The "Carry Pen"

[jttheclockman]

I asked this question on another forum and did not get much response so I thought I would post it here as well.

How many of you have that carry pen??? That special pen you whip out when someone says sign here. If so what kind of pen is it??? How many people actually use a fountain pen as a carry pen and if you do are you afraid of ink leaks?? Finally how many of you have made sales because of your carry pen???



OK I will start and say I have 2 carry pens right now that I use all the time. One is a green Sierra computer board pen. The other is a copper braided sleeve Sierra. This pen started out as a test pen to see how well the plating holds up and I can tell you for 1 year now it has shown no wear. The computer pen has a few dents but still looks good.

Yes I have sold a few of these pens from just using them to sign credit card receipts. It also got a couple customers to inquire about other pens I make and which I made sales. So it is a cheap form of advertising and yes it works.

So how about you all???

 

[Jim Burr]

I do...and it's the very first casting I ever did. Sierra gold, and it still looks good!

 

[nava1uni]

I have several pens that I carry. I use a Sierra Vista in Blk ti and chrome. My favorite pen is a Namiki click fountain pen that I got from my wife when I graduated from Nursing school 20 years ago. It is lovely to write with. I also have a carry pencil that is from the 1950's and was made by Parker.

 

[Jim Smith]

I have three that I keep in my computer bag and use whenever the opportunity presents itself. They are:

1. A green computer board pen much like yours,
2, A copper sierra with Copperhead skin blank (from a snake that was living under my back deck). When people look dismayed that I killed a poor snake, I simply tell them that I taught the snake how to write.
3. A a gun metal Jr. Gent with prairie rattlesnake skin blank.

I've actually sold a number of pens just from people seeing one and starting a conversation.

Jim Smith

 

[Tom T]

Yes I carry one also. It is a simple Euro ball point pen. I turned it in from a burl blank. Finished it with Mylands friction polish. Every one comments on it. I do not sell my pens, because I can not make enough pens, my day job gets in the way.

 

[Haynie]

No pictures but I do have two.

A rhodiom Jr. Gent 2 fountain pen dressed in a heritance nib and blue sapphire acrylic, filled with private reserve quick dry blue for most things

A Blk/Ti Jr. Gent 2 roller ball dressed in a blue PR I got from Buzzzz. No clue if he made it but I LIKE it and private reserve roller ball refill. This one is extra special because it is the first pen I made that I happily show people. This one fills out NCR office referrals on hooligans who pi$$ me off. :biggrin:

Lots of people say how beautiful the pens are, ask me how much for me to make them one and then they act like they have to go change their undies when I tell them.

 

[Dan26]

I carry two segmented pens. One is a Navigator fountain, the other is a chrome twist. The fountain I only carry when wearing a shirt with a pocket. Been carrying it since June and no leaks yet.

 

[Bigj51]

I have many many carry pens! I almost always have one on me! Yes I have made many a sale from the oohs and ahs I get. I've even sold the carry pen right out of my pocket on a couple of occasions. A few of my favorites are a black titanium/platinum cubano cigar pen out of stabilized buckeye burl, black titanium/platinum Sierra vista out of carbon fiber cast, gunmetal vertex click out of spalted stabilized box elder burl with CA finish..... And my personal favorite is one out of my own custom Alumilite pours. This kit gave me a lot of freedom on the pen's design and is one of my only pens in my collection that is not for sale.

 

[CKormann]

I have a couple that I carry, and both are fountain pens. One is a Majestic in Big Leaf Maple and a random segmented Jr Gent. This past weekend, the manager at my local Rockler store tried to abscond (in a playful fashion) with my random segmented Jr Gent. I took that as a compliment.

Chris

 

[InvisibleMan]

I carry this one, but I think I should switch. I have no desire to make another:biggrin:. If somebody wants me to make a pen, I'd prefer to make one out of resin, or non-segmented wood. This segmenting is cool, but a huge pain for me. I like how this one looks though:

My regular desk pens are custom fountain pens. I prefer those, but don't carry them around in my pocket.

