# Powder Metal Pen Blanks?



## jskeen

anybody familiar with/used these and care to comment on the care and feeding thereof?  

http://cgi.ebay.com/Metal-Pen-Blank...ryZ71234QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## Firefyter-emt

("Create stunning custom pens with these real metal (REM3) pen blanks.  These blanks are made with 95% of the real rare earth metal that has been atomized down to the molecular level and combined with special chemical binders to form a new composite material called REM3 (short for "Rare Earth Macro Molecular Metal")

Sounds like powdered pearls in resin to me...(and a bit of used car salesman BS added in.)


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## OKLAHOMAN

I know of a turner who has made some pens from "REAL" Mokume Gane useing silver and gold, absolutely stunning, this Guy is selling Snake Oil not Mokume Gane. Read the following Quoted directly from his listing.



"These blanks are made with 95% of the real metal that has been atomized down to the molecular level and mixed with a chemical binder to form a new composite material.  The new metal has the same visual characteristics of the source metal with a surface hardness that will allow an unbelievable gem quality finish, yet it will turn on a wood lathe with standard wood turning tools."

Sounds like snake oil to me...


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## btboone

Interesting concept.  The price of the real stuff is so high that there might be a market for that.


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## leehljp

I think the fellow might have a knowledge of Japanese. ON the second picture for blanks, the one that looks like a metal with wood grain named _Mokume gane_ - the 'Mokume' means "fine wood grained" and 'gane' means "gold," or "metal" in certain contexts. That is not the common writing for "gold," but then in combinations with other words in context, that probably is his meaning, if he is using a Japanese label. 

Revised Add-in: Bruce's explanation below jogged a brain cell for me.  "Gane" in this context IS "metal".

I find it highly unlikely that "Mokume gane" is derived from another language given the Japanese meaning for those words and the look of the blanks. But I have seen that happen.

Free Japanese lesson :
The "Moku" part is a reference to wood that has been crafted, and is not used by the average Japanese although they do know it. It is used primarily within skilled woodworking community. Ki or "key" is the more common word for wood. Moku gives the connotation of fine skill used in bringing the wood to its current state.


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## btboone

It is a Japanese term meaning wood eye metal from what I have read.  It is a real science to properly make mokume gane, which bonds different metals at below their melting points.  The metals stay separate but act as a single metal if it is done correctly.  The layers are worked to get the characteristic patterns.  The process is very sensitive to any oxygen or contamination in the bond, so the metals must each be chemically cleaned and bound under pressure with very controlled heat.  Very expensive learning curve, especially when gold is concerned.


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## follow3

I might be crazy, but I think you could order a bottle of brass, or bronze, or whatever metal powder from Artstuff, mix it with PR or Alumalite and cast it like any other blank and you would get the same thing.

You could buy enough supplies to cast 20 of them for the price of 1 on that auction.

Just my opinion, for what it's worth.

Steve


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## btboone

I would suppose that in order to get just 5% binder that it's a process that takes hydraulic pressure and heat.  It looks much more like a solid metal than polyester with metal bits in it.  I would be interested to read about the process.  The look is pretty much dead nuts to silver and copper mokume.  As I mentioned, the stuff is very expensive.  I pay a couple thousand dollars for a little 3 x 3" square of it in sheet form for the gold and silver mix.  Copper and silver is nowhere close to that, but still plenty expensive.  It takes a lot of labor and very specialized setup to make the real stuff.  Being that the real stuff is so expensive, I bet pens could sell for a premium if they looked close enough to it.


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## YoYoSpin

I've cast powdered metal in poly resin many times, but in nothing like these 95/5 proportions. A normal PR casting might contain something like 2-3% colorant by volume or weight, including powdered metals. So, if itâ€™s true that these blanks are 95% metal, then I'd expect them to be very heavy and dense. Sounds fishy to me...


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## Texatdurango

Always interested in trying new products, I sent this vendor an email saying that his product was being discussed with less than favorable results since no one had heard of it.

I thought it would be nice if one or two of us could get a sample to turn and give an evaluation for the rest of the group since if it's just another resin, I'd just as soon stay with Ed's metallic blanks!

George


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## Texatdurango

As I said above, I contacted the vendor in question and received a reply and he was kind enough to send me a few samples to evaluate since we knew nothing of the material.  So without further ado, and without getting into what the blanks are made of, how they are made, where they are made, how much they cost, are they worth it, etc, here is my hands on experience with two samples.

