Elegant pens, hold the bling?

[Shock me]

I'm wanting to turn higher end, quality pens primarily to give as special gifts. I've turned a good many of the more expensive kits from the usual suppliers--- Woodcraft, PSI, CSUSA but to my eye, it seems that the more expensive kits simply become blingier and overly ornate. I'm looking for a more simple elegance. At the risk of committing an act of heresy, I visited my local Paradise Pen Company to see how the high end pen manufacturers approach this. While I thought the barrel materials and styling were not all that special, the hardware clearly was. Centerbands, caps and clips looked substantial but elegant, nice engraving and beautiful by being understated while still giving at least an appearance of high quality.

I understand that elegance is in the eye of the beholder, but do any of you other beholders out there have a recommendation for a high end pen kit (FP and/or RB) that earns its price by quality and elegant simplicity rather than an overload of bling?

 

[IPD_Mrs]

Sure, go kitless. Follow the thread on silver casting parts such as center bands and clips. Us a nib holder and feed such as those offered by Heritage Pens. Cut your threads with taps and dies. You pen will be as elegant as you make it with having to be stuck with the rules of a kit.

 

[aggromere]

I use the Gentlemen series of kits. I have not used any of the new apprentice kits, but the others are well made, simple in design and well plated. I particularly like the jr gent twist. I get them from Exotic Blanks. I would stick with the rhodium plated ones. I keep messing around with kitless but just don't have the hang of it yet and I'm not sure the extra time and effort would pay off in what I could sell them for, but that is just me.

 

[jttheclockman]

I'm wanting to turn higher end, quality pens primarily to give as special gifts. I've turned a good many of the more expensive kits from the usual suppliers--- Woodcraft, PSI, CSUSA but to my eye, it seems that the more expensive kits simply become blingier and overly ornate. I'm looking for a more simple elegance. At the risk of committing an act of heresy, I visited my local Paradise Pen Company to see how the high end pen manufacturers approach this. While I thought the barrel materials and styling were not all that special, the hardware clearly was. Centerbands, caps and clips looked substantial but elegant, nice engraving and beautiful by being understated while still giving at least an appearance of high quality.

I understand that elegance is in the eye of the beholder, but do any of you other beholders out there have a recommendation for a high end pen kit (FP and/or RB) that earns its price by quality and elegant simplicity rather than an overload of bling?

We have one of those stores by me here and I go there once in awhile to get ideas and to look at the big names. There are some that have huge price tags on them though and they are very blingy.

This has been talked about just recently as to what is considered high end. It is in the eye of the beholder for sure. Good luck with your search. I like the Cambridge kit. I think some gold or silver screams high end. Add a super blank and it is top shelf.

 

[Displaced Canadian]

I understand completely. I would like to see more "build your own kit" like one of the vendors does just in larger kits. Different centerbands and different clips, simple but classy I haven't followed the thread on wax casting, don't have the time and not sure I have the ability. I should check it out. I wonder it there is anyplace where you could just buy assorted hardware and build from there.

 

[zig613]

For a high end pen, with not too much "bling", I use the Cambridge Hybrid available from Exotics, Ernie at BTW, Bill at AS and Berea. In Canada it is sold as the Canadiana by Williamwoodwrite.

Wade

 

[Shock me]

Thanks for the suggestions.
@Mike and Linda- I aspire to get to that level someday of going kitless and choosing my components, but I don't yet trust my artistic eye and fear I'd spend a lot of money on nice parts used to make ungainly pens. Someday. Meanwhile, I sure wish it came in a kit.

Y'all are right-the Gentlemen and Statesmen series probably come the closest to what I'm visualizing, but they still fall short. I find mixing gold-colored plating with silver-colored plating (excluding the nib) unattractive and a particularly bad form of bling so I'm not crazy about the Cambridge. That's of course, just my personal opinion and I wouldn't disagree with anyone who found them beautiful.

 

[Lenny]

Thanks for the suggestions.
@Mike and Linda- I aspire to get to that level someday of going kitless and choosing my components, but I don't yet trust my artistic eye and fear I'd spend a lot of money on nice parts used to make ungainly pens. Someday. Meanwhile, I sure wish it came in a kit.

Y'all are right-the Gentlemen and Statesmen series probably come the closest to what I'm visualizing, but they still fall short. I find mixing gold-colored plating with silver-colored plating (excluding the nib) unattractive and a particularly bad form of bling so I'm not crazy about the Cambridge. That's of course, just my personal opinion and I wouldn't disagree with anyone who found them beautiful.

Many people would agree with you on the mixing of platings. What some here have done is to order equal numbers of each platings and then swap parts out so that all the platings on each pen match.
Personally, my favorite set of components right now is the Triton!
http://www.exoticblanks.com/index.p...ategory_id=30&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=60