My Attempt for the front page

[Brooks803]

This is my first attempt at a double closed end pen as well as a hidden clip. The blank is a banded ivory TruStone from R&B crafts. I used the centerband and threads from an Rhodium Olympian Elite kit and used a clip from a Jr. Retro. MM to 12000 and buffed with tripoli and white diamond. Polished with PlastX and a coat of Ren wax. Any comments and critiques welcomed and appreciated.

 

[dexter0606]

It is a beautiful pen!! Even with a sore thumb you managed this?
It is a very nice looking pen. Good job.

Jeff

 

[Pioneerpens]

Wow! That is stunning!

 

[David Keller]

It's very nice. The cap end seems a bit short to me visually, but that may just be the photo. Beautiful work on the hidden clip.

 

[Jgrden]

Booochious.

 

[Parson]

Very nice work indeed. What mandrels did you use for the top and bottom?

 

[Brooks803]

It's very nice. The cap end seems a bit short to me visually, but that may just be the photo. Beautiful work on the hidden clip.

it is a bit shorter than I wanted. I've never had a problem with any of the trustones I've bought but on this one I had an air bubble show up on the end and it chipped off. I wasn't able to save it so I had to shorten it up a tad, plus I was wanting to not use the stock centerband but with the chip out I had to bc it added the length that the chip out lost.

 

[Mark]

It's a very unique pen. Nicely done..

 

[Brooks803]

It is a beautiful pen!! Even with a sore thumb you managed this?
It is a very nice looking pen. Good job.

Jeff

I'm surprised I managed this with all fingers and toes in proper working order...dunno who has a sore thumb, but it's not me. Thank you for the comment tho!

Very nice work indeed. What mandrels did you use for the top and bottom?

I used transfer punches mounted in my barracuda chuck. For the cap I had to grind off a bit of metal and add a pin chuck. The body the punch was a perfect snug fit so no altering for that one.

 

[hewunch]

Great work! Maybe I will let you teach the class on the 1st :biggrin::biggrin::wink:

 

[seamus7227]

Very nicely done! Thats too bad you had the blowout, it would have looked great without the centerband, not that it doesnt look good now, but you know what i mean.:frown:

 

[hunter-27]

 

[Brooks803]

Great work! Maybe I will let you teach the class on the 1st :biggrin::biggrin::wink:

Hans...All I had was ALOT of luck that the clip worked out at all. When I had the chip out I had to go plumit through ALL my kits to find a rhodium clip that wasn't longer than the cap itself! Trust me...I need help (in sooooo many ways :tongue:)

Very nicely done! Thats too bad you had the blowout, it would have looked great without the centerband, not that it doesnt look good now, but you know what i mean.:frown:

I do, I didn't want any color except the clip and the blank but since I haven't tried the kitless tap & die methods I had to go back to this design.

 

[cnirenberg]

Very, very nice looking pen. I love that trustone......

 

[workinforwood]

It's a beautiful pen Brooks. Good luck with your quest.

 

[Jim15]

Awesome pen.

 

[OLDMAN5050]

WOW. some day I wil try to do one. yours is flawless

 

[mbroberg]

Very nice pen. My attempts at invisible clips have all failed. You did a very good job!

 

[bgibb42]

What a beautiful pen. I hate you guys that make great customizations on the first try. Almost makes me want to give penturning. Almost.:wink: Nice job!

 

[Brooks803]

It's a beautiful pen Brooks. Good luck with your quest.

Thank you, but with the amazing work you've recently posted my chances have decreased drastically:wink:

What a beautiful pen. I hate you guys that make great customizations on the first try. Almost makes me want to give penturning. Almost.:wink: Nice job!

You could just chalk it up to beginners luck...I gave this a go bc Hans is doing a demo on hidden clips on May 1st and since I'm a visual learner I wanted to get some firsthand experience so I can try to be on the same page while I'm watching Hans do his thing (which is awesome btw!). It'll be in columbia, SC if anyone can spare an afternoon to check it out. PM me for any details if interested!

 

[Crashmph]

beautiful pen. job well done!

 

[Oldwagon]

If you need a place to park that thing my desk has a empty spot on the pen stand waiting to be filled.That sure is nice.It should make front page without any trouble.Todd

 

[johncrane]

Very good and a great save,i think that clip is one of the best out there, again well done.

 

[Rfturner]

good job on the blank

 

[Brooks803]

If you need a place to park that thing my desk has a empty spot on the pen stand waiting to be filled.That sure is nice.It should make front page without any trouble.Todd

Sorry Todd, made this one for myself :biggrin:. This will be my trial into the fountain pen world. I want to learn how to adjust the nibs and so forth so when I do start upgrading to the nicer nibs I can be familiar with them. I'm starting on a matching onyx trustone rollerball probably tomorrow for a desk set for good ole me (unless someone wants to trade their wallet for it :wink

 

[avbill]

Very, VEry, VERy, VERY nice!

 

[hewunch]

is that the clip to a zen?

 

[Brooks803]

is that the clip to a zen?

Nope, it's from a Jr. Retro. It was the only clip I could find that didn't extend past the center band.

 

[hewunch]

ok, it looks like a Zen clip too, and I think the Zen clip is smaller and shorter and I had an extra.

 

[Brooks803]

If you could hang on to it for me I'd GREATLY appreciate it. I'm starting a matching black onyx rollerball today and have been trying to figure out what clip to use this go around. Oh yea, what plating is it though?

 

[bitshird]

Beautiful pen, great job on the clip.

 

[hewunch]

Chrome plated

 

[Brooks803]

That will work. Could you bring it to the demo? I'll go ahead and have everything ready on my end and mabye install it there and show everyone how I did mine. Btw...what style pen are you thinking about doing yours on? I also have a couple extra clips from the Olympian Elite if you think you'll want/need them. They are both rhodium plating.

 

[hewunch]

Been thinking a lot about what to show. Might show a retro. Haven't decided yet.

 

[Brooks803]

I just wanted to post a big thank you to everyone who has either looked or commented on this pen. It's the great people here that help motivate amateurs like myself to take that next step and improve on my skills each time. So Thank You all :biggrin:

 

[Caden_Hrabak]

i love how the ends are rounded and how the clip is hidden this is an amazing looking pen