I received two â€œM3 Metalâ€ blanks,  one was called nickel silver and measured Â¾â€ square and was 5â€ long and weighed 5.4 oz, the other was called mokume gane and was Â¾â€ square,  5â€ long weighing 3.2 oz.

To put these weights into perspective I weighed some of my other blanks of similar size; BOW = 1.8oz, Kingwood = 2.0oz, stabilized box elder burl = 1.8oz, so these new blanks are much heavier.

Using my skew I turned both blanks to Â¾â€ cylinders with no problems, the blanks were similar to several truestone blanks I have turned as they turned into more of a powder than the firm ribbons one associates with resins and acrylics.  Turning these was no harder than several of the truestone blanks I have turned, and were actually easier than several truestone compounds I have turned.

Before doing anything else I sanded both cylinders up through 1500 grit then polished with some Flitz metal polish I had on hand.   I decided to make the mokume gane blank first and decided it would look nice with the black titanium plating of the Jr Gent kit.

I have yet to decide how to fabricate the nickel silver blank and am thinking it needs to be a closed end design to showcase its beauty.  Any suggestions from you artistic types are welcome.  

Drilling and further turning was nothing out of the ordinary except for the sanding.  I turn with a skew so had a very smooth finish at the bushing diameter so started sanding with 3M 400, 600,  then wet sanded with 3M 1000 and 1500 sheets then switched to micro mesh and continued wet sanded up through 12000 grit.

The accompanying instruction sheet said not to use plastic polish due to the high metal content so I used some Flitz polish which I have used for years on metals and plastics and brought the blanks to a nice shine.

I assembled one kit and the finished pen is also shown below and in conclusion I would say these are nice blanks, definitely NOT junk and no â€œsnake oilâ€ present!   Will these replace the burls we use everyday, no, but they, just as any other nice material, will find a niche in our pen turners arsenal.  The ONLY downside I see is that being metal, will conflict with the metal parts in most kits used so design selection will be critical to pull off a really stunning pen.

Some Photosâ€¦.

Turning the nickel silver blank





The nickel silver blank before sanding, lots of shiny particles!




The nickel silver blank after some sanding and Flitz metal polish




The mokume gane blank before turning




The mokume blank after the skew




The mokume gane blank after a little sanding and metal polish




Drilling produced a fine shiny powder




You had to see this in person, looked like diamond dust it was so shiny.




The finished pen.  Jr Gent black titanium and nothing but metal polish on the blank........ I like it!


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## wood-of-1kind

Thanks for the assessment George. Answered all questions that were floating around my mind regarding this product. Your finished mokume pen looks good but based on the relative high cost/unit, I'll pass up on putting it on my 'to purchase list'.

-Peter-


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## Darley

Metal ???? never see drill metal turning into powder, is that some kind of clay??


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## thewishman

That is what i call "taking initiative." The material looks very nice and the photos are great. Thanks for the test and results.

Chris


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## billteix

I have done some research on this blank, and it is real.  I also found some commercially built Rollerball and fountain pens made from similar metals (Mokume Gane).  Grason Tighe is the company.  Pics on the site are of Damascus metal (Gray black iron and stainless steal.  There is also a copper and silver, copper and aluminum.  All the pens sell starting at 1300 dollars.  I for one am going to order some blocks.  I been in contact with the person "Mike" who is making them.  He is releasing a Damascus metal blank in a few days and then he will be creating another with gold in it.  He also offered to create blanks into what ever metal i might find attractive.


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## btboone

I'm sure that Tighe uses the real materials though.  His dad is a knifemaker, and they have access to the types of tools and suppliers it takes to get the real stuff.  I'm sure Tighe uses a CNC lathe.


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## btboone

If you are contacting Mike, can you find out if he can do special sizes, like 1" or 1 1/4" diameter?  Thanks.


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## DCBluesman

These blanks are NOT mokume gane.  They are resin.  They may well be mixed with metals and they do imitate mokume gane, but make no mistake...these are RESIN blanks.  It's highly unlikely that someone will mistake them for the real thing and even more unlikely they will end up in a $1300 pen.


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## IPD_Mrs

While George did a fantastic job giving us a chance to preview the product, after doing a little googling and reading, Lou is 100% right.  The product looks good for what it is, but compair it to the real stuff even on a computer screen and at best you can call it imitation.  Marketing pens made with this resin and calling it mokume gane would constitute fraud in my book.  

