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Pencil Style Glass Nib Dip Pen

With glass nib assortment in Duofold mandarin yellow acrylic.

Custom Pencil Style Dip Pen in Mandarin Yellow Acrylic (main image)
Custom Pencil Style Dip Pen in Mandarin Yellow Acrylic (main image-2)

I really enjoyed working on this unique project! It started out fairly simple with the client asking if I could make a standard style fountain pen that would hold glass dip pen nibs. But then while trying to decide on a style she asked if it was possible to make something that looked more like another pencil style pen she had. She included a photo’s of an Acme pencil pen (shown above) in the email, and after some discussions and working up a few drawings, this pen is the result.

The client wanted her PENcil to look as close to a standard pencil or the Acme pencil pen as possible. So besides ensuring I had the colors of the pen as close as possible, I had to ensure the size and scale were as accurate as possible.

Another request was that the length of the new pen match that of a freshly sharpened pencil. I had to make the new pen a little thicker to accommodate the nibs, so the pens diameter would be closer to the Acme pen.

Metal band feature:

A feature she really wanted to see on the pen was the crimping that you see around the metal band of a pencil that secures the eraser. Some pencils are crimped with a ring running all the way around the metal band, while some have several single ‘dots’ punched around the band.

Sorting through my tray of wooden pencils, I found a fat artist pencil that had two sets of three crimp rings that I thought would be an affect I could duplicate successfully. But I thought to to pull it off successfully, the rings would have to be spaced accurately. If just one was slightly out of alignment, it would ruin the effect. So I had to come up with a method to accurately apply the crimping grooves.

Applying the crimping:

After some trial and error, I came up with a very simple method: I created a custom cutter out of some small #3d brad nails that would cut each set of crimp rings at one time. To create the cutter I sharpened three small brad nails, then tape them together to create a single 3-groove tool with even spacing. Now instead of cutting all six rings individually, I only had to make two cuts to make all six rings. The grooves are very shallow, just enough to create the contrast, so I only had to make a shallow score on the acrylic.

I used vise-grip pliers to hold the nails, and to act as a handle. To create the scoring I propped the vise-grips against the tool rest, then used a rocking motion rolled the tip of the nails into the acrylic. The process worked perfectly!

As luck would have it, I had the all the various colors of acrylic that would mimic the colors on a pencil in my inventory. So I didn’t have to worry about finding and ordering material and hoping it it was the right color.

Main Shaft: Duofold mandarin yellow acrylic acetate.
Eraser:
Duofold orange acrylic acetate.
Metal Band: Crushed Silver inlace acrylester.

I have to admit, I hadn’t seen glass nibs before. So after seeing the photo’s I was excited to get them. Glass nibs remind me of the vintage twisted glass icicles ornaments we have for our Christmas tree. I though the nibs looked like miniature icicles.

The nibs come in different sizes, and the client sent one each of four different sizes. The sizes determine the thickness of the ink line. But because they’re hand made, the diameters vary. So I had to drill the pen for the largest nib.

Securing the nibs in the pen:

Because the nibs are different diameters, I found users wrap them with thin material so fit snugly in the pen. One method was plumbers tap. So I sent along some tape for wrapping the smaller nibs.

To add a final touch to the PENcil, I suggested having it engraved. I worked up a layout that would mimic the stamping on a standard pencil and emailed it for her review. The pattern I created included her name and a special emblem that would mimic the No2 lead hardness emblem. I created a GN emblem that will stand for Glass Nib.

Length with nib: 7.25″.
Length without nib: 6.50″
Length of main shaft only: 5.25″.
Diameter (max): .395″.
Nib: will accept assorted sizes of the glass nibs.

  • Custom Pencil Style Dip Pen in Mandarin Yellow Acrylic
    Custom Pencil Style Dip Pen in Mandarin Yellow Acrylic

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.

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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.