Monty
Group Buy Coordinator
Ever wondered what a $250K pen looks like? Check out the cover and page 84 in the November issue of Pen World.
A $250,000.00 pen
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Ligget
Member
You tease!! I dont get that magazine
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Monty
Group Buy Coordinator
Don't know if I could post a picture or not since it's in the magazine.
jthompson1995
Member
Go to the website penworld.com. there's a PDF of the atricle on the front page (the stratosphere one).
TBone
Member
Originally posted by ligget
<br />You tease!! I dont get that magazine![
You can view online. You can see as html or pdf, but the html is only one small pic. The pdf has several. Here is a link to the pdf
http://www.penworld.com/images/p84-89.pdf
Rob
Member
Looks just like the Jr Gent I made last week [}] I think I screwed up only charging $75.00 for it...
Jest aside, that is some remarkable work...belongs in a glass case in a museum.
] I think I screwed up only charging $75.00 for it...Jest aside, that is some remarkable work...belongs in a glass case in a museum.
fritzmccorkle
Member
that's a nice pen. i actually have several pens in stock right now ready to ship in the .5 to 1.2 million price range. i'd post pics but i would require the submission of financials to screen out any looky loos. i have to protect my designs you know.
Monty
Group Buy Coordinator
Thanks for the liks. Didn't think to look.Originally posted by TBone
<br />Originally posted by ligget
<br />You tease!! I dont get that magazine
btboone
Member
It's only a $250,000 pen if they actually sell it for $250,000 otherwise it's a nicely crafted cover page pen.
alamocdc
Member
Bruce, I don't think it holds a candle to your Spira! Maybe you aren't asking enough... but don't raise the price until I buy one... when I can afford it. []
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airrat
Member
reguardless of the price, I think the work is nice. I have always been a fan of Jade.
A total of ten were made, only two remain unsold.
I guess it isn't done on a CNC machine.
It sure beats a lasered engraving.
btboone
Member
Yeah. Cnc machines and lasers are for untalented hacks.
dfurlano
Member
*fumes*
Dario
Member
I won't even take it if they give it to me FREE...IF there is a provision that I have to use it [][}]
Really, that looks nice and all but will give the user a lot of calusses.[B)]
][}]Really, that looks nice and all but will give the user a lot of calusses.[B)]
I didn't say that but if you clicked on the link earlier in the thread you would get an idea of why it cost so much.
They did not resort to computerized mass production.
btboone
Member
I got the magazine. It looks like it was a lot of work. A quarter million dollars for a pen is definitely for someone with more money thn sense, no matter how it was made.
JimGo
Member
No, just people too lazy to do the work by hand.
Sorry Bruce, I couldn't resist! [
] CNC's and lasers are great for production work, precision, and repeatability. I certainly wish I had one or both.The Loiminchay is a heck of a pen, and the time needed to make it with that level of precision certainly justifies the cost in my opinion, especially when you consider that it was done by hand.
How much was the CNC machine?
You can do repetative work but the machine does not have the skill to do work like that and neither does the operator.
A word of note.
Theplates that print our currency are engraved by hand there are more than one and they are all alike.
That is Craftsmanship.
dfurlano
Member
Your naive if you think CNC is only a production tool. And the rest of your comments follow that same flawed logic, I see a lot of crap made by hand.
JimGo
Member
Dan,
Not sure if you were responding to Eagle or me. I don't think CNC's are only for production work; they have a LOT of uses, especially for precision and repeatability as I said. The time that goes into programming a CNC to make a pen probably far exceeds the time it takes most of us to just turn one by hand.
And I agree, I've seen a LOT of crap made by hand, and that includes many of the pens I've made. Then there's the table I made in wood shop in Jr. High (my previous attempt at woodworking), the circuit board I hand wired in college, and... But you gotta admit, that pen is an amazing piece of craftsmanship, I don't care whether it was hand-carved, CNC'd, lasered, or spat out of the heavens.