With that being said, it still makes for a stunning pen if you can find a good match plating wise to go with the kit as George did.

Anyway my 1/2 cents worth.


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## Texatdurango

For crying out loud... doesn't anyone think anymore?  Do any of you folks really believe you are going to get custom blended precious metal pen blanks for $20 or $25?

After looking at my photos, did you still think these were solid copper and silver hammered together to form one very expensive metal blend?  Did you think I would actually turn solid copper and silver into powdery ribbons on my lathe?  

Of course these are not solid blocks of REAL precious metals and darn sure aren't blended metals like Damascus steel.  As Mike said above, "the product looks for what it is".

The blanks I turned are a type of resin with metal particles in them, enough metal that it makes a difference if you polish with plastic or metal polish.  I used the Novus plastic polish and got a very mild shine, then I used my Flitz metal polish and WOW, what a difference.  

As stated, they look good for what they are, why not just leave it at that and either like them or not!  They are obviously not going to be for everyone just as some would cringe spending $20 for a desert iron wood blank or $45 on a majestic pen kit or $65 for an imperial kit!


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## DCBluesman

George - The point of my post was to prevent those who do not know from making a mistake...that's all.


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## leehljp

The early definitions oversimplified Mokume Gane, AND "mokume gane" only refered to the ONE blank that looked like layered metal. 

The others are not mokume, as Lou noted, but metalic powders in resin form. The seller did not refer to them as mokume, only the one with the layered look.

Here (in Japan) - mokume is NOT "the literal transliteration of wood+eye". Moku is wood; and me is eye as their kanji characters note. However, mokume in the vernacular means curly grained wood.
#26408;#30446; [#12365;#12417;: KIME]  grain (of wood), curly grain
#26408;#30446; [#12418;#12367;#12417;: MOKUME]  grain (of wood), curly grain

"Gane" in this context does not mean coins or gold but metal. Gane or kane can mean either and the "mokume gane" context is "*wood grained looks in metallic form*." Those pens would sell for a pretty penny/yen over here. That fine wood grain look is highly revered here. It resembles the old highly valuable swords too - in all of those layers. 

IF you were to see the mokuwood shops you would see the grains of some wood cut to resemble the exact grain pattern noted in the mokume gane pen recently posted. 



AS to words and their meaning, it greatly gets distorted in the fact that the kanji characters and english look up of the individual words do not equal the meaning in English as it does in Japanese.

Japanese lesson - Sushi is NOT raw fish. Sushi means "with Rice, vinegared rice, or seasoned rice - but never rice by itself."  Think of that the next time you go to a sushi bar in the US and say Sushi to a Japanese.  The "raw fish" is "O'Sashimi." The Japanese mind set understands that often sushi/rice is served with raw fish.


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## IPD_Mrs

George, now that you have one complete, what do you think of the weight of the pen?  Does that heavy of a blank effect balance, or does it have more the feel of say a Jr Emperor?  Also what about shaping the blank?  Can you do more with the material than just B2B?  I have yet to turn any of the truestone so I have nothing to compair this to.

Mike & Linda


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## Texatdurango

Sorry for the confusion guys, I need to learn to use quotes so folks will know where my thoughts are directed.  I'll try again.



> _Originally posted by billteix_
> 
> I have done some research on this blank, and it is real.


billteix, if your research has lead you to believe this is the same material as used in the pens on Grason Tighe's website, please do some more research!

Actually this thread is similar to the recent Truestone thread where some folks were actually shocked when they learned that the $8 blank they purchased wasn't indeed real turquoise or some other semi precious stone!


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## billteix

i am going to do more research for sure.  But as  stated in this forum by others.  None the less these blanks do have the somewhat like Mokume Gane. I know someone who has a ring which suppose to be Mokume Gane i am going to check that out.  Mokume Gane. Mokume-gane ( ; ) (pronounced Moe-koo-may Gah-nay) is a mixed-metal laminate with distinctive layered patterns. Literally translating as "wood eye (i.e., burl) metal", the name was borrowed from one type of pattern created in the forging of swords and other edged weapons.  Looking at the sample pen here i see the pattern but it really does not look layered more like a mix "butter scotch swirl pattern." 

