# Cheap Pen Exhibition



## Ravenbsp (Mar 10, 2006)

Would anyone be interested in an exhibition of pens from cheap alternative materials?  I would suggest a price limit of $5.00 total, including the price of any kit you want to use.  No "store bought" pen blanks. Emphasis would be on imagination and innovation.


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## Randy_ (Mar 11, 2006)

I voted "NO"; but guess I should have really known what you meant, exactly, by..."PEN EXHIBITION"... before voting.  Are you talking about a separate forum or a separate photo gallery or just exactly what??  We already have a forum for the showing of pens that range from thousand dollar pens out of titanium to less than $5 pens made out of scrap copper wire.  Not sure what else we might need; but am willing to be convinced.


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## BillATsetelDOTcom (Mar 13, 2006)

I voted yes, I think it would be a neat idea.  I know ppl do pens out of "strange" materials, but this would be an opportunity for many people to get their own creative juices flowing and the use of more "strange" materials.

Bill


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## Ron Mc (Mar 13, 2006)

Bryan,
What exactly do you mean? Less than $5.00 total pen cost for kit, materials, glue, etc...?


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## Johnathan (Mar 13, 2006)

I would love for you to expand and clarify your idea. Thanks[8D]


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## Ravenbsp (Mar 13, 2006)

I just meant to start a thread on the "show off your pens" section.  My interest is in seeing shoe-string budget creativity.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy seeing high-end  burl emperors as well as slimline pens made of less expensive woods.  Pens are beautiful things....

Mostly I was interested in seeing how clever or even amusing the good people of the IAP can be.  For example, I had a buddy some years ago who made a beautiful segmented pen that had transparent / translucent green and clear spirals runnig the length of the pen (a slim-line model).  His materials?  Two liter plastic bottles of Sprite and diet coke, cut into small squares, pressed together and very slowly melted into a blank in a modified propane barbecue pit.  I would classifiy this as much more trouble than its worth, but certainly 10 for 10 for creative cheapness.  I recently posted a sierra pen made from a chunk of 3/8" coppper water pipe, that I was pleased with.  I just like the  idea of alternate materials, designs that are out of the box, or just plain "out there"  

I don't at all mean to disdain high-end pens that use the best possible materials, I just finished a set of Emperor rollerbal and fountain pens in amboyna burl to memorialize the signing of my son's adoption papers.  I just thougt it might be fun to see what folks might come up with, with only a few bucks.  My current project involves creating a blank made of pre-1981 pennies (made from solid copper slugs) and nickles.  I'm pre-drilling each coin to accept the correct pen fittings and will try to solder every thing together and then finaly put it on the lathe and get to work.

The cost of $5.00 is negotiable, I was thinking it would just cover the pen kit and blank material, not sand paper, glue, or finishes, etc.

Just thought it might be a fun idea.  Perhaps I should have posted this on the show off your pens forum....

Best wishes to all[]


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## Ron Mc (Mar 13, 2006)

Bryan,
Thanks for clarifying this. I'll give it a go. I'll probably use a cigar kit since I don't make slim lines. WAY more than enough![][]


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## coach (Mar 13, 2006)

This material cost me whatever electricity my bandsaw used since I found the wood myself.  Is that what you mean?




<br />


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## Ravenbsp (Mar 13, 2006)

You bet, Coach!


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## dubdrvrkev (Mar 13, 2006)

> _Originally posted by coach_
> <br />This material cost me whatever electricity my bandsaw used since I found the wood myself.  Is that what you mean?<br />



Statesman fountain kit- about $30, I think that is kind of missing the point of a "shoestring budget". While found wood is cheap and sometimes very nice, as you blank is, it doesn't seem like it is all that imaginative for the spirit of the exihibtion. IMHO of course.


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## coach (Mar 13, 2006)

I would be wasting the wood if I used a $1.55 slimline kit!  Couldn't do that to the big piece of burl I found!


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## byounghusband (Mar 14, 2006)

Here's one....  I Teach a Financial Peace Class from Dave Ramsey. Part of the class is stopping the use of Credit Cards and NEVER going back!! We cut up a bunch of Credit Cards and I made a Cigar Pen out of them with a little bit (ok, a LOT [xx(] ) of CA.  

The kit was $2.95.  The cost of the pen was just that, but the ability for the people in my class to not build more debt is <b>PRICELESS!!!</b>

This pen was given to Dave Ramsey as a gift at the Live Event he did here in the Dallas area in February.



<br />


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## Ravenbsp (Mar 14, 2006)

That is awsome, you Win!


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## realgenius (Apr 3, 2006)

I'm in, even though I'm a bit late on the uptake.  I like inovative & cheap and this sounds like fun.  I already have an idea burning in the old idea factory.[}] By the way Bob, if I had any credit cards that looks like FUN!! Neat idea.


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## chigdon (Apr 3, 2006)

> _Originally posted by byounghusband_
> <br />Here's one....  I Teach a Financial Peace Class from Dave Ramsey. Part of the class is stopping the use of Credit Cards and NEVER going back!! We cut up a bunch of Credit Cards and I made a Cigar Pen out of them with a little bit (ok, a LOT [xx(] ) of CA.
> 
> The kit was $2.95.  The cost of the pen was just that, but the ability for the people in my class to not build more debt is <b>PRICELESS!!!</b>
> ...



Love it, love it, love it!  Love the tagline too!


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