ebonite....what exactly is it?

[mookie2112]

it seems like a porous material.....is it wood? how different is it from plastic?

Thanks!

[jar]

Vulcanized Hard Rubber.

[Dreck]

Apart from videos of cats, the internet hosts a whole world of information. Avail yourself of it. https://www.google.com/#safe=active&q=what+is+ebonite

[matteob]

No it is not porous at all as it is used for eyedropper fountain pens in India especially. It has a distinctive rubbery smell like a new car tyre but I like it. It polishes up well and is light and strong.

[Jacoby190]

It should be noted that storing ebonite pens with celluloid pens is a bad idea as the aforementioned "distinctive rubbery smell " is due to natural gases being released and this will damage celluloid pens.


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[Jon Szanto]

And since this is turning into an educational thread (which is good), I would suggest doing some good googling on hard rubber pens, as this material - "ebonite" just being another name - plays a big part in the early history of the pens, certainly up to the mid-1920's. HR, in black, red, and rippled formations, smooth and chased, is a unique material, and does (as noted previously) require certain handling, use, and storage precautions. It is a great material to have a pen made from, and feels very nice in the hand.

[Cob]

It's worth, I suppose, pointing out that Ebonite/Vulcanite/Black Hard Rubber is not Bakelite; many people appear to think that it is.

Probably as many as those who think that a 1930s Swan SM200/60 or an Onoto from that period is BCHR - which it isn't!

Cob

[FredRydr]

And then it begs the question, what is vulcanized? Wikipedia to the rescue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcanization

Fred

[jar]

It should be noted that storing ebonite pens with celluloid pens is a bad idea as the aforementioned "distinctive rubbery smell " is due to natural gases being released and this will damage celluloid pens.


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Yet many celluloid pens come originally with an ebonite feed.

[Wile E Coyote]

And then it begs the question, what is vulcanized? Wikipedia to the rescue: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcanization

Fred

It means: to make or become vulcan

Leonard Nimoy was vulcanized for his role in Star Trek.

[matteob]

And since this is turning into an educational thread (which is good), I would suggest doing some good googling on hard rubber pens, as this material - "ebonite" just being another name - plays a big part in the early history of the pens, certainly up to the mid-1920's. HR, in black, red, and rippled formations, smooth and chased, is a unique material, and does (as noted previously) require certain handling, use, and storage precautions. It is a great material to have a pen made from, and feels very nice in the hand.

Care to enlighten me? I own a couple of Ebonite pens but am not aware of any usage handling or storage peculiarities!

[Jacoby190]

It should be noted that storing ebonite pens with celluloid pens is a bad idea as the aforementioned "distinctive rubbery smell " is due to natural gases being released and this will damage celluloid pens.


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Yet many celluloid pens come originally with an ebonite feed.

True, but it has always been my understanding that it is a best practice to store these types of pens separately even as a precaution. This article was helpful for me even though it does not answer your question fully. You make a great point. I would just rather be safe than sorry.

<http://canada.pch.gc.ca/eng/1439925170961>



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[Bisquitlips]

As we are talking about ebonite, here are several personal thoughts about ebonite in comparison to plastic feeds:

Ebonite used for feeds has the excellent characteristic that it will not absorb the ink being fed to the nib. The pigments and other chemicals and elements in inks do not impact ebonite. Some plastics used for feeds are changed by some inks and their compositions. Some plastics can be softened especially by inks that are considered "bullet proof" or permanent or with high astringent values. In my younger years, I had pens with plastic feeds that were lovely writers for years and then I would try another ink and afterward they would be completely lacking. I haven't had this experience with pens with ebonite feeds.

Ebonite feeds need to be hand cut and finished while the plastic feeds are molded. Even though some of the more expensive pens (like Montblanc) are using plastic feeds in most of their lines, most of the hand crafted pens like Omas (defunct), Montegrappa and others use ebonite. The real problem that I have had with molded / plastic nibs is when they are right they are good. But many of the plastic nibs just are not good performers out of the door. Heat and cold can change them. Ebonite is stable.

Typically an ebonite feed will be tuned to the nib being place on it. Again, that is why hand crafted fountain pens are usually great performers out of the box. Not always, but in my experience they are a vast majority of the time. And also why they will maintain their excellence.

Also, plastic feeds cannot be modified. Ebonite can be sanded, cut, and routinely repaired whereas a plastic feed does not stand up to sanding and other modifications. Better to replace the plastic feed and start from scratch. Not so with the ebonite.

When possible I try to acquire pens with ebonite feeds, but plastic really doesn't put me off if I truly want a pen. The best thing is to just enjoy them, use them, and all that goes along with this great hobby.

Just a few thoughts...

[Cob]

It should be noted that storing ebonite pens with celluloid pens is a bad idea as the aforementioned "distinctive rubbery smell " is due to natural gases being released and this will damage celluloid pens.


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Yet many celluloid pens come originally with an ebonite feed.

Absolutely, and the clip screws on vintage pens are usually ebonite too - the Swan Minors had ebonite filling levers - important to remember not to put a complete barrel into the ultra-sonic cleaner!

Cob

[Cob]

And since this is turning into an educational thread (which is good), I would suggest doing some good googling on hard rubber pens, as this material - "ebonite" just being another name - plays a big part in the early history of the pens, certainly up to the mid-1920's. HR, in black, red, and rippled formations, smooth and chased, is a unique material, and does (as noted previously) require certain handling, use, and storage precautions. It is a great material to have a pen made from, and feels very nice in the hand.

Care to enlighten me? I own a couple of Ebonite pens but am not aware of any usage handling or storage peculiarities!

Keep them away from water and out of the light! My pens, Celluloid and Ebonite are stored together in a collection of glass jars and beakers (!); I have had no trouble.

Cob

[matteob]

Thanks for this. I have a few Indian eye droppers on the way ebonite feeds. Noodlers pens are good value and have hand cut ebonite feeds too. I have a Noodler's Charlie and that is a great little writer.

[penwash]

It should be noted that storing ebonite pens with celluloid pens is a bad idea as the aforementioned "distinctive rubbery smell " is due to natural gases being released and this will damage celluloid pens.


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I have quite a few ebonite barrel pens and none of them emit the sulphur/rubber smell until I rub them or heat them.

[Jon Szanto]

It should be noted that storing ebonite pens with celluloid pens is a bad idea as the aforementioned "distinctive rubbery smell " is due to natural gases being released and this will damage celluloid pens.

I have quite a few ebonite barrel pens and none of them emit the sulphur/rubber smell until I rub them or heat them.

I'm not totally certain of your inference, but the fact that your nose can't detect an odor does not mean that gases are not being emitted. Better safe than sorry.

[titrisol]

Ebonite was one of the 1st commercially succesful artificial polymer; and the father of the GoodYear company!
Many things were made with it, and while it polishes great it can also become brittle
It was used in the 1920s, pens, bowling balls, electrical plugs; etc
Like it was said beofre it is a very hard rubber, made by mixing sulfur in large concentration 18-45%; and it is not elastic

*** erased references to bakelite which was used extensively. Any bakelite pens?

[Hawk]

I believe the old telephones were made of Bakelite.