Ball Pen
How a Metal Pen is Made
How a Metal Pen is Made
Pens are made in a variety of materials.metal pen Some are metal, some are plastic and some are even made from clay. However, nothing quite matches the beauty and elegance of a well made metal pen. Metal pens are more expensive than plastic or clay pens, but they make for great gifts that will last a long time and can be used by both men and women alike. These pens are very popular and can be bought online as well as in stores.
There are several types of metal pens available on the market, but the most common is made out of brass. This metal is highly corrosion resistant and easy to shape. It is also lightweight and makes for a comfortable writing experience. Brass pens are more durable than their plastic or clay counterparts and come in various colors as well. Some pens have a silvery color to them, while others are more bronze in tone.
Brass is also a very good material for making nibs, and can be formed to make them as wide or narrow as one desires. Another metal that is used to make pens is iron. This metal is very strong and can be shaped into many different shapes. It is difficult to use as a nib, though, as it tends to be very brittle and is very hard on the tips.
The production of iron pens requires forge work, and it is likely that this would have been done by a skilled metal worker in a blacksmith's shop. The iron was heated to a temperature that was above 750° Fahrenheit, and it had to be forged eight times to produce the nib.
Once the nib was forged, it was shaped to a certain point. Attempts were made to see if the nib could be used with ink. It was found that the nib would leave a trace on the paper, and the point was bent over to prevent this. The results were very satisfactory, and the writer of Notes and Queries states that "many a steel pen maker would be able to eke out a decent living for himself and an assistant from the manufacture of this article alone."
In order to make the pen work correctly, it had to be tempered. This was done by placing the pens in a perforated bucket and immersing them in boiling water. After this was done, the pens were put into an iron cylinder and kept revolving over a charcoal fire until they were softened. This was to be done to a particular degree, and the workman guided his tempering by the color of the metal which changed from grayish white to a deep blue.
The pens were then cooled in a stream of water, and the tip was trimmed to the desired length. The nib was then lubricated with a special grease, which was to be a mixture of cocoa butter and vegetable oil. After this the pens were polished in sawdust.
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