Fountain pens were used in the 19th century because they are very comfortable. But the old pens had one drawback: they wrote with ink that got dirty. But if you insert a ballpoint into the nib, the pen will be both comfortable and stylish.
Making a bird feather ballpoint pen will take an old pen, nib, and a little patience.
What is the handle made of
- an old ballpoint pen (Bic is better, since they have a thin refill), - bird feather (goose, swan, peacock, stork or any other), - scissors, - yarn.
How to make a pen
Find a bird feather. It can be any pen that you feel comfortable in your hand. But keep in mind that long tail feathers are the best.
The larger the nib, the better. This will make the handle bar easier to fit inside.
Always wash feathers found outside. You can wash the pen under running water, carefully removing bugs and dirt from it. It should be beautiful, flawless.
Disassemble the ballpoint pen. Take the rod out of it. Cut off the tip of the feather with scissors. Try to insert the rod inside. If it's too long, cut off the tip with scissors and try again to insert it into the nib. It is good if there is a little ink in the rod, since then you will not get dirty with it.
Take the yarn and cut about 50 cm. Place the end of the yarn on top of the end of the feather where the rod is inserted and leave a piece about 7 cm long. Start wrapping the second, longer end of the yarn around the feather and short end.
Try to wrap as tightly as possible. When the handle is tight enough, tie both ends of the yarn. Five knots should be enough. To keep the tips from sticking out, you can glue them to the feather.
The handle is ready.
Other nib ballpoint pen options
You can use glue instead of tape. Glue should be applied to the inside of the pen. If the nib is too narrow, it can be cut from the side. Then add super glue, insert the core inside the nib and let the nib dry. Instead of glue, you can use scotch tape wrapping it around the bottom of the nib, but then the pen will not look so pretty.
For a more comfortable grip, the feather can be shaved a little from the down that is usually attached to the bottom of it. To do this, you can use an ordinary clerical knife. Peru, if desired, can be given a different shape using the same tool. Gently run the knife along the feather, from bottom to top, being careful not to break it.
It all depends on personal preference and the look of the pen. The peacock feathers are so beautiful that they are best left as they are.
To keep the feather softer, you can leave it in water overnight.
The feather can be dyed with hair dye. Dissolve the paint in a plastic bowl and dip the nib in it several times. Then rinse the pen with water.
