Anvil EDC w/ White Marble

[jrista]

Finished another pen after acquiring some new tools and trying some new techniques recommended by you fine people! I turned this between two simple cone centers...a basic 60 degree dead center and a standard 60 degree live center. Put the bushings in the tubes, that between centers, and WOW. Most stable turning I've ever had! Things were so much quieter...no vibration, no noise...it was wonderful! Thank you all for your tips!

An Anvil EDC kit this time, with a White Marble poly blank. The blank was interesting...had some chipout at first, and it almost feels a little chalky, but once I got the hang of it turning with a negative rake EWT finisher with some lighter pressure, I got these wonderful continuous streams of poly.

I don't have a light tent or proper lighting yet, so harsh shadows and harsh highlights. One of the few light colored, brighter pens I've turned, and I like it so far. I really like this kit, too!

 

[magpens]

Nice work !! . . Thanks for showing !!

Thanks also for describing your new turning experience (1) with turning between centers, and (2) with a new blank material.

All experiences that you/we describe add to the collective experience of belonging to IAP ... it's all helpful to all of us !!

Glad to hear about your experience with a new pen kit also .... the Anvil EDC which uses the Schmidt SKM-192 click mechanism.
Have you tried the Duraclick EDC ... also from PSI ?? . . It uses another Schmidt, the SKM-88, click mechanism . . Highly recommend you try it.

 

[Alan Morrison]

You've done a good job on that pen, Jon.
I'm not a big acrylic fan, but I like your pen.

Alan

 

[RichAldrich]

Nice pen. Fit looks great. Great photo!

 

[Humongous]

Very nice matching the marbling with the gun metal kit. A very attractive pen and nice work on the turning and finishing. All around a winner!

 

[David350]

Very nice combination and well-executed....

 

[David350]

Where did you get that blank, WoodRiver?

 

[egnald]

Very nice. I like the kit as well, but so far have gone the route of the DuraClick EDC simply because I like the little machined in rings detail on the nib. I was also surprised that the blank was not TruStone as it certainly looks like marble. - Dave

 

[MPVic]

Very much like the "industrial" character of that kit, had not seen it before so thanks for sharing.
Your photography is excellent, nice crisp resolution & contrast - in my opinion you don't really need the light tent.

 

[MPVic]

Does anyone have any experience with the Schmidt SKM-192 vs SKM-88 click mechanism??

 

[jrista]

Where did you get that blank, WoodRiver?

Yes, found it at the local Woodcraft. They have some pretty nice blanks, I have to say. It is not TruStone, but it still looks pretty good. The key difference in look I think, is the way the veins stain the "stone"...which I don't think you would have if you used a TruStone blank (along with a much lighter wallet! I think this blank was around six bucks.)

 

[jrista]

Does anyone have any experience with the Schmidt SKM-192 vs SKM-88 click mechanism??

This is my first SKM-192, I guess. I also have a couple of Duraclick EDC kits to turn as well. I could turn those next, although Mal seems to have had some experience with both already.

I will say, the SKM-192 seems to be much better than other click mechanisms I've tried so far. I've turned I'd say 4 or 5 click kits. Most don't have that professional click feel, and the actual mechanisms seem to be made out of plastic. I turned a Wall Street type click pen, and its mechanism jammed the first time I tried to click. I had to pop the cap out of the tube, then use a very tiny punch to push the...plunger?...back into the cap. I have to use a light touch when clicking that pen...and it works fine, but I feel there is always the risk it will jam again.

The Anvil EDC is a whole different class compared to the other click pens I've turned so far.

 

[jrista]

Nice work !! . . Thanks for showing !!

Thanks also for describing your new turning experience (1) with turning between centers, and (2) with a new blank material.

All experiences that you/we describe add to the collective experience of belonging to IAP ... it's all helpful to all of us !!

Glad to hear about your experience with a new pen kit also .... the Anvil EDC which uses the Schmidt SKM-192 click mechanism.
Have you tried the Duraclick EDC ... also from PSI ?? . . It uses another Schmidt, the SKM-88, click mechanism . . Highly recommend you try it.

