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.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

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

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."

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.

3. Refine the carved nib with sandpaper so that the cuts are smooth.

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.

5. 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.

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.