Desiderata Vignette: Ebonite

A bit about ebonite: The classic hard rubber. What they sometimes make bowling balls from. 

Made by the slow vulcanization of natural rubber with sulfur, ebonite (or vulcanite as it was called in the early twentieth century) absorbs hand warmth and radiates it back in such a way that when you hold an ebonite pen, it feels like an extension of your hand. Much more so than with plastics. 

Not to be hyperbolic, but working with this material is like being in a lucid nightmare. You have a certain degree of control over the finished product, but in the meantime–everything stinks, your tools never stay sharp, everything is always at the brink of overheating and for the time you’re working with it, you live your life covered in dust–and there’s nothing you can do about it. Yeah, yeah, coolant my ass. You end up with so much mud, if feels like you’re trying to ski through the rainforest.

But it’s worth it. The “hand-feel” of using an ebonite pen cannot be overstated. About the only material that feels more natural to hold is wood. Sure, you have to work for it, but the gloss you can get is deep and warm, the matte is inviting, and everything in between is possible. No regrets. Buy an ebonite pen. Profit from my pain.