I feel the cost of these blanks is a bit steep "copper and aluminum" are not all that expensive of a metal. * I am not sure if there would be a market for this material on a pen.  What are your opinions? * Being metal like would give them i suppose great wear ablity.


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## btboone

Here's a cool article showing what it takes to make a mokume ring.  You can see why they are normally thousands of dollars.  http://www.mickyroof.com/creating-mokume1.shtml


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## Firefyter-emt

Bruce, I am not much of a jewerly guy myself, but that link you provided.... Dang, those are amazing!  

PS... I forgot to get back to you, I did get my ring sized up here. But thanks a million for the offer!


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## alxe24

I would like to trythis material. I bet you can get your money's worth out of it, without missleading anyone to believe it is the wrong thing. The looks are great and it does resemble the concept of the material. I can't see why one could not sell this for $150 to $200. I sold a stars and stripes emperor for $250. People pay for unique well made pieces.
The question is what is the best price he would give for a group order. People pay $20 for cactus, snake and other unique blanks already. 
Who would care about geting some of them?
Alex


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## Texatdurango

I would be interested in a few.  As you stated, they are nice blanks in their own right regardless of what they are called.

I also believe that if I set these pens in with my other nice kits they would hold their own and sell.  Actually the current price pales in comparison to the $45 I just paid for the flag kits which I realize are not made from real flags, just supposed to resemble the concept of a flag!


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## OKLAHOMAN

@$35.00 per which is what I paid for the first 2 that I bought no I wouldn't buy anymore but if we could get them down to $20-$25.00 that might work.


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## Texatdurango

Perhaps we can convince the vendor to offer IAP members a discount so we won't have to worry about group buys or dealing with Ebay.  Sounds like a good idea, why didn't I think of that earlier?  

I'd like to see some more interesting patterns and colors myself, maybe some are in the works.  I've got some Jr Emperors just sitting naked in a box waiting for just the right blank with a hint of gold in the pattern to match the centerband and clip.


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## Monty

I've emailed him about a discount for a group buy. Will post again when I receive an answer.


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## Monty

Just had an answer. He has joined the forum and is planning on offering a discount to members. He will post as soon as his membership is verified (or whatever).


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## MHKogan

My name is Michael Kogan and I am a representative of the company that manufactures the M3 metal pen blanks that have caused quite a stir here on the forum.  First of all I want to thank George for his unbiased review of our product as well as all of the members that have already purchased them.

I am available to answer any and all questions either here on the forum, through email or on the telephone.  Please feel free to contact me at info@MetalPenBlanks.com or (888) 478-6745 with any questions or comments.

Now lets put an end to the "Mokume Gane" debate.  Our pen blanks are M3 (MacroMolecular Metal) that when we combine two different M3 metals of contrasting colors we get a blank that resembles the Japanese art metal "Mokume Gane".  So while it is not "Mokume Gane" in the traditional sense it is extremely beautiful and shares the wood grain characteristics.  That is why we named our version "Mokume Gane" M3.  

We will be launching our website shortly that will better explain what M3 is and how it is used.  Suffice it to say that millions of dollars have been spent developing this material for other industries such as the aerospace industry, automotive and marine.  It just happens that it is also a perfect material for turning exquisite pens and other small items.

The material is made from atomized metal.  This is metal that is put into a special machine that heats it to a very high temperature and then shoots high pressure water at it causing it to explode into microscopic sized particles resembling a fine powder.  The atomized metal powder is then mixed mix with a small amount of resin and other chemicals (depending on its use) which under great pressure causes a chemical reaction.  The resulting material is M3 MacroMolecular Metal.  It contains as much as 95% of the original metal, it won't conduct heat or electricity, it will patina (iron will rust) but it won't corrode and it won't cause electrolysis when it is combined with dissimilar metals. 

I hope that I have answered some questions and removed some of the mystery of M3. I will address the "Group Buy" in my next post.


