12-faceted bespo ... uh, *kitless* fountain pen

[duncsuss]

Several years ago I bought a few really nice Alumilite blanks from Wayne Ryan (at that time doing business as Texas Blanks) and figured out how to shave facets on them using a trim-router in the Penn State fluting jig.

I prepped a few this way, then put them on the shelf. I finally got around to making a pen from one set. 12 sides takes a lot of sanding and polishing, it'll be a while before I make any progress on any of the other sets that are in the same semi-prepared condition.

Clip is hand made from 0.050" sheet stainless steel; nib section is made for JoWo #5 nib units.

 

[CjG78]

Very nice mate!!

 

[stever521]

Beautiful pen, great workmanship.

 

[target64]

Nice work

 

[jrista]

Wow. That is impressive. Excellent craftsmanship...there doesn't appear to be a chipped corner anywhere, its superb.

 

[duncsuss]

Very nice mate!!

Beautiful pen, great workmanship.

Nice work

Wow. That is impressive. Excellent craftsmanship...there doesn't appear to be a chipped corner anywhere, its superb.

Thank you all

 

[Dalecamino]

Awesome job Duncan! Thanks for leaving out that inappropriate description. I really like the pen.

 

[magpens]

Very B*E*A*U*T*A*S*T*I*C !!!!!!

What threads for cap to body . . . triple start ?

 

[duncsuss]

... inappropriate description. I really like the pen.

Thanks, Chuck.

I dislike the term "kitless", probably as much as some people dislike the one I almost typed. It makes it sound like something is missing, as if it's something "less than a kit pen". Of course there were pens being made long before there were pen kits available - but since there's no way of getting everyone who uses a kit to call what they make "a kit fountain pen" we have to come up with a way to distinguish them.

Or not, it's pretty clear there's a difference

 

[duncsuss]

Very B*E*A*U*T*A*S*T*I*C !!!!!!

Thanks Mal!

 

[PatrickR]

Looks great! Nice job.
I think "custom" is the best descriptor.
The faceted blanks I have done I sanded by laying the paper on a flat surface and running the blank lengthwise, counting the strokes on each side. Was that your approach?

 

[duncsuss]

Looks great! Nice job.
I think "custom" is the best descriptor.
The faceted blanks I have done I sanded by laying the paper on a flat surface and running the blank lengthwise, counting the strokes on each side. Was that your approach?

Thanks. I don't really like "custom" either - I've seen it used to describe kit pens as well as non-kit.

I used 3M lapping sheets with water holding it onto a phenolic resin block, and did exactly as you describe - count the strokes and try to keep the pressure the same so the faces don't get sanded away at different rates. Finished up by buffing along the length of the barrel in line with the corners (not across the edges) using white diamond, blue compound, and Caswell Plas-Glo.

 

[PatrickR]

Thanks. I don't really like "custom" either - I've seen it used to describe kit pens as well as non-kit.

I used 3M lapping sheets with water holding it onto a phenolic resin block, and did exactly as you describe - count the strokes and try to keep the pressure the same so the faces don't get sanded away at different rates. Finished up by buffing along the length of the barrel in line with the corners (not across the edges) using white diamond, blue compound, and Caswell Plas-Glo.

It really doesn't matter on here, everyone knows. really a matter of marketing if you are selling them.

 

[TDahl]

Very nice. your facets on both the barrel and cap seem to line up perfectly.

 

[RichAldrich]

Awesome pen!

 

[Bryguy]

Beautiful work. What a lovely pen.

 

[duncsuss]

Very nice. your facets on both the barrel and cap seem to line up perfectly.

Thanks - although it's more work to make 12 facets than 8, it does have the advantage that once you've got it to line up, a triple-lead thread stays lined up no matter how it's threaded.

Awesome pen!

Thanks!

Beautiful work. What a lovely pen.

Thanks!