Pen Turning

A Journey into kitless fountain pen turning.

John Albert's custom pen

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/