Mother of Pearl - Inlay vs. ???

[lee-tree]

Has anyone done a pen in real MOP? I am looking into getting some and wonder how much interest there is and do people actually inlay their pens, or is the preference to have a blank of laminated stock?

Thanks for your input.

- lee -

 

[Fred in NC]

Lee, I have never used real MOP. I looked into it, and decided to pass.

Main reason is that MOP is a very hard material, and when cut produces dust that is extremely harmful to the lungs. Most professionals cut MOP under water, which requires a setup that I am not willing to invest in.

Strips and dots are available fof the guitar building trade. The strips would still have to be cut to length because, as I understand, they are usually available in random lenghts. Both strips and dots will be flat, and cannot be rounded after inlaying.

 

[ed4copies]

Lee,

I have turned insets from the "mother of pearl" in the guitar-making industry. They were VERY small dots (1/4 inch-ish) They can be polished just like plastic-perhaps they are faux.

Hope this helps some.

 

[laserturner]

Lee,
I've cut some MOP and inlayed it in penboxes and some on guitar fretboards. There's a product out there called Abalam which is laminated sheets of MOP, Abalone, Paua etc. It does sand and finish up well and can be used on curved surfaces. Standard thickness for inlay is .040-.060. Not cheap, a 5.5"x9" sheet sells for approx.$170.
I've successfully cut it with a laser engraver but it is finicky.
Ken

 

[DCBluesman]

I haven't done a pen in MOP, Lee, but you know I'm always interested in something new!