Pen Turning
A Journey into kitless fountain pen turning.
There are two major types of hand-made fountain pens: Kits, and Kitless. Kit pens are made from pre-fabricated parts, typically a brass body tube, thin metal section and nib, and metal finials. Kitless pens use a pre-made nib (or nib unit), and everything else is hand made. This article will address various factors involved in making a kitless pen.
Turning a kitless pen involves the use of a lathe (wood lathe or metal lathe) to shape the parts of the pen : Grip section, Body, and Cap.
Tutorials/How-Tos
- Tap and Dies for Kitless Pen Making, Mike Redburn
- Kitless Fountain Pen Tutorial, Shawn Newton
- Kitless Pen, Fred Brunings
Hardware
- Jowo nib unit tap/die ( M7.4 x.5 )
Some links to sites for pen blanks/materials
- http://www.vermontfreehand.com/ (good source for ebonite rods)
- https://www.exoticblanks.com/ (tons of acrylics)
- http://www.beartoothwoods.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=22_129
- http://www.pennstateind.com/
- http://www.delviesplastics.com/
- http://www.woodturningz.com/