Mother Of Pearl

[Dik F Liu]

Pens with mother of pearl are stunning looking. But, is it fragile? I worry that if I drop the pen, the mother of pearl would chip off or shatter.

[ParkerDuofold]

Hi Dik F Liu,

 

I think it depends on whether its "solid core" or vermeil... and if the latter, the thickness of the material and the method of application.

 

There are pistols with MOP grips that have held up beautifully even with regular use... so it all depends.

 

Your best bet... don't drop your pens.

 

- Anthony

[fabri00]

Hi Dik F Liu,

I think it depends on whether its "solid core" or vermeil... and if the latter, the thickness of the material and the method of application.

There are pistols with MOP grips that have held up beautifully even with regular use... so it all depends.

Your best bet... don't drop your pens.

- Anthony

yes, but pistols are less subject to be dropped on the floor than pens ....

 

I have an antique pocket lens in silver and mother of pearl, and it is very fragile when dropped on floor.

[jar]

We're adults. We are old enough to not drop stuff.

 

http://www.fototime.com/17B06FDEAC423A7/large.jpg

[ParkerDuofold]

yes, but pistols are less subject to be dropped on the floor than pens ....

 

I have an antique pocket lens in silver and mother of pearl, and it is very fragile when dropped on floor.

Hi Fabri00,

 

As I said, I think it probably depends on the thickness and density of the material; I suppose age may also play a significant factor... it may become more brittle with age; hence the fragility of your antique pocket lens.

 

Aside from one set of pistol grips, I have no other experience or special knowledge about MoP. I gather from your statement, you know of its fragility from bitter experience... I'm truly sorry for your loss.

 

However, by the same token, are you familiar with the recoil of a 1911 .45? If they can withstand that, they could probably handle a 3-4' drop... especially if the floor is carpeted... that said, I would never want to put it to the test.

 

One good thing about MOP is the more it is handled, the oils and sweat in your hands actually make it tackier... and less likely to slip out of your hands... which may explain why it came into use for pistol grips... so a MoP pen might be less likely to be dropped in the first place.

 

At any rate, the OP asks a pretty subjective question; more particulars would have to be ascertained before we could provide a more definitive response. It all depends on the quality of the materials used and the workmanship.

 

Dropping ANY pen is bad news since they usually land nib first.

 

- Anthony

[ParkerDuofold]

We're adults. We are old enough to not drop stuff.

 

 

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/17B06FDEAC423A7/large.jpg

 

Btw, that's a beauty.

 

- Anthony

Edited June 26, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[ParkerDuofold]

We're adults. We are old enough to not drop stuff.

 

 

 

 

http://www.fototime.com/17B06FDEAC423A7/large.jpg

Sometimes, we have help dropping stuff... here's my helper...

Edited June 26, 2017 by ParkerDuofold

[Mastiff]

I understand that MOP would ordinarily be covered in thick layers of laquer, so the duraility of material will really depend on the laquer coating and its integrity.

[fabri00]

We're adults. We are old enough to not drop stuff.

 

even if we are old enough, sometime we drop stuff by mistake, or for fun....

At least me !

[fabri00]

Sorry, my intention was to write: "not for fun".

The corrector of my tablet still confuse Italian with English!