Thank you all! Is there any reason why I don't see many kitless pens with a postable body/cap?
Tony,
My best guess is that it's just more work. If you make the pen non-postable, you can make the barrel any shape you want. I you want the cap to post you need to either:
1. Make a reduced diameter portion at the end of the barrel like Pelikan and most kit pens. If you do this though, in order for the pen to look balanced while posted, the threads inside the cap need to be buried fairly deep in the cap.
2. Put a long taper on the barrel so that the cap just slides down to a point where it looks good. This is just kind of a cut-and-try method until you get what you want.
I've made all my pens but one by the second method. I know that there are those who prefer non-postable pens, but back in the day before ballpoints took over and everybody carried a fountain pen, those EDC fountain pens were all postable.
Just a traditionalist, I guess.
Cheers,
Bill
EDIT: Apologies to Hokie and others. Cogent reasons. Did not mean to imply laziness. Mea culpa.