able to go back and fix them with no visible damage.
4. It finishes, I believe, easier than either acrylic or woods. Just sand down to 8 or 12 hundred and then apply a good metal polish.
5. You will want to be more careful if for no other reason than the cost of the blank.
All in all I'd use these blanks again. One thing for sure, it makes for a very classy look. The heft and appearance give it a very rich look and feel.
P.S. This is a full size Statesman fountain pen in rhodium and black titanium. The M3 blank is called "Damascus Steel"
I should also point out that the finish is actually shinier than I was able to bring out in the photos
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