David the making of these items seem to have been a challenge you met are these items modelled from bought ones how does the cost and effort balance? got a kick out of your lubricant for threading I say why not it was there beckoning. I have never tried Ebonite and was interested in your observations and further experiences. With too many irons in the fire keeping away from fountain pens for me goes back the 1940,s and 50,s ruined shirts endless cleaning, poor quality inks etc but I admit freely that writing when all things came together my writing was far more easily read using the fountain pen. Scary for me from a slate to pencils,powdered ink mixing ink wells cheap nibs to fountain pens to biros.The advent of the Biro spelled the end of real legibility. When you sell or give fountain pens is there a regime you recommend to the receivers to keep their pens in top nick? Do you find difficulty in choosing, tuning installing nibs and are people knowledgable about fountain pens ie cartidge, dipping, inks in general, cleaning gear, storage.?
In the long run would it pay to specialise in biro pens or fountain or both what with the huge variety of them and their consumables I could foresee so many possibilities.
You are obviously enjoying this good fortune mate.
Kind regards Peter.
