Mal?

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magpens

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@magpens

Let's see if that gets a response.

Still kickin' !!! No excuses for the long absence ! Except that I haven't made any pens for a fairly long while.

But I missed all you guys so will try to pop in once in a while just to say "nothing" !

Thanks for the expressions of concern and interest !

One thing to ask . . . anyone made any of the Sierra Diverse pens ?
I made a couple of them quite a long time ago and recently found them in my "discard stash".
Discovered they are "double twist" action . . . and I can't stand that action and now remember why I "discarded" them.

"Double twist" (for those who may not know) means, for example, if you twist clockwise to retract the refill and keep twisting in that direction after full retraction
then the refill starts to extend again.
After reaching full extension you have to twist counter-clockwise to retract and if you keep twisting counter-clockwise the refill extends again.

The problem with this is that you can never be sure that the refill is fully retracted and that uncertainty can play havoc with shirt pockets getting inked up.

I ruined two of my favorite shirts as a result and now remember "discarding" those pens.

So the moral is to actually DISCARD the "discard stash"; DON'T keep those pens lying around.

But upon checking the Berea description and instructions for the Sierra Diverse just now, I see no mention of the "double twist" action.

So MY QUESTION is: has Berea changed the double twist mechanism to a single twist mechanism in the Sierra Diverse ?

*** Please let me know if you know the answer because that would be a welcome change, IN MY OPINION.
I won't be making any more of these until they do . . . I don't want to ruin any more nice shirts !!!

Alternatively, perhaps someone sells a compatible single twist mechanism to replace the double twist mechanism.

However, doing the replacement is impossible after assembly, so you have to know about the "problem" right from the start
because the description/instructions don't give you any fore-warnings about ruining your shirts with ink in the pocket !!

( It has taken me an hour to compose and write this in what I think is understandable language, so I better get out of here !!! )

Good to see y'all again !!! Thanks for reading this if you are still with me !!!
 

Jans husband

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Still kickin' !!! No excuses for the long absence ! Except that I haven't made any pens for a fairly long while.

But I missed all you guys so will try to pop in once in a while just to say "nothing" !

Thanks for the expressions of concern and interest !

One thing to ask . . . anyone made any of the Sierra Diverse pens ?
I made a couple of them quite a long time ago and recently found them in my "discard stash".
Discovered they are "double twist" action . . . and I can't stand that action and now remember why I "discarded" them.

"Double twist" (for those who may not know) means, for example, if you twist clockwise to retract the refill and keep twisting in that direction after full retraction
then the refill starts to extend again.
After reaching full extension you have to twist counter-clockwise to retract and if you keep twisting counter-clockwise the refill extends again.

The problem with this is that you can never be sure that the refill is fully retracted and that uncertainty can play havoc with shirt pockets getting inked up.

I ruined two of my favorite shirts as a result and now remember "discarding" those pens.

So the moral is to actually DISCARD the "discard stash"; DON'T keep those pens lying around.

But upon checking the Berea description and instructions for the Sierra Diverse just now, I see no mention of the "double twist" action.

So MY QUESTION is: has Berea changed the double twist mechanism to a single twist mechanism in the Sierra Diverse ?

*** Please let me know if you know the answer because that would be a welcome change, IN MY OPINION.
I won't be making any more of these until they do . . . I don't want to ruin any more nice shirts !!!

Alternatively, perhaps someone sells a compatible single twist mechanism to replace the double twist mechanism.

However, doing the replacement is impossible after assembly, so you have to know about the "problem" right from the start
because the description/instructions don't give you any fore-warnings about ruining your shirts with ink in the pocket !!

( It has taken me an hour to compose and write this in what I think is understandable language, so I better get out of here !!! )

Good to see y'all again !!! Thanks for reading this if you are still with me !!!
Good to hear you are ok Mal.

I have missed your posts.

Mike
 

jttheclockman

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Mal good to see you are still around. Heck I have not made a pen in a long time either and have no idea when I will be able to again. But I still come here to bug and bother many people especially the ones that hate me. .
 

magpens

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I've never heard of a double twist sierra!!!!

Thanks, I will check that out and see if we have a solution.

Ed
Perhaps I am using the wrong terminology, Ed, when I say "double twist" . . . which I worried at the time of writing might be the case.

The blurb for the Sierra Diverse does not use that term . . . but I think I have previously seen it used in the same context as I use it.

1) The Woodcraft Hart pen kit is referred to as a "Double Twist".


2) There also is a Woodcraft "Ultra Cigar" that is also referred to as a "Double Twist"

 
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magpens

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Many cigar kits are double twist.

So, John . . . am I using the term "Double Twist" correctly ?

