Schmidt Fountain Pen Kit

[vick]

A while ago during the Schmidt pen refill group buy someone mentioned the Schmidt catalog had fountain pen kits. It end up that they manufacture parts that they then sell to pen companies to use. I know that Acme pens use these parts and Reto 51 had used them at one time. I managed to convince a sales rep to send me a couple samples to see if I could organize a group buy. Well I doubt a group buy would work out but this is one of the pens I made from the parts he sent me.

It is cross cut Bubinga with a Maple Burl accent band. Comments and critiques are welcome.

 

[Ron in Drums PA]

Looks Great Mike

 

[rtjw]

great looking pen. I have been working on pens that both ends are closed. Looks great.

 

[wayneis]

Mike I hate to say this but the ends just don't do it for me. I think that maybe if you flared the ends up with a flat end it may be better. I like the all wood and both ends closed but the rounded effect...I just don't know how to describe it other than to say that it look to home-made. I like the shape of the bottom but the top, maybe if you tapered the top like you did the bottom.

Wayne

 

[vick]

Wayne I am always glad to hear critiques and suggestions please keep them coming when ever you have them for my work.

 

[DCBluesman]

Congrats on your trial. I've looked into buying direct from Schmidt, but their minimum purchase (1000 Euros) is a bit rich for a "trial".

I'll leave the overall comments to others, but I have a concern over one of the design features. At the nib holder, there appears to be a significant shoulder between the level of the wood and the housing...looks like it might be as much as 1/16". In the work I've done I find that any shoulder more than a couple of thousandths is uncomfortable. How do you find the feel when you are writing with this?

 

[PenWorks]

Nice looking pen MIke, you did a great job on it. That nib looks real close to a Baron or Jr nib, is it?

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Very elegant Mike. The lines are very simple and clean which really lets the wood stand on its own. The woods work well together and its nice to see them uncomplicated by shapes and hardware. Another thing about this pen that works is that it won't date itself. If you saw it in a b&w photo sitting on a lap writing desk it would look at home just as it would sitting on a stainless steel desk next to an ipod.

Along the lines of what Lou said, I am a little concerned that after posting the cap many times you might see some wear at the shoulder.

 

[vick]

Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />Congrats on your trial. I've looked into buying direct from Schmidt, but their minimum purchase (1000 Euros) is a bit rich for a "trial".

I'll leave the overall comments to others, but I have a concern over one of the design features. At the nib holder, there appears to be a significant shoulder between the level of the wood and the housing...looks like it might be as much as 1/16". In the work I've done I find that any shoulder more than a couple of thousandths is uncomfortable. How do you find the feel when you are writing with this?

Lou - for the fountain pens kits they want a 500 minimum order, which is one of the reasons I do not think a group buy would work. The shoulder is actually slightly over a 16th. It feals okay to hold in my hand and simulate writing, not great but okay. I will ink it and start useing it when I get to work on Monday.

Anthony - it is 7 mm nib and it looks the same as the Jr, baron, series 2000 nibs. I will try swapping nibs with my Jr, and series 2000 fountain pens at work next week. One of the reasons I was interested in this is they will make gold nibs with a 200 unit minimum purchase.

Kevin - Thanks for the kind comments.

 

[scubaman]

Originally posted by vick
<br />One of the reasons I was interested in this is they will make gold nibs with a 200 unit minimum purchase.

I can tell you that the price you pay Schmidt for 200 is going to be more that what Anthony sells them at. I had price quotes a few years ago and again a few months ago.

 

[vick]

Originally posted by scubaman

I can tell you that the price you pay Schmidt for 200 is going to be more that what Anthony sells them at. I had price quotes a few years ago and again a few months ago.

[/quote]
Rich - You can't blame me for checking it out, I would agree that Anthony is the best option right now. The reason I did not think a group buy would work was not for a price reason, but I do not believe enough people would be intereted in making pens without clips to get to 500 units (steel nibs). The ability to get gold nibs for these kits was iceing on the cake (though gold nibs do not appear practical).

Keep in mind I have been making mostly double ended solid bodies so I do not use alot of the hardware that comes in the kits. I believe for the most part these Schmidt kits (I use that word loosely) fills most of my requirements for Medium sized pens. Except of course there are no clips[]. Well I some times make pens without clips, I still want to be able to have them I believe their is some potential with these kits but it probably is not worth the hassle. I may reasses after I try the nib out and see about getting some clip samples.

 

[scubaman]

Originally posted by vick
Rich - You can't blame me for checking it out,

Of course not! Just trying to save you some back and forth. I bought a bunch of (steel) nibs from them - a project in waiting... The assemblies lend themselves to constructing your own grip sections. This was before the Gentleman's pen with its screw-in nib assembly appeared on the scene.

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

When the cap is on the nib end what is holding it on? Friction fit over body or are you using the snap cap ring that is on the feed section?

 

[vick]

Mac it is a snap cap. The parts I got from Schmidt were
1. The nib, feed, front assembly
2. The threaded coupler that you screw the front assembly into. ( I had to epoxy this into the tube.)
3. A snap sealing cap (I used epoxy to secure it in the cap.)

if you go to there site you can take a look under fountain pen system
you can get an idea what I am talking about
http://www.schmidt-feintechnik.de/frames_engl.html.

By the way I love the way it writes, I have only used a Jr. Gent and a Series 2000 fountain pen before but I like this better than either of them.

 

[Randy_]

Mike's link won't work for you. This one will:

http://www.schmidt-feintechnik.de/frames_engl.html


Mike: Someone asked about damaging the finish when posting the cap. Will the cap, infact, post to the pen body or is thge pen meant to be used unposted?? And a second question.....from the picture, the cap is quite a bit bigger than the pen body and there is a noticeable "step" where the cap and the body meet when closed. Is it possible to reduce the diameter of the cap so that the cap to body transition is smoother when the pen is closed??

 

[vick]

Sorry forgot about the period on the end of the URL.
The pen is to be used unposted.
Their is step though I would not consider it large. I counter a hole in the cap so that the body goes in slightly and you get a nice tight fit. You could reduce the diameter of the cap but you would have to abandon the counter sunk hole. I have made 2 pens like that before and it can be a pain to get the top and bottom to match up.

 

[vick]

Originally posted by PenWorks
That nib looks real close to a Baron or Jr nib, is it?

Anthony I know I am late on this but I just got around to trying it. The nib does not fit in the Jr it is to loose. However as a side note I was having problem with leaking (nib to wet) in this pen and put my jr Gent nib in their feed mechanism and it works great. Apparently the extra thickness made for a better fit. Possibly the test nib I got had a manufactureing error but I suspect the thickness is slightly different.