# A few new pens



## Texatdurango (Oct 30, 2012)

A few weeks ago I posted a photo of a new prototype I had been working on.  After a few major changes and a tweak here and there I have finalized my new design.  I will be offering this pen in 12 colors, here are four of my favorite colors to give you an idea of what the pens look like.

All rings and bands are sterling silver and the clip is silver plated to match.  As with all my pens, these sport a Bock nib, in this case a #6 stainless steel nib.

I realize these are just _sticks with clips_, basic, boring and bland to some but I'm rather proud of them as a fair amount of work goes into these pens.  I hope you enjoy them as well.

As usual, any and all constructive comments, critiques and suggestions welcome.


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## skiprat (Oct 30, 2012)

I can't find any reason to criticise, and you know I really looked!!:biggrin:

When are you going to make a matching Rollerball for these. I would imagine that a set of a FP and RB would be a good seller.


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## allisnut (Oct 30, 2012)

Very classy, I like the design.


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## Lenny (Oct 30, 2012)

Very nice! I really like the clip, are you making that yourself and having it plated?
Nice photo as well ... purple is often a challenge to get photographed.


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## GoodTurns (Oct 30, 2012)

If I had a complaint, it would be that they are TOO good...they look fully machined!  Beautiful work!


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## alamocdc (Oct 30, 2012)

Those are top drawer, George! Especially the purple one! Complaint? Maybe only that the purple one ain't in my pocket.


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## Dan26 (Oct 30, 2012)

Stunning! Great job.


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## Texatdurango (Oct 30, 2012)

Woo hoo, I finally got the hang of multi quoting!



skiprat said:


> I can't find any reason to criticise, and you know I really looked!!:biggrin:
> 
> When are you going to make a matching Rollerball for these. I would imagine that a set of a FP and RB would be a good seller.



Actually I do make these in a rollerball using a custom rollerball section I make and I also offer them with the Schmidt fountain rollerball, again using a special section to hold the Schmidt tip.



Lenny said:


> Very nice! I really like the clip, are you making that yourself and having it plated?
> Nice photo as well ... purple is often a challenge to get photographed.



I buy the raw clips and have them plated in a shop in California.  I hope to be making my own clips from silver as soon as I can find a cheap kiln to do some heat treating. 



GoodTurns said:


> If I had a complaint, it would be that they are TOO good...they look fully machined!  Beautiful work!


Well, I'll take that as a compliment as I do 100% of the shaping, sanding and polishing on my Jet mini wood lathe.  Right now I just do the drilling and tapping on my metal lathe.  It doesn't show well but all the bodies are tapered from .560" to .440" and they all post.


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## Gilrock (Oct 30, 2012)

Those are absolutely gorgeous and I think you know it. 

Did you pour those blanks?


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## gwilki (Oct 30, 2012)

I think this clip is a big improvement over the prototype one, George. I did look to find something negative to say, but struck out famously. I'm sure that these will be big sellers for you.


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## WoodLM (Oct 30, 2012)

those are some really beautiful pens! i especially like the blue one! really stunning!


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## Texatdurango (Oct 30, 2012)

Gilrock said:


> Those are absolutely gorgeous and I think you know it.
> 
> Did you pour those blanks?


Well of course I think all my pens are gorgeous, whether they are are not!

Yes, these are alumilite blanks I mixed using PearlEx pigments.. I started to say the pens are 100% alumilite but that's not true on these pens.  I am making the center threaded couplers from black acrylic rods instead of black alumilite because I can't get the black alumilite threads to shine as well as the acrylic.


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## Dalecamino (Oct 30, 2012)

Nice pens George. Your castings are cool, and I like the bands. Especially the one between the section and body.


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## scotian12 (Oct 30, 2012)

George...these are top notch. I especially like the silver bands as they add a bit of sparkle to the pens.    Darrell


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## lorbay (Oct 30, 2012)

That is a sweet bunch George.

Lin.


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## Wingdoctor (Oct 30, 2012)

They look great to me; excellent fit and finish and I like the blanks also. Good job.


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## Pete275 (Oct 30, 2012)

George, Amazing as usual. I have the same complaint as Billy B.(alamocdc) only I wish the blue one were in my pocket. Or the purple or the red etc. Thanks for posting them.

Wayne


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## Kretzky (Oct 30, 2012)

As you said "just" sticks with clips... BUT extremely  well made, nice clips, well balanced & I really like them to me they have a sort of "old world look" to them & your own casts too! Great job.
Congrats & thanks for showing.
David


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## Sataro (Oct 30, 2012)

Nothing to criticize on those pens. They look great. I'm sure they also have a lot of work put into them. Great job!!!


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## OKLAHOMAN (Oct 30, 2012)

That's custom from clip to section to blanks to bands, you should blow them away at the next pen show, but I do think one all black with the silver bands and clip would be stunning. But what do I know.


