How to Make a Pen
Since approximately 2,000 B.C., people have used ink with a brush or pen to write, draw and paint. You, too, can get a taste of this ancient life by making a pen out of a clum, which is a piece of bamboo cane.
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Things You'll Need
- An 8- to 10-inch piece of bamboo cane the width of a pencil
- Small saw
- Utility knife
- Small sharp knife
- Sandpaper
Instructions
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1
Cut the clum to your desired length using the saw. Make the cut just beyond one of the clum's "nodes"--those are the horizontal joints on the bamboo cane. When deciding how long to cut the pen, remember that you will need about one and a half inches at the end to carve the pen's tip or "nib."
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2
Hold the clum with the freshly-cut end facing away from you. Choose a spot about three-quarter inches from the end, and use your knives to whittle a pointy nib or pen tip. Carve at a 45-degree angle that curves with the clum's exterior wall.
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3
Refine the carved nib with sandpaper so that the cuts are smooth.
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4
Turn the pen so that the rounded, top part is facing you. Cut a small, half-moon shaped notch at the position opposite where you began carving the pen's tip. The straight portion of the half-moon should face the pen's tip.
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Carefully cut a straight, vertical slit from the flat part of the half-moon notch down to the tip of the pen. The notch and slit are where the pen's ink will eventually sit and flow down to the tip.
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Tips & Warnings
As you use the pen, the nib will eventually wear down. Sharpen it by whittling it to a point with a knife.
Dip the pen in India ink to write.
You can use either a fresh or dry piece of bamboo. A fresh piece might be better for a beginner since it will be softer and more flexible.
