Let’s Talk Pen Clips!

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flairwoodworks

flairwoodworks

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Jun 18, 2021
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Location
BC, Canada
I think the weakest point of a pen is usually the pen clip. I have broken so many plastic clips and bent so many metal ones.

In trying to design a better pen clip, I've found a question that I'm hoping the community can help with: what range of thickness would the ideal pen clip accept? 0-1/8"? More?

Also, does anybody have any options on clips with coil springs?

Are there any clip features or designs that you really like or dislike? Why?
 
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First off, for the sake of this, you should separate low quality and high quality clips. Plastic clips of any sort and any metal clip[ you can break with you bare hands are low quality.

Metal clips should be made of spring steel which means (not surprisingly) that they should be able to flex and then spring back after being flexed. The poor quality ones simply aren't spring steel and can, and often do, snap if you flex them too far.

Most spring clips I had used instead opt for a fairly rigid clip that is actuated by way of the spring. Both can work well. I particularly like the spring tension that they dialed in to the Visconti clips though I know the design is polarizing. It holds firly but doesn't take a tremendous amount of force to open. Please note that a design like this is a lot more involved. If you are interested in something like this, I would suggest trying to pick up spare parts off eBay or one of the forums so you can really get afeel for how they work and are assembled.
 
I prefer a clip whose "vertical" portion is solid metal, rather than folded from metal sheet. . Why? . I feel the solid metal is less likely to bend out of shape.

The solid "vertical" portions of these clips are probably cast. . An example is the Luxor pen kit from William Wood-Write ..... penblanks.ca

www.penblanks.ca

Luxor push button click pen kit with Schmidt mechanism satin chrome

Luxor push button pen kit. This single barrel pen features an ultra-reliable, all metal Schmidt SKM-88 click mechanism that is precision-engineered in Germany by Schmidt. Includes a Parker-style ink refill. Uses mandrel A/7 mm, pen mill shaft 8 mm, drill
www.penblanks.ca www.penblanks.ca

Another requirement that I try to impose on the clips of the kits that I buy is that the support ring for the clip should be a separate piece that is held to the actual "vertical" clip with "rivets". . I do not like clips that have the support ring and the vertical portion all cast in one piece.
These "one-piece" clips are much too stiff for my liking, with the constant fear that they might break where support ring meets "vertical".

An example of the one-piece type of clip is the PSI Celtic Twist pen kit .... https://www.pennstateind.com/store/PKCPEN24.html
 
You ask ... "Also, does anybody have any options on clips with coil springs?"

Do you mean "opinions" ?

I don't like clips that get their "springiness" from actual coil springs. .
Why ? . Not sure. . Perhaps it is because it is difficult to get sufficient "springiness" from a small coiled spring attacted to the actual clip.
Also, the coil spring seems to over-complicate the function of the clip, and could be a cause of failure.
 
magpens said:
You ask ... "Also, does anybody have any options on clips with coil springs?"

Do you mean "opinions" ?

I don't like clips that get their "springiness" from actual coil springs. .
Why ? . Not sure. . Perhaps it is because it is difficult to get sufficient "springiness" from a small coiled spring attacted to the actual clip.
Also, the coil spring seems to over-complicate the function of the clip, and could be a cause of failure.
Click to expand...
Yes, that should have said "opinions".
 
Thickness of custom clips, will vary with material type and design.
I do clips from 301 full hard stainless, at .05" thickness. It will maintain its spring, and is thick enough that I can shape it well. These clips are usually one piece with an integrated ring. I have also used 6al-4v Gr5 titanium for these, but you have to be very careful with the heat when bending.
For 2-piece clips. A visible clip portion with a stainless steel ring tab soldered to it.
For the visible portion, I will use either C510 spring tempered bronze, or Nickle Silver.

For me the soldering is the tricky part as I have, an unacceptable to me, fail rate. To much heat in the soldering softens the material causing a loss of springiness in the stainless, or softness in the visible material. I think my problem stems from the "cheap" silver solder that I am using. I think I need to buckle down and buy the good stuff, that will work at a low temp.
 
