Torture Tested

[Ed McDonnell]

I've been trying some new techniques / materials and I had some concerns about durability. I've been alternating this pen between the freezer and the hot dashboard of my truck for a week. I also dropped it from shoulder height on a wood floor a couple of times. It's held up.


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The pen components are from a Glacia kit. The pen body is the product of a marriage of ancient decorative techniques (champleve / basse taille) and 20th century technology.

Ed

 

[wyone]

I would be willing to help with your testing.. I can provide you my address and in say... 10-12 years I can send back the pen with my review.

Great work!

 

[nanna]

me too - many thanks again for the inspiration, off to look up champlevé/basse taille xx

 

[tgsean]

That is an awesome pen mate

 

[mark james]

That's beautiful Ed! All aspects are wonderful. The red and gold are a great combination, and the background is very unique!

Well done - be proud. And it doesn't seem to have minded the torture!

 

[thewishman]

That is a gorgeous pen! You do such interesting work, thanks for sharing it.

 

[kruzzer]

Ed that pen is stunning.. and I would never leave it my truck for fear that someone would steal it..

 

[Rodnall]

It's torturing me, wanting to know how you made such a beautiful pen.

 

[gbpens]

Ed, beautitful enameling technique! Did you engrave all those lines? It must have taken numerous firings to go around the barrel.

 

[D.Oliver]

Wow!

 

[Band Saw Box]

A stunning pen.

 

[Sandsini]

Geez, that pen body is stunning!

 

[Jim Smith]

Simply put WOW!!! What a beautiful pen. Would you be willing to share the process for producing such a stunning pen?

Jim Smith

 

[turncrazy43]

That pen sure looks none the worse for your torture test. Nice job, I love that blank.
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Everyday I'm vertical is a great day

 

[Chatham PenWorks]

One word. Exquisite.

The design and detailing in the blank are simply beautiful, but way the blank compliments the components, takes it to the next level. The blank looks like it was designed by the same people that designed the components.

OK. That was more than one word.

 

[79spitfire]

WOW! What kind of amazing micro-laser-machining-casing-voodoo process did you use to make that? Looks to me to be a $1000 pen!

MontBlanc can't seem to finish a pen that nice!

 

[Donovan]

Brilliant that is all I can say

Donovan

 

[Ironwood]

Wow, that is impressive.

 

[D.Oliver]

You know the more I think about it, the man that is intentionally abusing a pen that nice should be beaten with tube sock full of nickels!

 

[Ed McDonnell]

Thanks for all the compliments. This was one of about a dozen simple test pens I've made in recent weeks to test various aspects of a more complex design I'm working on. I liked how this one turned out so I'm glad it survived my testing. Some of the test pens didn't even make it to the point of becoming pens, but my box of scrap blanks is looking nicer every day!

You know the more I think about it, the man that is intentionally abusing a pen that nice should be beaten with tube sock full of nickels!

Hmmmmm...this creates a bit of a dilemma for me Derek. Earlier today I had taken the pen I made for you for the swap and I tied it to the bumper of my truck and dragged it a couple hundred yards through some local road construction to help it comply with your swap theme. Did I abuse a nice pen and risk having someone in a snowplow show up at my front door with a sock full of nickles? Maybe I shouldn't send it to you. If the threat only applies to "nice" pens, maybe I'm safe sending it.

When I showed Derek's (soon to be his) pen to my wife earlier today she said "That's just nuts...". I wonder what she meant....I think she was talking about the pen and not me.....

Ed