Chicago Pneumatic Engraving Pen, Cp9160, One Size

Was really looking forward to using this tool to prep fossils, but unfortunately it arrived defective. Air leaked at the O-ring right out of the box. Returned for a refund.

I purchased one of these just over two years ago, to be used in prepping fossils. There are better tools specifically for fossil prepping (Paleo Tools brand), but they're considerably more expensive, and I wanted to try a cheaper solution to see how much I enjoyed the hobby before shelling out more serious money.This little tool does a very respectable job of removing matrix from fossil specimens, and overall I'm quite happy with it. I did have one issue with a broken spring, but the manufacturer sent me a warranty replacement.Some advice for anyone using it to prep fossils: unless you're in a very dry environment, you will want to add a line dryer to your setup to keep water out of the tool. Also, do not add oil to the line, as some will eventually spray some out in a fine mist onto your fossil.

Chicago Pneumatic, mostly known as a Harbor Freight brand, acquired the Swedish concern that made this specialized tool years ago … years before Harbor Freight existed. This "CP9160 Industrial Engraving Pen" was known as the CP160. It retains the same operation, quality red-baked enameled finish and made in Sweden. It's the mainstay tool for fossil matrix removal.Shop around for a mini-chisel striking 600 beats per second. I swear that it's hitting at some sort of resonant frequency that peels matrix from the fossil interface. It does have is ergonomically better competition at 5-6X this price. As engraving tools go, rotary is a better option IMHO—a specialized tool for the fossil prep purpose.The quill lasts just about forever.

I’m up in the air about this one. It does engrave pretty well and feels great in the hand. It’s very loud. After about 30 minutes of use, the tungsten popped out about 1/4-1/2” further than it had been. It still seems to work as designed though. Not a bad purchase for the price

Trying to save some money, I purchased this model opposed to the cp 9361 which is more than double. Big mistake. Like many of you, i am using the scribe in a cnc setup with pmeumatic slides. First major problem with this unit is that it is inconsistent with starting up, or in other words sometimes it will be stalled out until the tip is bumped. This wouldnt be a detrimental problem if used handheld, but a huge problem for automation. The second problem is that it will occasionally stall out then kick back on, annoying if hanf held, but absolutely unacceptable for automation. Lastly the tip only lasted roughly 25 minutes of scribing. When i looked up the replacement tip and saw it runs $80, i filed for a return. The cp 9361 is more money up front, but it is a higher end unit and replacement tips, while not cheap, are only $22. So if youre considering this for automation or heavy use, spend the extra money and get the higher end model.