Titanium!

Good things take time

Well, it took a while before I got my Tactile Turn Gist – you might remember my previous blog post about this Kickstarter.
I guess I just happened to pick a combination (polycarbonate body and brass finial) that was produced very late. Others in the UK got their TT Gist more than a month before me.

Brass finial
Brass finial

Good looks

Now that I finally got it and I have to say that I really like the look. The lines on the pen’s body and the look of the clip are two of my favourite bits. This also happens to be my first fountain pen with a titanium nib.

Titanium knife and titanium pen
Titanium knife and titanium pen

Marks on the pen’s body

One thing was however rather disappointing. The body of the pen has marks in three places of the body where it has been held in place during machining. After contacting Will Hodges I was told that these marks are normal, at least on the polycarbonate pens – but on pens made from harder materials he was able to buff them off to some extend.

Thinking how ‘violently’ the pen was rotating in Will’s youtube video I am not too surprised about the marks. Maybe I will get used to them over time.

Not so easy to see on the photo: the marks where the pen has been clamped
Not so easy to see on the photo: the marks where the pen has been clamped

Titanium

As mentioned before this is my first titanium nib. To my excitement I like the flexibility of this nib. You don’t need much pressure to produce a wider line. I just wish the line was a bit finer when least pressure is applied. First tests in a Field Note with Finch Paper Opaque Smooth 50#T were disappointing, but that seems to be down to the paper and ink (I have only used this paper with pencils so far, also not a great choice). On copy room paper I got great line width variation without much effort.

The titanium nib is quite flexible
The titanium nib is quite flexible

I don’t have much experience with titanium, but I do have titanium scales for my Victorinox Deluxe Tinker, so I thought I show the titanium nib and the titanium scales next to each other. I like the concrete-like look of the material – it has a very utilitarian feel to it.

My titanium scales are made from grade 5 titanium (Ti-6AL-4V). I am not sure what titanium is used for Bock’s titanium nibs.

Titanium knife and titanium pen
Titanium knife and titanium pen

If you want to know more about my titanium scales have a look at this video, the description has links to the maker’s, Andrzej’s, web site.

 

 

 

6 thoughts on “Titanium!”

  1. Nice looking pen! The Bock nib is interesting. Do they only make titanium nibs? Do they make nibs for any other pen manufacturers?

  2. Thank your for your comment.
    I think they also make steel, gold and palladium nibs – maybe even more.

    Their nibs are used by many pen manufacturers, sometimes under the Bock name, sometimes under the pen manufacturer’s name.

  3. Very nice!

    I’m familiar with Titanium mostly through cycling, where it’s used for the frames of expensive touring bikes, although I have heard of, but never used, Titanium nibs.

    Titanium knife scales are completely new to me – thanks for the link!

  4. John,

    I knew that some of the posh bikes are made from aluminium or carbon-something, but I didn’t know there are also titanium ones…
    Andrzej who made the scales is also a knife maker and he said that titanium is no match for good, hardened steel.

  5. Pingback: Tactile Turn Gist meta-review | United Inkdom

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