Proper Care
and Use of Razertip Woodburners, Polished Pens and Tips:
Both Colwood and Razertip
polished tip pens do not
need annealing before use. It is unnecessary and NOT recommended to
use any annealing process. Just open them up and burn away
If you can turn the burner down and still do
the job – do it! Your tips will last longer, you’ll have more
control, you’ll get a cleaner burn, your tip won’t build up carbon up as quickly,
and it’s cooler on the fingers. The other advantage to burning at a
lower temperature is that you will have more control over your burning!
NEVER use
abrasive sand papers, etc to clean fine detail pens!!!!
If you have a question that
I haven't answered here, please
contact me.
Frequently asked
questions:
Q:
If most of the woodburning pens are made from a nichrome alloy why and
how is there a difference?
A: There are a lot of different 'Nichrome' alloys made,
and different annealing/hardness options for each one, so each company
may use a slightly different material. The difference is also in how
they make their tips. Every company uses a different process for
finishing their tips so the finish will vary from company to company.
Some companies only offer polished tips and some offer unpolished and
polished. The polishing process also varies with each company.
The more highly polished involves a lot more work.
I started out using
a Colwood woodburner and the original unpolished pens many years ago and found that they grabbed the wood
and required more frequent cleaning. I also struggled with trying to
improve my burning techniques but became very frustrated at being
"stuck" in a rut and not being able to get past it. It was not
until someone recommended Razertip and Optima pens that I saw the
wonders of how great polished tips were and how much I could improve my
techniques just by changing from an unpolished tip to a polished tip.
Polished tips burn
smoother without grabbing the wood, remain clean longer and are
easier to clean. This is not just my hype to sell the pens I sell, it's a
proven fact. Just ask anyone who has tried two similar style pens,
one unpolished and one polished and they will probably tell you the same
thing.
Q:
There are so many pens to choose from how do I know what to buy to get
started?
A: Over the years I have always recommended people start with
just 3 pens, a shader, writer and skew. With these three tip
styles you can do just about anything. When I started using and
selling Razertip burners and pens over 6 years ago they made some pens
for me based on my requirements and specifications. Those have
become my favorite pens and are now best sellers. They include my
all time favorite the HD5MP/HD5MSP bent spear shader, the ball stylus,
#9S, #14D. While every artist has their favorites here are the pen
styles I usually recommend:
Shaders: HD5MP or
HD5MSP. These are the most versatile shaders I have found.
Because of their shape they can get into the tightest spots. I use the
HD5MP for 95% of what I do, including fine detail work, fur, feathers,
hair, undercutting, etc.
Writers: F9P, F9S,
F99.008, F99.015. These were designed based on my
specifications and I have found to be the most versatile and the best
overall performance. The ball stylus will glide more smoothly over
the wood than the #9 writing tips but both styles are very useful.
Skews/Round-heeled
knives: F14M, F14D,
HD14SM. I like these for their versatility. Unlike flat
skews, the round-heel makes them more maneuverable for doing curved
lines.
My feeling is that more is
not necessarily better. If you can do everything you need to with
three pens, why buy more? I am not in this business to sell you
things you don't need, it's my goal to help you make sound decisions
based on your personal needs and budget. If you have any questions
that I have not answered here please feel free to
contact me.
Q:
Do you actually use Razertip woodburning tools?
A: Yes, I have been using the Razertip dual output burner for
about 8 years...just about as long as I have been selling them and I
have used and tested every pen I sell. Several of the pens
Razertip now makes were developed for me based on my specifications and
needs. Such pens as: HD5MP and HD5MSP, #9P, #99 ball stylus tips,
#14D.
Q:
My pens are not working. The light is on and flickering but I'm
getting no heat, what is wrong?
A:
Often when you have a very tight connection the cord does not get
plugged in all the way. This is one of the most common things I hear and
the easiest problem to solve in most cases. Make sure your cord is
plugged in all the way by gently pushing it down as far as you can into
the burner and do the same thing with the pen side. If this does not
solve the problem call me or Razertip.
Q:
There are some pens I want that you don't carry can you get them for me?
A: Absolutely! I will have them drop shipped directly
from Razertip and at our discounted prices.
Q:
How do I know when it's time to clean my pens?
A:
While it is not set in stone, a good rule of thumb is when your
shading/burning starts to look muddy or you start dragging black carbon,
it's time to clean! If you burn on higher temperatures you will
need to clean more frequently. If you burn on materials such as
leather and gourds you will also have to clean more frequently.
