An Abundance Of American Acrylics

[TeaHive]

... I think I may have a fetish for chatoyance.

 

Left to right:

 

Conklin All American Yellowstone

Rosetta Napoleon II Tortoiseshell

Rosetta Napoleon II Lemon Ice

Edison Nouveau Premiere Spring 2015 Lilac

Think Nebula Glactic Fudge

Think Nebula Irish Spring

Noodler's Konrad Coral Sea

Noodler's Neponset John Mung

Noodler's Neponset Bengal Tiger

 

The Think pens are of questionable origin. No one seems to know anything about them. But they sure do look nice!

 

[Uncial]

The Conklin looks really nice in that picture. I was turned off it because I didn't like how it looked in the original adverts for it, but it looks very striking here

[Frank C]

That's a very nice collection. Are they willing to be shown "topless"?

[Uncial]

Is the Conklin really so massive, or is it just the angle of the picture?

[TeaHive]

  On 5/2/2015 at 2:55 PM, Uncial said:

The Conklin looks really nice in that picture. I was turned off it because I didn't like how it looked in the original adverts for it, but it looks very striking here

 

When it first came out, I thought it looked like a banana cow.. yes, a banana cow. Don't ask. But THIS picture changed my mind: http://www.hisnibs.com/images/Conklin/All%20American/ConklinAllAmericanYellowstonePenCap.jpg

 

 

  On 5/2/2015 at 2:55 PM, Frank C said:

That's a very nice collection. Are they willing to be shown "topless"?

 

Very willing! I'll take some individual shots and add them to the thread.

 

 

  On 5/2/2015 at 2:56 PM, Uncial said:

Is the Conklin really so massive, or is it just the angle of the picture?

 

 

It's just the angle. It's about a centimeter shorter than the Noodler's Neponset, but to the eye, it looks like it has a bit more girth. I don't have calipers to measure them. Hmm, I'll have to track down the technical specifications on Goulet.

[TeaHive]

Turns out the Conklin and Neponset have the same width on their sections. The Conklin's barrel is wider by 1 mm. The cap is quite chunky, though.

 

And now to barrage the thread with pearly eye candy! First up is the Conklin All American Yellowstone with a fine nib. It writes more like a very smooth extra-fine, which makes for a very happy me. I was hoping to get the "HOIO" imprint, but I may have been late to pick one up. Ah well. Still love it.

 

 

 

 

 

The cap looks like it has a hooded figure holding a golden platter or package. o_O

 

[TeaHive]

Now for all the Noodler's!!

 

Konrad in Coral Sea. This one came to me with an easily flexible nib, and writes more like an extra-fine than the normal wet fine Ahabs tend to have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noodler's Neponset in John Mung with the music nib.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Noodler's Neponset in Bengal Tiger with a Goulet #6 two-tone 1.1mm nib. Really striking combo!

 

 

 

[Uncial]

Sorry, I seem to be asking a lot of questions, but are the threads sharp? I'm really coming round to this pen.

[TeaHive]

Think Nebula Irish Spring. I ground the medium nib it came with down to a needlepoint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Think Nebula in Galactic Fudge. I replaced the stock nib, which slid out too easily, with a Noodler's flex nib. The feed can't actually keep up for flexing, but it writes a juicy bold line.

 

 

 

[TeaHive]

  On 5/2/2015 at 4:02 PM, Uncial said:

Sorry, I seem to be asking a lot of questions, but are the threads sharp? I'm really coming round to this pen.

 

On the Conklin? They don't feel like it to me when I hold it to write, and the step is rather small with a rounded edge. I suppose the threads feel a bit sharp when I purposely rub my finger tip on them and test for sharpness. But this pen is really comfortable to hold, and writing with it unposted feels effortless. You can post it, as well, but it feels really back heavy.

[TeaHive]

Edison Nouveau Premiere Spring 2015 Lilac. Really lovely pen! Rather transparent, especially held up to the light. Mine doesn't have much of the white swirling.

