Custom Clipless Lhotse Fountain Pen
MAGNUM Bulb-filler in Born-on-the-Bayou Acrylic
with Metallic Gold Acrylic Accents.
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Drop down to the bottom of the page for info & specs for this pen.
About the Name:
The Lhotse (pronounced "loat---as in goat-- say") is named after Mount Lhotse, the fourth highest mountain on earth. Lhotse is best known for its proximity to mount Everest and the fact that climbers ascending the "standard route" on that peak spend some time on its northwest face. And in fact Lhotse has the smallest topographical prominence value of any the other mountains in it's group.
Lhotse Dimensions:
The Lhotse shape is known as a "cigar", and is one of the most iconic and popular clipless fountain pen styles ever made. It has a gradual taper from the center (joint) out to either end, ending in a nice round-over. The clipless style and short length allows the pen to be very portable. It can easily fit in a pocket, purse, briefcase or knapsack. The standard length is about 5 1/2", but it can be ordered in any custom size between 5" and 6" (or even longer if desired). The pen uses a standard Cartridge/Converter inking system. It can be fitted with a #5 or #6 nib. Nib finishes available for STEEL nibs are: 2-tone, polished steel, Black Oxide (#6 only), or Ruthenium (#5 only). Current tip sizes are x-fine, fine, medium, broad, and two italics (1.1 both; 1.4 for #5 only, and 1.5 for #6 only). 14 & 18K Gold nibs are also available as a special order.
Lhotse MAGNUM:
The Lhotse MAGNUM is a larger version of the Lhotse that is 18% larger. The MAGNUM has a capped length of 6 1/2" (165 mm) and a diameter of .71" (18 mm). The threads are also larger than the original to maintain the scale. The only part of the pen that isn't scaled up is the nib. The MAGNUM uses the same #6 nib as the original size. This is because a larger nib isn't available in steel. But if you would prefer a larger nib, PELIKAN offers a larger nib in their M1000, as does Bock in their type 380. But both are only available in 18k, so the upgrade cost would be much more expensive vs the standard #6 steel nib.
Lhotse Options and Upgrades:
The Lhotse is another pen style that allows for a few upgrades and options. You could add metal accent bands to the base of the cap, or add a HIDDEN RING clip (see the Tortoise Shell). The accent bands are available in several finishes (24k gold, nickel or Rhodium, and come in a variety of diameters with widths from 1 to 4mm (n 1mm increments). As stated above, you can also upgrade your pen with a 14k or 18k gold nib.
Inking system upgrades... Because of the style of the barrel, The Lhotse is not very conducive to adding a blind-cap for a piston or button filler. But it can be ordered as Lever-filler, Bulb-filler, or Eyedropper.
I also offer a variety of hand-made Pen Props and Pen Buttons. You can order a Pen Prop in a material to match your pen, or any one of the wooden styles made in a variety of stained or dyed colors. The Pen Buttons are available for any of the clipless pens.
About this Pen and Material:
This pen is a MAGNUM version of the Lhotse. It's also a Bulb-filler. The material is an Alumilite Acrylic the supplier calls "Born on the Bayou". The cool thing about Alumilite is that anyone can buy it and make pen blanks. Based on how many custom blanks are made with the material, it's safe to say it's the favorite among pen blank makers. Alumilite is also quite easy to turn, but it has one disadvantage, in that it's brittle. So cutting fine threads can be challenging. The Section and Band are made from Metallic Gold Alumilite. One subtle feature that's not easily noticeable is the pattern matching across the joints (something that's typically only noticed when the pattern doesn't match). Unfortunately most pen blanks are only 5" long, so pattern matching isn't possible most of the time. But in this case I had a long blank, so I was able to plan out the parts so they could be cut and re matched at the joints. And to accomplish matching at both joints, I used a piece of black acrylic for the blind-cap threads at the upper end of the barrel, which blends in with the black rubber bulb.
This Pens Specifications:
Color / Material: Primary: Born-on-the-Bayou Alumilite Acrylic.
Secondary: Metallic Gold Alumilite Acrylic.
Length: Capped 6.63" / Uncapped 6.14".
Diameter: max .71" / min .59".
Weight (gms): Capped 28.4 / Uncapped 19.3.
Nib: #8 Steel Magna Carta.
Filling System: Bulb-filler.
Also available as
C/C, Button, or Eyedropper.
