Good evening pen people.
Another slow news week
so I spent a bit more time in the workshop.
Today was a bit uneventful as I spent the entire time turning square blanks round. I did 65 in total. (I know, I can become a little bit Forrest Gump once I start).
Anyway earlier in the week I did make a pen and it’s pictured below. I thought I’d take a second to touch on something that was raised on another thread and it’s to do with pen sizes (diameters) and the various fountain pen nib options and sizes.
First of all a brief explanation on naming conventions. When it comes to nibs they are usually referred to by the make and the size. E.g. Bock no8, Jowo no6 etc. The number refers to the diameter, in mm, of the feed upon which the nib (the metal bit) sits. This is then encapsulated within the housing (usually friction fitted) and the housing usually has external threads that screw into the section. So the number doesn’t describe the physical size of the nib housing, which is the information you really need when making the section, however it does have a bearing on it. It is true that higher numbered nibs have wider diameter housings.
And the 3 most popular nib sizes are no5, no6 and no8.
So if you want to make a section for a fountain pen you do need to know the specific dimensions of each nib housing, and they are usually stepped so the diameter changes across its length. You also need to know the thread size (diameter and pitch) which varies between makes and sizes.
Consequently when you are deciding the cap threads you want to use for your pen then you need to consider what size nib you are going to use. The reason is that the cap threads dictate the maximum diameter of the section (since it needs to fit inside the cap) and thus the nib needs to fit inside the section.
When it comes to triple lead taps and dies the readily available sizes are 12mm, 13mm, 14mm and 15mm. My rule of thumb when making pens is to try to keep a wall thickness (of any part of the pen) to a minimum of 1mm. So, based on my knowledge of the various housing sizes, I tend to do the following (I don’t have all the housing dimensions to hand but this is just from memory/experience) :
No 5 - 12mm or 13mm
No 6 - 13mm or 14mm
No 8 - 14mm
Of course this is just my preference and you can put a no8 nib in a 13mm pen or a no5 nib in a 14mm pen too. I should also mention that I don’t make 15mm pens.
Anyway as you can tell the nib-to-cap threads relationship is an important one and any design decisions are naturally influenced by both the technical considerations and the overall aesthetic and usability of the pen.
The pen shown below has 13mm cap threads and a Bock no6 nib. Just so you can see how it looks. From memory the Bock housing is around 8(ish) mm diameter at the widest point and the section is around 12mm at the ends with a waist of around 11mm.
Hope this helps a little.
Cheers
Ash
Another slow news week
so I spent a bit more time in the workshop.Today was a bit uneventful as I spent the entire time turning square blanks round. I did 65 in total. (I know, I can become a little bit Forrest Gump once I start).
Anyway earlier in the week I did make a pen and it’s pictured below. I thought I’d take a second to touch on something that was raised on another thread and it’s to do with pen sizes (diameters) and the various fountain pen nib options and sizes.
First of all a brief explanation on naming conventions. When it comes to nibs they are usually referred to by the make and the size. E.g. Bock no8, Jowo no6 etc. The number refers to the diameter, in mm, of the feed upon which the nib (the metal bit) sits. This is then encapsulated within the housing (usually friction fitted) and the housing usually has external threads that screw into the section. So the number doesn’t describe the physical size of the nib housing, which is the information you really need when making the section, however it does have a bearing on it. It is true that higher numbered nibs have wider diameter housings.
And the 3 most popular nib sizes are no5, no6 and no8.
So if you want to make a section for a fountain pen you do need to know the specific dimensions of each nib housing, and they are usually stepped so the diameter changes across its length. You also need to know the thread size (diameter and pitch) which varies between makes and sizes.
Consequently when you are deciding the cap threads you want to use for your pen then you need to consider what size nib you are going to use. The reason is that the cap threads dictate the maximum diameter of the section (since it needs to fit inside the cap) and thus the nib needs to fit inside the section.
When it comes to triple lead taps and dies the readily available sizes are 12mm, 13mm, 14mm and 15mm. My rule of thumb when making pens is to try to keep a wall thickness (of any part of the pen) to a minimum of 1mm. So, based on my knowledge of the various housing sizes, I tend to do the following (I don’t have all the housing dimensions to hand but this is just from memory/experience) :
No 5 - 12mm or 13mm
No 6 - 13mm or 14mm
No 8 - 14mm
Of course this is just my preference and you can put a no8 nib in a 13mm pen or a no5 nib in a 14mm pen too. I should also mention that I don’t make 15mm pens.
Anyway as you can tell the nib-to-cap threads relationship is an important one and any design decisions are naturally influenced by both the technical considerations and the overall aesthetic and usability of the pen.
The pen shown below has 13mm cap threads and a Bock no6 nib. Just so you can see how it looks. From memory the Bock housing is around 8(ish) mm diameter at the widest point and the section is around 12mm at the ends with a waist of around 11mm.
Hope this helps a little.
Cheers
Ash
.
