The Barachois

This is my first attempt at making a “self filling” pen in the style of vintage pens. This one is a button-filler, which uses a latex sac shellacked to the back of the section as an ink reservoir. Pushing the brass button at the end of the barrel causes a spring steel bar to flex and squeeze the air out of the sac. When the button is released, the pressure bar springs back and the sac opens, pulling ink inside.

The barrel and cap of this pen are made of vintage cellulose acetate made around the 1930s in Le Mans, France. The section, finial, and blind cap are made of ebonite. The cap bands, barrel end, and push button were turned from brass stock.

The pen is based on a Bock 250 nib assembly, and currently has Bock’s titanium nib installed, although this has been swapped with another Bock nib that I’m in the (slow) process of re-grinding to an XXF tip.

Total weight: 22.7 g
Body weight: 16.2 g
Total length (not posted): 140.6 mm
Total length(with cap): 146.4 mm
Barrel max diameter: 12.8 mm
Cap max diameter: 14.2 mm

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