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## MHKogan

A number of members have requested some special pricing for forum members or perhaps a "Group Buy" and we are willing to accomodate.  The materials and the processes involved here are really quite complicated and expensive and we have worked very hard to get the pricing down to where it is today.  That being said if we are selling direct to the forum members rather than selling through eBay we can pass the 5% savings to the members.  *So members that send me an email requesting M3 pen blanks and pay through PayPal will receive a 5% discount. *

*"Group Buy"*
Currently our volume discount is buy 5 get 1 free which is a 20% savings.  We will extend this 20% discount to the group as follows:
*1)Send us an email with your order before Friday December 14th
2)Include the words "Group Buy" in the subject line of the email
3)Pay for your order through PayPal
4)Pay a flat $5 shipping and handling fee
5)We will discount the order by 20%*

Current Pricing:

Copper, Bronze, Brass, Stainless Steel, Nickel Silver, Iron, Aluminum
3/4"x3/4"x5" = $25 ($20 as part of the "Group Buy")
1"x1"x6" = $35 ($28 as part of the "Group Buy")

Mokume Gane M3- Copper and Aluminum
3/4"x3/4"x5" = $35 ($28 as part of "Group Buy")
1"x1"x6" = $45 ($36 as part of "Group Buy")

Coming Soon:  "Damascus Steel M3"


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## mrplace

> _Originally posted by btboone_
> 
> Here's a cool article showing what it takes to make a mokume ring.  You can see why they are normally thousands of dollars.  http://www.mickyroof.com/creating-mokume1.shtml



Here is a guy who makes it in Argentina.
http://www.aescustomknives.com.ar/docs/tutorial12.htm

If you want to buy the REAL stuff this guy has quoted me larger diameter pieces.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Mokume-Gane-bar...ryZ41369QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


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## btboone

I looked into getting the equipment to do it myself.  It's a very expensive learning curve, especially with the precious metals, which are better for rings, so I bite the bullet and pay others that have the learining curve down for it.  Time is money as well, so the cost of the stuff, even if very expensive avoids the money lost in using your time.


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## Gary Max

Heck I talked with Mike yesterday on the phone---I will post a couple pics of the pens I turn as soon as the blanks get here. We are always looking to add high end products to our inventory.


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## alxe24

Just to clarify. is the group buy for 5 pieces minimum? or a couple as well?
Thanks for your the assistance.



> _Originally posted by MHKogan_
> 
> A number of members have requested some special pricing for forum members or perhaps a "Group Buy" and we are willing to accomodate.  The materials and the processes involved here are really quite complicated and expensive and we have worked very hard to get the pricing down to where it is today.  That being said if we are selling direct to the forum members rather than selling through eBay we can pass the 5% savings to the members.  *So members that send me an email requesting M3 pen blanks and pay through PayPal will receive a 5% discount. *
> 
> *"Group Buy"*
> Currently our volume discount is buy 5 get 1 free which is a 20% savings.  We will extend this 20% discount to the group as follows:
> *1)Send us an email with your order before Friday December 14th
> 2)Include the words "Group Buy" in the subject line of the email
> 3)Pay for your order through PayPal
> 4)Pay a flat $5 shipping and handling fee
> 5)We will discount the order by 20%*
> 
> Current Pricing:
> 
> Copper, Bronze, Brass, Stainless Steel, Nickel Silver, Iron, Aluminum
> 3/4"x3/4"x5" = $25 ($20 as part of the "Group Buy")
> 1"x1"x6" = $35 ($28 as part of the "Group Buy")
> 
> Mokume Gane M3- Copper and Aluminum
> 3/4"x3/4"x5" = $35
> 1"x1"x6" = $45
> 
> Coming Soon:  "Damascus Steel M3"


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## MHKogan

The "Group Buy" discount is good for any quantity. Buy 1, 2, 3 whatever and get the discount as if you bought 100.


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## JasonF

George, you said "The ONLY downside I see is that being metal, will conflict with the metal parts in most kits used so design selection will be critical to pull off a really stunning pen."

Does the material seem to have the strength to have the nib turned from it? For eexample, if you turned a Designer pen could you just use the brass tube inserted in the bottom part, turn a "closed ended" style bottom and then drill a small hole for the refill to extend/retract through?


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## txcwboy

JasonF- "it won't cause electrolysis when it is combined with dissimilar metals" so it shouldnt conflict with metal parts in the kits.

Dave


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## broitblat

I look forward to trying out the M3 some day (when cash flow is right ).  While I can see the difference between this and real Mokume Gane, I think the M3 is nonetheless attractive in it's own right.

