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The Pen Professor: Handmade Pens

The Pen Professor™

Handmade pens, bowls, jewelry and other gifts for men and women

Pen Care, Platings, Mechanisms and Refills

Here are some notes on the pen care, pen refills, pen platings and pen mechanisms.

Pen Care

Unless otherwise noted, I use a very durable acrylic finish on my pens and so they should need only a minimal amount of care. Cleaning with a soft dry cloth should be all that is necessary. You can use a damp cloth to remove stubborn items and then dry the pen thoroughly.

Pen Refills

Most of the ballpoint pens I make use standard refills from either Parker, Cross or Schmidt. The refill type is indicated with each pen. All of these refills should be readily available on Amazon.com and elsewhere.

Changing Refills

Here are some notes on changing refills.

Aero Pens

To change the refill on an Aero style pen, unscrew the writing tip by hand. Never use a tool, since this may scratch the metal.

Beaded Pens

To change the refill on a Beaded style pen, pull the top half of the pen away from the bottom half.

Cigar Pens

To change the refill on a Cigar style pen, first try to unscrew the writing tip by hand. Never use a tool, since this may scratch the metal. If the tip unscrews easily, the refill will slide out. If not, then grasp the bottom half of the pen in one hand and unscrew the top half counterclockwise with your other hand. If the top unscrews, then you can change the refill. If it just seems to spin without unscrewing, then pull the top half away from the bottom half. This will expose the twist mechanism, which can be unscrewed using a pair of pliers. Go gently so as not to crush the mechanism.

European Pens

To change the refill on a European style pen, pull the top half of the pen away from the bottom half.

Father Sing Pens

To change the refill on a Father Sing style pen, pull the top half of the pen away from the bottom half.

Jr. Gentlemen Pens

To change the refill on a Jr. Gentlemen style pen, hold the bottom half in one hand and twist the top half counterclockwise. If it will not unscrew, pull the top half away from the bottom half and unscrew the twist mechanism with a pair of pliers. Go gently so as not to crush the mechanism.

Manhattan Pens

To change the refill on a Manhattan style pen, pull the top metal portion away from the rest of the pen.

Sienna Pens

To change the refill on a Sienna style pen, unscrew the upper portion of the pen from the portion that lies below the center band. (The center band is about 2 inches above the writing tip.)

Slimline Pens

To change the refill on a Slimline style pen, pull the portion above the center band away from the lower portion of the pen.

Soft Grip Pens

To change the refill on a Soft grip style pen, pull the top half of the pen away from the bottom half.

Wall Street II Pens

To change the refill on a Wall Street II style pen, unscrew at the center band (which is about 2 inches from the writing tip of the pen).

Pen Platings

Here is some information about the characteristics of the various pen platings that are used in my pens. The plating's wear resistance level is indicated using 1 to 5 diamonds. The more stars, the more resistance to wear and corrosion.

Rhodium ♦♦♦♦♦

Rhodium (chemical symbol Rh) is a member of the platinum family of metals. It is a very hard and very resistant to chemical changes, such as corrosion or oxidation. It is one of the rarest precious metals. The major use of rhodium is in catalytic converters in automobiles. Because of rhodium's resistance to corrosion and most aggressive chemicals, it is often used in high-temperature and corrosion-resistive coatings. For example, white gold is often plated with a thin rhodium layer to improve its optical appearance and sterling silver is often plated with rhodium for tarnish resistance.

Titanium (Black or Gold) ♦♦♦♦♦

Titanium (atomic symbol Ti) is a very strong, light, corrosion resistant metal. In fact, the two most important properties of titanium are corrosion resistance and the fact that it has highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal. In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong as some steels, but about half as heavy. Because titanium is non-toxic and is not rejected by the body, it is used in medical applications, including surgical implements as well as surgical implants, such as hip balls and sockets that can last for more than 20 years. It is also being considered for use as storage containers for radioactive waste.

Chrome ♦♦♦♦

Chrome plating is the process of electroplating a thin layer of chromium. Chromium is a lustrous, hard, highly corrosion resistant metal that can be highly polished and has a high melting point. The addition of about 10% chromium in steel produces a steel alloy called stainless steel.

10K Gold ♦♦♦♦ and 24K Gold ♦♦♦

10K gold is much more durable than the softer pure 24K gold and has a very similar appearance. For this reason, I prefer using it in objects such as pens, which receive considerable handling. However, whenever possible, I look for 24K gold plating that has an epoxy coating to improve durability.