Let your burning be your guide. Unpolished pens do seem to
accumulate carbon faster than others even at moderate temperatures. The tips made with a
polished nichrome alloy
burn cleaner and do not build up carbon as fast when burned at
moderate temperatures.
You will also find that
when you burn on certain materials such as leather and gourds or higher temperatures the tips will build up carbon
faster as well.
Q:
How do I clean my pens?
A: Great question! I
will address the proper procedure for cleaning woodburning pen tips that
are polished. For pen tips that are
not polished please be sure to check with the manufacturer for their
recommended methods of cleaning the tips.
If your tips are heavily
caked with carbon I recommend you start with a straight-edged razor or
the Razertip tip cleaner
and gently scrape off excess carbon. You can do this while
the pen is hot or after it has cooled. For the next step be sure
your tip is cool. Once you have cleaned off any excess carbon use
a
strop (leather or composite) with aluminum oxide powder.
I tend to burn mostly on
clean woods that are free of oil so regular cleaning with the strop and
aluminum oxide is all I need to keep my tips clean and carbon free.
When burning on gourds or leather I start with a razor.
How to
use the strop and aluminum oxide:
Make sure your tip is
cool. Add just a TINY pinch of aluminum oxide to one edge of the
strop and run the tip across the powder just a few times, then on a
clean area of the strop run the tip over the clean area to remove the
remaining powder and gently polish the tip. You need to do this
only a few strokes. I then wipe it on my denim jeans (you may want
to get a patch of denim to keep on your
work
area) to clean off excess polish. Remember your really just
polishing, so you don't need to try to remove all the discoloration.
These tips stay cleaner than many other brands so if you are burning at
a moderate temperature on wood you can probably burn longer between
cleanings. If you are burning on gourds or leather you will need
to clean more frequently.
If you need extra help
cleaning off carbon and using the aluminum oxide and strop don't remove
all the carbon, gently scrape it with a straight edged razor. That
should remove all excess carbon.
When burning on gourds,
leather and certain woods you will probably have to clean the tips more
frequently.
Remember that proper
cleaning maintains the life of the tips, makes burning easier and your
finished burning cleaner and keeps them in factory-new condition. If
you clean the tips regularly you will not have much difficulty
maintaining them.
Q: How often should I
sharpen my pen tips, and what should I use to do it with?
A: Usually, only once or
twice a year depending on usage. An overnight soak in oven cleaner can
sometimes take off heavy carbon deposits, but be careful that you do not
soak the brass or silver solder (read the directions for your oven
cleaner to see what metals it will safely clean). To determine if your
tip needs to be sharpened or "re-honed", examine your tips under a
magnifying glass. If the edge of the tip looks rounded or there is not a
well defined angle, you could probably re-sharpen the tip. BTW, over
buffing (using a "leather power strop" wheel for example) will
prematurely lead to the metal "rolling over" the edge, causing your tip
to get kind of a rounded edge. To sharpen your pen, use a fine stone,
(or if need be, 800 or higher grit wet and dry sand paper). Sharpen your
pen tips at a 30 to 35 degree angle. Do NOT sharpen them at a sharper
angle, as you will then carve too deep, and have problems in the
painting stage of your carvings. After sharpening polish with the
aluminum oxide polishing compound on a strop.
Q: Do I need to anneal my
pens?
A: Some brands do
recommend it but you should NEVER turn your power supply on high to
"anneal" pens with polished tips. This will just lead to premature
oxidation, and may damage some of the smaller standard style tips.
Our pens are ready to use right out of the plastic tube.
Q: My tip is a bit too
sharp and needs to be bent a bit more. Can I do it myself?
A: Yes, you can.
If you want to "modify" a pen, such as the Bent Spear shader, you would
need to buff the lower edge of each tip so that it is rounder using a
felt buffing wheel and buffing compound. You can then re-bend the tip
angle using a smooth-jaw pliers. It is best to bend it cold - just be
gentle and don't bend too quickly. Despite what some people say,
you should NOT bend the tips when they are "poker hot".
Q: How can I make the
tips last
longer?