Not sure if you were responding to Eagle or me. I don't think CNC's are only for production work; they have a LOT of uses, especially for precision and repeatability as I said. The time that goes into programming a CNC to make a pen probably far exceeds the time it takes most of us to just turn one by hand.
And I agree, I've seen a LOT of crap made by hand, and that includes many of the pens I've made. Then there's the table I made in wood shop in Jr. High (my previous attempt at woodworking), the circuit board I hand wired in college, and... But you gotta admit, that pen is an amazing piece of craftsmanship, I don't care whether it was hand-carved, CNC'd, lasered, or spat out of the heavens.
gerryr
Member
My guess is that it was hand carved. Jade carving is a high art form in China and the people who are truly good at it are much revered.
btboone
Member
>How much was the CNC machine? It was a lot. It also pays for itself every month and a half. If the $250,000 pen could do that, I'd probably buy one of those then too. Short of that, I would think that it's quite a lot to spend for a writing instrument, when pencils or Bics could serve that function. If it's for an investment, and you could be reasonably assured that it would appreciate greatly, I say go for it. Heck buy two.
My Bruce but we are a little testy.
It was your original post that had a "shirking" air to it qhewn you said
Now I don't care for Oriental design especially laser engraved plastic pens, I am not fond of jade though I appreciate natural materials and the beauty they hold.
I will never have enough money to buy a pen like this if I wanted.
I do admire the crafts person that made it.
Ther is a difference btween an artist and someone who turns the machine on even if he told the machine what to do.
It was your original post that had a "shirking" air to it qhewn you said
They have sold 8 out opf 10.
Now I don't care for Oriental design especially laser engraved plastic pens, I am not fond of jade though I appreciate natural materials and the beauty they hold.
I will never have enough money to buy a pen like this if I wanted.
I do admire the crafts person that made it.
Ther is a difference btween an artist and someone who turns the machine on even if he told the machine what to do.
An artist is somewhat different than a craftsman. Craftsmen are usually defined as using manual tools. An artist has a much broader definition, that can include the design process.
I see a great deal of artistry in what Bruce does. His CNC is simply a very sophisticated tool for implementing his designs.
btboone
Member
Yes, perhaps you've picked up on my getting testy with you constantly belittling CNC, lasers, and everything else I do. I simply stated that it's a lot to pay for a pen. Not a house, CNC machine, or large boat, but a pen. I think few of us would argue the point. It reminded me of the stuff you read in the Guiness Book of Records, like the World's Most Expensive Toothpick that's diamond and ruby encrusted. It's only that expensive if someone agrees to pay that much. I didn't read that they had sold 8 of the 10. Frankly, the pen looks silly to me and I wasn't interested enough to read the article. There is no denying that it took a lot of work to create them and that they are masters of their materials. It doesn't mean that it couldn't be done by CNC or that stuff of that complexity isn't regularly done day in and day out by CNC machines. I used to design very complex parts from plastic. Nearly every piece of plastic such as the uniform keys you are typing on has a mold or at least an electrode for EDM that's machined by CNC. I doubt that you would care to drive your car if the parts weren't made by CNC. I think you way underestimate the artistry and design skills it takes to make real parts on CNC. It's a bit more complex than sitting back and pressing buttons and getting perfect parts. CNC is used wherever accuracy counts. Molds for plastic parts routinely cost in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. It better be right the first time. CNC helps to do just that. Computer controlled grinding machines can make telescope mirrors to within 1/100 a wavelength of light.
I think you might have the wrong idea on what it takes to create parts in the computer and program the stuff. On my Flame pen, I spent hundreds and hundreds of hours working that out and writing code before ever making a part. It took several iterations to get everything dialed in. It's not a simple matter of sitting back and pressing the button. I sure as hell could have made several of them by hand in the time it took to develop that. Yes, I have the talent to be able to do it by hand, and no, I CHOOSE to make them with the machine. That certainly doesn't make them better or worse than handmade items, but at least they are repeatable and could be produced again if the market demands them.
