Custom Pen Care Instructions
Congratulations!
Now that you are the owner of a high quality Dismore Woodworks custom
writing instrument, please take a minute to learn how to preserve the
beauty and writing qualities of your pen.
The Platinum fittings on all of my pens will keep their luster indefinitely if treated responsibly. Obviously, any metal part that is scraped against another metal object could be scratched, so be careful as you place your pen down on desks, and avoid carrying it in a pocket with keys. The plating on the fittings will not wear off from normal writing use, so don't worry about it, write as much as you can and enjoy it. The spring clips will last for years if not abused. They are designed for use in shirt pockets only - not jeans pockets! Forcing a clip over thick material will eventually break it off!
The woods I use are very stable and should not crack under normal circumstances, but you should avoid leaving a good pen in extremes of heat or cold in a closed vehicle.
The finish I apply depends on the type of material (wood, celluloid, antler) but generally starts with sanding the piece to at least 2000 grit, and often to 12,000 grit! Then several coats of the best friction polish on the market are applied while it is still on the lathe. Once the finish is dry, I assemble and inspect each pen before shipment. Most woods will hold the semi-gloss finish for years. Some may change color a bit due to acids on your skin.
If you ever want to restore a dull finish, just buff on any high quality furniture wax using a soft cotton cloth. You won't ever need to do this with celluloid or deer antler pens.
The Platinum fittings on all of my pens will keep their luster indefinitely if treated responsibly. Obviously, any metal part that is scraped against another metal object could be scratched, so be careful as you place your pen down on desks, and avoid carrying it in a pocket with keys. The plating on the fittings will not wear off from normal writing use, so don't worry about it, write as much as you can and enjoy it. The spring clips will last for years if not abused. They are designed for use in shirt pockets only - not jeans pockets! Forcing a clip over thick material will eventually break it off!
The woods I use are very stable and should not crack under normal circumstances, but you should avoid leaving a good pen in extremes of heat or cold in a closed vehicle.
The finish I apply depends on the type of material (wood, celluloid, antler) but generally starts with sanding the piece to at least 2000 grit, and often to 12,000 grit! Then several coats of the best friction polish on the market are applied while it is still on the lathe. Once the finish is dry, I assemble and inspect each pen before shipment. Most woods will hold the semi-gloss finish for years. Some may change color a bit due to acids on your skin.
If you ever want to restore a dull finish, just buff on any high quality furniture wax using a soft cotton cloth. You won't ever need to do this with celluloid or deer antler pens.
Refills and Refilling my custom pens
My ballpoint pens all use the
standard "Cross" type of refills. To refill, just pull apart the
pen (don't lose the metal center band) unscrew the old refill and screw
in the new one firmly. Push the two wood parts back
together turn the top barrel counterclockwise to align the grain
patterns again. The grain should align when the pen is in the
closed position as it was when I first assembled it.
My rollerball pens all use your choice of either the "Pilot G2 Gel" refills (or) Zebra "Orbitz" Archival, Acid-free Gel ink refills (or) the Schmidt ceramic refills. These are all very smooth writing, fast drying inks that are available in a variety of point sizes and colors.
Unscrew the rear cap to refill and please don't lose the spring in the rear cap.
New to writing with fountain
pens? You have a couple of choices for refilling.
You can certainly just use the small "international" cartridges all the time. They are very convenient. Be sure that the hole in the cartridge is exactly the same size as the one in the cartridge I shipped the pen with originally. Otherwise the ink will not flow into the nib.
I recommend Staples Office Supply "Allwrite #8004-32"
Alternatively, some serious writers prefer to use bottled ink, so I also supply the converter pump. If you choose this option, just remove the converter from the tip, immerse the tip of the converter about 1/4" into a bottle of ink while twisting the black knob on the converter to bring ink into the converter.
Then, wipe excess ink off the converter tip with a paper towel. Push the converter back into into the tip assembly, screw it back into the pen body and you are done! Alternatively, you can leave the tip attached to the converter all the time and put the tip about halfway into the ink and draw the ink into the converter. Then wipe off the tip. The ink won't hurt it.
Bottled ink is cheaper than cartridges and gives you more choices in viscosity and colors, but it's more trouble than just snapping in another disposable cartridge. It's your choice - either way gives great results. If you don't use your fountain pen for a week or so you may need to run the tip under a few drops of water to rehydrate the tip. Occasional soaking in distilled water is also recommended!
I hope you will enjoy many years of writing pleasure from my custom pens. If you have a question or comment please feel free to contact me at: pendesigns@gmail.com
Thanks for your interest and enjoy the rest of my site by clicking this link to my homepage:
Roger Dismore, penturner, Pendesigns.com
Copyright © Dismore Woodworks 2003
All rights reserved. No text or photographs may be reproduced without the express permission of the webmaster.
My rollerball pens all use your choice of either the "Pilot G2 Gel" refills (or) Zebra "Orbitz" Archival, Acid-free Gel ink refills (or) the Schmidt ceramic refills. These are all very smooth writing, fast drying inks that are available in a variety of point sizes and colors.
Unscrew the rear cap to refill and please don't lose the spring in the rear cap.
You can certainly just use the small "international" cartridges all the time. They are very convenient. Be sure that the hole in the cartridge is exactly the same size as the one in the cartridge I shipped the pen with originally. Otherwise the ink will not flow into the nib.
I recommend Staples Office Supply "Allwrite #8004-32"
Alternatively, some serious writers prefer to use bottled ink, so I also supply the converter pump. If you choose this option, just remove the converter from the tip, immerse the tip of the converter about 1/4" into a bottle of ink while twisting the black knob on the converter to bring ink into the converter.
Then, wipe excess ink off the converter tip with a paper towel. Push the converter back into into the tip assembly, screw it back into the pen body and you are done! Alternatively, you can leave the tip attached to the converter all the time and put the tip about halfway into the ink and draw the ink into the converter. Then wipe off the tip. The ink won't hurt it.
Bottled ink is cheaper than cartridges and gives you more choices in viscosity and colors, but it's more trouble than just snapping in another disposable cartridge. It's your choice - either way gives great results. If you don't use your fountain pen for a week or so you may need to run the tip under a few drops of water to rehydrate the tip. Occasional soaking in distilled water is also recommended!
I hope you will enjoy many years of writing pleasure from my custom pens. If you have a question or comment please feel free to contact me at: pendesigns@gmail.com
Thanks for your interest and enjoy the rest of my site by clicking this link to my homepage:
Roger Dismore, penturner, Pendesigns.com
Copyright © Dismore Woodworks 2003
All rights reserved. No text or photographs may be reproduced without the express permission of the webmaster.