Which Material Is Most Durable And Scratch Resistant?

[Rubicon]

I was browsing Edison Pens site yesterday and was particularly interested in ebonite and celluloid, though I wouldn't rule out the other two either. I'm wondering, which of these materials are most durable and scratch-resistant? I used to have a Lamy 2k and was not particularly careful with it, but it got no scratches, and I'm wondering if there are other materials out there like this.

[AltecGreen]

Among the pens Brian has done, I would wager my Torlon pen. Other plastics similar to Torlon would be Vespel SP-1 (I think Ralph Prather made a pen out of Vespel), Celazole PBI, oe Meldin.

 

 

Diamond would be the most scratch resistant followed by cubic boron nitride (c-BN) then sapphire. Hypothetically, BN in the wurzite structure could be harder than diamond. Of these, sapphire is the only that could practically be made into a pen.

[Tberry010]

An expert should be along soon to make sure but between ebonite and celluloid I believe, if neither is coated the ebonite, should show fewer scratches.

[NedC]

Brushed stainless steel or titanium, matte finish ABS, G10, matte finished nylon... Of ebonite and celluloid? Ebonite should be more chemically resistant and have greater dimensional stability but would be more brittle than celluloid, as far as scratch resistance goes I've no idea but would guess ebonite might perform better. You could email Brian at Edison Pens and ask him.

[Ernst Bitterman]

In VERY general terms; celluloid replaced hard rubber in main-stream pen manufacture because it was more resistant to the sorts of injuries pens are usually faced with. It's less brittle, but also less given to collecting scratches, and doesn't get damaged so quicky by exposure to strong light or most fluids. Having said that; I've got some rubber pens that went out of production before 1920, and they are neither scratched nor faded nor broken-- a careful owner is a pen's best defence, and if you find ebonite more congenial than celluloid (personally, I prefer the latter for looks and smell), the durability might not be enough of a point to sway you.

[rhosygell]

In VERY general terms; celluloid replaced hard rubber in main-stream pen manufacture because it was more resistant to the sorts of injuries pens are usually faced with. It's less brittle, but also less given to collecting scratches, and doesn't get damaged so quicky by exposure to strong light or most fluids. Having said that; I've got some rubber pens that went out of production before 1920, and they are neither scratched nor faded nor broken-- a careful owner is a pen's best defence, and if you find ebonite more congenial than celluloid (personally, I prefer the latter for looks and smell), the durability might not be enough of a point to sway you.

 

I'd largely agree with Ernst, but i have many HR pens that are 80+ years old. They may be a little oxidized in places but are pretty much scratch free. HR has one major advantage over celluloid - it is far more stable chemically. many celluloids are showing degradation / decomposition. Think end pieces on some Watermans and pretty much anywhere on some pre war Italian pens

[AltecGreen]

Ebonite properties vary significantly with degree of vulcanization i.e. sulphur content.

 

Additives and accelerants also affect the physical properties. Ebonite rods from various manufacturers from around the world all differ. Some are harder than others.

 

 

 

For reference, the Lamy 2000 is made from Makrolon® which is Bayer tradename for their line of polycarbonate resins. Ebonite and celluloid are not going to have the same wear resistance as the glass filled Makrolon on the Lamy 2000. To exceed the properties of Makrolon you would need to go to one of the ultra engineering plastics (or equivalent) I listed above.

Edited October 19, 2012 by AltecGreen

[AltecGreen]

In VERY general terms; celluloid replaced hard rubber in main-stream pen manufacture because it was more resistant to the sorts of injuries pens are usually faced with. It's less brittle, but also less given to collecting scratches, and doesn't get damaged so quicky by exposure to strong light or most fluids. Having said that; I've got some rubber pens that went out of production before 1920, and they are neither scratched nor faded nor broken-- a careful owner is a pen's best defence, and if you find ebonite more congenial than celluloid (personally, I prefer the latter for looks and smell), the durability might not be enough of a point to sway you.

 

 

I would argue that it was more due to color. Celluloid can be made in a range of colors and patterns that ebonite could not. There was a reason why Waterman invested so much money in the technology to make colored ebonite. Unfortunately, celluloid came onto the scene and Waterman never truly recovered and were overtaken by other companies.

[Ernst Bitterman]

In VERY general terms; celluloid replaced hard rubber in main-stream pen manufacture because it was more resistant to the sorts of injuries pens are usually faced with. It's less brittle, but also less given to collecting scratches, and doesn't get damaged so quicky by exposure to strong light or most fluids. Having said that; I've got some rubber pens that went out of production before 1920, and they are neither scratched nor faded nor broken-- a careful owner is a pen's best defence, and if you find ebonite more congenial than celluloid (personally, I prefer the latter for looks and smell), the durability might not be enough of a point to sway you.

 

 

I would argue that it was more due to color. Celluloid can be made in a range of colors and patterns that ebonite could not. There was a reason why Waterman invested so much money in the technology to make colored ebonite. Unfortunately, celluloid came onto the scene and Waterman never truly recovered and were overtaken by other companies.