I understand it to mean that if you start with the ballpoint refill in the fully retracted position, you can twist either clockwise or counter-cw to extend the refill.

Thanks in advance for your reply.
 

1080Wayne

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Your understanding is correct , Mal . I agree 100 % with your assessment of them , but my guess would be that they were designed by a leftie to accommodate their natural backwards way of doing some things , so we need to have some sympathy for the 10% of us so afflicted .
 

ed4copies

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Hi Mal, yes you are using the term correctly, and yes I have seen double twist often on cigars,
BUT I have never seen a sierra style pen with a double twist transmission.
 

magpens

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Glad to hear you are still kicking Mal.

Any chance replacing the tranny with a single twist will work? https://www.penblanks.ca/maple-leaf-transmissions-five-pack/

@Curly

The architecture of the two trannies should (ideally) match, and I have not found one to match that of the Sierra Diverse.
Of course, one could machine an adapter.

Take a look at the architecture of the tranny supplied with the Diverse : -

 
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jttheclockman

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Mal, there are many different styles of double twist kits and all seem to be two piece kits. Here is the instructions for the Diverse kit and it is a finial twist kit. Never seen a double twist in this style. If you have some could you post a photo?? Thanks. We will get to the bottom of this.

https://www.bereahardwoods.com/pdf/Sierra-Diverse-Ballpoint-Pen.pdf

Maybe the trannys were broken.
 
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magpens

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Mal, there are many different styles of double twist kits and all seem to be two piece kits. Here is the instructions for the Diverse kit and it is a finial twist kit. Never seen a double twist in this style. If you have some could you post a photo?? Thanks. We will get to the bottom of this.

https://www.bereahardwoods.com/pdf/Sierra-Diverse-Ballpoint-Pen.pdf
@jttheclockman ; @ed4copies ; @Curly

John and Ed . . . This style . . . the Sierra Diverse pen kit . . . has been around since 2019.

Ed : - "I've never heard of a double twist sierra!!!!"

Curly : - "Any chance replacing the tranny with a single twist will work? https://www.penblanks.ca/maple-leaf-transmissions-five-pack/ "

John : - "Never seen a double twist in this style. If you have some could you post a photo?? Thanks. We will get to the bottom of this."

Thanks to all of you for suggesting an alternative transmission. I have looked and not found one to match the architecture required.
(see my reply to @Curly above) -

@Mal -
"The architecture of the two trannies should (ideally) match, and I have not found one to match that of the Sierra Diverse.
Of course, one could machine an adapter."

Machining an adapter to correctly mate with other aspects of the Diverse architecture would be a tricky process .
Take a look at the photo of the Diverse transmission in Berea's instructions for assembling that kit.
The link to the Berea .pdf file of instructions for the Diverse has been given several times above.
 
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jttheclockman

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@jttheclockman ; @ed4copies ; @Curly

John and Ed . . . This style . . . the Sierra Diverse pen kit . . . has been around since 2019.

Ed : - "I've never heard of a double twist sierra!!!!"

Curly : - "Any chance replacing the tranny with a single twist will work? https://www.penblanks.ca/maple-leaf-transmissions-five-pack/ "

John : - "Never seen a double twist in this style. If you have some could you post a photo?? Thanks. We will get to the bottom of this."

Thanks to all of you for suggesting an alternative transmission. I have looked and not found one to match the architecture required.
(see my reply to @Curly above) -

@Mal -
"The architecture of the two trannies should (ideally) match, and I have not found one to match that of the Sierra Diverse.
Of course, one could machine an adapter."

Machining an adapter to mate with other aspects of the Diverse architecture would be a tricky process .
Take a look at the photo of the Diverse transmission in Berea's instructions for assembling that kit.
The link to the Berea instructions has been given several times above.
We need to see the ones you have Mal and then we can go from there. Thanks.
 

magpens

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@jttheclockman ; @ed4copies ; @Curly

. . . . and others who might be following this thread.

I AM DROPPING THIS SUBJECT about the "Sierra Diverse" penkit. SORRY FOR EVEN STARTING IT.

Close look at the so-called "Sierra Diverse" trannie in the Berea pictures reveals that it's design is significantly different from that of other "Sierra" twist kit transmissions.
I realize now that the very name "Diverse" suggests that it is indeed different, even though the finished look of the pen is very much like the classic "Sierra".
I had no reason to assume that it has close similarities to other (classic) "Sierra"-named kits that we all have become so familiar with.

One difference that I just became (re-)aware of is that its brass tube diameter is 13/32", whereas that of the classic "true" Sierra is 27/64", an only slightly larger number,
but nevertheless a value for tube diameter that we all associate with "true" Sierra.

The twist transmission design, physical appearance, and operation is also quite different, as you will notice by comparing equivalent pictures in the instruction sheets.