 

[fitty]

I have two carry pens.

The first is not the greatest picture, but this is my carry pen. It's a Jr Gent II with HRB, Mammoth Ivory and Box Elder burl (dyed green) with a heritage nib. There was a awesome green streak through the ivory that I wanted to highlight with the BEB.

My other is a Majestic JR with BEB (dyed blue), vulcanized red rubber and PBE Ivory. I usually leave this at home since it's so "loud". The blank was created by my father, so I guess it has sentimental value.

 

[jttheclockman]

Good to see many people are using this very cheap way of advertising your work. It is so practical and you never know where your next sale will come from. You all should try it.

Would like to see more photos.

 

[Brooks803]

I've been carrying this little bugger around in my pocket every day for the the past several months (ever since the MPG). Stills looks as good as new!

 

[turbowagon]

Here's mine. It was a custom order rejected by a customer, but has become one of my favorites!

 

[dankc908]

John -

I did post a reply on the "other" forum yesterday. Here is what I posted:

"My first 'carry pen' was one of my first walnut slimlines until someone bought it. I then carried an acrylic Gatsby until someone saw it and wanted it. The I carried a cocobolo Sierra until somebody wanted to buy it. My fave 'carry pen' was a PSI Patrizio in blackwood until ... you guessed it - somebody wanted to buy it. I, now, always carry 2 pens - an acrylic and a wood. Usually a larger pen like a Sierra or Gatsby and a 7 mm. (slimline, trimline, St. Charles, comfort, etc). I have sold more pens "out of my pocket" than I ever did at craft shows. I am always trying to carry something that I think someone may want."

Dan

 

[BradG]

Here's my daily writer. Could do with a polish, but other than that its in tip top condition :wink: Turned in july 2011 out of brass, and 22ct gold plated.

Taken just now:

Original pic:

 

[thewishman]

Jonathan, I love your tiny, little pen. Seeing it in person - it is a lot smaller and lighter than I would have believed.

 

[LL Woodworks]

I have two that I carry, both custom made. The roller ball has a Texas Mesquite barrel, a spalted Texas Black Gum cap - it has black PR inserts for the threads. The FP is a custom cast of black and metallic blue resin with a #6 guilded Bock nib. I love them both, they never leak and have had resulting sales for carrying them.

 

[BradG]

John -

I did post a reply on the "other" forum yesterday. Here is what I posted:

"My first 'carry pen' was one of my first walnut slimlines until someone bought it. I then carried an acrylic Gatsby until someone saw it and wanted it. The I carried a cocobolo Sierra until somebody wanted to buy it. My fave 'carry pen' was a PSI Patrizio in blackwood until ... you guessed it - somebody wanted to buy it. I, now, always carry 2 pens - an acrylic and a wood. Usually a larger pen like a Sierra or Gatsby and a 7 mm. (slimline, trimline, St. Charles, comfort, etc). I have sold more pens "out of my pocket" than I ever did at craft shows. I am always trying to carry something that I think someone may want."

Dan

I now have visions of you wearing a trench coat with an array of items sewn into the inside of it :biggrin: "let me just check the time on one of my many watches"

 

[Kenny Durrant]

I carry a slimline twist pen everywhere I go. It has a water moccasin inlay with guitar pic guard stripes with maple burl wood. It is a good representive of what I can do. I try to keep my wife supplied with one but she looses them faster than I can make them.

 

[firewhatfire]

I pick out which ever one matches my outfit.

 

[Bigj51]

Here is another of my daily carry pens. This one is out of stabilized buckeye burl. Typically I don't engrave my own pens but I laser engraved this one so that not only could I promote my pen making, but also my laser engraving business.

 

[wiset1]

I carry around the very first pen I ever made as a reminder of what started it all. It's not a great fit or finish, but it's a nice reminder to be humble and that we ALL have to start somewhere.

