Pen Tip

[dwilson]

Could someone tell me how far an ink refil tip shoud stick out of the pen when open? I am making slimlines if that matters. I tryed a search and had no luck.
Thank You.
Doug

 

[monophoto]

This is primarily a matter of appearance. The end of standard refills is tapered. In general, the pen will appear most natural if the taper starts at the end of the metal nib on the pen body.

That said, if the refill doesn't extend far enough, it won't be possible to comfortably write with the pen without the metal end of the body scraping on the paper.

 

[Ivor]

Hi. If U enjoy turning slimline twists Don Wards book on them is the best.All my skills have been learnt from Don. To my mind he is the king of the slimlines.Also a member of the forum.
Trust this helps.
Regards Ivor.

 

[Dale Allen]

I usually try to make the angle of the refill tip match the angle of the pen tip.
Too short or too long just doesn't look right.
BTW, take a look at a PSI catalog and you will see every imaginable length displayed, but not many that are correct to my thinking.

 

[Jim Burr]

As long as it retracts into the nib....who cares? Like the rest of us...try and see what you like.

 

[Brian G]

Considering that it's much more difficult to disassemble a twist pen when the nib extends too far and looks unattractive than it is to press in the twist mechanism a little bit more to make it look right, everybody that makes a twist pen should care.

For me, it changes with the shape of the nib. If it's a style new to me, I'll gradually press in the twist mechanism until I achieve pretty much what monophoto said in his post. Sometimes appearance is at the mercy of function.

Here's a simple graphic taken from a set of instructions:

 

[TonyL]

I preferred it to protrude more than what was recommended because I write on a steeper angle than most. However, I since have become accustomed to a length as pictured above under "Correct". I didn't find my longer ones to sell any less than my shorter ones. As stated above, just make sure the nib hides and protects the refill when retracted. I like to allow some breathing room in case a client want to it protrude more. I haven't had much success removing transmissions without damaging them. FWIW. Good question.

 

[butchf18a]

What looks good to you should be the primary factor. Like Tony I find the "correct" position too short. I will go little farther out than that while ensuring I get full retraction. Hey its not rocket science here folks. As with most things to do with pen making/turning there is no definitive right or wrong.

Jmoicbw-bidi

 

[thewishman]

One of the best things about the Cross-style refill is its flexibility. It can be adjusted by the user to each individual's perfect degree of stick-out-ness.

The refill screws in! Press the transmission in so the refill would extend to Brian G's diagram's "too far" level. Then unscrew the refill a partial turn to match the "correct" position.

I use this in two ways:

1. The customer can adjust the nib to match his or her individual taste.

2. I just showed the customer how to change out the refill.

 

[wouldentu2?]

The nib should be fully retracted so the ball does not touch the fabric or lint in the pocket.

Its a lot easier to push it in a little bit than to push it out.