Meet Ultem

Ultem V3

It’s already available on the site.

After a run of the clear polycarbonate MQRs it was clear😆 that folks like them. I wasn't too happy with the results as PC isn't very stretchy and a little brittle. The look and effect was a nice change vs all the metal versions though. Meet Ultem® (polyetherimide). It's a semi-transparent high strength plastic material that can operate in high service temperature environments. Though the magnets will lose their strength in high temps, this material has much better physical properties for MQRs and makes for a better, longer lasting MQR. I found that over time the PC version was developing surface fractures where the magnet was installed and didn't have the aesthetic properties I was hoping for over time. I've been testing Ultem for a few weeks now and finding it to be totally unchanged even after hard use. Carrying things like knives and titanium edc items hasn't changed the look of these in any way.

Ultem can be machined thinner than other plastics due to it’s high strength and is way more resistant to drops and mishaps. MQRs need to be tough. They slam together every time you separate and re attach them. When testing my plastic version MQRs I use a 36lb magnet to test this. I let them slam using forces greater than they will ever see in the real world and I’m here to report, Ultem holds up!

A pen maker in the community inspired me with this material. Ian Schon makes a variety of pens and watches as well. His Ultem pen caught my attention as I have never heard of the material before. So I ordered some material and started machining and prototyping. Very quickly I found out why he’s using this stuff. It’s tough, machines well and can even hold threads.

Have a look at them! I think you’ll like them. I sure do.

-Dustin