  -Barry


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## JasonF

> _Originally posted by txcwboy_
> 
> JasonF- "it won't cause electrolysis when it is combined with dissimilar metals" so it shouldnt conflict with metal parts in the kits.
> 
> Dave



Let me ask the question a different way. I believe this is correct: Russ Fairfield has a Slimline modification where he uses the nib from a Slimeline kit somehow inserted into the wood/acrylic on the bottom barrel. I think when he first posted this modification he said that the nib from the kit was used/needed to add strength. When you look at the finished pen it looks like a closed end pen on the bottom with the refill extending/retracting through a small hole.

I was wondering if the high metal content in this material makes it a stronger material. My thought being that a one piece "custom nib shape" bottom could be created without having to use a metal nib from a kit.

Do you think this material is strong enough to do this?

Thanks.


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## MHKogan

M3 is a very strong material and can support the nib directly.  You can thread the material with tap and die as well.

Mike


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## skiprat

This has got to be one of the best threads for a long time.  Esp as Mike has come on board to advocate his products. I can't wait to see the Damascus when it comes. 
Mike, will you ship to the UK ( or anywhere else for that matter )?

I don't know if you (Mike) are familiar with TruStone, if so is your  product tougher?  You said it will support the nib, but could the nib be made from it too? 
Finally, does the material come in blocks or in the round?

I must say though that I'm amazed that a material that is 95% metal, is not electrically conductive.

I hope you do well and thanks for offering us a cool discount too


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## MHKogan

Yes, we will ship anywhere in the World as long as the customer is willing to pay for the shipping.  

Yes, the nib can be made from M3.  Look at this photo of a one piece pen where the nib and the clip are incorporated into the body of the pen.


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## mrplace

Bet ya could get in the guild with that one.[)]


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## Texatdurango

> _Originally posted by txcwboy_
> 
> JasonF- "it won't cause electrolysis when it is combined with dissimilar metals" so it shouldnt conflict with metal parts in the kits.
> 
> Dave



Dave, What I meant by clashing with the kit metal parts was the metal blank itself not matching the various platings of the kits.

Some will just slap on any old blank on any ole kit, but to do the silver/copper color of the M3 mokume blank justice, one needs to find just the right plating so the pen shows its best attributes.

It will be harder matching up kit platings with the solid color m3 blanks.  I have yet to turn the nickel silver Mike sent me to evaluate because I want to marry it to just the right plating on my kit.

Sadly, I am now hundreds of miles from home and will be even farther away tomorrow so won't be able to finish the pen for at least a month.


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## OKLAHOMAN

3 Days before Mike joined the forum and offered his group buy I had ordered 2 of the M3 blanks in the Mokume-gane against my better judgement but I had conversed with a few members via private E-mails and thought I needed to try them before bashing them anymore. Today I recived thru-ebay email from Mike that my blanks were not shipped yet because of the overwheliming responce for blanks from members of the IAP a pen turning forum. Great customer service I bought them on the 7th and on the 13th 6 days latter I'm told they were not shipped until today. He did say they were shipped priority mail. Mike lets hope this is just an isolated case. If I had waited until you joined and you knew I was a member would they have been shipped the next day?


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## LanceD

I had to email Mike this morning about not hearing anything from him since I purchased my blank from him also from Ebay. I promptly received an email from him basically telling me the same thing that he told Roy and that it would be shipped by priority mail tomorrow and the reason for the slower shipping was because of the overwhelming response to his blanks.


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## MHKogan

Wow, this is a tough crowd.  I am happy to report that all orders through December 13th have been shipped.  Please keep in mind that these are not stock items nor are they mass produced in China.  A large part of the manufacturing process is labor intensive and must be performed by some highly trained and skilled craftspeople, here in the USA. While we do inventory some of the more popular items most orders are made to order, which is why we ask for 5 days from order to ship date.  The day that George's review was posted here on the forum we sold out everything that we had in stock as well the next weeks complete production (Thank You George). We have now added a second line to our production facility and are back on schedule.

Roy, I assure you that all orders are produced and shipped in the order that they are received and that all of our customers are treated equally and with respect.  I wonder if your opinions will change once you have actually seen our product?

I would like to thank all of the members that took advantage of our "Group Buy" and I can't wait to see the pens that they produce.  We will offer the "Group Buy" again in the near future.

Mike


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## mrplace

> _Originally posted by OKLAHOMAN_If I had waited until you joined and you knew I was a member would they have been shipped the next day?



I bought mine before the posts for IAP discounts off of ebay, paid on Sunday 12/2 via paypal and received my blank Friday at the PO 12/7.

