Ebonite Or Acrylics

[J_MM]

Ebonite is my preferred material. Feels great in the hand.

[jar]

Then there is also this:

 

http://www.fototime.com/7050C44CE2CBB98/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/AD57F8863417085/large.jpg

... which is neither ebonite or acrylic.

[mehandiratta]

Ebonite rocks! Acrylics can have stunning looks but ebonite has this amazing, warm feel. That;s why I keep back to using Gama Airbornes. The indian nibs aren't really good, but the feel of the pen in the hand is great.

ASA pens and even ranga pens give you option of Schmidt, Bock, and JoWo nibs now...

[amk]

Of course for some people Schmidt, Bock and JoWo aren't enough ... Hari even has Indian Pelikan and Sheaffer nib pens :-)

[tinta]

Then there is also this:

 

http://www.fototime.com/7050C44CE2CBB98/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/AD57F8863417085/large.jpg

... which is neither ebonite or acrylic.

Hmm...

Don't keep me in suspense,...what's this material.

[KBeezie]

Hmm...

Don't keep me in suspense,...what's this material.

... wood?

[Bklyn]

Then there is also this:

 

http://www.fototime.com/7050C44CE2CBB98/large.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/AD57F8863417085/large.jpg

... which is neither ebonite or acrylic.

Stunning

[jar]

Hmm...

Don't keep me in suspense,...what's this material.

 

Celluloid. The color and patter was called Cinnamon.

[tinta]

Just beautiful.

Does it have a fragrance of camphor or is it of cinnamon?

[deepak23]

Why pick between the two? Get a bunch of both (and a few celluloids too).

 

After 30+ ebonites and and equal number of acrylics, I still am searching for the answer... :-)

[Jim Sexton]

I own a Platinum 3776 in Celluloid, midnight ocean blue, and it is incredibly beautiful with amazing depth and color. And it feels incredible, too. I've read here that people say that celluloid is "greasy" but I don't like that description. To me it has a negative connotation. I would say that it is smooth like glass or polished marble, but without the hardness and coldness of those materials. It is cool in the hand, but not a hard coldness, if that makes any sense. It's like wood in terms of heat transfer (OK, well, not quite as warm), but like smooth glass or stone in terms of feel. But my favorite thing about celluloid is the smell of it!

 

I also just got a Nakaya Neo Standard ebonite pen in the matte black finish, and I'm not sure if that would be better termed an urushi finish pen or an ebonite pen or both. I mean, it IS both, but anyway, it's way better than acrylic pens! (As is celluloid). Like not just a little, but a whole lot. Of course, it is personal preference, and I also love the feel of my TWSBI Vac700's which have a wonderful hard coating over the polycarbonate plastic, but, oh yeah, there is something really special about celluloid and ebonite.

[jar]

Just beautiful.

Does it have a fragrance of camphor or is it of cinnamon?

 

I never noticed it having any smell.

[edebill]

Acrylic seems to have a higher specific heat than ebonite, so it feels colder at first when you pick it up. During longer writing sessions when the air it not too cold acrylic will warm up and feel just as warm as ebonite.

 

Ebonite also seems to be less dense than ebonite, so the same pen design will feel lighter in ebonite than acrylic.

 

I have yet to see a modern ebonite pen that is as shiny as the modern acrylics that I've purchased. I don't know if that's really a thing or just an artifact of paying 3-5x as much for American acrylics vs Indian ebonites.

 

I'm still hoping to get a truly stunning translucent acrylic pen, but just judging by the feel in my hand I like ebonite better.

 

I just jumped in on https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/294355-ranga-model-4c-regular-ebonite-premium-ebonite-group-buy/ to get another ebonite pen. I've got black, red/black, khaki/black and green/black ebonite. This time I'll get blue/black and hope it's as richly colored as the pictures.

[penmanila]

if you're a woodgrain lover like i am, there's nothing like ebonite to convey the texture. here's a CS marlborough LE in ebonite:

 

 

and a bexley "duofold" in ebonite:

 

 

heck, let's take the whole vintage lot:

 

[mmg122]

I enjoy all three materials but the ebonite and celluloid have a warmth to them that the acrylics do not. I would also encourage anyone wanting to try an ebonite pen to get in on the Ranga 4C group buy going on now. Many great color choices for very reasonable prices...and with a good selection of JoWo nibs.

[flummoxed]

if you're a woodgrain lover like i am, there's nothing like ebonite to convey the texture. here's a CS marlborough LE in ebonite:

 

 

and a bexley "duofold" in ebonite:

 

 

heck, let's take the whole vintage lot:

 

 

That is beautiful! That pen case has some lovely pens, I like those vintage style clips. Coule you please share more pictures of the rest in the set?

[penmanila]

Thanks but sadly there's not a whole lot more because I just sold off almost 30 pens last weekend, including some nice woodgrains.

Edited August 8, 2015 by penmanila

[Bklyn]

As the others have said, ebonite seems to absorb heat from your hands, thus it feels warmer in the hand when writing. I have quite a few Ranga ebonite pens, and really like them.

 

The "negatives" of ebonite, when compared to acrylic plastics, are that ebonite does not have the "depth" to its colors. There are no "sparklies" buried in the ebonite. It is a more conservative finish. Also, some of the ebonite materials can lose their surface "shine" more rapidly than acrylics, and they can scratch a bit more easily. I don't have any problem with these issues, though, as they give my pens "character." You could also, however, re-polish the ebonite, as the material is homologous (the same material all through the thickness).

 

Ebonite pen barrels often are made with greater wall thickness, and thus may be heavier. Most of mine are, but to me that just gives them the feeling of being substantial.

 

Given the choice of the same pen in acrylic or ebonite, I almost always go with the ebonite.

Great information. thanks

[strictlyobiter]

Ebonite is by far my favourite pen material. Over the last few months I have been able to purge my collection down to my flock of Pelikans and my ebonite pens, with a handful of acrylic options.

 

I write for long periods of time most days of the week, so how a pen feels in my hand is really important to me. Acrylics feel too cold and then too hot and sticky in my experience. Ebonites achieve a gentle warmth, just like an extension of my hand.

[mirosc]

I prefer acrylics.

Ebonite for sure feels warmer and softer, but it smells (some more, some less; some like it, some don't) and after a day with an ebonite pen my hands also smell like ebonite. And you have to take a bit more care, because it can decolorize easier.

Well, most money I've spent on ebonite pens though.