Thread: WTB wooden pen outer only

Peter, welcome to the forum.

I run space pens, have done so for many years. I use them for taking field notes for my large format film photography where the ink may get wet. I also use them to write underwater on plastic covered photographic paper in the darkroom.

I did some measurements and had a look at the mechanism, or at least what I could see of the mechanism.

The inner is tapered to hold a spring, the back cover (on my pen anyway) screws in and the ball point is always open.

The PR cartridge, which is what I have, is approximately 88.5mm long, the whole pen when assembled is approximately 90mm long. The cap end is another item which is placed over the ball point when not in use and over the blank end to elongate the pen when writing. I would suggest it is not going to be that easy to incorporate one of these pen cartridges into a completely wooden pen, doable, but it will take a bit of practice and (thinking out loud here) will probably require the blank end to be drilled but not drilled right through.

The cross re-fills I have are much longer, about 116mm.

Whichever way is chosen, you will need a cover as these things will leak ink once it becomes warm in a pocket and the ball point is touched. Don't ask how I know. by the way, the ink is a solid, rotation of the ball heats the ink to a liquid state, once on paper or whatever, the ink drys and you have it. When using mine under water, the normally black ink becomes blue. I don't know why, always has.

Mick.

According to the website, one size comes with a plastic adapter to allow it to replace parker style pens. There are so many retractable styles that take parker refills.

Sierra, Cigar and Knurl kits are some examples.