Mark,
You nailed that Damascus far out an astounding Vertex. I examine Vertex very carefully normally saying with reference to the kit if only they had made about five to eight careful considerations in the design it would lend itself to so many more treatments with different blanks etc. Also you photographed it in soft lighting and a shallow depth of field and the kit even looks matte and totally meshes in with the soft colours, why even the background gives an ethereal look to the pen, all in all the outstanding Damascus pen in perfectly reasonable priced kit and blank I have seen, I would not alter one dimension.
By the way did I say your pen is magnificent. Is there a matte chrome kit if this is one I think it is even more careful choice made by you.? Despair with the main importer prevents me from using too many of his products so my knowledge is limited to the chrome I use.
The other pens the click is useful Inlace, the Rhino Plastic a more pleasing shape and impressive, the Jupiter displays the timber well.
When the Vertex pens are turned your damned if you do and cursed if you dont match up either to the first point of contact at either end that is round or turn to match the hex shape and taper to the round size, all sorts of confusion leaving on the one hand a thin skin of material of the blank or fatter or rounded shape, I have tried them all my conclusion is to one day change that shape at either end of the round to hex on the other hand to push on with a hex shaped blank.
Kind regards Peter.