Another pen... only larger!

[Texatdurango]

Recently I made an average size pen which I embellished with sterling silver accent rings and bands which was well received at a pen show.

I listened to customers and decided to offer a bit larger pen so today I made a larger pen in both length and width including a larger and wider grip section.

I also heard from customers that not everyone likes silver so I decided to make a pen using gold embellishments. Of course the price of gold kept me from using solid gold rings and bands so I decided it was time to purchase a gold plating outfit and to order some new gold plated clips.

What you see in the large pen is an accent ring on the lower body which is solid copper that I plated with nickel then 18k gold to match the new 18k gold plated clips I bought.

Both pens were made from Alumilite blanks that I cast and feature both 5mm polished steel and 6mm gilded gold Bock nibs and were made using the 12mm and 14mm multi-start tap and die sets.

The lengths:
large pen lower body, finial to nib is 5.25", capped overall length is 5.7"
small pen lower body, finial to nib is 4.8", capped overall length is 5.35"

As usual, any constructive suggestions, critiques or comments are welcome.

Here are a few shots.........

 

[HoratioHornblower]

Great looking pens! I like the gold accented pen much more. The only aspect I don't like about it is the lack of the gold bands on the cap. I don't know if you can do gold bands with your plating set up or not, but I really think that would complete the pen as it is just missing that "flare" that the silver pen has. For the silver pen the accent on the bottom barrel is too close to the end and is not proportionate to the cap finial. I like the proportions on the gold pen much more in that respect. Either way, both look good and I wish I could see them in person as that always gives a better perspective!

David

 

[Texatdurango]

Great looking pens! I like the gold accented pen much more. The only aspect I don't like about it is the lack of the gold bands on the cap. I don't know if you can do gold bands with your plating set up or not, but I really think that would complete the pen as it is just missing that "flare" that the silver pen has. For the silver pen the accent on the bottom barrel is too close to the end and is not proportionate to the cap finial. I like the proportions on the gold pen much more in that respect. Either way, both look good and I wish I could see them in person as that always gives a better perspective!

David

Good observations, I have wrestled with the lengths of my finials for quite some time. When I make them longer, I think they are too long so make them shorter, when I see them shorter, I make them longer. Believe me, it's a wrestling match on a merry go round! :wink:

As far as the cap accent bands, they are forthcoming on another pen model. In my smaller pens I make a basic pen and an embellished pen, the same will hold true for the larger pens and what you are seeing here is the basic model, the embellished pen will have two gold rings in the cap and I can plate either rings or bands while on the pen so not a problem.

 

[SDB777]

Think the cap 'looks' better on the longer pen....but then again, I'm really digging those rings on the short pen!




Well done!!!





Scott

 

[Twissy]

Beautiful work, both on the pens and the casting. That's a lovely colour blank. The gold plated rings are really nice. That's something else for the ever growing wish list!!
If I were to do rings on the cap (one day I'll be able to) I think I'd like to see them the same thickness as the finial rings, maybe 3 quite close together?

 

[Texatdurango]

Beautiful work, both on the pens and the casting. That's a lovely colour blank. The gold plated rings are really nice. That's something else for the ever growing wish list!!
If I were to do rings on the cap (one day I'll be able to) I think I'd like to see them the same thickness as the finial rings, maybe 3 quite close together?

I agree with the rings. I made a pen for a friend recently and put in two rings in the cap the same diameter as the upper and lower rings and it looked a lot better. I got a disc punch set so I can make nice washers out of any soft metal up to .030" thick in any diameter I need so you probably won't be seeing many more thick bands unless it's on the end of the cap.

 

[bluwolf]

I like the two accent bands on the smaller pen. But I like the smaller diameter of the cap in proportion to the diameter of the barrel on the bigger pen. Although I suspect the accent bands have something to do with the fatter diameter of the smaller pen?

I also don't care for the clip on the bigger pen. It seems large and overbearing. But that's the clip's fault not the pen's. I think the clip on the smaller pen would have looked great on the bigger pen, though I realize it's not the right color.

