BCHR Style Lhotse Magnum
Bulb-filler fountain pen in black acrylic
with Art Deco engraving.
This BCHR style fountain pen sports an Art Deco pattern that runs uninterrupted along the length of the pen. The pattern creates a unique look and feel. The straight shape of the Lhotse is a perfect canvas for a pattern such as this.
About the pen:
This pen is a MAGNUM version of the clipless Lhotse. The Magnum is 18% larger than the standard size Lhotse. 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 originally wasn’t scaled up was the nib. However one of my nib suppliers now carries a #8 steel nib (see below).
The MAGNUM come standard with the same #6 steel nib as the original size. However a #8 steel nib is now available as shown with this pen.
Gold nibs… If you’re interested in a large nib in solid gold, PELIKAN offers their M1000, and Bock offers their type 380. Both are available in 18K only.
About the engraving:
The first step was to create the engraving pattern. This particular pattern is made up of several rows or bands of a repetitive pattern of stacked blocks. And since the pattern was repetitive, I could start out by drawing a short section. Then once satisfied with the short pattern, I merely duplicate it to create the first long band.
The next step was to scale the patterns size so it fit the pen size. I’m creating the pattern with vector graphics that allows for scaling on-the-fly, so I don’t have to worry about the actual scale of the engraving at first. I can just concentrate on the shape of the pattern. But now I have to scale it to fit the pen. Scaling is just a matter of stretching the pattern or shrinking the pattern until I get the scale I want for the pen size.
Once the scaling is done, I’m ready to run my first engraving test. For the initial test I only use a short section of the pattern and apply it to a round pen blank. With the initial engraving test I only want to see if the pattern looks right for the size. That is whether it’s to small or too large. So I use the short piece of the pattern and duplicate it to create the number of rows I need for the pens diameter (in this case it’s six). Then I run the test on a round pen blank or scrap part to see how it looks.
Pattern matching… The hardest part of creating an engraving pattern for a round object like a pen is matching the patterns start and stop point around the circumference. Fortunately this pattern runs horizontally, so I simply have to duplicate the the pattern and create the number of rows I want around the pen. If the pattern ran around the circumference, I’d have to adjust the pattern so the start and stop points matched up to create a seamless pattern around the circumference.
Test run results… Everything looks good on the first test. The scale looks good as does as the depth of the engraving. Sometimes I have to run several tests until I get a scale that looks just right, or have proper engraver settings for the pattern. With the scale, you want to size the pattern based on the diameter of the part. So a larger diameter pen needs a larger pattern. A small diameter pen would require scaling the pattern smaller.
Engraving the pen:
The engraving itself has some challenges. First, I wanted it to run almost the entire length of the pen. So I had to make some custom holders for the engraving chuck so the laser module would clear at the ends. And because the pattern was quite large and had a lot of engraving area, it was going to take a lot of engraving time (more than 1 1/2 hours). So instead of running the entire job, I decided to run each row individually. That way if an issue came up it would be easier to stop and restart. This way each row would only take about 15 minutes.
The end result… Normally when I engrave a pen, I’ll run separate patterns on the cap and barrel. But with this one, I wanted to see what a pattern would look like run the entire length of the pen. I think the end result looks pretty awesome!
Pen specs and dimensions:
Material: Black acrylic acetate.
Engraving: Blue diode laser.
Nib: Medium polished steel #8 Magna Carta.
Pen lengths:
Capped: 6.56″.
Uncapped-1: 6.05″.
Barrel only-1: 3.77″ (w/o threads).
Cap only: 2.81″.
Blind-cap only: 1.51″.
Section only-1: 3.775″ (w/o threads).
Pen diameters:
Max (center): .715″.
Min (ends) .593″.
Section (f/m/r): .475/.453/.502″.
Pen weight (grams):
Capped: 29.9
Uncapped: 19.4.
Cap only: 10.6.
About the images… The main image above and the first capped image in the slider were taken with a light gray background. The other images were taken with a black background to emphasized the engraving areas. The actual shade is somewhere in the middle. The engraved areas are a charcoal gray color. The non-engraved areas are polished.
Lhotse Magnum in Black Acrylic with Art Deco BCHR Pattern (capped-1)
Miscellaneous items:
I also offer a variety of hand-made pen-related items. Pen Props, pen cap Buttons, Pen and Ink Trays, Cufflinks, and Button Covers. Use a Pen Props to display a pen or temporarily raise the nib. Order in a pen-matching material or a wooden style in a variety of finishes. Cap Buttons are small pieces of cap jewelry you can add to a clipless pen to keep it from rolling. Use a Pen & Ink Trays to display your favorite pen and ink. Trays are available in several styles and in your choice of natural wood. Cufflinks and Button Covers are timeless favorites that dress up a shirt. Order them in pen-matching material.
To custom order any of the pens you see on my website for yourself or as a gift, please contact me at jeb<@>jebspens.com.
If you need fountain pen maintenance help (cleaning, refilling, or general issues), please visit my “Fountain Pen Help Line” page. If you’re having a problem and can’t find a solution, use the contact form or send an email.
For pricing, shipping, and warranty information, click the CONTACT link in the footer menu.