"Jalbert" (John Albert) makes some of the very best pen clips that I have seen.

One that intrigued me was:

Acrylic and cebloplast

I started out making this pen to have a wood sleeve on the barrel, but I couldn’t find anything I liked. I grabbed a little piece of mazzucchelli “celebration “ cebloplast I had laying around, and decided I’d use that instead. The cap, section , and barrel finial are plain black acrylic, and the...
www.penturners.org

John makes some extremely nice and unique pens, and as such he seems to make the clip design to enhance the specific design of the pen.

Some old links on pen clips:
https://www.penturners.org/threads/pen-clips-on-a-closed-end-pen.162445/

https://www.penturners.org/resources/hidden-clip-using-a-dremel.253/

https://www.penturners.org/resources/invisible-clips.256/

https://www.penturners.org/resources/recessed-clips.264/

http://www.penturners.org/forum/f56/need-information-about-clips-141679/

https://www.penturners.org/threads/pen-clips-on-a-closed-end-pen.162445/

Add-in: APOLOGIES to Darrin for not mentioning him - He makes some excellent ones!
 
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Funny question... Would you ask a painter what is the best dimension for a painting? Kitless is about creation, so the answer to this question depends on the creative idea you have in mind: of course it should work as a clip with spring and all, this is technique, but the dimension and material just have to be fitted to your idea, and only this idea gives you the answer to your question.
For example, I had an idea when I made this clip, all I know is I started from a rather fatty Damascus bar because I wanted to sculpt it, dunno, maybe 3 or 4mm thick, I don't even know what the final dimension is, and do not care. Next clip will follow another idea, and will be thinner, or thicker.
IMG_1334 comp.jpg


Edit : I just saw one of your recent posts about a pen of yours I find very beautiful and interesting. So tell me Chris, what is your idea of the perfect length for a pen? 😊
 
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Hi @Pierre---. Thanks for the comment. The purpose of my question is not to determine the perfect clip for my pen, or any pen, but to become more aware of what others value in a clip. Each of us brings a different set of knowledge, experience, values and perspective and those can provide different ideas. Ideas are what I'm after!

That is a very beautiful pen clip. The layered Damascus is very nice.

The perfect length for a pen is still unknown. Until it is known, all my pens will be telescopic ;)
 
flairwoodworks said:
I think the weakest point of a pen is usually the pen clip. I have broken so many plastic clips and bent so many metal ones.

In trying to design a better pen clip, I've found a question that I'm hoping the community can help with: what range of thickness would the ideal pen clip accept? 0-1/8"? More?

Also, does anybody have any options on clips with coil springs?

Are there any clip features or designs that you really like or dislike? Why?
Click to expand...
I have not had the problems with clips that you have but am interested in possibly making my own.
an 1/8" is a lot, it should travel that far but I wouldn't expect it to clip to something that thick.
I don't have much experience with spring loaded clips but it seems a good way to make a heavy stiff clip function as a clip and not a hook.
I like the Lamy clips. Simple and functional.
 
My two cents:
To me, clips should look like they belong on the particular pen, which is why I dislike the majority of premade clips on kitless, bespoke, etc pens. Being pre dimensioned and shaped, they're often ill fitted for use on kitless pens (or at least mine, because I would prefer not to design the pen around a clip). A clip should look well proportioned relative to the pen in size and shape. I've been criticized for "showing off" by exclusively making my own clips when it would be simpler to just use a premade clip, but you are not going to get the same result, or at least I wouldn't, given the way I design and make my pens.
I also prefer clips that have a good visual "weight" to them, rather than look as they're stamped from sheet, therefore mine are all usually at least 1/16" thick, and often terminate in a fatter end. They may be much stiffer than some people prefer, but in reality you don't need much spring: just enough to slide over the fabric of a shirt pocket, and I don't feel like sacrificing aesthetics for a little more spring.
 
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