Ivory

[Gofer]

I have a few questions for the more experienced people here. I was on IAP at work today and a coworker was very impressed with what he saw. He was blown away when I showed him some of the work done by people like Larry in Harrow, Skiprat and Roy (Oklahoman).

When I told him that there are people that routinely sell pens in excess of $500 he asked what they were made of. I told him of one I had seen that was made from Ivory and was a fountain pen. He was shocked to hear that it was even possible to make such a thing.

This leads to my questions:

Where is the best place to get the Ivory (mammoth or elephant).

What is the best way to finish the Ivory.

What are the longer term care requirements for a pen like this?

What would a fair price be for a pen made of Ivory and a Lotus or Imperial kit? (I am no where near the caliber of any of the guys mentioned above)

What is the best nib available for fountain pens?

Any suggestions or comments welcome as I am still on a steep learning curve in this "hobby" (aka addiction)

Bruce

 

[GoodTurns]

http://www.guitarpartsandmore.com/ has supplied top quality elephant ivory to me. 'tisn't cheap or something you want to learn on. I have not purchased their mammoth, but would expect good quality as well.

I sand and polish...no additives, I want to feel the ivory.

keep the pen from extremes or quick changes, too dry, too hot, too cold are all bad and will cause cracks.

Lotus and Imperial kits are getting as rare as ivory, so pricing is whatever you feel is fair. I would be around $750 with a Heritance 18k nib. http://www.heritancenibs.com/shop/a...18k-Large-Nib.html?shop_param=cid=1&aid=1001&

my $0.02....there are many here more experienced!

 

[BRobbins629]

Haven't made a lot of them, but ivory is one of my favorite materials. If you decide to use it, couple of tips.

Drill very slowly so as not to raise the temperature of the material. Some go to the extreme and take hours to drill a blank 1/4" at a time. Its expensive stuff.

If I use it for a kit pen, I never press fit the parts into the tube. Either bore out the brass or sand down the fittings so you have a slip fit to glue rather than a press fit. The press fit puts too much stress on the ivory and more often than not it will crack. Its not worth the risk. Many have cracked ivory pens I think for this reason. Ivory does not usually crack when it is sitting by itself, but under stress it can go quickly.

As Jon said, the finish is easy. Sand through the grits and polish. Nothing else needed.

Sure does make a beautiful pen.

 

[GoodTurns]

...
If I use it for a kit pen, I never press fit the parts into the tube. Either bore out the brass or sand down the fittings so you have a slip fit to glue rather than a press fit. The press fit puts too much stress on the ivory and more often than not it will crack. Its not worth the risk. Many have cracked ivory pens I think for this reason.

this MAY have happened to a , um friend of mine, yeah, the first time he made one.....

 

[Gofer]

Thanks for the tips, I will drill VERY slow (if I make the pen) and polishing only sounds good to me. One less thing to screw up is a good thing.

Do you just sand thru all the MM levels or ???

Bruce

 

[OKLAHOMAN]

I have a few questions for the more experienced people here. I was on IAP at work today and a coworker was very impressed with what he saw. He was blown away when I showed him some of the work done by people like Larry in Harrow, Skiprat and Roy (Oklahoman).

When I told him that there are people that routinely sell pens in excess of $500 he asked what they were made of. I told him of one I had seen that was made from Ivory and was a fountain pen. He was shocked to hear that it was even possible to make such a thing.

This leads to my questions:

Where is the best place to get the Ivory (mammoth or elephant).
Real elephant ivory:http://www.elephantivorytusks.com/penblanks.html
What is the best way to finish the Ivory. The only finish
I've ever used has neen MM to 12000, then polish just as you would an acrylic, some have used a ca finish on Mammoth as I have also but on elephant just polish and let age to a nice patina.

What are the longer term car.e requirements for a pen like this? Ivory has the bad tendency to be affected by sudden changes in temps and humidity ...watch for cracks my suggestion is it's more of an office pen or for a collection and not a carry pen for that reason follow Bruce's advice , take it slow and easy.

What would a fair price be for a pen made of Ivory and a Lotus or Imperial kit? (I am no where near the caliber of any of the guys mentioned above)
That can only be determined by you and your customers but a good starting point would be over $500.00
What is the best nib available for fountain pens?
I've had no complaints with the flex steel nibs from Lou. But even the nibs from our components sets can be tuned to write well.
Any suggestions or comments welcome as I am still on a steep learning "hobby" (aka addiction)

Bruce

Keep asking questions and read as much in the library here as possible it'full of great informationcurve in this

 

[terryf]

I can attest to the fact that ivory doesnt need or want a finish - it wants to move around if it has to. It should be oiled every six months or so with linseed oil or similar. Easiest way is to wrap it in a cloth overnight - or if you leave it for extended periods, leave it wrapped in cloth coated with oil.

I have never had a problem drilling ivory - takes a minute or two longer than acrylics. Hours??? thats ridiculous.

When you turn it, CONTINUOUSLY sharpen your tools or you will lose a blank. If you're uncertain, practice on a piece of bone.

FInally, if youre using a blank which has numerous cracks in it, first saturate with CA and continue to use CA whilst turning.

Enjoy

 

[Gofer]

This is why I love it here, everyone is willing to help.

Couple more questions,

What do I polish Ivory with after I finish the MM?
How do you tune a nib? (I have only made one FP and just assembled it)

Bruce

 

[Russianwolf]

This is why I love it here, everyone is willing to help.

Couple more questions,

What do I polish Ivory with after I finish the MM?
How do you tune a nib? (I have only made one FP and just assembled it)

Bruce

Ren Wax is all I'd use on it. just a little protection is all it needs to keep the dust off.

Read Lou's (DCBluesman) article called "Behind the Nib" in the articles.

 

[tim self]

Check the library for the article, "Behind the nib" by Lou Metcalf. That and practice! Polish on a buffing wheel keeping the temp DOWN!

 

[terryf]

Ive used Diamond Guard successfully on ivory - it protects it nicely and brings it to a nice glossy shine.

 

[BRobbins629]

How do you tune a nib?
Bruce

One option is to let a pro do it, particularly if you want to price the pen real high. It does take practice and although I have not gone this route it certainly has crossed my mind. There are several out there in the fountain pen community, the best known with a several month waiting list. Cost can range from $25 - $100 depending on the modification, but those who have had it done swear by it.

 

[witz1976]

This is why I love it here, everyone is willing to help.

Couple more questions,

What do I polish Ivory with after I finish the MM?
How do you tune a nib? (I have only made one FP and just assembled it)

Bruce

I would contact Lou (DCBluesman) directly. He would most likely either offer tips or you may be able to hire him to tune your nibs (especially if you buy his nibs directly:wink