A: To make your tips last longer:
NEVER use sandpaper of any grit to remove carbon. For best
results, longest tip life, reduced carbon build-up, and maximum comfort,
always use the lowest heat setting that will do the job. Burning at lower
temperatures will keep carbon build-up off of the tip in the first
place, and keeps the tips from oxidizing. Put your pens back into
their pen tubes after each use, a pen tip hitting the floor is the most
common type of tip damage. Stick a small amount of foam or Styrofoam
into the pen tube's cap if you are transporting your pen a lot. I have
seen our tips last over 10 years, when properly cared for!
Q:
What is the difference between the Standard and Heavy-Duty pens, and
which style should I get?
A: The
"Standard" pens, are for doing ultra fine detailing at lower
temperatures, and are not intended for high heat or high mechanical
pressure situations. The Standard pen tips use the smallest diameter tip
wire available, and are therefore capable of doing finer detailing than
any other brand. The Heavy-Duty pens have a larger diameter tip wire,
carve a wider line than the standard pens, and can be used to heat
carve, notch, and burnish for longer periods of time. The tips are also
more durable, and able to take more mechanical pressure. For certain
"bent" tips such as the spear shader (HD5MP) we recommend getting a
heavy-duty pen, and using a heavy-duty cord. Any burnishing type tip
that would be "sinking" a lot of heat to the wood benefits from the
heavy-duty cord, even in the standard type of pens. As far as which
style to get, it depends on how you are used to carving. If you are a
novice, like to heat carve, or intend to use it to notch or gouge, then
you should consider the Heavy- Duty style pens. If you are looking to
get the finest detail possible, then the standard pen style is what you
want.
One important thing to
remember is that when you switch from using a heavy-duty pen to a
standard pen you will need to turn your heat setting down.
Q. The tips on some of
my pens keep breaking, what am I doing wrong?
A: One of the most common
problems we hear about is this! This is a common problem with
people who are heavy handed, new to burning or use too much pressure on
the pens, especially if you have been using a single temperature burner
and upgrade to a detail burner. Keep in mind that you do not need
a death grip on the pen, lighten up on the grip and let the pen do the
work. But even if you haven't done any of this and your pen breaks
remember it comes with a warranty (Razertip brand burning pens) and even
after the warranty runs out you can still have your tip fixed or
replaced.
The other common problem
is that many people just burn with the tip rather than the entire edge.
Be sure to use the edge and do not use a lot of pressure. Let the
pen do the work.
Q:
Should I get interchangeable tips or fixed-tip pens?
A:
One of the most commonly
asked questions. We recommend and
sell the Razertip
fixed-tip pens (with
few exceptions).
Fixed-tip
hand pieces operate cooler than interchangeable-tip (BPH)
hand pieces. Also, because the tips are welded in, they provide better
control for more precise burning. Interchangeable-tip (BPH) hand pieces
are designed primarily for intermittent or short-term use. They require
regular maintenance to work effectively. Every 6-8 hours of use (or more
if the pen is malfunctioning) the wire tip should be removed, cleaned with
steel wool or ScotchbriteTM pads, bent at the back of each
tip post, and re-inserted so they fit as snug as possible. If your BPH
pen is getting hot at the front, it's almost always from a loose or
dirty tip connection.
Thee other
reasons we do not recommend interchangeable tips are: They are
inconvenient to change and a non-welded tip can have bad intermittent
conductive properties between the nichrome tip and the brass carrier.
These conditions are high heat, electricity, and two dissimilar metal
alloys (a very bad combination for preventing corrosion). Although some
brands have friction fitted "brass to brass" connectors, they too will
eventually suffer from corrosion, and eventually, have poor intermittent
conductive properties. Razertip interchangeable tips are changed
by inserting the tip wires into screws and tightening them which can be
a nuisance when you have momentum going on a woodburning project.
Some brands require that you use a tool to pull them off which can also
be a nuisance. The other consideration is that the Razertip
interchangeable tip puts your hand farther away from the tip losing some
control over the pen.
Q: Some of my pens get
very hot and burn my fingers?
A: Because
our art form involves using heat to make images and detail, our
challenge is always to get as much heat to the tip as possible (good
heat) without that same heat building up in the pen and affecting the
fingers (bad heat). Every user has different needs and will therefore
have a different experience. Posting problems & possible solutions on
forums like this are great ways to share information and I am always
interested to see the many creative ways people go about overcoming
challenges. Razertip has been making burners for over 20 years and are
seriously committed to making the best tool possible. Many of the makers
of other burners share a similar commitment. Cam and the other people at
Razertip know a lot about pens and heat and the physical limitations
they encounter in designing their products. As they say, they always
have more to learn, and that is one reason why they like to hear from
customers directly. Hand piece heating is a much more complex issue
than most people realize, and there are many factors that go into how
hot your hand piece gets.
