# Titanium Athena pen



## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Here's my latest.


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

An open pic.



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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

An a pic with the cap posted.



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## KC (Feb 5, 2006)

That clip doesn't do it for me, but I REALLY like the looks of the rest of it!

KC


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## Dario (Feb 5, 2006)

OMG [:0] That is a wonderful pen!!!

I don't know about the look of it posted...seems too long and not sure what it does with the balance of the pen.

Is this a laminated TN (a la damascus)?  
How much does this pen weigh?


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Being a metal pen, most people won't post it, but there are some people who won't buy a pen unless it posts.  It weighs 53.7 grams (1.89oz) with ink.

The material is called Mokumanium.  It's similar to mokume gane or Damascus Steel, but it's all aerospace grade titanium.  It's a process I developed and applied for a patent and trademark on.


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## Dario (Feb 5, 2006)

Thanks!

Two more questions.

What is the colored trim around the clip?
How much does this type of pen sell?  You can either ignore this question or answer offline if you like.  Considering the material and rarity...must be super expensive.

I initially didn't like the clip much actually, but it grew on me fast!


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

The trim is polished titanium.  The pen only has 3 main parts. I'm still trying to hone in on price, but I think it might be in the $900 range.  The clip is titanium also.  It's a tough design issue.  I don't have room for most normal clips because the polished part in the cap still has the nib extending into it.  The cap is all one piece as it is.  Going to a screw on endcap presents its own manufacturing issues.  I was torn in the decision to anodize the clip or leave it titanium color, to not detract from the Mokumanium.  I decided to add some color.  The clip does grow on you though.  It's simple, contemporary, and fits the look OK.


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## TomServo (Feb 5, 2006)

bruce: another winner! I like the clip, the color does grow on you..  I think it would look good with a polished titanium clip also.


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## Randy_ (Feb 5, 2006)

I'M IN LOVE!!!


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## Texas Taco (Feb 5, 2006)

Awesome   [8D]

I like the pen and the clip.  If you ever need a product tester just ship to me and I'll test it for you...........[]


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## Gary Max (Feb 5, 2006)

I like the fact that it is a material you developed.
Great looking pen.


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## arjudy (Feb 5, 2006)

Awesome!!!


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## dfurlano (Feb 5, 2006)

Wow.

Nice job Bruce.

Real nice.


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## PenWorks (Feb 5, 2006)

Super looking pen .[:0]


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## Jim in Oakville (Feb 5, 2006)

Hi Bruce,

A lovely pen.   I love most everything about the pen, the form and the details.  I am not really crazy about the clip though...to me, it doesn't work with the rest of the pen, just me.  Have you considered it without the clip?

Great pen,  always look forward to seeing your work.


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Thanks guys.  [] Jim, I did consider doing without the clip at about the time I tried squeezing the metal ends of it into the undersized holes! [] It would have been a lot easier without one.  I have a press now, so I'll keep hashing on the clip.  I'm not sure if anything else is possible in this design, but I'll look into what's possible.


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## Jim in Oakville (Feb 5, 2006)

> _Originally posted by btboone_
> <br />Thanks guys.  [] Jim, I did consider doing without the clip at about the time I tried squeezing the metal ends of it into the undersized holes! [] It would have been a lot easier without one.  I have a press now, so I'll keep hashing on the clip.  I'm not sure if anything else is possible in this design, but I'll look into what's possible.




Hi Bruce,

I made my comment with true respect, I think you know that.  I feel that you have attained a degree of design that is wonderful, looking for the small detail that can make it that much better is not simple...I think that the clip may be the dressing on the work that can be extra special in the look...again, said with respect!


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## DWK5150 (Feb 5, 2006)

Very nice Bruce!!!!  Im curious what your gonna have to sell something like that for price wise?


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Don, I think maybe around $900.  I'd like to get people's reaction on that.  It's a lot, but it's a lot of work too.


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## vick (Feb 5, 2006)

Stunning as always Bruce.


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## wayneis (Feb 5, 2006)

I like it, and I like the clip.  It goes along with the mod look of the pen as a whole.  In fact I can picture these with clips in different colors, let people pick out their favorite color just like they would pick their Birthstone or what have you.  Nice job as usual.

Wayne


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## DWK5150 (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce,

Its worth every penny I think.  If I had $900 laying around I would buy one.


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Interesting idea Wayne.  Another interesting thing about Mokumanium is that when it's anodized, the two zones of the surface anodize at slightly different rates, so there is a slight color contrast between high and low sections.


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## chigdon (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce -- awesome.  I love every part of it and am glad to see your Mokumanium used on a pen.  I personally love the clip AND am curious to see what alternatives your creative mind comes up with.


