Ebonite Vs Celluloid Vs Acrylic

[RedSox04]

I know a little bit about these materials in the use of pens.

 

Can you tell me about the:

Durability, brittleness, shine, feel and yes, smell

etcetera

 

What is your favorite material and why?

 

Thanks, as always

[msahrap]

Personally my favorite is ebonite, I love the patterns and I even sort of like the smell. :-)

 

Edison Pens has a very good article about the differences between these materials, here's the link.

 

Hope it helps!

[tonybelding]

All of them can make great pens, the functional differences are quite subtle, and I think appearance and style should be the deciding factor for most people.

 

In the long run (i.e. decades) celluloid can darken and discolor, ebonite can oxidize and become dull, and they both have been known to shrink with age. On the other hand, if you look at how many vintage ebonite and celluloid pens from the 1920s and 1930s are still going strong, longevity is not something I'd worry about.

 

Fresh ebonite smells like rubber, fresh celluloid smells like campho-phenique, and fresh acrylic smells like. . . burnt plastic. Ebonite would be my favorite, but all of them will lose their odor after a while.

 

My favorite? Probably acrylic just because it's available in such a wide range of colors and patterns. I have two Edisons, and they're both acrylic, and I love them. Ebonite is very close, though, because I love the look of red-and-black striped ebonite that resembles wood grain. It's classy.

 

I've heard that Mont Blanc's "precious resin" is engineered to take a high polish and retain its shine even after years of use and handling (as long as you don't drop it on a hard surface, haha!). I don't know first hand if that's true. . . If it's true, I find it a bit unsettling. If I've used a pen for years, I think I'd prefer that it look like it's been used for years, not like it just came out of the factory.

 

Nakaya pens with the Urushi finish, on the other hand. . . oooh. . .

 

They only get better with age and wear.

[Kimo]

 

I've heard that Mont Blanc's "precious resin" is engineered to take a high polish and retain its shine even after years of use and handling (as long as you don't drop it on a hard surface, haha!). I don't know first hand if that's true. . . If it's true, I find it a bit unsettling.

 

 

I have first hand knowledge. My MB Meisterstück fountain pen rolled off of my desk and fell about 2.5 feet onto my wooden floor and the barrel literally shattered. The MB customer service people refused to replace it.

 

My favorite material is real celluloid. The reasons are: no other material (including acrylics) can come close to it with its depth of color especially in the colored pearlescent materials; the feel of it - it is always warm, soft and clean feeling; the smell of it - you get a whiff of natural camphor when you rub it. The one down side is the price - it costs more than the other materials.

[rhosygell]

I have examples in all three materials plus metal overlay on HR. All have their merits and demerits equally, somehow out of preference I seem to gravitate back towards hard rubber after flirtations with the other materials. Probably explains why so many HR pens crop up in my rotation.

 

Rubber feels warm and comfortable, celluloid also feels warm and rather slippery, resin feels just like plastic.

[RedSox04]

thanks for the replys!

The Edison article was great- missed that for some reason.

 

Is ebonite that similiar to rubber to the "classical" view of hard rubber? or is it more brittle?

 

Oh God, ebonite or celluloid...hard decision

Edited April 8, 2011 by RedSox04

[LedZepGirl]

I'm a sucker for celluloid, but then again almost all of my pens are 60+ years old so it's inevitable. I like it because like others have said it's soft, smooth and warm and it has an amazing depth of color, especially the marbled or pearlized colors. I've seen similar designs in acrylic and the depth and color doesn't even come close in many cases.

 

What I like about hard rubber is it seems to regain more of it's original gloss after oxidation the more you handle it. It must have something to do with the oils in skin and maybe friction? It's interesting and I noticed it with a no name, wood grain pattern Ebonite pen that I have.

[jde]

For moi it's a little different. It depends.

 

I have tried to love celluloid. Everyone tells me it reigns supreme. I've had a number of beautiful celluloid pens. American vintage and Italian and German. The smelly kind of celluloid. Cellulose nitrate. Some of the colors were spectacular. None of those pens felt "warm" to me. Until I got a Platinum celluloid 3776. And I thought, "Oh this is what everyone talks about." It has a lovely warmth and feel in my hand.

