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By: Darrell Laferty, Thu Jun 28th, 2012
The average ballpoint pen does not have any artistry. It is a feat of engineering. The principles under which ball point pens operate have been understood since the 19th century. The principle under which feather and fountain pens operate under have been understood for even longer. All writing implements rely on friction. The best pens reduce the friction between the paper and the writing tip. Although most people do not think of a pen as something that they can make, they would be wrong about this. A number of pen making kits allow someone with woodworking experience to make sure that his pens reflect him.
The basics of a pen kit are relatively simple. An individual needs the ink tube and the blanks. He may also want a clip. The tubes are often solid and the user needs to hollow the surface out. He can hollow the surface out by using a drill. Because the tubes are already round, he does not need to use a lathe, unless he wants to make intricate designs. A lathe may not always be the best choice for placing artwork on a pen. A woodworker or miller needs to have a great deal of skill with the lathe and the chisel. If he does not have the necessary skill, he may ruin the finished product.
The kits go beyond just including the crafting supplies necessary to make the pen.Sometimes, and individual may want to personalize his product. Many of the companies that sell pen kits also sell lettering kits, engraving tools and other items that will let other people know that a particular pen is his. Designing a personalized pen may take hours, but the personalized pens make great gifts, especially for employees who have earned special recognition. They may or may not be cheaper than the Cross or Parker pens people buy. The Cross Pens, however, come with a lifetime warranty.
There is one downside to making buying pen making kits. It is not an easy one to correct, either. Anyone who has owned a pen knows that other people have a tendency to walk off with them. This happens to the hand-crafted pens as well. There are ways to stop this. The best way is to not loan them out, or to keep them on a chain. If someone does forget the rule about not lending his hand-crafted pen out, he may find that he has an excuse to practice one of his favorite hobbies. He just needs to order a new kit. Pen kits will only take a few days to arrive in the mail. He can start on the new pen after he gathers the tools and has read the directions.