Vintage Celluloid Rods

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MattTheHat

Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2012
Messages
259
Location
Allen, Texas
I acquired a small stash of what was represented to me as vintage celluloid rods in a recent trade for an non-penturning related item that I was trying to sell. The kid in me wants to keep it all, the adult in me says I need to re-home most of it. I've saved one or two pieces of each color for myself, the rest are up for sale or trade.

What I was told:
It's celluloid. It was found in an abandoned warehouse somewhere in the midwest. It was made in the USA before the start of WWII and has not been produced here in the states since.

What I know:
The material has no smell as it sits, but when turned, smells like camphor. Holding a lighter flame to it will start it melting in less than 5 seconds, if held longer I assume it would burn. The shavings that come off when turned will immediately ignite under a lighter flame. It turns very, very smoothly and polishes more readily than any man-made material I've ever turned. It drills nicely at about 400 RPM for up to approximately 2 inches in depth (I did so at .368" diameter with a new parabolic drill) before the shavings start to melt (well, they kind of scrunch up and I assume if drilling continued without cooling, the stuff would start to melt).

The rods are roughly square. Some measure 15mm others measure 17mm. All are approximately 14-3/16" in length. Most are slightly bowed. They all appear to have been cut from sheet material with a table saw.

If you'd like to see what the material looks like when turned and polished, check out the thread I started recently in the Show Off Your Pens area: http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/gotta-love-smell-turning-celluloid-morning-98230/. The blue one pops slightly less in person than in the picture, but is still more flashy than the other pearl colors.

Pricing is based partly on what I've got in the material, and partly in the hope that some of it doesn't sell and I get to keep more. :) All prices are plus postage or UPS (at my daily pickup rate).

As far as trades go, my only needs are as follows: any flavor of the mosaic acrylic that Exoticblanks was recently selling, a 10mm 3-lead tap & die set, and a 14mm 3-lead tap & die set.

As per the rules, if you'd like some, please post here. If you'd like to PM me, that's fine too, but please post here first.

Thanks, folks!


-Matt

Blue Pearl:
6 each, 17mm x 14" - $35 each

Red Pearl:
4 each, 15mm x 14" - $30 each

Black Pearl:
4 each, 15mm x 14" - $30 each
3 each, 17mm x 14" - $35 each

Green/Blue Pearl:
6 each, 15mm x 14" - $30 each
11 each, 17mm x 14" - $35 each

Brown Pearl:
2 each, 15mm x 14" - $40

Red/Blue Pearl:
1 each, 15mm x 14" - $35

Red/Black Mottled:
3 each, 17mm x 14" - $35

Black/White Mottled:
5 each, 15mm x 14" - $35
 

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2 blue pearl 17mm #1 and 3 please

2 red pearl 15mm #2 and 3 please

2 red black mottled 17mm
 
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May I have:

2 of Blue Pearl 17mm.

2 of Black Pearl 17mm.

2 of Green Blue 17 mm.

1 of Red Black Mottled 17 mm. (The one Justin doesn't want is okay. :tongue:)

Matt I'll let you pick out blanks that are close matches and reasonably straight. To be shipped USPS to Canada please.

PM following.

Thanks
Pete
 
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Matt, I'm not sure exactly what is left...Until I find out could I please get two of the green-blue pearl 17mm please. Doc PM Pay Pal please
 
Wow, I can't belie the response! I'll sort through the list here in a few minutes and send PMs. I'll post what's left shortly.

Thanks,


-Matt
 
I'm trying to get ready for work, but I made a run through the list in order, and will be sending PMs in about an hour. Here's what's left:

Black pearl, 15mm - 2

Green/blue pearl, 15mm - 6
Green/blue pearl, 17mm - 3

Black/white mottled, 15mm - 5

Once again, thanks!


-Matt
 
I'd like to add, everything that Matt says above would "jive" with my knowledge of the history of that material.

I have a small stash that I bought before 2000 and these look identical.

I have no interest in Matt's sale, just want to confirm for all of you (and him) that what was said to him is very likely to be accurate.

Ed
 
Thanks for the input, Ed.

Everything I could ascertain about the material from turning a few hanks of it aligned very nicely with what I've read about working celluloid. And as a fully healed vintage fountain pen junky, the resulting polished pens look exactly like my memory of the several pens I used to own that were made of Celluloid Pearls.

-Matt
 
I've PM'd everyone except DestinTurnings and triw51. Here's what's left:

Green/Blue Pearl, 15mm - 6
Black & White Mottled, 15mm - 5

Thanks, folks!

-Matt
 
Everything is sold, pending trades and payment, etc. Thread can be closed.

Thanks so much, folks, I can't believe how quick this stuff went. It encourages me to get some of my extree wood blanks listed.

-Matt
 
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