I think the cap and barrel finials look nice on both pens, size/proportion-wise. But my personal preference(which I guess this all is) is the slightly thicker rings separating the finials from their barrels on the smaller pen.

I guess what I'm saying in too many words is, if the diameter of the cap on the smaller pen were a bit smaller, it would would have it all. But they're both very sharp.

Mike

 

[Dalecamino]

Very nice work George. I like the casting, and plating on the rings worked out well. Good thinking on the plating.

 

[anthonyd]

If you don't mind me asking, what disk punch did you get?

Tony

 

[Texatdurango]

If you don't mind me asking, what disk punch did you get?

Tony

I got set "A" from this page.....

Santa Fe Jewelers Supply - DISC CUTTERS

Since I have a lot of acetal (Delrin) rods, I made a few center positioning pins like the ones shown here.... Center-Positioning Die Set For Swanstrom Disc Cutters

Together they make really nice washers to use as trim rings.

 

[IPD_Mr]

I also don't care for the clip on the bigger pen. It seems large and overbearing. But that's the clip's fault not the pen's.

This is why it was a smart idea not to incorporate cap bands on the pen. Love it or hate it the clip makes a statement and anything added could detract and or make it too over the top.

 

[Texatdurango]

My comments in blue

I like the two accent bands on the smaller pen. But I like the smaller diameter of the cap in proportion to the diameter of the barrel on the bigger pen. Although I suspect the accent bands have something to do with the fatter diameter of the smaller pen?
Yep, I can make a cap slightly larger than the lower barrel but when I glue rings or bands together I like to have a bit more material for the glue bond. When using rings I basically have a tenon and an outer sleeve and I had some failures early on because I tried to go too thin with the outer sleeve.

I also don't care for the clip on the bigger pen. It seems large and overbearing. But that's the clip's fault not the pen's. I think the clip on the smaller pen would have looked great on the bigger pen, though I realize it's not the right color.
Oh no.... that's my favorite thing about this pen! It is larger than the silver clip but then so is every other clip I have. The little rollerball is by far the smallest clip I have. The gold clip is actually about the same size as the clip used on the Jr Statesman kits sold by Craft Supply.

I think the cap and barrel finials look nice on both pens, size/proportion-wise. But my personal preference(which I guess this all is) is the slightly thicker rings separating the finials from their barrels on the smaller pen.
I guess what I'm saying in too many words is, if the diameter of the cap on the smaller pen were a bit smaller, it would would have it all. But they're both very sharp.

Mike

Thanks for the comments, always good to hear your thoughts. This was a prototype pen and I think I might make it a hair wider than this one, perhaps from a cap diameter of .620" to about .645". I had another fat prototype pen at the last pen show simply for people to write with and a few folks wanted to buy it, and it is .640" diameter so it might be a good size, at least worth making a dozen to find out.

 

[bitshird]

George, I like the grip shape on the new pen, Not all that crazy about the gold, but over all I like the size, and the absence of center bands it does look good, I think doing the same type bands as the silver pen would have been way over powering.
To me the silver bands look good on that pen but each has their own preference, I think they both look very nice, and I can see where pens like those are worthy of a pen show.

 

[Texatdurango]

George, I like the grip shape on the new pen, Not all that crazy about the gold, but over all I like the size, and the absence of center bands it does look good, I think doing the same type bands as the silver pen would have been way over powering.
To me the silver bands look good on that pen but each has their own preference, I think they both look very nice, and I can see where pens like those are worthy of a pen show.

You know, when I decided to make this pen I thought what could look more regal than blue and gold but then I noticed that the blue has a lot of silver in the cast that probably looked better with silver so this pen will be destined to be a demo model OR.... If I needed to, just swap the clip for a silver clip and silver plate right over the gold ring!

Recently I started offering three totally different shapes of grip sections and let customers try all three and the shape on the large pen, aside from being my favorite , was selected on 2/3's of the pens I sold, it IS comfortable to write with.

I'll put center bands on pens now and then but realizing what they are designed for, I don't feel the need for them when using Alumilite blanks so there won't be that many made.