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JEB's 58 Custom Fountain Pen
Featuring Triple RAISED Cap Bands
in Classic Black Acrylic.

(Click each photo for larger view)

JEB's 58 Black capped-1 JEB's 58 Black uncap-1 JEB's 58 Black closeup-1 JEB's 58 Black posted

 

JEB's 58 Black capped-2 JEB's 58 Black uncap-2 JEB's 58 Black closeup-2 JEB's 58 Black finial-closeup

 

Also available as a LEVER-filler!
The JEB's 58 is one of the first pens I'm now offering with a Lever-filler inking system.

JEB's 58 Black-Lever_capped JEB's 58 Black-Lever_closeup-1 JEB's 58 Black-Lever_closeup-2 JEB's 58 Black-Lever_closeup-3

 


 



A
bout the Name:
The JEB's 58 is another pen made in homage to a pen originally produced by the former Conway Stewart Pen Company (CS). This pen is my version of the Series 58, and as with my other CS styled pens (Churchill, Dandy and Duro), I borrowed the name again.

A little bit of History...The original Conway Stewart Pen Company (CS) was located in England and in opperation for over 100 years. But sadly they had to close their business in October 2014. If you're not familiar with the company and their pens, they were a British company that had been in operation since the very early 1900's with more than two dozen different pen styles to their credit over their many years in business. Their most famous tag lines was "they made the pens for the Queen". Contrary to what many may believe, the name "Conway Stewart" did NOT come from the name of the founder of the company, but rather it was believed to have been derived from a popular vaudeville act of the day. Eventually the original materials and parts were sold off and made available on the open market. Many of those original materials are still available, while others are being reproduced by the original UK manufacturer. If you have an interest in having a replica of a CS pen made, please send me an email. If you would like to read more into the history of The Conway Stewart Pen Company, you can find additional information at wikipedia.org/Conway-Stewart.

As I've mentioned with my other CS styled pens, I've always been a fan of the their pens, and when some of their original material became available after they went out of business, I knew I had to try making a few of their styles. The 58 was one of a number of smaller pens the company made. It had a capped length of a little over 5" (13cm), and had several cap band configurations over the years. My version features one of their more recent version that had THREE RAISED Cap Bands. The 58 also had a uniquely styled clip that featured an integrated external clip ring secured with a small finial stud. As with the small DANDY, I wanted to use a larger #6 nib on my pen (although you can order it with a smaller #5), and being able to offer it with the larger nib presented a challenge with the short length. Another challenge was the RAISED band feature. These present challenges because as is always the case when making a new pen style, I'm limited to currently available hardware and machining techniques, so sometimes I have to make compromises. Luckily though I was able to get fairly close to the original 58 specs with just a TWO minor compromises:

#1. Short length... As I mentioned previously, the CS 58 was a small pen with a capped length of 13 cm which is about 5 1/8". This short length was achieve by using an externally mounted clip, and a shorter than usual barrel. The externally mounted clip allowed nearly the entire length of the cap to be used for recessing the nib and section, instead of the need for a separate threaded finial taking up inside space. Only 1/4" at the top was used to recess the insert for the clip screw. This clip style was used by CS on many of their pens, allowing them to have a short shorter overall footprint than some of the other brands.

As with the JEB's DANDY, because of the way I have to mount my cap bands, I can drill the bottom of the caps large enough to recess the barrel past the threads. But on my58, I stayed within that original capped length by using a slightly shorter barrel. But even though the barrel is a little shorter, it will still accept one of the shorter (but still considered full size) converters. However you can order it with a longer 3" barrel if you want to use a longer (Schmidt) converter, or opt for the new lever-filler upgrade.

#2. Cap Diameter... The cap diameter was determined by the available band diameters. The original 58 cap was about .53" (13.45mm), with the bands about .545" (13.85mm). The closest diameter bands I had available that came close to that size were 15mm (outside diameter). But because the bands were slightly raised, I had to consider more than just the diameter. They also had to be thick enough to sit proud once installed, so they had to have a thicker wall with a smaller INSIDE DIAMETER in order have enough thickness to have them sit proud of the cap. So the 15mm bands were the closest size I could find that would fit the parameters, so I paired them with a 9/16" (.563" / 14.3mm) material diameter.

