Comfort.

[Nicholas Andrews]

Many kit pens have an extended end next to the nib which is often stepped down from the barrel. This is not comfortable. The majority of commercial pens have a smooth line from one end to the other for obvious reasons. Surely the major kit manufacturers, Dayacom etc, could recognise this and give us kits with a continuous, and comfortable transition throughout the length of the pen. And have you ever seen a commercial pen with a threaded cap end? Ghastly to look at in kit form and uncomfortable to use.

 

[ValleyBoy]

I think you’re referring to screw cap pens, and the area consisting of the section plus the cap threads.

When you close a pen you need a positive stop to prevent the threads running aground and this is usually achieved in one of two ways. Either the open end of the cap registers against a step on the barrel, hence the step you’re talking about, or in the case of pens with no step on the barrel then the end of the section usually registers against a lip deep within the cap. This isn’t the only way but it’s quite a common way.

In the case of kit pens the inners of both cap and barrel are usually plain brass tubes. I am not involved in the design or manufacturer of pen kits, (although I know a man on here who is), but can only assume, by applying my own logic, that it’s not so easy to fashion a kit that has a stopping mechanism with the cap. They may exist already but I’ll defer to the kit pen experts on that.

Another reason is that the step means you create a larger wall thickness for whatever you’re using to make the pen, meaning less chance of blowing out the wood or resin you’re turning.

Out of interest I do make pens without kits and offer both “step” and “no-step” models, and it’s just my anecdotal experience, but pens with steps and, hence, wider barrels, are far more popular than those without by quite some stretch. People tend to prefer a wide girth without the compromise of having to have a fat section. This is easily achieved with a step.

Personally I find both equally enjoyable to use and have never experienced the discomfort you’re describing.

Cheers
Ash

 

[Phil Dart]

A fountain pen is, in essence, two tubes that screw together. The complication is that a pen kit has to allow space for the turner to cover those tubes, and for components to be pressed into them too. A commercial pen or a custom pen has no need for parts to be pressed in, so that's at least a few parts of a millimetre saved, and the bit you see, (what would otherwise be a blank surrounding a tube), IS the tube, so that's a few more parts of a millimetre saved. The necessary difference in size is what gives rise to the step.

As for a thread at the end of the barrel to post the cap, I agree they mostly look odd and I'm not a great fan of them. However, many tuners won't buy a kit if it's not postable, and many won't buy one if it does have a posting thread. It would be ideal to be able to post the cap simply by pushing it onto the blunt end of the barrel, but unless you give specific instructions to the turner about the exact size he or she is allowed to turn his blank, it won't work - those that like a fat curve on their pens will end up disappointed, and any deviation whatsoever from a strict tolerance would result in failure. It could be done by having a plain, non-threaded finial onto which the cap can be posted, but that would look just as bad as a threaded finial, and there would be a step at that end too, just as there is with a threaded finial, and just as there is with the cap thread at the pointy end.

 

[Nicholas Andrews]

A fountain pen is, in essence, two tubes that screw together. The complication is that a pen kit has to allow space for the turner to cover those tubes, and for components to be pressed into them too. A commercial pen or a custom pen has no need for parts to be pressed in, so that's at least a few parts of a millimetre saved, and the bit you see, (what would otherwise be a blank surrounding a tube), IS the tube, so that's a few more parts of a millimetre saved. The necessary difference in size is what gives rise to the step.

As for a thread at the end of the barrel to post the cap, I agree they mostly look odd and I'm not a great fan of them. However, many tuners won't buy a kit if it's not postable, and many won't buy one if it does have a posting thread. It would be ideal to be able to post the cap simply by pushing it onto the blunt end of the barrel, but unless you give specific instructions to the turner about the exact size he or she is allowed to turn his blank, it won't work - those that like a fat curve on their pens will end up disappointed, and any deviation whatsoever from a strict tolerance would result in failure. It could be done by having a plain, non-threaded finial onto which the cap can be posted, but that would look just as bad as a threaded finial, and there would be a step at that end too, just as there is with a threaded finial, and just as there is with the cap thread at the pointy end.

I am grateful for the responses; thank you. However, many kit pens (mostly, if not all, ballpoints) have a smooth transition from the single or lower barrel to the tip of the pen. It should be possible to achieve the same result with a fountain pen kit but I have yet to see one without a step which personally I find uncomfortable.
Secondly, the cap. Parker 51's used (as I'm sure you know) a simple method (they called it a clutch) with a small ring between the nib section and remainder of he pen thus enabling the cap to be posted on the barrel and avoiding the need for screw threads. I cannot believe the mighty Dayacom could not invent a similar mechanism which was inserted after the top tube of the pen had been turned. And if not Dayacom , Beaufort Ink perhaps?