.. another newby from England

Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

ChrisLT

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location
Berkshire, England
Hi,
I've just got started in woodturning and was introduced to it by a friend who let me make a pen on his lathe. I've joined a local turning club but there are no meetings, of course, at the moment. I bought kits to make 2 click ballpoint pens and 2 fountain pens. The first click pen's instructions said "There's only one way to assemble..." but I got it wrong and can't now disassemble it. Whoops. The second one works and was only a week late in delivery to my wife as a Christmas present!
I'm hoping to learn from other members here. One question: what do you all do to package a pen as a present?
Thanks
Chris
 
Signed-In Members Don't See This Ad

magpens

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
Messages
15,913
Location
Canada
Hi Chris !! . Welcome to IAP !! :D

"One question: what do you all do to package a pen as a present?"

You can buy cardboard pen gift boxes from some vendors of pen-making supplies.
 

egnald

Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2017
Messages
3,061
Location
Columbus, Nebraska, USA
Greetings from Nebraska and welcome to the IAP Community. Over time I have purchased one or two inexpensive pen boxes from the suppliers more out of curiosity than anything, so I always have those available to me. My go to for gifts however are the velvet-like drawstring bags made for pens. I occasionally stuff the whole thing into a 1-inch plastic tube for protection. Over time I have acquired a few different colors of the bags, but I mostly have black ones as they can pretty much compliment any type of wood or plastic pen.
 

ChrisLT

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location
Berkshire, England
Greetings from Nebraska and welcome to the IAP Community. Over time I have purchased one or two inexpensive pen boxes from the suppliers more out of curiosity than anything, so I always have those available to me. My go to for gifts however are the velvet-like drawstring bags made for pens. I occasionally stuff the whole thing into a 1-inch plastic tube for protection. Over time I have acquired a few different colors of the bags, but I mostly have black ones as they can pretty much compliment any type of wood or plastic pen.
Thanks, Egnald. I've seen those velvet drawstring bags and they seem to me very practical in that the owner can easily pop the pen into the bag and then into a pocket or handbag. The bag will protect the finish which, I imagine, isn't as tough as a plastic pen. They are easily available in England or, as I'm a dab hand with a sewing machine, I could probably make them myself. The presentation boxes make a dramatic statement when they first receive the pen, but aren't so useful day-to-day, it seems to me. I've seen videos of crafters making cardboard boxes that look very attractive but don't seem to me to be practical except as gift-wrapping. I had wondered about cigar tubes but I doubt if they are mostly long enough.
 

Alan Morrison

Member
Joined
Jan 15, 2019
Messages
3,062
Location
N Ireland
Chris, welcome to the forum.
If you want a top class clicker then check out the Tempest available from www.beaufortink.co.uk
I agree that most pen boxes end up at the back of a drawer after being gifted to someone, however they make the gift of a pen extra special and are cheaply made, especially if you incorporate wood from the pen. Some make a keepsake box with a little housing just for the pen which can be disposed of and the box is still useful.
I made a cigar holder type from an old wooden curtain pole a couple of times and it worked well and cost practically nothing.
Enjoy your new hobby.
Alan
 

howsitwork

Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2016
Messages
2,299
Location
Thirsk
Hi Chris

and Welcome.

I agree the draw string bags are the easiest and cheapest option . They are also practical for some users tos tore the pen in.

Keep the badly assembled pen as you maybe able to salvage at a later date, or get some spares from it but either way keep it.

Happy New Year
 

ChrisLT

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location
Berkshire, England
Hi Chris

and Welcome.

I agree the draw string bags are the easiest and cheapest option . They are also practical for some users tos tore the pen in.

Keep the badly assembled pen as you maybe able to salvage at a later date, or get some spares from it but either way keep it.

Happy New Year
Yes, I intend to try to rescue the wrongly-assembled pen. It has two tubes, joined by a connector. I'm planning to rebuild it with a single long tube which, I think, could look better. I have some cherry root that has gorgeous grain. I'll cut the bad one up to allow me to rescue its hardware. I've failed to pull apart the brass parts as they are a very tight interference fit. Silly amount of work for something so cheap but it's a challenge. ;)
 

Attachments

  • 1609787353166.gif
    1609787353166.gif
    42 bytes · Views: 126
  • 1609787360043.gif
    1609787360043.gif
    42 bytes · Views: 120

ChrisLT

Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2021
Messages
5
Location
Berkshire, England
Chris, welcome to the forum.
If you want a top class clicker then check out the Tempest available from www.beaufortink.co.uk
I agree that most pen boxes end up at the back of a drawer after being gifted to someone, however they make the gift of a pen extra special and are cheaply made, especially if you incorporate wood from the pen. Some make a keepsake box with a little housing just for the pen which can be disposed of and the box is still useful.
I made a cigar holder type from an old wooden curtain pole a couple of times and it worked well and cost practically nothing.
Enjoy your new hobby.
Alan
Hi Alan, Many thanks for the link. I'd never heard of Beaufort Ink. My pens are the Eliot from ProKraft. The clicker is all plastic and seems to work very well in the one I put together correctly, but I've no idea how long it will last. The Tempest is only a little more expensive, so I'll give it a try. The Schmidt SKM-88 seems to be a lot more expensive in this country. My wife prefers a click pen, which I why I went down that route.
Their fountain pen nibs look very tempting, but I think I'll make a few from kits before going naked.
 

PreacherJon

Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2019
Messages
650
Location
Ohio
Welcome.... a wealth of experience here. Feel free to ask questions. And post pictures of what you are asking questions about... so we have a better idea... (where necessary.)
 
Top Bottom