Heirloom Quality materials

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southernclay

southernclay

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Just saw heirloom quality materials mentioned in another thread. Just curious what all materials would be considered heirloom quality? Which materials should last for generations? Another recent thread about acrylic shrinkage was the first I had heard about an issue like that. Are all woods out, including stabilized?
 
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I also saw the post. I own several turn of the century (19th to 20th) pens made of wood which have not shrunk. I also own a few 1930's pens made from resins of various types. Neither have shrunk noticeably.
 
I too am concerned about what materials would be considered "heirloom" quality. In fact, I started a thread recently about my experience with (what I think is) acrylic acetate barrels shrinking over a period of about 5 years, leaving the brass tube ends exposed for an extent of about 15-20 thou.

Please post any info that you come across ... I want my pens to last !!!! :smile:
 
Most materials would likely allow you to make a pen that would last for many generations if it were kept in a very protected environment (e.g. museum display case).

In the hands of people who carry / use it every day and who aren't real fussy about how the pen is handled / maintained all materials will show wear over time.

Plastics haven't been around long enough to cite actual examples of how they might look in a thousand years, but the environmentalists seem pretty convinced that plastic things made today will still be here (floating in the ocean or buried in a land fill) for a really long time.

If you look at historic artifacts, gold has a significant advantage over other metals in lasting over the ages. It's also more likely than any other metal to be melted down by those who fail to appreciate the artistry embodied in the metal.

Wood can last thousands of years under the right conditions. Those conditions likely don't involve daily handling over a multigenerational period.

A walk through a good natural history museum looking at artifacts could give you and idea for how to create something that might last through the ages.

Ed
 
I don't know what might cause acrylic to change length.

I can tell you I have not done shows since 2008. But I had a LOT of pens made that were in inventory. They are now stored in our unheated, unairconditioned building next door. Just checked last weekend--no noticeable movement in any of the hundreds of pens that are there.

Proof??? no. Evidence??? yes.
Draw whatever conclusion you like.
 
Ed4copies -

The shrinkage in my observation is unquestionable for the materials I used. Every maker's plastic/acrylic is a little different, so observations may vary.

Ed McD -

"Heirloom" as I used the word is only intended to imply a generation or at most four. :biggrin: ... as in "My great-grandfather made this pen !"
 
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If I was going to make a pen that I wanted to be something my great grandkids might use and maybe say I made, I would go the following way:

I would not use a "kit" and would make all external components of the pen from metal.

If I wanted an elaborate decorative design I would use gold or aluminum.

If I wanted a simple design with minimal / no decorative elements then I would consider Titanium or maybe even Tungsten (but probably not).

But that's just me.

Ed

P.S. I think a fountain pen might have more long term usability. Who knows what refills (if any) would be available in 75 - 100 years. A design with a sac (or an eye drop filler) might be the easiest to keep in operation over the time frames you are talking about.
 
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I am certified to be a NON-expert. But inspection of vintage pens, many over 50 years old, and a lot being more like 100 years of age give us clues today to what IS Heirloom grade material. Let us note that many older (thus "vintage") pens were not constructed with the brass tube at the core. So shrinkage of the material relative to a dissimilar core was not an issue, but structural integrity, color and maintained quality of the finished surface is very much is of importance.
 
Heirloom is a rather nebulous term...there are several definitions. It is defined as a family posession passed down from generation to generation....some definitions make it a valuable posession others do not. We have a couple of such items in my family - one of them is very valuable, most have some value as antiques but are not very hard to find if you want one. At least one of them was a popular carnival prize around the 1920s - hardly of great value. Hence heirloom quality is whatever you want it to be. I had a pen made from a watch that was my dads I passed it to one of my children to use if he wants, but not to dispose of other than passing it to his son.
 
Heirloom Materials

Heirloom materials

Not man made materials ...............................
 
Any material can be 'heirloom', it depends on the emotional value attached to it. A lot of materials made from celluloid haven't aged well, I have an old RCA pencil that is not usable due to shrinkage, but some old Werever pencils that appear virtually new. Many factors including what mix of original chemicals/woods/finishes and storage all play a part in how long something lasts. I have pens in ebonite that are 100 years old and are still usable, and some that are too fragile.

There is an article on the web about how to store and display early plastics, that might give some insights into what causes materials to change shape/degrade with time. I'll see if I can find it later.

Another thing to keep in mind is, most (if not all) 19th and early 20th century pens were made without any metal tubes, so if the pen changed shape over time there wasn't a stable 'reference' to see the change.
 
There his heirloom and a related term - Archival

curators are concerned about archival and some materials are much more "archival" than others. CA glue because of change in brittleness over time is of concern to curators.

(CA showed up at the later 1940's and has been around a while though there are lots of different formulations it is a concern to curators).
 
Top five ways to safely protect and store your family heirlooms.

Doomsday Moose: The Top Five Ways To Safely Protect And Store Your Family Heirlooms

I see big difference in many things manufactured years ago and what is made today. As a society have gone from repairing items we use to throwing them away and buying new. Lot of that has to do with cost & lack or replacement parts. Every day bombarded with new and improved ads but here I sit waiting for dealer to call me to replace my defective air bags.

Having said that not sure that applies to wood & acrylic pen blanks or pen kit components we buy today. Pens have always been a consumable meant to be replaced. Yes, you want to follow some of the advice provided in the link if making pens to sell. Talking about making, storing, transporting, and displaying before & after a show.

Regardless whether make pens as a hobby or to sell should consider kits with quality components. Don't mess up turning, finishing, and assembling!
 
Throwaway society

In the late 1940s and Early 1950s we shifted to a throw away society when wages reached the point where the labor to repair small appliences etc. pushed it to where it was cheaper to buy a new item than fix the old.
 
Very interesting posts, thanks for the replies.....I tend to think time will tell on many of the materials we use. I do think the brass tube throws a wrench in almost any material used. Leads me to wonder for kits specifically is there a better option? None that I know or can think of but wondering can do nothing or lead to some pretty cool stuff.

Mal I'm with you, I want my stuff to last. Not something I have put a huge amount of thought into, especially when I first started turning. But as time goes on that is a thought I value more and more.
 
magpens said:
I too am concerned about what materials would be considered "heirloom" quality. In fact, I started a thread recently about my experience with (what I think is) acrylic acetate barrels shrinking over a period of about 5 years, leaving the brass tube ends exposed for an extent of about 15-20 thou.

Please post any info that you come across ... I want my pens to last !!!! :smile:
Click to expand...
I can do this in far less time! :biggrin:

Interestingly, you mentioned this and in the recent past I made a post about this exact thing. Acrylic acetate shrinks from heat. High heat, to be sure, but it happened to me first hand. Very obvious, like you said, because the brass remains the same length.
 
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