As with any of the cleaning & aging tips I'm about to share, try this at your own risk. Be sure to use gloves, protective eyewear, and work in a well-ventilated area to stay safe. Goldspot does not take responsibility if you harm yourself or your pen. The surface of both the Fisher and Retro 51 brass ballpoint pen became gritty with texture from the layers of patina. To smooth out the rough areas and create a distressed look, I used a piece of sandpaper and the polishing techniques mentioned earlier. With enough polishing, it is possible to lighten the brass and reverse the effects of the patina. uncapping it takes a little getting used to, but once you have the hang of it, it's great. Either grip the pen nib up, base in your pinky finger and pull with your thumb and forefinger, or (my preferred way) nib down, holding the base with your middle, ring and pinkie and pulling the base out with your index and thumb. It starts out kind of slippery, but the patina will give it more texture within a short amount of time.

As the Roman poet Horace wrote, "More durable than brass my monument shall be." Human beings are the only creatures (that we know of) endowed with awareness of mortality. All of us know we're going to die someday. With this knowledge, we attempt to build monuments to outlast us so we may never fully die. We create art and contribute to a greater cause with the hopes that our deeds will live on. Our tools, like the humble pen, can remind us of this grander scale in a symbolic way. A brass fountain pen conveys luxury status through its golden, metallic shine and hefty feel in hand. Many pens use brass as the base of the design, which is then finished in lacquer. The Y Studio Classic Revolve collection, for example, uses the same brass base with 4 different color lacquers. To remove tarnish, I'm going to show you a couple of methods using materials you can find at home as well as a product made for this specific purpose. Comparing the two metals, brass is stronger and more durable than copper. It is also more resistant to tarnishing, making it a better choice for everyday carry pens. That said, some people prefer the softer color and vintage appeal of copper. To quote Leonard Koren, who wrote a book on the topic, " Wabi-sabi is exactly about the delicate balance between the pleasure we get from things and the pleasure we get from freedom of things."

How to age brass pens

For starters, both metals are highly conductive, meaning that they’ll absorb the heat of your body, creating a pleasantly warm writing experience. However, this conductivity can also cause the ink in your pen to dry out faster than usual. As a result, we recommend storing your copper or brass pen in a cool, dry place when not in use. The second cleaning method has a more pleasant, minty smell. Toothpaste contains microabrasives that can polish your pens and your pearly whites. Using an old toothbrush you reserve for cleaning, brush the toothpaste on a small area of the brass ballpoint pen. Gently brush the surface until you start to notice the lightening of the tarnish. Then, wipe down the pen using a polishing cloth or paper towel. This pen oozes expertise with its smooth writing experience, solid one-piece barrel, and finely balanced weight. It comes in standard (5.6”), short (5.1”), and mini (4.4”) sizes, offering the perfect length for any writer. Additionally, there is a slim version of this pen, which may feel more comfortable in smaller hands. Then, you have the "raw" brass pens that are not lacquered or varnished. They usually arrive with a polished shine or might appear slightly dulled and tarnished. This is part of the wabi-sabi charm of owning an all-brass pen.

The next pen on our list is the Retro 51 Vintage Lincoln Tornado rollerball. This pen is a modern take on a classic design and, like all Retro 51 pens, it is sure to turn heads. The Vintage Lincoln is constructed from solid brass that’s been finished with an antique patina, giving it a unique look that will only become more beautiful over time. Now that my hands smell like a bag of pennies, I'd like to share with you the bonus fact that raw brass pens are also antimicrobial. Studies show while pathogens are capable of living on other inanimate surfaces for days or months, the brass' copper content kills them in hours. If you're after the mirror shine and think you can just keep it nice with a sunshine cloth, you're not going to be able to. Firstly, brass oxidizes fast, so you're gonna be polishing it every other day, and second, the cap has four metal springs that center it and make the cap/uncap feel smooth and tight and keep the whole affair from wiggling about (which makes it feel NICE to cap and uncap) which put long micro scratches down the section and on the base where it posts. These micro scratches will become invisible with time as you let it patina, likely within a week they'll be invisible (but the patina will develop and improve over decades, so brass only looks more and more beautiful with time) Pen manufacturers have used copper and brass metals to manufacture ballpoint and fountain pens for hundreds of years. Thanks to their charming color, strength, and malleability, these two metals make wonderful pens that feel warm and comfortable in the hand. And, as long as you are willing to care for your pen, it will maintain its natural shine for decades to come.

