5 replies to this topic

[Mike Hosea]

So was the barrel step on this pen

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331111093000

 

a Sheaffer thing or a user-mod?  Never seen that before.

Edited by mhosea, 27 January 2014 - 12:53 AM.

[david i]

Hi,

 

I'm not certain.  I believe I've had at least a couple Balances with slightly inset threads, though the example you show is more dramatic.  Technique variation?  Recut threads (presumably with a cap mod with  tweaked threads there as well?  That would be tricky.

 

regards

 

david

[Norm]

There is not a barrel step on any of my plastic threaded balance pens but there is one on the ones that have metal threads. 

Edited by Norm, 27 January 2014 - 07:00 PM.

[matt]

Is it me, or is there a chunk of cap lip missing carefully hidden by the lighting and photo angle in the 2nd and 3rd photos?

[AeRoberto]

Is it me, or is there a chunk of cap lip missing carefully hidden by the lighting and photo angle in the 2nd and 3rd photos?

 

Yes, I had the same impression.

[Mike Hosea]

Is it me, or is there a chunk of cap lip missing carefully hidden by the lighting and photo angle in the 2nd and 3rd photos?

 

Not just you.  There's something going on there.  I downloaded the photos and increased the gamma correction.  It's still not real clear, but it looks like the lip of the barrel is somewhat irregular, either from being filed, chipped, or melted.  I had thought, in reference to David's point, that the cap threads might not need modification if the barrel threads had been re-cut to accommodate cap shrinkage.  It didn't look like that had happened to me, but I did not notice the cap irregularities before.  Considering the sale price of the pen, I doubt the buyer noticed the irregularities.

 

One concern with this design is that one needs for the section to contact the inner cap just before the cap lip reaches the end of the undercut.  I am not sure what happens in every case, but I assume that over time, clips and levers stop matching up because of wear on the section, inner cap lip, or from movement of the inner cap for whatever reason.  If the section does not abut the inner cap before the outer cap lip reaches the end of the undercut, the cap seal will be compromised, and there will be risk of chipping either the barrel or cap if the cap lip is torqued down against the end of the undercut.

Edited by mhosea, 27 January 2014 - 09:13 PM.