I think you might have the wrong idea on what it takes to create parts in the computer and program the stuff. On my Flame pen, I spent hundreds and hundreds of hours working that out and writing code before ever making a part. It took several iterations to get everything dialed in. It's not a simple matter of sitting back and pressing the button. I sure as hell could have made several of them by hand in the time it took to develop that. Yes, I have the talent to be able to do it by hand, and no, I CHOOSE to make them with the machine. That certainly doesn't make them better or worse than handmade items, but at least they are repeatable and could be produced again if the market demands them.
Ausdan
Member
8 pens sold - 2 left hey??? I wonder if they're open to a bulk discount on the two remaining?[][]
][]What ever you say Bruce.
cozee
Member
A CNC machine, no matter what it is, is a tool, just like a lathe and a skew. Granted, technology takes away a large part of the hands on but it does require more ingenuity and planning!! And then, how much of our hands on is far less than the effort one had to put into turning prior to electric lathes and hi-tech materials in our turning tools?
I applaud many of the works of those controlling and programming CNC machines!![]
I applaud many of the works of those controlling and programming CNC machines!![
]Chisel,
I very rarely make a disagree known. But I want you to think about this quote, "Craftsmen are usually defined as using manual tools. An artist has a much broader definition, that can include the design process."
I have to design every segmented pen I make. I know several others, including btboone, and eagle, that do the same thing. I personally consider myself an artist and always will because from start to finish, I sit with music playing, draw a design, and work my cuts out for the blank.
I find nothing wrong with the term craftsmen yet the line between craftsman and artist can be thrown to the side in a moment.
I very rarely make a disagree known. But I want you to think about this quote, "Craftsmen are usually defined as using manual tools. An artist has a much broader definition, that can include the design process."
I have to design every segmented pen I make. I know several others, including btboone, and eagle, that do the same thing. I personally consider myself an artist and always will because from start to finish, I sit with music playing, draw a design, and work my cuts out for the blank.
I find nothing wrong with the term craftsmen yet the line between craftsman and artist can be thrown to the side in a moment.
Skye
Member
Just saw the PDF for the first time.
I'm not impressed. Now, I'm not saying I could do it, but I've seen tons of Japanese and Chinese carvings that look about the same as that pen.
Heck, I'd pay more for one of those stone balls that's inside another ball, that's inside another ball, and there's a frog inside of that. Now, that's some carving skill! Last I remember, you could get those for like $50 at the beach!
I dunno. Guess it's like baseball cards. People pay a ton for them. To me, it's just a piece of paper. No value at all.
Now this is cool:
I'm not impressed. Now, I'm not saying I could do it, but I've seen tons of Japanese and Chinese carvings that look about the same as that pen.
Heck, I'd pay more for one of those stone balls that's inside another ball, that's inside another ball, and there's a frog inside of that. Now, that's some carving skill! Last I remember, you could get those for like $50 at the beach!
I dunno. Guess it's like baseball cards. People pay a ton for them. To me, it's just a piece of paper. No value at all.
Now this is cool:
Skye
Member
Oh, and check this out: Ebay item # 150008168665
A <b>12</b> layer carved puzzle ball. Could be yours for $90 shipped.
A <b>12</b> layer carved puzzle ball. Could be yours for $90 shipped.
rtjw
Member
You can find anything Skye. I compliment you on your pictures. You seem to be able to find the most interesting pictures![]
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btboone
Member
I'm with you Skye, the pens do nothing for me, but those carved balls are cool.
Don't misunderstand me Ron. A craftsman can also be an artist as well.
I only drew the distinction because Eagle had stated:
and
While I may agree that much of what Bruce does might not be strictly considered craftsmanship, it is still an art form, and requires artistic abilities. I am not saying that other methods do not require artistic abilities. I hope that makes sense.
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