By pen type, I’m referring to whether it’s a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, etc. Below is information on each of the pen types that are available. Additionally, you can order a desk pen in single pen, two pen, or even three pen configurations. Multiple pen sets are available in a combination of pen types as well as pen and pencil combinations.

a) Ballpoint pens: I use premade kit pen parts for ballpoint pens. They are available in two sizes: 7 mm and 8 mm, which is the size of the brass tubes in the kits. The 7 mm pen has a maximum (.36″) diameter. The 8 mm pen is thicker, with a (.42″) maximum diameter. These diameters are the widest area of the pen at the joint with flush bands, or the material thickness if using oversize solid brass bands. Ballpoints use a Cross-style twist mechanism and refill.

b) Pencils: As with the ball-point pens, the pencil uses a Cross-style ‘twist’ style mechanism and 0.7mm lead. The parts used for the pencil are slightly thicker than the larger-diameter ballpoint pens (pen kits are 7 mm, whereas the pencil kits are 8 mm). So the pen/pencil set must be larger (.42″ diameter) or thicker.

c) Rollerball pens: Rollerballs are also available, both individually and as a pen/pencil set. The rollerball is custom-made with a spring-loaded, protruding tip rather than a disappearing twist mechanism. Please inquire for additional details.

d) Fountain pens: Custom-size fountain pens are also available. And they’re available with or without capping threads. Note: If you order a desk pen with a conversion kit (to convert to a standard capped pen), it must have threads. Threaded pens will typically use 12 mm threads, but if you want to order a thicker pen, larger thread sizes are available that would allow maintaining the same smooth transition style from the barrel to the threads.

The sapphire pen shown has 12 mm threads with a .50″ diameter barrel, while the cranberry pen has 14 mm threads with a .56″ diameter barrel. The cranberry is also longer, as requested by the client. Just be aware that the thicker the pen, the larger the funnel diameter has to be.

Fountain pen nibs: The standard brand of nib I use is Jowo. I also have tooling for Bock and Pelikan nibs. Unless the pen is quite small in most cases, I’ll use a #6 Jowo nib. If you order a smaller pen, then a #5 nib may look more proportional. Pelikan nibs are available in a variety of sizes.

a) Desk Pen Only: This option means you can only use the pen as a desk pen. You can order a pen separately or along with a base and funnel. It’s also available with a threaded or unthreaded funnel.

b) Full conversion set: With a full conversion set, you will receive a standard-capped fountain pen, a barrel extension to convert it to a desk pen, along with a base and (threaded or unthreaded) funnel. The photo below is an example of a full conversion desk pen set.

As I mentioned at the beginning, one of the great things about custom orders is that they’re custom orders. This means you can tailor the order to your liking. You can adjust the size of the pen(s). Add other features, such as custom accent bands. You can make a custom-sized or shaped base. Even add a business card holder or engraved nameplate to a base (more on bases below).

You can order a desk pen in your choice of acrylic or wood/acrylic combinations. Fountain pens made of wood will have acrylic inserts for the threads. You can also order bases in wood or acrylic. And while the colors and patterns of acrylic are many, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the acrylic for your desk pen:

a) Material for bases: The first thing to know is that most acrylics available specifically for penmaking are small blanks. Pen blanks are typically 3/4″ to 7/8″ round or square by 5″ to 12″ long, with the most common size being 3/4″ square by 5″ long. As you can imagine, this is clearly not large enough to make a base. So then, in order to make a base, I must either order a larger block (also called a slab) or combine multiple pen blanks to create a laminated base.

There is nothing wrong with laminated bases. Both the cranberry and sapphire bases shown are laminate-based. But it does take some consideration when choosing the material, so the glue joints are as discrete as possible. But the best option is to order a slab. However, the types of material and the patterns are more limited.

Slab bases: I have a few suppliers that can make larger custom pieces for bases (see Solid bases below). Some will make slabs that are large enough to get both the base and pen parts from them. Others will make the base and pen blanks separately.

Laminated bases: As I mentioned previously, the cranberry red and sapphire blue are laminate bases. I make these 3″ x 5″ x 3/4″ bases by combining four standard-size pen blanks glued edge to edge. This size utilizes the blanks most efficiently with the least amount of waste and glue joints while still producing a decent-sized base. Therefore, I chose 3″ x 5″ x 3/4″ as the standard size for a single pen base.

Please note that most square pen blanks are usually slightly oversize or undersized. Because of this, a 3″ x 5″ laminated base may end up slightly larger or smaller. I should also note that some glue joints can be more prominent than others, depending on the color and pattern of the material chosen. So you need to keep this in mind as you choose your material to insure the glue joints will be as inconspicuous as possible.

b) Best patterns for laminated bases: While it may seem obvious, I thought I’d mention some of the best patterns to use in order to get a nice-looking laminated base while keeping the glue joints as inconspicuous as possible. As both the cranberry and sapphire bases show, the best patterns to use are semi-solid and/or random patterns. Because the pattern is random, it is easier to hide the straight glue joints. Blanks such as those with wavy patterns are typically not good choices because the patterns will never match up at the glue joints. Chipped patterns like the cranberry and sapphire bases are usually the best choices.

c) Complex segmenting: While the two laminated bases shown here are simple 4-piece laminations, it is possible to use more blanks and additional materials to make a complex segmented base. With segmenting, you can play around with colors, patterns, and mixed materials to make a more complex design that would accent the joints rather than try to hide them. Just keep in mind that this type of base adds more labor, therefore increasing the cost.

d) Solid bases: OK, don’t worry—solid bases are possible! Having a laminate base is the best option to allow for using the widest selection of pen acrylics available with the least expense. And the choices would be more limited without the laminate base option. However, with the help of a few willing suppliers, I can special order larger pieces, making it possible to have not only one-piece bases but also larger or custom-shaped bases as well (see base sizes below). But there’s a trade-off with the special-order material. The slabs are only available in two types of acrylic: inlace acrylester (or IA) and alumilite. Both types of acrylic are very similar in characteristics, but alumilite is available in more style and color options (such as transparent or pearl). However, only solid colors and swirl patterns are available. Chip-style patterns, for example, are not available.

e) Base sizes: I chose to use 3″ x 5″ as a standard base size due to the limitations of the pen blank sizes. The great thing about custom ordering is that virtually any size or shape of base is possible. For example, a larger two-pen base with a nameplate or a custom shape are possible. The only caveat to ordering a special size or special-shaped base is that it will add to the material cost and labor hours, which will increase the total cost of the order.

The special order IA slabs are available in two size configurations: 5″ x 10″ or 7″ x 7″. The standard thickness for bases is 3/4″, however, the IA is also available in a 7/8″ thickness for thicker bases. Alumilite is usually available in variable sizes and thicknesses.

After reading all this, you can probably guess that with all the variables, it would be impossible to quote a price without at least a few details first. So if you’re interested in placing an order, it’s necessary to pull together a few specific details first in order to request a quote. Listed below are the basic things I would need to know in order to give a quote for a custom desk pen order:

Number of Pens: single, double, or triple desk pen.
Pen Type: fountain, ball-point, roller-ball, pencil, or a combination.
Base Size: standard (3×5) or custom size, or shape and edge treatment.
Material: standard pen blanks or custom-ordered IA for a one-piece base.
Additional options: Examples of additional options are things like accent bands on pens, engravings, and business card holders added to bases.
Fountain pens only:
Type of inking system: the standard inking system is C/C, but lever filler is available as an upgrade.
Desk Pen Type: desk pen only or full pen with capped pen conversion.