These are a few
suggestions to help ease the pain!
1. Don't hold the pen
close to the tip. When holding the pens, move your hand back
slightly away from the tip. The closer your hand is to the tip, the
hotter it will be.
2. Work at an angle.
Try working on a drafting table or one of our pyrography
tables. This not only keeps the pen cooler but it is more comfortable
and will help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
Here are a few factors concerning the "hot fingers" issue:
1. Power and current.
Hot-wire tools are designed to operate with a primary voltage of around
115-117 volts. If your wall voltage is higher (say 120-125 volts),
you'll get more heat at the tip. More heat at the tip usually means a
hotter pen body. All hot wire burners convert the wall voltage to a
lower output voltage. Razertip power supplies drop the voltage to 2
volts or less. Razertip pens are designed to operate at 2 volts or less.
Some burners (i.e.: Detail Master and Burn Master etc.) operates at around 3
volts. This gives them more power, but can be problematic for hand piece
and cord heat. Razertip pens tend to get quite a bit hotter on the
fingers when used on a 3 volt power supply. They perform best on a
Razertip power supply. It is generally true that most pens will perform
best on their own power supply.
2. Operator technique.
Razertip (and I agree) always recommend using the lowest heat setting
that will get the job done - in other words, if you can turn the heat
down and still do the job, DO IT. In addition, hold your pen at an angle
so the heat from the tip can rise into the air, not into the pen body
and your fingers. Moving your fingers back a bit from the tip can
help sometimes, too. If you must use high heat settings for long
periods, I recommend getting a second pen and switching back-and-forth
when one gets uncomfortable. This will be easier on your fingers and on
the pen and tip. In the long run it will be less costly as your pens and
tips will last longer. Also if you ever damage a tip and need
replacement you have a spare to use while the damaged one is being
repaired.
3. Operator sensitivity.
Some people have very sensitive fingers. The original standard pens some
people would complain after a short period of time that the pen was
uncomfortable yet other people had no problems. When Razertip was
designing the new vented pens Cam knew he had a winner when his wife
(who previously complained about it getting too hot after 12 minutes)
was able to burn at higher temperatures than she normally would and was
still able to use the pen comfortably after over 40 minutes. Yes, the
vented pens can still get hot on the fingers, but they take much longer
to heat and they cool very quickly. It is interesting to note that
some users, like me, use Razertip pens for long periods without hot
hand piece concerns while others experience discomfort. Another
possibility is that I use a lighter touch with my pens and as I tell my
students, "you don't need a death grip on the pens". Let the pen
do the work, not your hands.
4. Pen/tip design and
construction. Razertip has very deliberately chosen the design and
material for their pens and tips to give us the best performance
possible, taking into account the primary intended use for the tools.
Their tools are primarily for finesse and delicate work. The
solid-tip burners, such as the Wall Lenk and Walnut Hollow are intended
for the heavy work and compliment a hot-wire tool or as refer to them as
detail burners. Different tip
types heat differently. Tip length is also a factor in pen heat.
The longer the tip, the cooler the pen. Razertip makes their tips the
length they are because that's what the customers have wanted. They like
working close to the burning surface. They can make tips longer
and have done so on request. The thicker grip can help, too (see
below for information on removing and replacing the grips).
Testing has shown us that cork and closed-cell foam have similar insulative properties, with uncompressed foam performing better than
cork. However, some users grip their hand piece tighter than
others, and in compressing the foam grip, reduce its insulating
abilities. If you can loosen your grasp on the grip it may help.
Also when grips get old or have been used a lot they flatten out and
should be replaced. Most of our customers have indicated that they
prefer the foam grips, but if cork works better for you then go for it.
One word of caution, whether you use a glove, or cover the pen with
something to insulate it: don't let the pen get too hot or you may
damage it internally. Give it a regular chance to cool.
