mark james
IAP Collection, Curator
So... Last Tuesday I was minding my own business, hiding in the basement working on some segmented blanks... "Wifey" comes in and says "I need a special UGLY pen!" My response: "Easy, I've got lot's of those."
Actually, she wanted a pen for a husband of a co-worker. He is retired, and hunts and likes guns. He has 2x shot woodchucks in his front yard (a residential neighborhood..) without opening the window...
. Right through the bay windows... twice!
"It needs to be a "gun type pen", not too pretty or he will not like it, and maybe a "Manly" wood..."; so requested my wife!
Well, I had to pick up some kits at Berea Hardwoods, so I also got 2 of their new :Lever Action Ballpoint kits and decided to do a review.
Lever Action Ballpoint Pen Antique Brass Pen Kit Making Supplies Berea HardWoods
Background: To be transparent, I work 10 minutes away from Berea's shop; go there 4-5x/year; pay my bills, so I am on good terms with them; and like many of their products (not all though). So I will try to be impartial.
First Impression: The decorative upper blank is very nice. The mill-work is well done, smooth, with no apparent flaws. It has a heavy feel, and does not seem "cheap."
Lever Action: This has been a topic of concern for durability on a previous thread. My impression... I have played with it for 2 days now, clicking it open and closed 200-300 times. It is very solid with no hint of failing (my opinion only).
As noted previously, the lever does extend beyond a typical clip, but in person this was not a distraction.
Components: The tubes are thicker than typical! On opening the bag, the tube was very apparent to be of a greater thickness to the eye. I measured it to be .018" as opposed to .012" for a random tube on my desk. This is not a bad thing, but if you want extra tubes, you may want to order them from Berea with the kit (I assume their extra tubes for this kit will be the same - i.e. thicker - than typical for a 10 mm drill). I'll post separate pictures of this.
Assembly: The plastic insert in the upper blank is pre-installed. The shoulder on the lower blank gets recessed into the upper blank - I liked this. Make sure the lever is cocked in an open position when inserting the ink refill, I had to play with mine a bit, but if fits fine.
Overall Impression: As a non-hunter/non-gun enthusiast, I would not buy this for my personal use. However, if a request comes in, this was a great kit. It has a nice solid feel, the plating/ornamentation is nice, the lever action is solid... I have no issues with it. (IMHO).
If I missed anything, just ask.
For my pen... I used an "Ugly" Bog Oak blank! I sanded with 220. Applied Mylands Sanding Sealer 1x. Sanded to 400 grit, cleaned dust, applied 4x Danish Oil and let sit 24hr. It is a smooth finish, dark matte look, and very "ugly."... I kind of like it! :tongue:
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Actually, she wanted a pen for a husband of a co-worker. He is retired, and hunts and likes guns. He has 2x shot woodchucks in his front yard (a residential neighborhood..) without opening the window...
. Right through the bay windows... twice!"It needs to be a "gun type pen", not too pretty or he will not like it, and maybe a "Manly" wood..."; so requested my wife!
Well, I had to pick up some kits at Berea Hardwoods, so I also got 2 of their new :Lever Action Ballpoint kits and decided to do a review.
Lever Action Ballpoint Pen Antique Brass Pen Kit Making Supplies Berea HardWoods
Background: To be transparent, I work 10 minutes away from Berea's shop; go there 4-5x/year; pay my bills, so I am on good terms with them; and like many of their products (not all though). So I will try to be impartial.
First Impression: The decorative upper blank is very nice. The mill-work is well done, smooth, with no apparent flaws. It has a heavy feel, and does not seem "cheap."
Lever Action: This has been a topic of concern for durability on a previous thread. My impression... I have played with it for 2 days now, clicking it open and closed 200-300 times. It is very solid with no hint of failing (my opinion only).
As noted previously, the lever does extend beyond a typical clip, but in person this was not a distraction.
Components: The tubes are thicker than typical! On opening the bag, the tube was very apparent to be of a greater thickness to the eye. I measured it to be .018" as opposed to .012" for a random tube on my desk. This is not a bad thing, but if you want extra tubes, you may want to order them from Berea with the kit (I assume their extra tubes for this kit will be the same - i.e. thicker - than typical for a 10 mm drill). I'll post separate pictures of this.
Assembly: The plastic insert in the upper blank is pre-installed. The shoulder on the lower blank gets recessed into the upper blank - I liked this. Make sure the lever is cocked in an open position when inserting the ink refill, I had to play with mine a bit, but if fits fine.
Overall Impression: As a non-hunter/non-gun enthusiast, I would not buy this for my personal use. However, if a request comes in, this was a great kit. It has a nice solid feel, the plating/ornamentation is nice, the lever action is solid... I have no issues with it. (IMHO).
If I missed anything, just ask.
For my pen... I used an "Ugly" Bog Oak blank! I sanded with 220. Applied Mylands Sanding Sealer 1x. Sanded to 400 grit, cleaned dust, applied 4x Danish Oil and let sit 24hr. It is a smooth finish, dark matte look, and very "ugly."... I kind of like it! :tongue:
View in Gallery
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