A Guide to Optima Pyrography Pens: Details and Recommended Uses
Terri SummerAll information was provided by PJL Enterprises, the manufacturer of Optima1 Pyrography Tools. These are the pens available for purchase at Arizona Gourds at this time.
PH1 Large Skew
Good for running quill lines, and burning larger feathers (like on life sized geese or eagle feathers). The longer blade burns long even lines, but turning radius is very limited.
Recommended for:
Bird Carvers
Mammal Carvers
Flatwork
Gourds
Bowl Turners
PH2 Small Round
Good for concave areas such as under necks. Good for not leaving a depression from the point. Can also be used for "stippling".
Recommended For:
Bird carvers
Can also be bent at a 45 and used as a shader for flatwork
PH2B Small Round Shader
This bent version of the #2 pen is designed to be used as a shader. (same profile as the 2)
Recommended For:
Flatwork pyrographers
Large Round.
Same as small round, just a bit larger diameter.
Recommended For: Bird carvers
PH3 Large Round
Same as small round, just a bit larger diameter.
Recommended For: Bird carvers
PH3B Large Round Shader
This bent version of the #3 pen is designed to be used as a shader. (Same profile as the 3)
Recommended For: Flatwork pyrographers
PH4 Flat Skew
Same as a Medium sized Skew knife (11), but at a lesser angle. Some lefties like this one better.
Recommended For: Bird carvers, or anyone wanting a lesser angle on a medium blade knife skew.
PH5 Spear Point
Good for getting into tight places like under wings, and for under cutting. Can also be used to make a fuzzy raised hair on flat work or mammal carvings. Available in extended version.
Recommended For: Bird Carvers.
Mammal Carvers.
PH6 Chisel Point
Some carvers prefer this for running quill lines.
Recommended For: Bird Carvers
Flatwork pyrographers
(Large Calligraphy)
PH7 Round Skew
A variation of the Medium Skew, tip is rounded at both the point and heel.
Recommended For: Bird carvers, or anyone wanting a medium skew with a rounded point.
Gourd pyrographers.
PH8 Burnishing Tip, (Not Sharpened)
Just what is says. Works great for doing 1/2" to 1" high calligraphy lettering, as you can do most letters (like an "S") in just one pen stroke. As there is no "choke point" in the tip, it does tend to heat up the pen body more than most pens. Available with two extra foam grips for a $1.00 more.
Recommended For:
Bowl Turners
Flatwork pyrographers.
(does larger calligraphy, similar to using a calligraphy marker).
PH9 Writing Tip, (Not Sharp)
Used for writing your name on your carvings. As there is no "choke point" in the tip, it does tend to heat up the pen body more than most pens.
Recommended For:
Bird Carvers.
Mammal Carvers.
(used for signing name)
PH9M Modified Writing Tip (Not Sharp)
Very similar to the standard #9, but has the end of the tip ground symmetrically, and the end is perfectly round. This is a good choice when you need it for more than just signing your work like for "Pointillism" or drawing, and the "choke point" created at the end of the tip also keeps the pen body much cooler for much longer than the standard #9 pen does. The end of the tip for the 9M pen is about 0.040" in diameter (1mm), and about 0.030" (3/4mm) diameter for the 9MS pen. Look at the #19 pens if you want something similar but bigger.
Recommended For:
Flatwork pyrographers.
Gourd pyrographers.
Bowl Turners
PH9PP Pin Point Tip (Sharp)
Another variation of the #9 & 9M, but it has been ground so that it comes to a sharp point. Good for when you need to do very fine dots or fine surface lines. It is sharp, so you may need to sandpaper the tip down a little bit to your liking.
Recommended For: Flatwork pyrographers.
Gourd pyrographers.
PH10 Small Skew
Great for the miniature carver or anyone that needs to do small fine detailed work.
Recommended For: Bird Carvers, or anyone wanting a short knife with a sharp heel.
PH11 Medium Skew
A little smaller than the Large Skew (1), has many of the same uses. Has a better turning radius & is stronger than the Large Skew (1).
Recommended For: Bird carvers. Medium sized birds.