5. The hand piece cord can
also make a big difference. Razertip makes a standard
(super-flexible) 18 gauge cord for fine work, and a HD 16 gauge cord for
heavier work. The HD cord is always your best choice for hotter
burning and here's why - When burning, you have to consider two heat
factors: Ambient tip temperature is the temperature of the
tip when it's not in contact with the work surface. Working
temperature is the temperature of the tip when it is in contact with
the work surface (i.e.: wood). When you use a heavier 16 gauge
cord it is possible for more electrical current to flow to the tip,
resulting in not only more tip heat, but in faster tip heat recovery.
In order to burn at, say, 700 degrees operating temperature, you would
require an ambient temperature of perhaps 900-1000o with an
18 gauge cord, but only around 750-800o with a 16 gauge cord.
The 16 gauge cord will not only perform better, but will result in the
hand piece staying cooler for a longer period. However, it's a bit
heavier to hold, and there are times when a slow tip heat recovery is
actually desirable (certain shading techniques for example) and an 18
gauge cord is preferred.
6. Ambient air
temperature, humidity, and air movement can all affect hand piece heat.
Working in a hot, stuffy room with high humidity, your hand piece will
get hot faster than if you're working in a cool, dry room with a bit of
air movement. You might also use a small fan to "pull" air away.
Finally, there is always the possibility that there is something wrong
with a pen or tip. Contact Razertip directly if in doubt.
Q: I use a Burnmaster (or Detailmaster) burner and my pens get
too hot what can I do?
A: The Burnmaster
(and Detailmaster) woodburner operates at 3 volts instead of the 2 volts
that most other burners operate at. This means they have more
power (not necessarily good or necessary) and because of that many brands of pens (such as Optima
and Razertip, etc) will get hotter when used with either
of these burners. You can do a number of things to help keep the
pens cooler.
1. Reduce the heat
setting on the burner to avoid burning out the pens.
2. Change the cord
on the Burnmaster to a RazertipÒ
HD# 3 Cord so that you are not using the adaptor in between the cord and
the pen.
3. Use a large grip
instead of the standard grip.
4. Burn at an angle
so that the heat is deflected away from your hand.
Q: How can I remove my
old foam grip and replace it?
A: Often you will
have to cut the old grip off a heavy-duty pen, The new one is installed
by wetting the front of the pen with a bit of soapy water, stretching
the hole in the new grip over a pair of needle-nose pliers that have
been dipped in soapy water, and then carefully sliding the grip over the
pen body. Watch out for the sharp tip! If you're unsure of this
operation, Razertip would be glad to install the grip for you if you
want to mail the pen back to them. Thick grips on standard pens are much
easier to install because the pen body is much smaller.
Q: Can I use a standard cord on an HD
pen, or vice-versa?
A: Yes. Any
Razertip
cord can be used
with any Razertip pen, but best results are obtained with HD pens on HD
cords. In fact, any pen will perform better on an HD cord, but some
users find the HD cords a bit stiff.
Q: What do you mean when you say they
perform better with an HD cord?
A: They heat up quicker and run
cooler on the fingers with a HD cord.
Q. My burner
won't make a dark mark on wood until its set at "5" or higher? Why?
A. Razertip burners are designed
to give a very broad range of heat. The lower half of the dial is used
for waxes, plastics, or for detailing wood without leaving a brown mark.
The top half of the dial provides enough heat to scorch wood. On the
SS-D10, you can change the low-end temperature range using a small
screwdriver in the low-end adjustment port.
Q.
Sometimes my burner works great at a certain heat setting, and the next
day I have to use a different setting to get the same burn. Why is this?
When the voltage from a
wall plug changes, the temperature of the tip will change with it.
Razertip
burners are set to
perform optimally at their rated voltage. We have seen wall outlet
voltages vary by over 20 volts. Wall outlet voltage can change depending
on time of day and demand on the system especially in some geographic
areas where there is a problem with low voltage.
Q.
How can I make a scale
tip using nichrome wire for my Razertip BPH Pen?
We found a great resource
for making scale tips.
Making Fish Scale Tips
Q.
What is the main
difference between the single output and dual output burners?
The power unit is
basically the same except for two items. The dual output allows
you to connect two pens at the same time (they cannot be used to burn at
the same time) so all you have to do is flip a switch to change pens.
The other difference is that the dual output burner has a low end
setting which basically means that it is what I call a "fine heat
adjustment". You can use it to vary the heat range on the main
temperature control if it's burning too hot or too cold.