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## Thumbs (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce, that is really impressive, but the clip just looks too much like a wire afterthought.  Like, what do I know!?  I think it would look better though as a flat ribbon with the same shape.  Does that make any sense?  Probably not.......[]  

Sorry, that metal looks fantastic; but, to me, the wire type clip just doesn't keep up with it.

Edit:  I read over everyone else's responses again and I guess the clip is the only part of your design that personal tastes really differ on.  Your penmanship is superb, as usual, but we all seem to have differing tastes!  That might be a good thing.  Then again.....[].....


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## mick (Feb 5, 2006)

I'm searchin for a drooling Icon I guess I'll have to settle for this []. Wonderful pen, I love it!. If I ever decide to spend 900 bucks on a pen..........


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## timdaleiden (Feb 5, 2006)

Awesome Bruce!!!!!

Love the new space-age material. I hope you make a mint on that one. 

I'm not sure about the clip, but as others have said, it's a matter of taste. 

Excellent work. 

Tim


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## thetalbott4 (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce- I gotta say that I really look forward to your posts. To me, guys like you are what this place should be more about. I'm not saying everyone needs to have vast amounts of specialized equipment and great artistic ability, but to take what you do have and try new things. I'm as guilty as anyone of, for the most part, just doing what I know and staying with it instead of working with unusual materials and shapes. I'm looking into a small HF metal lathe to start making my own parts because of what I've seen in some of these posts (my wife wants to talk to some of you about that by the way).

Whether I like your work or not, which i do, thanks for some inspiration. Now I'm gonna go out and turn a Baron with slightly curved barrels.[]


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## Randy_ (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce:  You could always make the clip optional for those who aren't crazy about it.

Did you consider making a more traditional clip with the same surface treatment as the pen body.....maybe to much work to be worth the effort??


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Thanks guys.  Randy, traditional clips are usually pretty tough to make in that they need the proper dies to stamp and form them.  I might check into that avenue now that I have a good press.  I am waiting on a nice 4" diameter chunk of stainless steel to make a good accurate and flat nose for the press before I start experimenting with it.  I haven't made any stamping or forming dies before, so I'll be in unfamiliar territory.  I'll also need to figure out a new means of attaching a clip, with all the associated manufacturing implications.  Since enough people are on the fence about it, it's probably something I should try to dial in more.  I also might chop off something like 3/8" on the back part.  It looks slightly long as is.  I think the posting length is dead on what I was looking for though.


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## JimGo (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce, 
With work like this, how did you get into the PMG?  []

Yes, that's pure envy speaking!  Beautiful pen!


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## wdcav1952 (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce,

If possible, the more I look at this, the more I like it.  Calling the clip a wire clip almost sounds to me like calling it a paper clip.  The clip as designed seems to me to serve a purpose without detracting in anyway from the beauty of your newly invented (?) metal process.

BTW, I like this even better than your pen with the wood inlays.

Awesome, Dude!


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## Randy_ (Feb 5, 2006)

> _Originally posted by btboone_<br />.....Randy, traditional clips are usually pretty tough to make in that they need the proper dies to stamp and form them.....



Bruce:  Rather than stamping the clips, would it be possible to design one that could be made on your CNC machine.....wouldn't require any additional equipment??  I don't know much about the capabilities of CNC machines in general or yours specifically so if this a dumb/impractical suggestion, I apologize in advance..


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## Randy_ (Feb 5, 2006)

I'm curious, Bruce......what do the folks in the PMG have to say about the clip??  Is it getting mixed reviews from them as well or is there a consensus one way or the other??  Thanks.


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## woodscavenger (Feb 5, 2006)

Bruce I love you design but I would love to see one without the anodized color, or something with grey tones instead.  But it is really an awesome looking pen!


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Randy, I did one like that for my retracting fountain pen.  I made it from a three dimensionally turned shell, then milled out the profile.  It was an amazing amount of work and took hours to make just the clip.  I won't be able to afford that much time for the clip.  The stamping technique will produce high quality ones quickly and repeatably.  The work is all up front in the tooling though.  It would probably take a portable die set that's used in the press.  The tonnage requirements won't be much and could probably even work in a vise for the thin sheet stock used.

Thanks William.  The clip doesn't really add or subtract from the pen in my opinion.  It's thick enough that it doesn't appear just like wire, and takes on a contemporary elliptical shape with the anodize fade.  The plus is that the finish of the pen shows through.  The minus is that some people perceive it as being a cheaper clip.  I'll keep an open mind for that and experiment.

Jim, this is the process I e-mailed you about the patent stuff on.  I have a bunch of other examples on some rings on my site.


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## btboone (Feb 5, 2006)

Randy, it just now got posted on PMG.  I'll be waiting to hear also.  

Shane, the clip in raw titanium does look good on the pen.  It's understated and classy.  You then notice that the whole pen is gray without color though.