I was concerned that because I had to make the cap diameter a little larger at the base, that it would mess up the nice sweeping taper as the cap reduces in diameter as it goes up to meet the clip ring, causing the cap to look more bulky than the original. But once it was completed and I compared it with the original cap (as in the photo above), the taper didn't appear to be affect. The taper itself kind of takes some getting use to in my opinion, but it kind of grows on you after a while.

Finally, I had one last concern. And that was coming up with a secure method of mounting the clip so it would hold up to the rigors of a pen clip that would be used as it was intended. Clips that are used as intended (routinely clipped to a pocket) is under a lot of stress at the ring. And a clip with an externally mounted ring has all that stress on the OUTSIDE instead of the inside (under the finial), so it requires a very strong connection. On my first mock-up, I made an acrylic Finial that would have to be glued in place. But I don't like to attach parts with glue. I like to be able to disassemble ALL the parts in case something has to be replaced. Additionally the finial's mounting stud had to be pretty thin to fit the hole in the clip ring, so I was worried it could eventually break under the stress. So after some research I was able to find what is called a BUTTON-HEAD screw that was just the right size for the ring and add a nice finishing touch to the shape. The screw is brass, so it matches the finish gold-tone hardware (it could also be painted), and has a hex or Allen recess in the head for screwing it in place. And the Cap has a matching threaded brass insert for securing the screw.

58 Clip... As I mentioned earlier, besides the raised bands, one of the features that makes the 58 stand out is definitely unique the CLIP. So my pen wouldn't be a 58 without THAT clip. But I was very luckily to find a supply of those original clips to use on my version. And as with my Churchill/Duro clips, I had them plated so the color matched the 24k bands.

Inking Systems... Because of the very short barrel, I thought I would have to limit the standard inking system to a cartridge only. But I found that I could trim about 1/8" off the top of one of the generic converters so it was short enough to easily fit the inside the barrel depth. So the standard inking system is C/C (cartridge/converter), or you can upgrade it to a lever-filler.

JEB's 58 Dimensions:
The JEB's Dandy is slightly smaller than the JEB's Duro. The length is a little shorter (unless you opt for a longer barrel). The barrel and section diameters are smaller than the JEB's Duro. If you don't included the raised bands, the JEB's 58 cap is about the same diameter as the JEB's Dandy. The max barrel diameter is .48". The section is smaller proportionally, but is the same size with either size nib.

JEB's 58 Options and Upgrades:
As with the Dandy, because of the small size, the JEB's 58 doesn't allow for very few upgrades or options. But you could use your imagination and change it up and give it 2-tone makeover (for example using solid black accents), or change out the raised bands for flush bands, and/or the number of bands. And as mentioned earlier, you can upgrade the stock C/C inking system to a lever-filler system. Currently the clip is only available in gold. But the stock steel nib could be upgraded with a 14k or 18k gold nib to make your pen very special.

Other pen related items:
I also offer a variety of hand-made Pen Props and Pen Buttons, as well as custom made color coordinated Cuff-Links and Button Covers. You can order a Pen Prop in the same material to match your pen, or any one of the wooden styles made in a variety of stained or dyed colors. The Pen Buttons are available for any of the clipless pens. The Cuff-links and Button Covers can also be ordered to match your pen or ordered separately. The Cuff-links are available in a variety of styles and finishes. The Button Covers are available in gold or nickel.



About this Pen & Material:
This solid black pen was the initial mockup version. I always like to make the first pen in a new style in solid black, then keep it to use as a reference sample for future pens. The main reason is because I think the solid black best shows off the shape of the pen without patterns or colors getting in the way. And since all my pens are individually handmade, I like to have a reference sample so I can ensure future pens are as close to the original as possible. But despite it "just" being a reference sample, I always think a solid black pen looks very CLASSY. And if you agree, you CAN order it in this CLASSIC BLACK too!

This Pen's Specifications:
Color / Material: Solid Black Acrylic Acetate.
Length: Capped 5.12" / Uncapped 4.50" / Posted 6.47".
Diameter (max): Barrel .48" / Cap .56".
Clip - Gold plated cast.
Nib: #6* AGS (All Gold Steel) Jowo.
*Can also be ordered with smaller #5 Jowo.
Filling System: C/C. Also available as a Lever-filler!