Let's say you are burning
something light, such as a portrait where you need a lower heat setting
than what you are getting at the lower end of the dial "0" or "1" you
can simply adjust the low end setting until you reach the setting that
is just right for your needs. Simply insert a small screwdriver in
the slot and turn slightly left (cooler) or right (warmer). I
usually do this while the burner is on and test it as I make the
adjustment so I can get immediate results to determine if it's the right
setting.
Broken or damaged burner or fixed-tip?
Don't worry! Razertip
tips are one of the most durable hot-wire tips you can buy and covered by
their unconditional warranty for 1 year. In spite of
that, it is possible for them to break or wear out.
If you have any problem with
your pen or burner please contact us first so we can walk you through some
steps first. If we cannot resolve your problem, we will have you
contact Razertip before shipping it back to them. Often times they can diagnose the problem over the phone.
Their toll-free number is
1-877-729-3787
If you are returning a pen
to Razertip, simply slide off the foam grip and anything else that can be
removed
and mail the pen to them in a small padded envelope or between 2 pieces of
thin cardboard. Do not include the plastic tube. Shipping costs should be fairly inexpensive f you
take the grip off. If the pen is less than a year old, send a copy
of your invoice and they will replace the tip at no charge. If it is over a year old,
the tip replacement charge for a Razertip pen is only $5.00 including any
taxes and return postage! Please be sure to mark the package as "damaged
or defective merchandise", include payment if necessary - check, money order, or credit
card information with the pen. Tip replacement requires only one day
in their shop (in one day, out the next).
Re-tipping any brand or make of
hot-wire tool made.
With laser-welding
Razertip has the ability to re-tip any brand or make of hot-wire tool
made. They offer this service on all brands of pen including Detail
Master, Colwood, Nibs, Optima, and any others. The cost for re-tipping
of non-Razertip pens is a flat fee of $7.00 - including applicable tax
and return shipping by standard mail. And they stand behind the new tip
with a full, unconditional 6 month warranty covering everything
including your satisfaction. You'll get two day in-shop turnaround and a
warranty that's better than the new pen had.
If you
have been told to return a burner or pen to Razertip, please ship them to:
Razertip Industries
Inc.,
301-9th Street North
P.O. Box 910,
Martensville, SK S0K 2T0
Canada
1-877-729-3787
Do not send damaged or
broken burners or pens to us. They must be returned to the
manufacturer.
prefer this to the round, square and other shape shaders because of its shape. Also, because I use a smooth shading
technique, this does a beautiful job of accomplishing that. As with
most pens, the trick is going to be in the technique and the landing.
Be sure that when you land on the wood your pen is in motion, much like an
airplane coming in for a landing. If the pen lands on the wood then
moves you will get what I call, "the dreaded blob". This is one of the
most important techniques to learn.
The middle photo
shows how you can draw lines using the edge of the pen and vary the
thickness depending on the angle you hold the pen. 
large, small/medium) and is available in
Heavy-Duty and Standard pens. I prefer the HD14SM because it is
the most versatile so I don't need to have more than one round-heeled
knife. My philosophy has always been more is not necessarily
better, just more money! This pen is great for a lot of things.
It does beautiful curved lines, calligraphy and can even be used on
the side for shading. Experiment and have fun!
be the most versatile
and this is the one I use the most. You can see the difference
in the lines from the largest, F9 to the smallest F9XS tip. The
smallest tip has a sharp tip so it tends to catch on the wood making
it difficult to print. 
pyrography, cutting and detail work depending on the size. The edge is
flat and sharp.
#2 Round
Shader. The LC, MC & SC shaders are only available in
heavy-duty. These are used for shading. The shading on the
right was done with the large round. It shades a larger area.
It is not as versatile as the 5MP, but it does cover a larger area a
bit faster than the Bent Spear Shader
not sharp.
print or write with it. They are all great for stippling and
depending on the size of the piece your working on you can chose a
size that will work best. But the nice thing about the ball
stylus is that it glides over the wood so smoothly. Another
important thing to remember when using these is that as the size
small to large. A popular pen for hair,
coarse feather texture, grass. They are great on all sizes of birds, etc,
depending on the size of the tip you get. 
are available in small and medium. The
medium is the more popular of the two spoon shaders. They are very
versatile and fun to use.
smooth
chisel-type calligraphy pen for heavier writing. It is less
prone to digging in than most other calligraphy tips, including the #6
chisel tips.
non-electrical
applications. It is only available in a standard pen. HD cord is
recommended for this pen.
