# Pen making does, anyone make fountain pens?



## t8hants (5 Jan 2012)

I have occaisionally looked at the photos of the pens made by forum members, but I can't remember seeing an example of a fountain pen. Are they made as well? 

Gareth


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## Steven (5 Jan 2012)

I have not made a fountain pen myself yet but there is kits available, I may have to try one soon as I have been asked if I can make one for a birthday present.

http://www.pencrafts.co.uk/shop/pen-kit ... 1_101.html

Cheaper ones are available, and a lot more expensive.


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## Neil Farrer (6 Jan 2012)

Hi folks,

First posting on this forum, I'll post the intro elsewhere but on the subject of fountain pens, very briefly there are, as with everything in life, good kits and rubbish kits. As Steven mentions pencrafts, good supplier, Jim Kerins sources his stuff from PSI - penn state industries (google for web site), they have an amazing selection, some of which Jim stocks, all of which he can get. Berea Hardwoods, again in the states are a reliable supplier although their kits, in my opinion are not as well designed as PSI and are not as maker friendly. Axminster stock a range but their selection is rather bizarre, and as a novice turner who is cutting his teeth on pens, and I've made over 650 of them, I won't buy from Axminster (their latest fountain pen has a fundamental design flaw which means the ink resevoir falls out when you take the nib out to refill it - not clever!) Stiles and Bates in Dover stock a cross section as do craft suppplies but frankly their range is not a clever cross section. Vince from theturnersworkshop co uk stocks a wide range from Berea Hardwoods and PSI and is a good supplier. Beware of some of the kits from fleabay as they are Chinese me too kits and are rubbish, some just don't work!

Hope this helps.

Neil


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## boysie39 (6 Jan 2012)

welcome Neil, thats quite a pretty solid statement of whats available to penturners and from whom.
Do other penmen have the same views ,it would be nice to know


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## NikNak (6 Jan 2012)

Hi Gareth


Do sum searches on my postings....


I've made fountain pens and sold them on at very nice prices thank you... 8) 


Any questions as to who i would / wouldn't buy kits from just ask.


Hope this helps


Nick


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## treeturner123 (6 Jan 2012)

Hi, I do some fountain pens, mostly from Craft Supplies kits. The pen I use is one of theirs and I have had it in regular almost daily use for over 10 years with no problems.

Generally I have supplied people who need them for 'official' use such as Registrars and the like.

I have tried to make them with kits that need 3 different drill sizes, but always make a mess of them! Is it best to drill the largest first then middle then smallest? It doesn't seem to matter which, they never seem to line up well!

Phil


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## loz (6 Jan 2012)

20 over the xmas period for gifts, there are good kits and bad kits,

Best place i have found for questions is over on,

http://www.ukap-forum.co.uk/

Walter ( Hall ) ( a member here ) is a mod over there and is very welcoming and knowledgeable.


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## nev (6 Jan 2012)

treeturner123":22z6cms7 said:


> I have tried to make them with kits that need 3 different drill sizes, but always make a mess of them! Is it best to drill the largest first then middle then smallest? It doesn't seem to matter which, they never seem to line up well!
> 0
> Phil



havent tried a 3 piece kit yet, but with the more usual 2 pieces i drill from the middles to the ends as you cant predict which way the drill will wander. at least this way the grain pattern at the join is as accurate as it can be.
one thing ive also learned is if there are two different size drill bits to use, drill the smallest first, cos invariably i will have picked up the wrong blank and put the fat hole in the long blank instead of the short one  . if you drill the small one first and find out it should of been the big one, theres still a chance of saving it by redrilling with the larger drill.
there are some good tips here too...http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=2170 :idea: 

@steven and neil...
where were you last week! i had some repeat orders for some jr gents but the supplier (timberbits) doesnt have any for a month or two. Vince (who i also use) does not seem to have an equivalent so googled pen kits etc and pencrafts never popped up once! so ive ordered a new stylee (americanas i think) now to see how they compare. pencrafts now bookmarked, thank you. =D> 

@ Gareth...
as said by the others, yes fountain pens are widely available and seem to be the first choice on the premium pens, but at the lower end of the market (mine  ) i think ive only been asked twice for fountain pens, the majority are rollerballs or biros.
btw timberbits jr gents fountain/rollerballs are the same pen but with different ends so they are interchangeble between kits. dont know if that is the same with other suppliers and makes?