 

 

 

 

 

[TeaHive]

And finally, the Rosetta Napoleon II's. Both of mine have been frankenpenned with vintage gold nibs.

 

The Tortoiseshell has a flexible extra-fine E. Faber nib.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lemon Ice has been fitted with a 1947 Parker Vacumatic semi-flex fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whew! Lots of photos there.. Hope you all enjoyed them!

[Frank C]

Thanks for all the photos. You have a very nice collection there. Did you do the nib grinding yourself? I have always been hesitant to do that to one of my beloved nibs—even the inexpensive ones.

[TeaHive]

  On 5/2/2015 at 4:19 PM, Frank C said:

Thanks for all the photos. You have a very nice collection there. Did you do the nib grinding yourself? I have always been hesitant to do that to one of my beloved nibs—even the inexpensive ones.

 

Thanks! Indeed, I do my own nib grinding. I started out with Noodler's nibs, because they're readily available and cheap. And on a few Chinese pens I found on eBay that were also really cheap. Eventually I worked my way up to grinding the JoWo nibs. I've only done two gold nibs, where one coming to me with twisted and broken tines dictated I turn it into a stub, and the other I dropped and broke the tipping off, so I had to smooth it to a stub as well.

[Uncial]

Thanks.

The Think Nebula one is lovely; as is the tortoiseshell one.

[Frank C]

  On 5/2/2015 at 4:46 PM, TeaHive said:

 

Thanks! Indeed, I do my own nib grinding. I started out with Noodler's nibs, because they're readily available and cheap. And on a few Chinese pens I found on eBay that were also really cheap. Eventually I worked my way up to grinding the JoWo nibs. I've only done two gold nibs, where one coming to me with twisted and broken tines dictated I turn it into a stub, and the other I dropped and broke the tipping off, so I had to smooth it to a stub as well.

 

Do you use Micro-Mesh? Or another method? I should probably buy a few inexpensive nibs and give it a try myself. Thanks for the inspiration.

[TeaHive]

  On 5/2/2015 at 4:53 PM, Uncial said:

Thanks.

The Think Nebula one is lovely; as is the tortoiseshell one.

I rather like the Think pens, now I've got the nibs situated the way I want them. And the Rosetta Napoleons make for really sturdy pocket pens! The Tortoiseshell reminds me more of chocolate, though. Mmm, chocolate.

 

 

  On 5/2/2015 at 4:54 PM, Frank C said:

Do you use Micro-Mesh? Or another method? I should probably buy a few inexpensive nibs and give it a try myself. Thanks for the inspiration.

 

I start out with a nail file if I'm making a large change, then work with finer and finer grits of sandpaper, then something like Mylar paper or micro-mesh, for which I have three grades, the last being so fine it more or less just polishes the nib as a final step. I go the extra mile and finish by writing on a piece of glass, for a last bit of polishing.

[Frank C]

  On 5/2/2015 at 5:57 PM, TeaHive said:

I rather like the Think pens, now I've got the nibs situated the way I want them. And the Rosetta Napoleons make for really sturdy pocket pens! The Tortoiseshell reminds me more of chocolate, though. Mmm, chocolate.

 

 

 

I start out with a nail file if I'm making a large change, then work with finer and finer grits of sandpaper, then something like Mylar paper or micro-mesh, for which I have three grades, the last being so fine it more or less just polishes the nib as a final step. I go the extra mile and finish by writing on a piece of glass, for a last bit of polishing.

 

Thanks for the information. Now I have to stock up on nibs, sandpaper, etc. I love new projects.

[tryphon]

On the thread title: actually none of the acrylic rods used for your pens is american. Even the pens are mostly from Taiwan or India (the Edison being the possible exception...). Beautiful acrylics: yes! American,,,,no.

[TeaHive]

  On 5/3/2015 at 2:17 AM, tryphon said:

On the thread title: actually none of the acrylic rods used for your pens is american. Even the pens are mostly from Taiwan or India (the Edison being the possible exception...). Beautiful acrylics: yes! American,,,,no.

American here is in relation to the pen maker or company, not the origin of the base materials.