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## Jim Burr (Oct 30, 2012)

I hate seeing these:frown:. So close to starting and then I get candy tossed in my face:frown:. Shop is on for tomorrow...have my tap and dies, holders and acrylic rod. You are one of a few inspirations George! :biggrin::biggrin:


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## Texatdurango (Oct 30, 2012)

OKLAHOMAN said:


> That's custom from clip to section to blanks to bands, you should blow them away at the next pen show, but I do think one all black with the silver bands and clip would be stunning. But what do I know.


Great minds think alike!  We've got eight days 'till departing for the show and I've got several pens of each of my four models ready for the show now so it's time to play with some one-offs.

I'll be making a few bulb fillers and perhaps a few button fillers, a couple solid black and silver pens as well as a few from different color ebonite and some cebloplast pens all depending what I'm in the mood for when I hit the shop.

Of course, this is all subject to change if the winds subside and fishing picks up at my favorite fishing hole!:biggrin:  We went the other morning around 7AM and it was 29 degrees with a 10mph wind, brrrrrrr!


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## Texatdurango (Oct 30, 2012)

Jim Burr said:


> I hate seeing these:frown:. So close to starting and then I get candy tossed in my face:frown:. Shop is on for tomorrow...have my tap and dies, holders and acrylic rod. You are one of a few inspirations George! :biggrin::biggrin:


Jim, just a note on the clear acrylic tubes and solid rods.

A few years ago I started using clear acrylic rod and tube on my bulb fillers with ink windows and since the clear acrylic was cheaper than "common pen blanks", I decided to buy extra rod and use for experimenting.  I mentioned this in the past but think it's worth mentioning again....  The clear rods and tubes are a bit more brittle thus harder to thread than the softer acrylic used in the "common pen blanks".  I have always said that if one can master threading the clear acrylic then they would have no problems with the common pen blanks or alumilite.

With that said, don't get discouraged if you have some threading failures at first, just keep at it, use cooking oil spray as a lubricant and don't force the taps and dies and you'll be fine.


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## seamus7227 (Oct 30, 2012)

i am speechless, but then its your work, so im not surprised one bit! Absolutely gorgeous work George!


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## Katya (Oct 30, 2012)

scotian12 said:


> George...these are top notch. I especially like the silver bands as they add a bit of sparkle to the pens.    Darrell



I love these too.. are you using two different thicknesses of silver sheet to achieve the centre bands and end bands?

Absolutely beautiful pens!  I like the shapes, blanks and silver accents.  
Cheers
Catherine


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## Andrew_K99 (Oct 30, 2012)

Fantastic group of pens George, you've perfected the stick with a clip.

AK


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## mikespenturningz (Oct 30, 2012)

Very classy. Nice pens great design. Simply Beautiful!


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## Bigj51 (Oct 30, 2012)

Oh wow! Those are beautiful! I'll take the blue one! Very very very nice workmanship. Don't change a thing. What blank material are you using on those? It is very striking.


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## gdi (Oct 30, 2012)

Very nice, I like the blue and red ones most.

MK


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## 76winger (Oct 30, 2012)

Very nice George and as in the past you've created some real beauties!

The darker blue one at the bottom really catches my eye.


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## avbill (Oct 30, 2012)

Well let me critique you George;  I see a speck on the red pen upper pen barrel just below the clip.....   Oh NO  that 's a speck on me glasses!  Very  nice work George


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## alxe24 (Oct 30, 2012)

Fantastic. Very nice looking sticks I wish I can make sticks as nice as those.
Congrats


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## nava1uni (Oct 31, 2012)

As usual I find your work something to aspire to in my pen making.  I really like this design a lot.  It reminds me of an older parker that I had for years until it broke.  Long before I knew anything about pen making or repairing.


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## nava1uni (Oct 31, 2012)

avbill said:


> Well let me critique you George;  I see a speck on the red pen upper pen barrel just below the clip.....   Oh NO  that 's a speck on me glasses!  Very  nice work George



Very funny Bill.


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## MartinPens (Oct 31, 2012)

George, truly amazing. As I start working on these I am seeing all the work that goes into making one! I can't decide on the color, but maybe if I see you at the LA Pen Show next year I will have saved enough pennies to choose one there. Thanks for sharing so much of your expertise on the forum!


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## Texatdurango (Oct 31, 2012)

Katya said:


> ....
> I love these too.. are you using two different thicknesses of silver sheet to achieve the centre bands and end bands?
> .....Cheers
> Catherine


Yes I use two thicknesses of silver.  On the lower body rings I use 24g which is .020" and the cap bands are 18g which is .040".  I used to make wider cap bands but think the thinner bands look "crisper".



Bigj51 said:


> Oh wow! Those are beautiful! I'll take the blue one! Very very very nice workmanship. Don't change a thing. What blank material are you using on those? It is very striking.