PH12 Small Rounded Skew
Like the the small skew, but can turn a corner real easily. This is the most popular pen that we sell. Get this one and the #18 when ordering one of the Cheryl Dow books!
Recommended For: Everybody. A VERY versatile pen tip.
PH13 (Available in S, M and L) Fish Scale or Flat work Shading pen
What originally started out as a Cheryl Dow design for flat work pyrography, was changed slightly via Scott Clinton to become a fish scale pen also. This tip is available in small, medium, or large sizes. The medium size (Shown here) is probably the most versatile for most carvers and flat work pyrographers.
Recommended For:
Flatwork pyrographers
(Buildings, ships, etc)
Fish Carvers
(free form scaler)
Bird Carvers
PH16, (PH16S Small is also Available) Small Chisel or Calligraphy Writing Pen
Basically looks like a small 1/8" chisel tip. Could be used for purposes other than calligraphy. Available in smaller sizes/widths upon request.
Recommended For:
Flatwork pyrographers
Gourd pyrographers.
Or anyone wanting to do calligraphy.
PH17 Coarse Hair Tip
This tip is used to make hair on your caricature or mammal carvings, instead of using a tear-drop shaped dremel bit, or micro-V hand gouge. Obviously, you may still need these other tools for wider furrows, but this pen will make short work of the medium to finer sized hairs on your carvings (up to 1mm wide). This tip is only available in heavy duty style, as its design requires a thicker tip wire. It can also be used to do fine hair/feather work, where you can adjust the width and depth of a line by just pressing harder (rather than increasing your heat settings). As this pen tip has a limited "choke point" in it, it may tend to get more heat to the pen body.
Recommended For:
Mammal carvers.
Flatwork pyrographers.
Gourd pyrographers.
Bowl Turners
Can also be used for "cross hatching" in flatwork, bowls, or on gourds. Also good for making tree bark, white hairs, and much more.
PH19 (available in S, M, L and XL) Ball Tip
This pen is something many pyrographers have wanted for a long time, so we invented it (circa mid 2002). This tip is available in four different ball sizes: 1/16" S, 5/64" M, 1/10" L, & 1/8" XL (1/16" S & 1/8" XL shown here). This pen tip can be used to draw lines, shade with, do pointillism, and much more (1/8" could be ground to a shape that suits your needs).
Recommended For:
Flatwork Pyrographers
Gourd Pyrographers
Bowl Turners
Fish Carvers
Bird Carvers (use small one as wrinkler)
Could also be used by Mammal or Bird carvers if customized.
PH20 Gourd Saw Blade (Long Version also available)
A unique tip used for cutting through gourds comes in two versions. The standard length pen (20) can cut through gourds up to 1/4" thick. The Long version (20L) is about 3/16" longer, and can cut gourds up to 3/8"~1/2". It should be used on straight cuts (not curves), and should be used in a "sawing motion" for best results. It is ground much sharper than most blade pens, so be careful not to cut yourself on this one!
Recommended For: Gourd Artists
PH23 (available in S,M and L) Spoon Shader
This tip is used to simulate a large ball, which can be used for shading. This tip is currently available in 1/4" (shown here) and 3/8" curvatures (the diameter it would be if it were an actual sphere).
Like all of our pen tips, it is polished to a mirror finish, and is designed to keep the heat off your hands.
Recommended For:
Flatwork Pyrographers
Gourd Pyrographers
Bowl Turners
The "Recommended" for is not "set in stone", and should just be used as a quick reference guide.
Tip Care
The manufacturer does not recommend heating tips way up to "condition" them or burn off carbon, this will only shorten its life span. Nor do we recommend using most types of sandpaper. To keep tips in factory new condition, use a white polishing compound (Aluminum Oxide polishing compound) with either a leather strop or a felt polishing wheel. Actual sharpening of the edge can usually be done every six months to a year, depending on usage. Use a very fine stone to sharpen at a 30 to 35 degree angle, (depends on your preference), then polish.
Tip Replacement and repair is available if you break or wear out a tip by contacting the manufacturer directly.
PJL Enterprises
P.O. Box 273
720 N. Perry Ave.
Browerville, MN 56438
1-320-594-2811