Tailstock die holder?

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BHuij

BHuij

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Joined
Apr 23, 2025
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84
Location
Utah
It's about time for me to bite the bullet and try out cutting my own threads for kitless pens.

I'm looking at tailstock die holders to help make sure I'm cutting square to the axis of the pen.

This set has about the best reviews of any I've been able to find on Amazon (and looks more or less the same as the one sold by Beaufort Inks). The reviews still aren't great.

Anyone have a recommendation for an MT2 die holder that they really like?
 
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Rick Herrell has the best one.

Page 3 of his catalog:

Rick's "Custom Made Tools" PDF Catalog

Attached is the recently Updated PDF Catalog of Rick's "Custom Made Tools". Revised 10-2-24 It replaces the previous lengthy thread. (Old linked to this thread) Includes a table of contents All links, web, internal and document are live links It is searchable [Ctrl F] Images are large...
www.penturners.org

You can PM him to order.
 
I owned the Neils-Niche and it was fine but rather pricey. Additional tap and die holders were expensive.

I have since sold it and have purchased Rick Herrell's (@rherrell) version that Mark (@hooked) mentioned above. Rick's design uses ER32 Collets to hold the die holders and taps. This, especially for the taps is so much better. AND Rick's additional die holders are very reasonably priced!

If you want to see and feel one in action before investing, DM me. I live in Cottonwood Heights and would be happy to show you mine.

This is not a tool that you want to go cheap on. I am using this in my Jet Midi Wood Lathe, but will also be using it with my Precision Matthews metal lathe. It is that well made!!
 
Well my experience with Rick Herrell and his products so far has been 100% positive, so when I'm ready to bite the bullet, I think that's the way I'll go. Especially since I already have ER32 collets. Sounds like I should give the $60 Amazon ones a miss :D
 
I bought the Neils-Niche holder a long while ago and have had good success with it. If I had to buy one today, I'd probably look strongly at that one, but with the ability to order one from a fellow IAP member like Rick Herrell, I'd probably go for his. I have bought a few tools from him and each has been top draw, well made, and reasonably priced. I just hope you got in the recent group buy for taps and dies run recently on IAP by @hooked or you will be floored by the sticker price for good stuff.
 
Yeah I have a basic single-start tap set that I'm hoping to use for my first pens, and I may well try doing my thread cutting with a Jacob's chuck and a handheld die wrench to begin with.

But I have done some window shopping on the triple-start stuff from Beaufort Inks and am indeed shocked at how much more expensive a triple start die is than single start :D
 
BHuij said:
Yeah I have a basic single-start tap set that I'm hoping to use for my first pens, and I may well try doing my thread cutting with a Jacob's chuck and a handheld die wrench to begin with.

But I have done some window shopping on the triple-start stuff from Beaufort Inks and am indeed shocked at how much more expensive a triple start die is than single start :D
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Turners Warehouse has them as well (where I got mine), but for some reason, they are especially pricy right now. They are in the Phoenix, AZ area, so much quicker and cheaper shipping than from the UK.
 
It's nice to have such consensus. When the time is right and the budget allows, I'll spring for Rick's.
 
I just purchased Rick's based on the recommendations here. Although I have nothing to compare it to, my experience is that it is first rate both in terms of quality and utility. It made an immediate improvement in my work.
 
Handholding any tap or die is always a challenge - getting things properly threaded and not cross threading stuff.

Yep, triple start dies are CRAZY expensive and honestly, not really necessary unless you plan on selling your pens to a pen addict - who will notice the increased amount of turns needed to lock the cap down. If you adjust your tenon length a bit and make the threads as smooth as possible, probably get by for a long time with single start stuff.

Single start threads are needed especially if you are trying to do grain or pattern matching between the cap and the body, as they always start in the same place, unlike triple starts. Triple start brings 3 potential starting zones to a pattern and as luck would have it, usually you get the odd one and a pattern mis-match. So take advantage of some single starts with a great grain or pattern detail and call it skill!

Kevin
 
NJturner said:
Handholding any tap or die is always a challenge - getting things properly threaded and not cross threading stuff.

Yep, triple start dies are CRAZY expensive and honestly, not really necessary unless you plan on selling your pens to a pen addict - who will notice the increased amount of turns needed to lock the cap down. If you adjust your tenon length a bit and make the threads as smooth as possible, probably get by for a long time with single start stuff.

Single start threads are needed especially if you are trying to do grain or pattern matching between the cap and the body, as they always start in the same place, unlike triple starts. Triple start brings 3 potential starting zones to a pattern and as luck would have it, usually you get the odd one and a pattern mis-match. So take advantage of some single starts with a great grain or pattern detail and call it skill!

Kevin
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You know it's funny, I'm one of those pen addicts. I have a substantial collection of mid-to-high-end fountain pens.

And while I see the utility and the advantage of a triple start thread for the cap, I also see it as a feature more useful for an "everyday carry" type pen. If you're frequently uncapping it and re-capping it, the inconvenience of a longer single thread starts to stack up.

Outside of that use case, even as someone who is pretty opinionated about pens, single-vs-triple start threads on the cap is a total nonissue for me. Especially for the type of "super expensive, one-of-a-kind, custom handmade pen" that I want to make (and probably just use myself, not much interest in selling at this point), that's a pen that stays at my desk and gets used for longer writing sessions.

So yeah, I think the plan for the foreseeable future is to use single start threads. I have a lot of old acrylic cutoffs I can use to practice my threading technique by hand before deciding if/when to pick up a tailstock die holder.
 
BHuij said:
You know it's funny, I'm one of those pen addicts. I have a substantial collection of mid-to-high-end fountain pens.

And while I see the utility and the advantage of a triple start thread for the cap, I also see it as a feature more useful for an "everyday carry" type pen. If you're frequently uncapping it and re-capping it, the inconvenience of a longer single thread starts to stack up.

Outside of that use case, even as someone who is pretty opinionated about pens, single-vs-triple start threads on the cap is a total nonissue for me. Especially for the type of "super expensive, one-of-a-kind, custom handmade pen" that I want to make (and probably just use myself, not much interest in selling at this point), that's a pen that stays at my desk and gets used for longer writing sessions.

So yeah, I think the plan for the foreseeable future is to use single start threads. I have a lot of old acrylic cutoffs I can use to practice my threading technique by hand before deciding if/when to pick up a tailstock die holder.
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Yep, make a pen, buy a pen, write with a pen! We all get more picky as we go - learning new tricks and techniques increases our inherent fussiness - and costs!!!! I don't normally sell my pens but do occasionally sell something that I show in a local art gallery - and then the person knows what they are getting.

Don't be too put off with a lot of potential breakage trying to thread acrylic - it's a lot tougher to thread then a urethane resin like Alumilite Clear Slow. You might want to try picking up some Delrin rod and giving that a shot - is a lot more forgiving and a lot like urethane in its characteristics - and you can use the Delrin for custom mandrels in a pinch.
 
BHuij said:
Well my experience with Rick Herrell and his products so far has been 100% positive, so when I'm ready to bite the bullet, I think that's the way I'll go. Especially since I already have ER32 collets. Sounds like I should give the $60 Amazon ones a miss :D
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Rick's tools are top notch. I've used the Niels-Niche and happy with it. Bought it before Rck released his or id have bought from Rick.
 
EricRN said:
Rick's tools are top notch. I've used the Niels-Niche and happy with it. Bought it before Rck released his or id have bought from Rick.
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I used the Niels-Nich for several years. Purchasing the one from Rick Harrell was a game changer for me. Taps and die holders are held with the appropriate ER32 collet...perfect alignment first time every time.
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