The "Diverse" is just a different pen. Too bad that Berea included "Sierra" in their naming of it.

William Wood-Write (WWW) leaves out the "Sierra" in their reference to this kit :- https://www.penblanks.ca/diverse-pen-kit-chrome/.

The fact that I don't like the operation of the "Diverse" pen is of little or no consequence.

Perhaps I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MY MOUTH SHUT about the "Diverse" in Post #8 above ! . . . SORRY FOR WASTING YOUR TIME.

But maybe the discussions above, alerting other pen-makers to my perceptions about the "Diverse" pen kit, can, in a some ways, be useful to them.

I think it is significant that William Wood-Write is now selling the "Diverse" kits at a significantly reduced price (nothing to do with this thread or my opinion).
 
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Curly

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No sweat Mal. My suggestion was a bit of a long shot at best. You've done your usual thorough research and found out for the benefit of all that it is not as it seams on the label. As I said earlier, glad you're still kicking. Take care.
 

ed4copies

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Sorry if you were offended, Mal. That was NOT my intention!!!
I have looked at the sierra diverse in our inventory, as a result of this thread.
As sometimes happens, I have learned something NEW to ME.
Yes, the transmission is a double twist and YES, it is a totally unique design, with a connector machined onto it,
instead of threads. I do not see ANY way to replace it with a single twist---which was where I was headed with
my initial post. Sorry if that was not clear.

Ed
 

jttheclockman

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Sorry if you were offended, Mal. That was NOT my intention!!!
I have looked at the sierra diverse in our inventory, as a result of this thread.
As sometimes happens, I have learned something NEW to ME.
Yes, the transmission is a double twist and YES, it is a totally unique design, with a connector machined onto it,
instead of threads. I do not see ANY way to replace it with a single twist---which was where I was headed with
my initial post. Sorry if that was not clear.

Ed
So Mal is correct in that it is a double twist? That is news to me also and actually thank Mal for bringing it up. Ed I believe you should make some sort of notation in the description of this kit because on everyone's site there is no mention of a double style twist tranny. All they say is twist. I wonder if there are other kits with this style that are single tubed sierra style kits. I too am not a fan of the double twist because of the examples mentioned about ink getting on clothes when you think refill is closed.
 

magpens

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Sorry if you were offended, Mal. (Those words are totally inappropriate as I, Mal, will point out). That was NOT my intention!!!
I have looked at the sierra diverse in our inventory, as a result of this thread.
As sometimes happens, I have learned something NEW to ME.
Yes, the transmission is a double twist and YES, it is a totally unique design, with a connector machined onto it,
instead of threads. I do not see ANY way to replace it with a single twist---which was where I was headed with
my initial post. Sorry if that was not clear.

Ed
@ed4copies
Ed, please be assured that I CERTAINLY AND ABSOLUTELY COULD NOT POSSIBLY HAVE TAKEN OFFENSE AT ANYTHING YOU SAID.

On the contrary, YOU HAVE BEEN MOST HELPFUL, and FOR ME, MOST SUPPORTIVE.

Helpful and supportive here :
"I've never heard of a double twist sierra!!!!
Thanks, I will check that out and see if we have a solution."

Helpful and supportive here :
"Hi Mal, yes you are using the term correctly, and yes I have seen double twist often on cigars,
BUT I have never seen a sierra style pen with a double twist transmission."

You offered to check the Diverse kits in your inventory. . You did that, and you reported the most relevant facts about this kit ,
namely :
1) the transmission is a double twist
2) it is a totally unique design
3) with a connector machined onto it, instead of threads
4) I do not see ANY way to replace it with a single twist

. , , YOU HAVE BEEN TOTALLY HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE IN EVERYTHING YOU CONTRIBUTED . . . AND I SINCERELY THANK YOU ! !

. . . You contributed probably what no one else could possibly have done because you have the unassembled Diverse kits to inspect at your fingertips .

. . . I no longer have any unused kits (same for everyone else, it seems) and the assembled pen probably cannot be disassembled in a non-destructive way.

YOU, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT, with definite answers, and I, to lesser extent for simply asking, HAVE ELUCIDATED THE DIVERSE KIT BETTER EVEN THAN BEREA.

As far as I read, Berea does not even associate the term "double twist" with the Diverse kit, and that is the most important distinguishing feature of this kit.

So, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, Ed ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE SAID, Ed, AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT ! ! ! . . . Thanks very much . . . AGAIN ! ! ! ! !
 

sorcerertd

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Wow, talk about a twist. Look where this thread went. LOL. All is well indeed.

I have only seen cigars with a double twist so far. This is quite interesting. Some do twist smoother than others, though.


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