Ultem Vertex (Jowo)
- Description
Description
Jowo Compatible Batch #1
Polyetherimide (PEI), trade name Ultem, is an amorphous, amber-to-transparent thermoplastic with characteristics similar to the related plastic PEEK. Relative to PEEK, PEI is cheaper, but is lower in impact strength and usable temperature. Because of its adhesive properties and chemical stability it became a popular bed material for FFF 3D printers. Ultem is a family of PEI products manufactured by SABIC as a result of acquiring the General Electric Plastics Division in 2007, developed by Joseph G. Wirth in the early 1980s. Ultem resins are used in medical and chemical instrumentation due to their heat resistance, solvent resistance, and flame resistance. – source Wikipedia. We’ve been machining pens from industrial thermoplastics for quite some time. In fact, the first pen we released via Kickstarter had a very small run of Delrin (Polyoxymethylene) pens made for some very early backers. When we designed the Vertex, we went out of our way to make a list of non-traditional thermoplastics we might. Delrin and Makrolon were the first two that made it into production with our Delrin pens, and our move from acrylic grips to polycarbonate grips. Ultem was just below Makrolon, and though a few other pen makers have beat us to it where this material is concerned, we think it makes an absolutely stunning Vertex.
This is the initial batch of Ultem Vertex special release pens with Jowo nib compatibility, fully machined from natural polyetherimide (Ultem). Natural Ultem is a nearly transparent amber (more on the yellow-amber side). It is slightly lighter than our Delrin pens, weighing 16.3 grams (0.57 ounces) without a nib or converter as opposed to 18.1 grams (0.63 ounces) for Delrin without a nib or converter. Ultem is a “hard” plastic closer in composition to polycarbonate whereas Delrin is a “softer” plastic that has self-lubricating properties and somewhat of tackiness to its surface. Our Ultem Vertex is machined from solid PEI rod stock; bodies, caps, and grips. We’ve utilized several new machining techniques and custom tooling during the machining process to better ensure the transparency of the material is on display while minimizing tool marks. While Ultem can be polished to a high shine, we’ve opted for leaving the parts unpolished by taking them through a progression sanding from 200 grit down to 2000 grit and not conducting any finish polishing. This process leaves the parts with a nice subtle texture that is easier to grip. During our testing, the polished pens were quite slippery and didn’t feel as comfortable especially during long writing sessions. We have maintained the standard Vertex form and functionality. The Ultem Vertex ships with a matching Ultem grip section, so no grip section options for this release. When purchasing you will be prompted to select a nib option. Ships with a Schmidt K5 converter, two Monteverde black cartridges, and a plastic pipette if you prefer to eyedropper your pen.
Limited Availability
Ships in our standard recyclable packaging. You can add the machined slide-top box as a “gift box” for an extra $25 with the custom engraving on the lid as an option when customizing your purchase.
*NOTE: In order to eyedropper fill the Ultem Vertex Jowo, the nib needs to be unthreaded from the grip and silicone grease needs to be applied to the threads. The Jowo Vertex grips do not have an o-ring to seal the nib due to the different size of the nib collar. Using silicone grease on the threads (like most other eyedropper filled pens with removable nibs) will stop the ink from leaking around the nib into the cap.
Comes standard with a Jowo polished steel nib. The #6 nibs units are Meisternibs and manufactured by Jowo. Also included with each pen is a 2 ml soft pipette and 2 black Monteverde ink cartridges. Each pen is designed and machined, by us, in the USA.