 

[alamocdc]

I carry 1 of 3. I carry this fountain pen.

Or a Baron Roller Ball, or an Americana that my son made me in school 13 yearas ago. And all have resulted in pen sales over the years.

 

[Gilrock]

I carry around the very first pen I ever made as a reminder of what started it all. It's not a great fit or finish, but it's a nice reminder to be humble and that we ALL have to start somewhere.

C'mon Tim..."a reminder to be humble" and then you show that as your first pen.

I love your pens but who buys a majestic kit for their first pen and starts out with that type of segmenting. Must have been a class or something cause when I started I didn't know there was such a thing as segmenting.

 

[jttheclockman]

I pick out which ever one matches my outfit.

I like this one.:biggrin:

 

[wiset1]

I carry around the very first pen I ever made as a reminder of what started it all. It's not a great fit or finish, but it's a nice reminder to be humble and that we ALL have to start somewhere.

C'mon Tim..."a reminder to be humble" and then you show that as your first pen.

I love your pens but who buys a majestic kit for their first pen and starts out with that type of segmenting. Must have been a class or something cause when I started I didn't know there was such a thing as segmenting.

Sorry, but this WAS my first pen :biggrin: The blank was from Eugene who sells the mutt blanks and to be honest, I thought the larger Majestic would be easier to turn than the smaller slimline ones. I figured if I was going to spend money on a kit it was going to be something that I would want to own and I'm all about a larger canvas. Dream big my friend, dream big! Check out my gallery to see where I began and some of my first posts.

 

[Katya]

Since I carry a purse, I get to show off more pens<g>. I have a Jr. Marshall rollerball in sodalite that I use for writing, and if anybody notices it, then I get out my leather 3 pen carrier. That way I have a "mini portfolio" to show. And yes, it has resulted in sales!

 

[Wingdoctor]

I carry one of 2 pens. A Optimus Desire or a Liberty, both kits from Constant at Lazerlines, and both Have Beartooth Woods color explosion blanks.

 

[Mariner1]

I don't carry any pen for long as working on the boat pretty much destroys the pen I am carrying. The current pen that I am going to destroy when I get back on the boat tomorrow is a wall street II click pen in copper.

Karl

 

[Gilrock]

I carry around the very first pen I ever made as a reminder of what started it all. It's not a great fit or finish, but it's a nice reminder to be humble and that we ALL have to start somewhere.

C'mon Tim..."a reminder to be humble" and then you show that as your first pen.

I love your pens but who buys a majestic kit for their first pen and starts out with that type of segmenting. Must have been a class or something cause when I started I didn't know there was such a thing as segmenting.

Sorry, but this WAS my first pen :biggrin: The blank was from Eugene who sells the mutt blanks and to be honest, I thought the larger Majestic would be easier to turn than the smaller slimline ones. I figured if I was going to spend money on a kit it was going to be something that I would want to own and I'm all about a larger canvas. Dream big my friend, dream big! Check out my gallery to see where I began and some of my first posts.

Well it is the best first pen I've seen shown. Not sure if you remember some of my older posts but I've been a big fan of your pens. You inspired me to try to make that white one with blue tru-stone in the middle and I posted my version for you to see and I've tried to make the scalloped pen from your instructions and it didn't turn out as well as I hoped...some scallops fell off when drilling and after re-gluing I ended up with some visible black glue lines. Anyways it sounds like you had a bigger head start than I did because you seemed to know something about the kits and a good source for blanks. I was just in Woodcraft and the guy said "Have you ever tried to make a pen?" So it was a couple months before I even found this forum and started ramping up the learning curve. Oh and I tried to look at you're early posts but apparently you have too many...it would only go back 50 pages.