 I mix dyes and PearlEx pigments with clear alumilite.



nava1uni said:


> As usual I find your work something to aspire to in my pen making.  I really like this design a lot.  It reminds me of an older parker that I had for years until it broke.  Long before I knew anything about pen making or repairing.


Thanks for the compliments.  Probably one of the first vintage pens I ever held in my hands was a Parker Duofold and I liked the shape and feel so it's no surprise that I tend to make my pens similar in shape.

If I were a smart person I would pick up on a common theme amongst the comments and that would be to make a few more blue pens for the show just in case.  In my last two shows the blue and purple pens were the first to go, who knows I might have sold more if I had the right colors on hand! :wink:


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## Bowl Slinger (Oct 31, 2012)

Absolutely gorgeous. Fantastic craftsmanship!


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## johncrane (Oct 31, 2012)

One word Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Jim in Oakville (Oct 31, 2012)

Stunningly perfect, these are the pens I though I would make back a few years ago when I was thinking of going kitless, these are all wonderful!


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## Old Lar (Oct 31, 2012)

Great job on the pens.  I like the design, blanks and, oh heck I like them all.  The silver bands really make them look regal.


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## watch_art (Oct 31, 2012)

Texatdurango said:


> Jim, just a note on the clear acrylic tubes and solid rods.
> 
> A few years ago I started using clear acrylic rod and tube on my bulb fillers with ink windows and since the clear acrylic was cheaper than "common pen blanks", I decided to buy extra rod and use for experimenting.  I mentioned this in the past but think it's worth mentioning again....  The clear rods and tubes are a bit more brittle thus harder to thread than the softer acrylic used in the "common pen blanks".  I have always said that if one can master threading the clear acrylic then they would have no problems with the common pen blanks or alumilite.
> 
> With that said, don't get discouraged if you have some threading failures at first, just keep at it, use cooking oil spray as a lubricant and don't force the taps and dies and you'll be fine.




You can get clear lucite from pipemakersemporium that turns and threads just as well as any pen blank acrylic.


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## Tortoise (Oct 31, 2012)

Oooo, very nice! I like the green one!


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## firewhatfire (Oct 31, 2012)

I would love to just come and sit in your shop and watch you make one of those.  Amazing work you do there sir.

Phil


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## gwilki (Oct 31, 2012)

To follow up on George's remarks about machining clear acrylic, the key is to find cast rod, not extruded. (Most out there is extruded.) Cast rod will machine as nicely as delrin. There are many firms in the US selling cast rod, but most have minimum orders too big for me. I've been able to work with some, though, and it is a treat.


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## watch_art (Oct 31, 2012)

http://www.pipemakers.org/images/NewProducts02-08/CL.jpg


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## MarkD (Oct 31, 2012)

Outstanding work George. I expect they will be a big hit at the show.
FWIW The blue is my favorite!
Would love to see a picture of the rollerball version!
Best of luck at the show!


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## joefyffe (Oct 31, 2012)

Well George, As usual, you outdid yourself again.  I love them.  AALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!


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## maxman400 (Oct 31, 2012)

What can be said that has not already been said, nothing. Great looking Sticks.


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## glycerine (Oct 31, 2012)

Jiminy Cricket!  Those are fantastic!!


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## Glenn McCullough (Oct 31, 2012)

George,
    the design and accents are exceptional, especially the clip (it compliments the rest).


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## SteveJ (Oct 31, 2012)

I don't like them.

They make me feel inadequate.

Nice work


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## cnirenberg (Oct 31, 2012)

George,
Those sure are beauties.


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## Dustygoose (Oct 31, 2012)

WOW George!!!  The only flaw is the blue one's cap has a slight bevel on the bottom of the cap.  I had to look for 3 minutes to find that...lol

You guys are raising the bar so high.  I have a functioning prototype but it is nowhere close to what I see here.  Took me over 4 hours to do it but had fun and learned a lot.    Next time I'm in my shop I will try to refine my designs.

Thanks to all the custom makers here. Y'all have given me inspiration


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## Texatdurango (Oct 31, 2012)

Dustygoose said:


> WOW George!!!  The only flaw is the blue one's *cap has a slight bevel on the bottom of the cap*.  I had to look for 3 minutes to find that...lol
> 
> You guys are raising the bar so high.  I have a functioning prototype but it is nowhere close to what I see here.  Took me over 4 hours to do it but had fun and learned a lot.    Next time I'm in my shop I will try to refine my designs.
> 
> Thanks to all the custom makers here. Y'all have given me inspiration


Actually there are bevels on the bottoms of all the caps.  There may be slight differences sine these are hand made but all are pretty close.  I like putting bevels on the caps as I feel it gives the pen a finished look rather than just turning a blank round and leaving the ends squared off.


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## Dustygoose (Nov 2, 2012)

I was sure it was the difference from the colors.  That is the only thing I saw.. And it did take a while.  I was dreaming while I was looking too


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