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## woodscavenger (Feb 6, 2006)

It doesn't need any color with a background pattern like that.  Maybe you could anodize your trim rings to match......just a thought....


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## btboone (Feb 6, 2006)

I'll try out a plain titanium clip and take a pic.


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## Doghouse (Feb 6, 2006)

Bruce, you never fail to astonish!  beautiful work!


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## Paul in OKC (Feb 6, 2006)

Spectacular, as always, Bruce.


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## gerryr (Feb 6, 2006)

I'm sure glad I don't try stuff like this, because if I did I'd have to give it up after seeing this.  Beautiful work as always.  Good luck with your patent, I've heard it takes forever to get one through.


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## btboone (Feb 6, 2006)

Thanks guys.  Yup, patents usually take a couple years.  I also applied for a registered trademark.  I was surprised to learn that it will be 7 months before they get to that.  It's an exciting new technology that looks to have good potential.  I turned a normal pocket knife into what most would think is Damascus steel.  You can't tell by looking that it's not.


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## btboone (Feb 26, 2006)

Here's an updated version of Athena.  I shortened the body around a quarter inch and lengthened the barrel and cap just over an eigth inch.  I like the aspect ratio a lot better.  I also added texture to the barrel and left the clip natural instead of anodized.






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## btboone (Feb 26, 2006)

Here's the capped picture.  I also widened the polished center sections slightly more than they were.  Just seems better proportioned this way in my opinion.





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## Gary Max (Feb 26, 2006)

Bruce ----thats the ticket.
Your work just leaves me without words.
Great job


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## wdcav1952 (Feb 26, 2006)

Bruce,

Your work never fails to leave me in awe.  Like Gary, I just don't have words to describe what I feel.


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## woodscavenger (Feb 26, 2006)

Now that's the ticket.  Did I remember right that you were going to send that to me for the pen in hand thing??[]


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## Jim15 (Feb 27, 2006)

I don't know how you guys do it but the pens get better and better every day. Great looking pen Bruce.

jim


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## Johnathan (Feb 27, 2006)

Holy Crap Bruce! Why is it everytime I think I'm doing pretty good with my pens, I have to stumble upon one of yours. You put my pens to shame! Bravo! Is the clip a faded powder coat, acrylic airbrush, or something else? [:0][:0][:0]


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## TomServo (Feb 27, 2006)

bruce: I really like the new version.. the plain clip looks great. Try polishing one to match the rest of the fittings? Love the texture on the barrel/nib/thready part


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## btboone (Feb 27, 2006)

Thanks guys. []  Brian, I call that texture Cracked Ice that's on the barrel.  It's a bunch of triangles and other random shapes.

Jonathan, the first pen I did had a fade of anodizing on the clip. Titanium can change colors like that when you add DC voltage in a conductive fluid.  The second version is at the bottom of page 3.

Polishing the clip may be tricky, as it starts out pretty textured.  Maybe I can get close while it's still in straight wire form and touch it up after it's bent.

Shane is that one in the hand worth two in the bush? []


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## Randy_ (Feb 28, 2006)

Bruce:  I think you really nailed it with the mods.  These pictures may help folks see how the original

has been modified.  Hope Bruce won't mind me reposing his pens??





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I'm not sure the scale is exactly the same on both photos; but they are close.


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## btboone (Feb 28, 2006)

Thanks Randy, I probably should have taken a pic side by side to show them.  It's funny that such small changes make such a difference, but I like the new one a lot better.


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## angboy (Feb 28, 2006)

I like the clip on the old one better. I guess I can see how the new one is more consistent with the rest of the pen body, but the old clip was such a pretty color!

What did you do with the old one? If it went into the reject drawer, maybe it'd like to come live with me! Pens (could) have feelings too and I wouldn't want it to have a low self-esteem. [] It's living in the shadow of it's replacement, and hearing all the comments on how people like the new one better, including it's maker/father! [V] It looks like the new one even took it's name from it! No pen should have to live like that. If I call PPS* I bet they'd award it to me just for making the report. [][][][]

* PPS= Pen Protective Services


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## btboone (Feb 28, 2006)

I think I would sell the first pen at around 1/3 the normal cost since it is different than the one I have on the website now.  I'd even give the buyer the option to anodize the whole pen in the same anodize fade (which would look really cool.) []

I would hate to have PPS after me! [:0] I don't have it in a drawer, but it's on my desk with a bunch of other prototype pens.  Hopefully, that's not considered pen abuse.


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## chigdon (Feb 28, 2006)

I prefer the newest one myself.  What I like about the wire clip is that it doesn't detract from the pen and the more simple the better.  I had a chance to see the first pen in person [] and the new dimensions look like they are right on as well.  Great work as always Bruce!


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## Doghouse (Feb 28, 2006)

Bruce, that is outstanding work as always.  Fantastic design!


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