 

[Ted iin Michigan]

This is one of those "Why didn't I think of that" threads. OF COURSE I have a "carry pen". But I call it my "daily user". It's a Vertex dressed in Zircote. Great look. Classy, I think (very much unlike me). My favorite story about this pen is the time I went into a jewelry store at Christmas time looking for a gift for LOML. Pull out the pen to sign the receipt. "Nice pen" she says. "I make them" I respond. "Really?" she says. "Hey, Susie, look at this!" Seven (7) pens later I walk out of the store. Ain't life just grand?

 

[Mintman]

Great post! I've been carrying a Majestic Jr Rollerball in ebony and i'll alternate with a fountain and rollerball Jr Gent set in tiger myrtle. I've turned a couple of Roman Harvest pens and I've really been thinking about trying out one of the fountain pens as a carry pen.

 

[76winger]

I alternate between a designer fountain pen and an Apollo Infinity FP as my daily carry pens. Working in an office with cheap ballpoints all over the place gives me cause to carry something that really stands out when I use it. Also I like learning to use, and maintaining the feel for using fountain pens so I'm better prepared to explain them when trying to sell one.

Sent from my iPad using Forum Runner

 

[oneptbuk]

This was my first celtic knot and I've carried it around now for 8 or 10months to see how the finish would hold up. The CA has withstood multiple drops, dings, and other abuse, so I'm pretty satisfied to this point with the durability. I like the weight of the cigars, and the upgraded refill cartridge writes very smoothly.

 

[Randy Simmons]

I do carry at least one of my pens. And I make sure its the best one I ever made. Some people make the mistake of carrying the one with the scratch in the finish, or the one with the crack in the grain. If I have a pen that I wouldn't sell to a senator, I'll either rework it, or just throw it away. If you carry your best work in public, it's free advertising, and everyone will believe that all your pens are just as good, if not better, than that one you have. I also give my best ones away to friends and family, because THEY will show it off.

 

[rsulli16]

hi
i finally tried my hand at a fountain pen after a couple of of shows, and lots of request for them. it a Tycoon, i figured i would start cheap, as I havent handled a FP in yrs. The point really was to get used to loading, handling and writing with them.

i am real happy with the results, i used a found piece of BOW. been carrying it for a week so far.

i read where most on here replace the kit nib as an upgrade and smoother writing experience, i cant wait to see how that goes as the nib i am using from the kit is, IMHO just fine. but any suggestions on which nibs to order and sources would be greatl appreciated. I did order a couple of statemen and gents, II's and a couple of the same in the full size and i would offer the ugraded nibs. also got some schmidt 5 converters, and a pack of private reserve cartridges.
Thanks
Sulli

 

[dankc908]

hi
i finally tried my hand at a fountain pen after a couple of of shows, and lots of request for them. it a Tycoon, i figured i would start cheap, as I havent handled a FP in yrs. The point really was to get used to loading, handling and writing with them.

i am real happy with the results, i used a found piece of BOW. been carrying it for a week so far.

i read where most on here replace the kit nib as an upgrade and smoother writing experience, i cant wait to see how that goes as the nib i am using from the kit is, IMHO just fine. but any suggestions on which nibs to order and sources would be greatl appreciated. I did order a couple of statemen and gents, II's and a couple of the same in the full size and i would offer the ugraded nibs. also got some schmidt 5 converters, and a pack of private reserve cartridges.
Thanks
Sulli

I bought some "bock (sp?) nibs from Oklahoman at the Classic Nib.

 

[azamiryou]

I specifically made myself a carry pen a year and a half ago - a Navigator fountain pen dressed in spalted hackberry. I usually carry it - for sure if I have a shirt with a pocket; in other situations if I am carrying something to clip it to (a sketchbook) or carry it in (a tote bag). I never carry it in my pants pocket.

I have never had a leak problem with it. It works to attract some interest in my pens, though I can't directly attribute any sales to it specifically.

 

[papaturner]

I have 3 that I use a great deal 1 is an antler slimline, 1 is an American smoke tree slimline one of my first pens and the last of which is the only one I have a photo of is a Jr. Statesman II rollerball.