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## Melinda_dd (6 Jan 2012)

+1 for timber bits. i get all my sierra and cigar kits from them and haven't had a problem .

I have also got some jnr gents kits sitting in the shop waiting to be played with..... been sitting there a while now ! sorry nev!


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## Neil Farrer (6 Jan 2012)

nev":u8qda4hn said:


> @steven and neil...
> where were you last week! i had some repeat orders for some jr gents but the supplier (timberbits) doesnt have any for a month or two. Vince (who i also use) does not seem to have an equivalent so googled pen kits etc and pencrafts never popped up once! so ive ordered a new stylee (americanas i think) now to see how they compare. pencrafts now bookmarked, thank you. =D>
> 
> @ Gareth...
> ...



Nev,

The other source of JR Gents is Fun e Turnz on fleabay. Helen is the owner there and this kit from her is reliable, I suspect she sources them from Dave (Timberbits).  The Baron is a very similar pen to the JR Gents and there are several other suppliers.


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## t8hants (6 Jan 2012)

Thank-you for all the info everyone.

Gareth


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## John. B (8 Jan 2012)

Gareth,

This is an example of Timberbits Kits in Australia, most of my kits come from him. (Ian) very helpful.

Some of his kits are sourced in China but his better quality ones are sourced in Vietnam where the plating quality is better











"Roman Harvest fountain Pen, The wood for the cap & barrel is from Myrtle burr. The metal parts are made of Brass pieces, it is plated in Titanium Gold with Rhodium accents and Iridium tip nib from Germany."

John. B

BTW these sell extremely well. 8)


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## NikNak (8 Jan 2012)

John B + Melinda....

The kits you buy from Timberbits, I take it you buy them direct..? do you get 'stung' for duties when they reach here..?

Have to add that i generally buy my 'quality' kits from Turners Retreat (and they are quite stunning), and the day-to-day stuff i get from fun-e-turnz. Got to say tho that these kits are either so-so or ummm well lets say you get what you pay for. Having said that, the Sierra kits from them are quite good. Note tho that the Gents Jr kit that fun-e-turnz sells is smaller and not a patch on the ones sold by Turners R... they're good but not as good as Turners... 8)


Nick


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## Neil Farrer (8 Jan 2012)

John. B":2cuv0aaq said:


> Gareth,
> 
> This is an example of Timberbits Kits in Australia, most of my kits come from him. (Ian) very helpful.
> 
> ...



John,

Nice work, how much do you manage to persudae people to part company with in return for one of these?

Neil


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## John. B (9 Jan 2012)

Melinda
,
I've been using Timberbits now for 18 or more months, the most I've spent in one order is around £80.00 in kits and various bits (if you'll pardon the pun).

So far (fingers crossed) I have had no dealings with HMRC.

Neil, 

I'll PM you.

John. B


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## RogerP (9 Jan 2012)

loz":2z3w00if said:


> 20 over the xmas period for gifts, there are good kits and bad kits,
> Best place i have found for questions is over on,
> http://www.ukap-forum.co.uk/
> Walter ( Hall ) ( a member here ) is a mod over there and is very welcoming and knowledgeable.


 Looks like that forum has been trashed


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## gregmcateer (9 Jan 2012)

Search for Walter Hall on here; http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/forum/default.asp - really, really helpful guy. Brilliant at penmaking and has even written a book on the subject. (Which I thoroughly recommend, by the way).
HTH
Greg


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## Neil Farrer (9 Jan 2012)

RogerP":1nze9db1 said:


> Looks like that forum has been trashed



Its back!


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