Celluloid is flammable, half transparent plastic material which is made by mixing nitric-cellulose
(sulfuric acid and nitric acid are added to cellulose), camphor and alcohol.
When colored it is splendid. It softens by 90 degrees Celcius and hardens when cooled.
As it is easy to cast and carve and also produce in a variety of colors and patterns, most pen barrels
were made of this material in the past.
However, as it must be dried more than 6 months to prevent from deforming
and twisting it has been recognized as a difficult material.
Recently it has become popular again with those who pursue antique designs.
2.Woods
"Briarwood"
Briarwood is a deciduous tree of heath family, called
ArcaEArboria, originating in the Mediterranean coast. It is very hard and
very heat-resistant and is also used for making pipes. A burl of a 25-100
years old tree is used for fountain pen manufacturing. Popular for its
woodgrain, it will be became even more lustrous with long time usage. It
would surely be a treasure in any collection. The photographshows the material of Briarwood (root portion).
Briarwood laid down at the shelf, is a process of drying.
"Ebonite"
Ebonite is difficult to process and requires high expertise in manufacturing.
Ebonite for handmade arts and crafts is very elastic and has a special feel which is loved by many people.
a weak point is that they are prone to breakage after long time usage.
"Wine barrel"
The material (oak) being used for the barrel of the wine in the famous winery
for a long time is brought down, and a shaft is being cast.
How do you take grain? Various handles appear (Is it vertical or a side-glance?)
Because it is natural material, there is no same handle.
It (Urushi) lacquers a surface for the finishing. The way of seeing grain and the unevenness degree on the surface are varying
according to that number of times and the quantity.
3.Plastics
Strong against acid, durable, beautiful and easy to process. Resin, abs resin, acrylic fibers are commonly used.
"Canvas Micarta"
The barrel is made from Canvas Micarta.
Canvas Micarta is solidified material composed of about 2 cm width phenol
resin and four- layer piled canvas.
This material was developed an American maker for applying to the grip of guns,
and now it has become quite popular for the handles of knives due to it's a various peculiarities,
such as lightness, durability and skid resistance, as well as it's resistance to water & impact.
It is interesting that stripes like wood trunk appears when this material is lathed,
and at the finishing stage of the barrel, its anti- skid quality increases due to the texture.
4.Metal
Easy to process and design, metal can be designed very fashionable by plating. Aluminum, stainless steel,
brass are commonly used.
Japanese Art "MAKI-E(URUSHI)"
Briar
Ebonite
Celluloid
Aluminum
Stainless
copyright 2000(c) by nakaya corporation all rights reserved.
Celluloid is flammable, half transparent plastic material which is made by mixing nitric-cellulose
(sulfuric acid and nitric acid are added to cellulose), camphor and alcohol.
When colored it is splendid. It softens by 90 degrees Celcius and hardens when cooled.
As it is easy to cast and carve and also produce in a variety of colors and patterns, most pen barrels
were made of this material in the past.
However, as it must be dried more than 6 months to prevent from deforming
and twisting it has been recognized as a difficult material.
Recently it has become popular again with those who pursue antique designs.
