Disc Celluloid Pen Blanks?

[mikhasan]

Where can I buy pen blanks that resemble the disc celluloid of the Parker Vacumatic or the Visconti Wall Street? Thanks!

[kapanak]

Unfortunately, you cannot. There is no manufacturer of such celluloid that sells in small numbers to individual buyers. Visconti puts in special orders to Italian celluloid producers (or makes them in house, I am uncertain), and recently one of the bigger producers of celluloid pens went under (poor Omas). Montegrappa is another that makes their celluloid in-house. In the US, American Art Plastics still continues to produce celluloid in small quantities, and here is their page http://www.americanartplastics.com/celluloid_pricing.shtml

 

The striped celluloid that you want was produced in large quantities more than 80 years ago until the end of WWII. Unless you can find vintage blanks, you are out of luck.

[Inspector]

I thought it might be possible to come close by colouring some epoxy and glueing a stack of CD's together. I don't know how the CD plastic will behave when turned or whether it would hold up for a pen. I won't be in a position to play with the idea for at least 6 months but you're welcome to give it a shot as long as you let us see the results.

 

Pete

[kapanak]

I thought it might be possible to come close by colouring some epoxy and glueing a stack of CD's together. I don't know how the CD plastic will behave when turned or whether it would hold up for a pen. I won't be in a position to play with the idea for at least 6 months but you're welcome to give it a shot as long as you let us see the results.

 

Pete

 

That's certainly a great idea, and I have seen a couple of different projects that used a stacking method like that, though they were not pens. You could even have alternating CD and another plastic material for an even more intense striped form. Also, I am sure there are many other ways of getting a replica of the Vacumatic celluloid design. However, the original celluloid blanks are nearly unobtainable.

[mikhasan]

Unfortunately, you cannot. There is no manufacturer of such celluloid that sells in small numbers to individual buyers. Visconti puts in special orders to Italian celluloid producers (or makes them in house, I am uncertain), and recently one of the bigger producers of celluloid pens went under (poor Omas). Montegrappa is another that makes their celluloid in-house. In the US, American Art Plastics still continues to produce celluloid in small quantities, and here is their page http://www.americanartplastics.com/celluloid_pricing.shtml

 

The striped celluloid that you want was produced in large quantities more than 80 years ago until the end of WWII. Unless you can find vintage blanks, you are out of luck.

 

 

I thought it might be possible to come close by colouring some epoxy and glueing a stack of CD's together. I don't know how the CD plastic will behave when turned or whether it would hold up for a pen. I won't be in a position to play with the idea for at least 6 months but you're welcome to give it a shot as long as you let us see the results.

 

Pete

 

 

 

That's certainly a great idea, and I have seen a couple of different projects that used a stacking method like that, though they were not pens. You could even have alternating CD and another plastic material for an even more intense striped form. Also, I am sure there are many other ways of getting a replica of the Vacumatic celluloid design. However, the original celluloid blanks are nearly unobtainable.

Many thanks for the useful info/suggestions, guys! It's unfortunate because it's such a beautiful material.