 

Y'know, I'd meant to say something about the "also prettier" thing but I dropped that thread in my skein. I will therefore take petty revenge by pointing out that the brushed finish on the Lamy 2000 is a clever pre-emptive ploy, because Makrolon is resistant to a LOT of stuff, but small unsightly scratches isn't on its list.

[AltecGreen]

 

 

Y'know, I'd meant to say something about the "also prettier" thing but I dropped that thread in my skein. I will therefore take petty revenge by pointing out that the brushed finish on the Lamy 2000 is a clever pre-emptive ploy, because Makrolon is resistant to a LOT of stuff, but small unsightly scratches isn't on its list.

 

 

That's why I suggested one of the ultra engineering plastics. Of course, when the OP finds out how much those plastics cost.......... It might actually be cheaper to make the pen out of sapphire.

 

 

As an aside, it was the fact that raw ebonite has a tendency to oxidize and discolor that urushi came to be applied to pens. Ebonite would discolor rapidly in Japan's climate which was not very aesthetically pleasing and annoyed the customers. Pilot came up with the idea of using urushi to protect the ebonite. They developed the Laconite process where they burnished raw ebonite on a lathe with a felt dipped in raw urushi. This caused the urushi to penetrate deep into the pores and protect the color. Unfortunately, like Waterman, they developed this as celluloid began to appear on the market and the whole idea never caught on. Although, you do find a lot of vintage Japanese pens that are ebonite coated in urushi. Since Pilot had gone this far with developing urushi, they went the final step and started using maki-e. The rest is history......

[kernando]

Now I want a sapphire and silver overlay ring top.

 

Is there a clear and colorless lacquer that would work on hard rubber, to protect and show off ripples?

[Pelikan_FP]

This was a very informative thread. Thanks for the OP for posting and Altec and Ernst for answering the majority of the question.

[Oranges and Apples]

Acrylic.

[humsin]

Among the pens Brian has done, I would wager my Torlon pen. Other plastics similar to Torlon would be Vespel SP-1 (I think Ralph Prather made a pen out of Vespel), Celazole PBI, oe Meldin.

 

 

Diamond would be the most scratch resistant followed by cubic boron nitride (c-BN) then sapphire. Hypothetically, BN in the wurzite structure could be harder than diamond. Of these, sapphire is the only that could practically be made into a pen.

 

I am seriously considering the Torlon pen; can you describe the material a little bit? How does it feel?

[AltecGreen]

Among the pens Brian has done, I would wager my Torlon pen. Other plastics similar to Torlon would be Vespel SP-1 (I think Ralph Prather made a pen out of Vespel), Celazole PBI, oe Meldin.

 

 

Diamond would be the most scratch resistant followed by cubic boron nitride (c-BN) then sapphire. Hypothetically, BN in the wurzite structure could be harder than diamond. Of these, sapphire is the only that could practically be made into a pen.

 

I am seriously considering the Torlon pen; can you describe the material a little bit? How does it feel?

 

 

The material is Torlon 4301 which is unfilled. Torlon is a tradename name for polyamide-imide. The 4301 material is naturally grayish is color. It has a nice smooth satin finish. The material has high melting point, high material strength at temperature, very durable (it's often used as a bearing or bushing material), and excellent chemical resistance. You can throw the pen in most acids and solvents. The nib will dissolve before the pen.

 

Of the four plastics I listed, it is the least expensive. You'll have to pay around $120-150/ft. unless you buy in large quantities. The material is hard to machine and Brian had a difficult time working the material. Arguably, Celaole would be more interesting as would Primospire SRP. Celazole is three times the cost of Torlon and there are availability issues with Primospire.

 

 

 

Here is my original link about the Torlon pen.

[PAKMAN]

How about a pen made from lava from Vulcan's forge?

[pienaar]

what about Tungsten Carbide? It can take a real beating. It is not just for drill bits anymore.

[AltecGreen]

How about a pen made from lava from Vulcan's forge?

 

 

Lava is porous and not very strong. I have some in my office.

[XiaoMG]

Of the four plastics I listed, it is the least expensive. You'll have to pay around $120-150/ft. unless you buy in large quantities. The material is hard to machine and Brian had a difficult time working the material. Arguably, Celaole would be more interesting as would Primospire SRP. Celazole is three times the cost of Torlon and there are availability issues with Primospire.

I'd been reading about Primospire and was thinking I'd like to get some to have a custom P51 barrel/hood made, but haven't been able to get any. Shame.

[mongrelnomad]

From my own experience, urushi-coated ebonite seems to be holding up the best to the rigours of daily use. Which is odd considering how delicate it appears to the eye and the touch...

 

Celluloid and Omas Vegetal Resin seems to be holding up the worst (very very susceptible to scratches)...

Edited October 20, 2012 by mongrelnomad