Ebonite Pen

[S-K]

Hello all,

New member. Name Sreekumar. Coming from Calicut , Kerala, India. Student of a senior pen maker named Ramachandran . Please have a look at a pen I recently made. Any suggestions or modifications will be greatly appreciated.

Ebonite make. Tank filling. Ebonite feed. Antique steel nib. Tank capacity 2.5 ml. Triple lead thread for cap. Single lead for end botton.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5543/10962565656_f4f3e19872.jpg

20131120_194006 by skumar101, on Flickr

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5545/10962724433_a153fac73f.jpg

20131120_194308 by skumar101, on Flickr

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3665/10962566776_b49dfc1193.jpg

20131120_194040 by skumar101, on Flickr

Capped length- 14 cms. Uncapped -12.5. Cap on back- 15.5cms.

Thanks,

Sreekumar.

Edited November 20, 2013 by S-K

[josephchow42]

nice work!

[pelman]

Beautiful work Sreekumar.

[Pelikan Vera]

Looking very nice.

[Nokin]

I'm a fan of Ebonite, and this looks great.

[Woodnut]

It's a beautiful pen, Sreekumar, and I am delighted to learn that you are taking up the art of crafting ebonite eyedropper pens.

 

I have a question about the feed, which is not visible in your photos: are you working on designing a feed to avoid the problem of "burping" -- ink suddenly spurting -- when the ink level in the barrel becomes low? I believe many lovers of Indian eyedroppers would like to hear from a designer/craftsman about the considerations that go into making a feed so that it minimizes or eliminates burping.

[bobaroo]

That's the most beautiful ebonite pen I've seen, I've never seen the appeal of the material before as usually it's quite lacklustre - dull almost, but this is a work of art. Well done, you are very talented.

[Pterodactylus]

Welcome to FPN, your pen looks great.

Did you already tried it out?

How does it feel?

[S-K]

Josephchow, Pelman, Pelikan Vera, Nokin, Woodnut,Bobaroo and Pterodactylus,

Thanks for all.

Wood nut, have a look at the feed which is

made by my master Ramachandran of Kim and Co pens.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/10964356334_e5b2a02dbb.jpg
20131120_222750 by skumar101, on Flickr

It is very rare to have such problems with this type of feeds. Probably the climate in our part of the world may be helping us.

Edited November 20, 2013 by S-K

[mhguda]

I only saw this thread just now, but I wanted to comment on your pen. It is very beautiful, and I think the glow of the material contributes. How can this be achieved in an existing pen?

I recently acquired - via a friend - a trio of Kim pens, they look very similar to yours but have a more classical cigar shape. One is a Jumbo, with a squarish clip, and the two other ones are smaller and have the clip like yours. The nibs are different though, they have an ordinary round breather hole. But the feeds look to be the same. These pens are among my favorite pens.

I also have not had the ink burping problem that others talk about. Usually at the very end of a full barrel, the pen may start to write very wet, almost burping, and then I know it is time to refill. I have also had ED pens that just write until the last drop, and then fall dry. I might add that I, too, live in a tropical climate, a small Caribbean island. This may have something to do with this behavior.

[3rdlakerobert]

Welcome! Your pen looks great! Nice shape! Nice material. The nib looks like a Sheaffer but can't quite see it well enough to tell.

[S-K]

Thanks Mhguda, Robert.

Robert,

Used this nib for this for the same reason that it looks Sheaffer.

Understand The Burping problems…… The following things are adviced.

1. Take a baby medicine eyedropper- the one coming with vitamine drops for babies. take out the Black rubber sac.

Burn it.

Put off after 5 sec or so and take the liquid carefully with a matchstick and apply

over the threads of neck. Open and close 2 or 3 times to allow even spreading.

2. O ring - If you know a medical instrument technitian, buy some O rings of different sizes.

They are cheap. Take a suitable sized one and put it over an area on neck where the threads end.

3. If you do not have O ring. Buy Anabond Silicone Gasket Maker. Take a small quantity and apply over the area where the threads end. Keep for two days to set before using.

 

Mhguda,

Applying finish to pens needs technical skill. I am in learning curve. Some other forums in net have all these in detail. First of all, this ebonite is a new product. It can be polished to a shine that older ones can not be.

Shining is due to car wax spray. Brand- Extreme power Spray Shine. Once applied it lasts for 6 months. Local brand. But every country may be having its own product. Enquire in Car beauty shops.

Edited November 21, 2013 by S-K

[mhguda]

Thanks Sreekumar, that is enlightening - and also, fair warning to leave well enough alone!

There may be some pens that I would like a little shinier, but they are still beautiful enough not to risk damaging their present finish.

 

Good luck with your penmaking. May many more beautiful writing instruments leave your hands and provide writing joy for their eventual owners. Will you be one of those, too?

[Scribblesoften]

I like the streamlined shape very much. It is different from the usual flat top and cigar shapes we see from many makers in India. Beautiful pen, keep up the good work.

[vj2k]

Very Beautiful

[Pterodactylus]

Shining is due to car wax spray. Brand- Extreme power Spray Shine. Once applied it lasts for 6 months. Local brand. But every country may be having its own product. Enquire in Car beauty shops.

Thanks for this info, but this is for me kind of cheating, as it is not permanent.

For a selling version I would expect a permanent solution, like lacquer it.

[manojd]

Sreekumar, welcome to this forum and to the world of pen making. Looks like you have a good master to learn from.

[S-K]

Scribblesooften, v2jk,manojd,

thanks for all.

Pterodactylus,

The word “cheating” hurts me. But I can take things positively. Sorry for not thinking on a customers point of view.

But the most important feature of ebonite pens are “the feel” appreciated by the writer. By using CA or Lacquer finish they are made just like plastic pens.

Having said this, I understand that different people feel things differently, and a good pen maker should be ready to mould himself according to customers preferances.

[Pterodactylus]

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(Waterman 12 1/2 BCHR ..... Sailor Jentle Sky High)

[sajiskumar]

Hi Sreekumar, welcome to FPN. That's a great pen.

 

-saji