 

Ebonite has that feel for me too. Although I prefer modern ebonite to vintage. Vintage ebonite leaves me wanting to "preserve the pen" and I end up not writing with them. I can't really explain that. It's a quirk.

 

I have also had two acrylic pens that also felt that way: a Bexley Submariner in the beautiful cream/brown acrylic. The other is my Edison Huron in yellowstone acrylic. Both of those pens feel warm in the hand. My hand anyway. Also the richness and depth in the material are amazing. Very impressive materials. Not at all like a lot of other acrylic pens I've had or seen.

 

So for me it always comes back to this: find the pens that appeal to you and not the pens we all say you should love and adore.

[Blackandwhite]

I know this is a topic that's somehow older - but having acquired my first Ebonite pen (a vintage Waterman 94 that writes lovely and has the look of olive wood) I have to admit that it really is a superb pen. I love other materials aswell, but the touch and feeling of this about 80 years young Ebonite pen is something I am really charmed by.

[watch_art]

Something new to me (as a turner) is polyester resin.

When I first started making pens from this I was incredibly worried about broken parts. People say a lot about it's fragility. But then I thought, MB precious resin is fragile as hell too, and they're expensive as hell, and.... well, I'm not worried about my PR anymore.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/221714-dropped/page__p__2350762__fromsearch__1#entry2350762

 

As for turning these different materials, my preference for best is between celluloid and ebonite, then alumilite, then PR, then acrylic.

[Biber]

Anybody know anything about paper-phenolic?

[watch_art]

Oh! Similar to Micarta.

 

I've made a couple pens from a denim laminate.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/221944-denim-pen-torture-test

Edited June 10, 2012 by watch_art

[mehandiratta]

Personally my favorite is ebonite, I love the patterns and I even sort of like the smell. :-)

 

Edison Pens has a very good article about the differences between these materials, here's the link.

 

Hope it helps!

+1

[tinta]

Another link on the topic. http://www.americanartplastics.com/index.shtml

 

I happen to really like the smell of celluloid acetate,...in the morning. Actually, it's when I uncap my pen.

Not the strongest of the three materials, but it has a depth of colour, IMHO that the others cannot match.

 

Ebonite can be beautiful & is a traditional fountain pen material. It can have an objectionable smell to folks with sensitivity to natural rubber (latex). Prolonged contact with hard rubber can also cause skin problems for some.

I'm one of those folk.

Edited December 17, 2014 by tinta

[jar]

A nice celluloid:

 

http://www.fototime.com/04D2E12A6A90E3F/xlarge.jpg

 

and maybe something else?

 

http://www.fototime.com/7050C44CE2CBB98/large.jpg

 

Nope, just more celluloid.

[Polanova]

I prefer celluloid, too. For the color variety and the fact, that they`re not so sensitive to light.

My one mottled HB pen never stays on my desktop unprotected for long, especially during daylight hours.

[Algester]

for me probably I'd go with acrylic,,, some are just pretty that can easily rival ebonite patterns and perhaps some celluloids as well if you have seen the lava swirls made by scriptorium you know what I'm talking about, but it doesnt hurt to look at other resins as well

[kestrel]

First choice is ebonite for the (again) warmth and comfortable feel in the hand. Second would be celluloid for the warmth and color. Like LedZepGirl, most of my pens are 60+ years old with more than a few over the century mark. The HR pens are still delightful to hold.

[rammarur]

I like Ebonite for the organic feel and the vintage look, Acrylic for almost infinite range of colors possible (a good acrylic doesn't get scratched easily). Celluloid was my favorite material, however since I heard that it is highly inflammable some feeling stops me from adding more of celluloid to my collection.

 

If you pick highest quality ones from all three, then Acrylic vs Ebonite vs Celluloid for-

 

Chemical stability: Acrylic wins hands down

Cost: Acrylic is cheapest

Beauty: Most of them like the depth of celluloid, some of the acrylics are great though they don't feel anywhere close to celluloid. Ebonite has vintage feel. (looks are subjective though)

Hardness: Acrylic again...it has better resistance to scratches

 

My pick would be Acrylic.

[Barnaby Bumble]

I don't have a favorite material, per se, but it does seem like most of the pens I like best are celluloid.