Mike is on the up and up. I have had more trouble from some of the highly regarded vendors on this site than the slow shipping on a new product. Should have been expected, not like vendors are slow or backorder items on other group buys.


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## txcwboy

Yeah Mike Proving yourself to THIS crowd can be brutal at times. I like the "mokume" blank but I have been waiting on someone to make a powedered metal damascus pen blank for a longgg time. I love Damasteel and hope this is the next closes thing. So I am holding out for the Damascus pen blank.

rock on !
Dave


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## SuperDave

> _Originally posted by MHKogan_
> 
> Wow, this is a tough crowd.



Mike,

Glad to see you have a tough skin. You have to if you are going to succeed as an entrepreneur. Stick with it, you are on to something that has tremendous potential. I have not ordered any yet, but will eventually.

Sadly, far too many people in the world lack the ability to adjust their expectations. Anyone with a modicum of common sense and the ability to read, should know that your blanks never claimed to be the "real thing." In fact, a rush to judgment condemned your products without ever doing any real world research. Then, after a member followed through and did the "right thing" and tested your blanks for the whole world to see firsthand; giving an honest assessment, the nay-sayers are left with complaining about your customer service. I guess if you can't admit that the blanks are not "snake oil" you can always flame the company on customer service.

I chuckle every time I visit some web sites of pen turners and read the descriptions they give of their pens. Some can be really "creative" and down right deceptive in their descriptions of a pen made from a $10 kit and a $5 chunk of wood in order to justify their $125 price tag.

On this site you will see people spend $20-$30 for a .05 cent brass tube covered in snake skin encased with .05 cents of resin... heck, I have two on order since early December and will continue to wait patiently until they arrive. I paid the asking price because it was "worth it to me." People buy $25 blanks of Cactus skeletons encased in resin, and I will too, eventually, for my personal collection. The price is worth it to me in my mind because they put the work into making something I could or would not make.

And speaking about "making a blank" just like yours, buy adding some ground metals in resin, I won't even go there. Suffice to say, if it "was that easy, everyone would be doing it"... but they ain't!

So Mike, "keep on keeping on" and you will see a following for your products and those that want to live in a world of spite, false allegations and envy can stand in the corner and sulk.

Let the flaming begin...[^]

Welcome aboard!


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## loglugger

Well said SuperDave.  
Bob


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## Gary Max

Heck I am thinking that with Mikes blanks I am going to need larger price tags for the extra --0--I will be adding to the price.


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## Texatdurango

> _Originally posted by Gary Max_
> 
> Heck I am thinking that with Mikes blanks I am going to need larger price tags for the extra --0--I will be adding to the price.



Ahhhh... just suck it up and give someone a good deal!


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## Gary Max

I have been waiting by the mailbox for them. Mailman just brings bills and smiles.


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## rherrell

I got an email today that said the blanks from the "group buy" shipped today.


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## Monty

> _Originally posted by rherrell_
> 
> I got an email today that said the blanks from the "group buy" shipped today.


Same here


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## MHKogan

All "Group Buy" M3 Metal pen blanks shipped today via Priority Mail with the exception of the international orders which will ship tomorrow (lots of extra paperwork).

Again, I want to thank all of the members that participated and I look forward to every-one's feedback.  We will do another "Group Buy" after the first of the year so look for it in the "Business Classified" section.

Mike


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## Gary Max

Thanks for the confirmation that my blanks are on the way.
We are looking forward to the next group buy---will you have the Damascus ready by then???????
Like you said ---tough crowd


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## twoofakind

I agree! I was tempted to get in on this one, but I wanted to try the damascus blank so I will wait until they get them ready.
Andy


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## Gary Max

This year I finally figured out that it takes the same amount of time to sell a expensive pen as selling a Bargain pen. I got plenty of bargain pens.[]


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## holmqer

I am thinking about the not electrically conductive aspect. 

It strikes me that this material composition is similar to some capacitors. If so, it may function as one and thus would have high resistance to DC and low resistance to AC. This would appear in simple tests to be non-conductive.


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## maxwell_smart007

Damascus blanks eh?  My interest is piqued!


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## MHKogan

Our QA testing(and one of the forum members) has found some small pin holes in the most recent batch of "Mokume Gane" pen blanks.  There is a reaction between the Copper and the Aluminum (generally not compatible metals)that can cause some small air bubbles even after degassing with negative pressure.  In most cases these bubbles are forced to the surfaces once the chemical reaction kicks and are not a problem, but our testing has found some with pin holes in the blank itself. 

