Modern, 3D Printed Bullet Pencil

thingiverse

An intriguing development unfolded in late 1914 as "The Great War" raged on. Soldiers and sailors were facing unimaginable hardships across the globe. Princess Mary of England, a compassionate individual, took notice of their plight and embarked on a mission to send a Christmas gift to every sailor at sea and soldier at the front (https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/look-inside-the-princess-mary-gift-fund-1914-box). Among the gifts were elegantly designed silver bullet pencils encased in brass .303 British rifle cases, providing a practical and thoughtful item for servicemen and women. After the war, this concept was replicated across America, often used as an innovative advertising tool. Businesses would imprint these pencils with their logos and contact information, transforming them into unique business cards (https://blog.pencils.com/the-history-of-the-bullet-pencil/). I have long been fascinated by this idea. Midori offers a similar bullet pencil concept, but its clip appears flimsy, and the absence of an actual cartridge case detracts from the design's authenticity. The Fisher Pen Company produces fine pressurized ballpoint pens housed in brass cartridge cases, which I own and regularly carry; however, it is not a pencil. In response, I have attempted to create my own 3D printed version. There are some challenges associated with this concept. The original pencils were held within a cap that was itself secured inside the cartridge case, necessitating a strong yet thin-walled "bullet" – a feat currently beyond the capabilities of 3D printing technology. As an alternative, I have designed a cap that holds a pencil internally and attaches to the cartridge case externally. Additionally, I lack .303 British cartridges, but I do possess .30-06 Springfield ammunition and have tailored this "bullet" cap to fit it. Notes: 1. The cap features a "Crowned M" inscription in honor of Princess Mary's gift. 2. The cap should accommodate any standard hexagonal pencil; if necessary, sand or whittle it to achieve a proper fit. 3. This pencil holder is designed for short pencil stubs, with 2 3/4 inches (70mm) being the maximum length that will work. 4. It fits an unfired or properly resized .30-06 Springfield cartridge case. 5. Officially allowed by the TSA for carry-on flights (https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/shell-casings), but we all know how knowledgeable TSA agents can be about official rules. 6. There are variations with and without printed adhesion supports, as well as those with and without an eraser hole. Versions 1.3M and 1.3MS feature the "bullet" tip, while versions 2M and 2MS have the eraser tip. The S versions include built-in adhesion supports. 7. The eraser version is designed to hold a standard wooden pencil eraser in place of the bullet tip; simply remove one from a pencil and insert it into the hole. Alternatively, those pencil cap erasers fit well within both designs.