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Last but not least, we promised a showpiece and, with the Kara Kustoms Decograph Signature Edition, we didn’t disappoint. This stunning solid copper fountain pen is limited to only 30 pieces and each is handmade in the United States. Buyers can choose from a full range of steel nib sizes (extra fine, fine, medium, broad, extra broad) or opt for titanium in EF, F, M, and B sizes. A couple of years ago, you’d have been hard-pressed to find a pen made out of solid, untreated brass. Fortunately nowadays they are much more common, in part due to the contributions of German pen manufacturer Kaweco! Brass is different from most other metals that are commonly used in pens; it’s about three times as dense as aluminium, and it forms a beautiful patina after some use. Put those properties in a pen, and you get something quite unique! I disassembled the Fisher pen, removing the front section, refill, and spring. For the Retro 51 pen, I removed just the refill and spring. At the time, I thought using tape would protect the clip and top disc. As you'll find out, I was wrong. In this post, I share the reasons why pen enthusiasts are drawn to brass pens. In the accompanying video, you'll learn how to polish your brass using common household ingredients. If you prefer the tarnished look, you'll find a simple, at-home experiment to show you how to age your brass pen overnight. Plus, learn an interesting fact about brass that will give you some peace of mind when lending your pen to someone. Another interesting fact about copper is that it has inherent antimicrobial properties, meaning that it naturally repels bacteria and other microbes. This makes it a great choice for people who are concerned about cleanliness, as well as those with allergies or sensitivities.

My subjects for this experiment are a Retro 51 Raw Brass rollerball pen and a Fisher Space Pen Bullet Raw Brass ballpoint pen. If your pens are not brand new, out of the box, clean the brass surface with a little dish soap and water before proceeding. Make sure they are clean and dry.Usually, brass takes a long time to darken and develop a patina. If this type of aesthetic is more appealing to you, then never worry about polishing it. Let's say you don't want to wait the months or years it may take to develop the patina. I'll show you a shortcut using inexpensive, household ingredients. Please remember to be safe and try at your own risk. I left the container outside overnight. After a couple of hours, I noticed the colors started to change. Out of curiosity, I wanted to see just how far I could take it. Taking out the pens after 18 hours - the results were dramatic and ...slightly disturbing. Kaweco nibs usually tend to have a balanced flow, not too wet. They are smooth writers and come in a bunch of nib sizes, ranging from extra fine to double broad and even calligraphy nibs. In this case, the Kaweco Brass Sport came with a broad nib installed, and it wrote consistently out of the box. Made from solid lead-free 'eco' brass, which is left untreated and uncoated, it weighs in at 44g which is more than most other pens currently available. The untreated finish means this pen will - like the Al-Sport Raw that came before it - wear over time and develop a unique patina depending on use and storage conditions. The finish can either be left to develop or can be restored using brass polish and a liberal application of elbow grease. A small but noticeable detail is that the brass Sport has a plastic inner cap (something that isn’t present on the aluminium versions of the Sport pens). It sits flush with the edge of the cap, so it is visible (which could be a downside for some). This does offer a very specific benefit that I quite enjoy: whereas capping and uncapping the regular Al Sport pens results in a scratchy metal-on-metal sound, this isn’t the case with the brass one because of the plastic. Opening and closing the pen is much smoother and feels almost ‘cushioned’. In terms of durability this could be a downside as the threads on the inner cap might see some wear after prolonged use. However, so far I haven’t had any issues with it, and it doesn’t deter from the solid feeling of the pen.