If you received a "Mokume Gane" blank that has pin holes inside the blank after you have turned it then you have two options.  One, you can fill the pin holes with a small amount of metal dust mixed with CA or resin(from sanding and drilling). Or two, you can email me a photo of the blank and I will send you a replacement FREE of charge.

This only happens with the Copper/Aluminum and then again only with certain batches.  This is a new material involving some very sophisticated technologies and extreme chemical reactions and we learn new things about it every day.  Our R&D team has added Stainless Steel to the Aluminum in hopes of stemming any future pin hole issues. Of most importance is that you the customer are never at risk because we will always replace any blank that is not up to your standards.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

Mike


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## OKLAHOMAN

Mike, as I was one of the members who was not as open to your product as others were I decided to order some blanks to see for myself.I e-mailed you with this problem and you answered within a acceptable timeframe with the offer to replace and now you posted on the forum to make all members aware of a potential problem. You are to be commended for your business practices. I apoligize for my remark of snake oil.Thank you for the offer of replacing my blanks,your a great vendor. 





> _Originally posted by MHKogan_
> 
> Our QA testing(and one of the forum members) has found some small pin holes in the most recent batch of "Mokume Gane" pen blanks.  There is a reaction between the Copper and the Aluminum (generally not compatible metals)that can cause some small air bubbles even after degassing with negative pressure.  In most cases these bubbles are forced to the surfaces once the chemical reaction kicks and are not a problem, but our testing has found some with pin holes in the blank itself.
> 
> If you received a "Mokume Gane" blank that has pin holes inside the blank after you have turned it then you have two options.  One, you can fill the pin holes with a small amount of metal dust mixed with CA or resin(from sanding and drilling). Or two, you can email me a photo of the blank and I will send you a replacement FREE of charge.
> 
> This only happens with the Copper/Aluminum and then again only with certain batches.  This is a new material involving some very sophisticated technologies and extreme chemical reactions and we learn new things about it every day.  Our R&D team has added Stainless Steel to the Aluminum in hopes of stemming any future pin hole issues. Of most importance is that you the customer are never at risk because we will always replace any blank that is not up to your standards.
> 
> We apologize in advance for any inconvenience.
> 
> Mike


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## SuperDave

> _Originally posted by OKLAHOMAN_
> 
> Mike, as I was one of the members who was not as open to your product as others were I decided to order some blanks to see for myself.I e-mailed you with this problem and you answered within a acceptable timeframe with the offer to replace and now you posted on the forum to make all members aware of a potential problem. You are to be commended for your business practices. I apoligize for my remark of snake oil.Thank you for the offer of replacing my blanks,your a great vendor.



Roy, you are to be commended for your willingness to apologize. This is what improves the community for everyone.

Mike, it is great to see your level of commitment, not only to your product, but to our members. This will serve your efforts well in the future.

Y'all have a Merry Christmas, ya hear?!

Dave


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## billteix

i have turned a copper and aluminum as well as bronze.  Both are awesome.  On the copper n aluminum one i used a Jr Gent II Ti Black kit, and on the bronze a gold JR. Gent. The contrast is fantastic.  The bronze has a metal flake sheen...  And the pens are not that much heavier then some of my wood Jr. Gents.  Next I am going to try the nickel and silver.  Now what kit to use hmmm, it will be a Gent of some kind but what plating is the question.  I suppose it will depend on the end result color wise after the blank is turned.  What plating would one use on Brass blank?  Black maybe if one could find a Jr Gent or something like it.


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## Monty

> _Originally posted by billteix_
> 
> ...  What plating would one use on Brass blank?  Black maybe if one could find a Jr Gent or something like it.



What about a black titanium Jr Gent???


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## bob393

Well it sounds like this is a product I need to try. 
This turned out to be quite a thread. 
I didn't know about it till late since I didn't subscribe to it. 
Thanks!


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## MHKogan

A note to the subscribers of this thread:
There is another "Group Buy" for these real metal M3 pen blanks posted in the "Group Purchase" section of the forum (http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=32257 ).  The "Group Buy" includes 20% off all Damascus, Black Gold and Mokume blanks in all sizes.  Deal closes on Saturday, January 19th.


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