# Sierra Clicks



## jttheclockman (Aug 14, 2009)

OK I just bought some of those click pens from Ernie and wanted to try them. I remembered there was a huge discussion about that little extension part and shortening tubes and all. I found this topic in the search program. http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=45259&highlight=shortening+click+pen

Really got confused now. Not sure which way I want to go now. If I use the tube that is supplied and go with the gel rollerball inserts will this work??? If so where do you get those refills??? Someone mentioned the pen is larger than a standard sierra with the insert, is this true and how much are you talking??? Is it longer than a cigar pen??? Also is there any way to glue that insert in so it does not come out and get lost??? I am not following where the extra length comes from other than the tube being slightly longer than a standard sierra tube.

Any thoughts out there???


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## JerryS (Aug 14, 2009)

Hey John 

There's another thread here on the Sierra Click that talks about some of the fixes for this. I'll try to dig it up . I'm not familiar with Ernies pens but the Parker Gels won't work with the insert unmodified . I just ground down the tit some , you'll get a burr left behind that should hold keep the insert in the refill.

Maybe this can help you out 
http://www.penturners.org/forum/showthread.php?t=46585&highlight=Sierra+Click+


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## JimMc7 (Aug 14, 2009)

Here's a comparison view 
long click version is ~ 5 3/4", short click version is ~5 1/4" and twist is ~5 3/16"







Edit to add re long version refills: Out of the box Uni-ball refill (available at Walmart or Staples) worked just fine as replacement for provided Parker clone refill + 1 of the spacers (they send an extra in the kit). Out of the box Pilot G-2 would not work (pen tip would not extend). I didn't monkey with it to see what the problem might be -- just my experience with stock refills.

Edit (again)...: other posts say a Pilot G-2 refill can be used, too. My long version could well be a bit "off" and that is the reason the G-2 didn't work in my pen. IMO the long version doesn't fit well in a pocket so I only make the short versions now and, of course, limited to Parker ballpoints or gels. Further, on my long version the Parker brand ballpoint and gel refills extend past the nib when retracted (hole on refill top is a bit smaller in diameter and the spacer doesn't fully insert like it does on the clone). Parker branded refills work fine on the short version.


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## jttheclockman (Aug 15, 2009)

JimMc7 said:


> Here's a comparison view
> long click version is ~ 5 3/4", short click version is 5 3/16" and twist is a bit over 5 1/8"
> 
> 
> ...


 


Jim

Thanks for the picture that is great. Looking at all 3 The long click does seem abit too long but the short click looks too short especially with the clip overpowering the blank. Is there a way to make the click look like the sierra twist and what refill can be used???

It just seems odd that the pen companies aren't making a nice click that is easy without all the pieces. click pens have been around forever. 

By the way when I mentioned Ernie, that is Ernie at BearTooth Woods.


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## KenV (Aug 15, 2009)

John -  this is a flexible pen,  and can be constructed in several lengths -

http://www.arizonasilhouette.com/Pen_Kit_Instructions.htm

The citation shows the Sierra Click with a shortened standard tube that takes standard parker refills -  

"use a regular Sierra tube and trim the length of the tube to 1.882" long"   

This has allowed me to use some special blanks that had end chipping at the final finish stages as a good recovery with a slight shortening.  

When I make the full length Click pens, I just supply them with Uniball rollerball refills and do not bother with the parker and extension at all.  

I do like the shortened click (parker length) as the pen with a matching click pencil as a set.  Nice way to have a pen-pencil set that is easy to tell the difference. (by length).


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## JimMc7 (Aug 15, 2009)

jttheclockman said:


> <snip> Is there a way to make the click look like the sierra twist and what refill can be used???
> 
> It just seems odd that the pen companies aren't making a nice click that is easy without all the pieces. click pens have been around forever.
> 
> <snip>


 
John, none that I know of....you could grind the spacer and make something between the long and the short but still stuck with a clip designed for a longer pen (tell you the truth I've never noticed the overpowering clip before -- now I will every time probably!).

Search for "long click" pens on the forum -- those look nice but I've never tried one (and I don't know the source).

I'll stick with the short version Sierras especially in the premium two-tone platings (and I get those from Ernie, too) until I find something better.

Good luck!

P.S. I use the procedure Ken referred to to make the short version. You can go as long as 1.91 but trim as short as 1.83 and the point won't fully retract DAMHIKT!


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## KenV (Aug 15, 2009)

The click pencil uses the shortest form of tube -- so if you over trim for a click parkler, you still have a pencil option -- 

After that, it is "needle case" time as a reuse option


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## JimMc7 (Aug 15, 2009)

KenV said:


> The click pencil uses the shortest form of tube -- so if you over trim for a click parkler, you still have a pencil option --
> 
> After that, it is "needle case" time as a reuse option


 
Thanks for the info...I've never tried the pencil although I have a couple on order.  I just trash ordinary blanks if I overtrim -- but I recently overtrimmed one of Dawn/Ed's nice madreperlato blanks so I just trimmed the refill 0.05 and kept it as a personal pen.


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## hrigg (Aug 15, 2009)

To add to the confusion just a little, here is a Sierra click with the lower tube and nib from a Cigar, and the refill is for a Fisher Space Pen.  Overall length is 5¾" and the length from the nib to the top of the clip is 4½."  That's what determines whether it will fit into a shirt pocket.


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## Wayne (Aug 15, 2009)

Great idea! Are you glueing the Sierra tube to the Cigar tube at the top?


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## hrigg (Aug 16, 2009)

wracinowski said:


> Great idea! Are you glueing the Sierra tube to the Cigar tube at the top?



The Cigar tube slides into the Sierra tube from the bottom.  That lets me use the Sierra click mechanism and the Cigar nib.  I have a jig set up, but the overall tube length is 3 7/16."  I use a Sharpie to mark the point where the Cigar tube emerges, put a couple dabs of thick CA glue at that point, and slide the two tubes back together.


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## KenV (Aug 16, 2009)

Harry -- I agree that those Fisher refills are magic for making differnet things work, and they write very very nicely in all kinds of situations.  

Great approach on the click cigar -- the cigar tube sliding into the sierra tube make lots of magic happen and that one looks great --


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