Thank you, Mal!

I'm glad my notes are helpful. I'm fairly novice at the pen making, and I'll probably document my journey as I go! The goal here is to make as many as I can before next year, and then sell at farmers markets and the like. I'm happy to share my struggles, victories and insights along the way.

Regarding the click mechanisms. This is my first EDC, although not my first click. The click mechanism definitely seems more refined and professional than the other click pens I've turned. I actually do have a couple of Duraclick EDC kits to turn, and I'll give those a try next. I'm a fan of this technical style of pen. The Duraclick seem a bit more robust than the Anvil, but I think I lick the Anvil clip style a bit better. I'm interested to see how the SKM-192 compares to the SKM-88 though. The Anvil click is quite satisfying!

 

[jrista]

You've done a good job on that pen, Jon.
I'm not a big acrylic fan, but I like your pen.

Alan

Nice pen. Fit looks great. Great photo!

Very nice matching the marbling with the gun metal kit. A very attractive pen and nice work on the turning and finishing. All around a winner!

Very nice combination and well-executed....

Very much like the "industrial" character of that kit, had not seen it before so thanks for sharing.
Your photography is excellent, nice crisp resolution & contrast - in my opinion you don't really need the light tent.

Thank you all so much for your comments! I didn't expect many to view my humble little pen, when there are so many incredible creations here.

 

[jrista]

Very nice. I like the kit as well, but so far have gone the route of the DuraClick EDC simply because I like the little machined in rings detail on the nib. I was also surprised that the blank was not TruStone as it certainly looks like marble. - Dave

Agreed, I am fairly surprised at how well the blank turned out. It is no TruStone, but it looks pretty darn good nevertheless.

 

[jrista]

Very much like the "industrial" character of that kit, had not seen it before so thanks for sharing.
Your photography is excellent, nice crisp resolution & contrast - in my opinion you don't really need the light tent.

Aye, love the industrial/technical look of these kinds of pens.

Thank you about the photography. I've been doing photography, although mostly nature...landscapes, wildlife and birds, nature macro, etc. for almost 15 years. I haven't done much still life type stuff yet, though, so its another new journey! The camera is doing a LOT of the work here...I picked up a Canon R5 when my Canon 5D III died a few weeks back, and....WOW. Cameras have come a LONG way since 2012! This photo was in fact shot at ISO 6400...blows my mind! A light tent is on the way...along with some diffuse lighting setups...looking forward to seeing what I can do once those arrive. Still, the camera is doing so much of the work here.

 

[MPVic]

Aye, love the industrial/technical look of these kinds of pens.

Thank you about the photography. I've been doing photography, although mostly nature...landscapes, wildlife and birds, nature macro, etc. for almost 15 years. I haven't done much still life type stuff yet, though, so its another new journey! The camera is doing a LOT of the work here...I picked up a Canon R5 when my Canon 5D III died a few weeks back, and....WOW. Cameras have come a LONG way since 2012! This photo was in fact shot at ISO 6400...blows my mind! A light tent is on the way...along with some diffuse lighting setups...looking forward to seeing what I can do once those arrive. Still, the camera is doing so much of the work here.

I'm sure I'll be dating myself here, but YES, cameras have come a very long way. I started out decades ago with a Minolta & then acquired a Rolleiflex (bet you'll have to look that one up!!!) shooting weddings. Film cost a fortune, digital has been a God-send for anyone wanting to shoot pics.

 

[jrista]

I'm sure I'll be dating myself here, but YES, cameras have come a very long way. I started out decades ago with a Minolta & then acquired a Rolleiflex (bet you'll have to look that one up!!!) shooting weddings. Film cost a fortune, digital has been a God-send for anyone wanting to shoot pics.

Oh yes, Digital has been transformative for sure. I'm actually a big fan of old cameras...I have a shelf I've dedicated to housing old cameras. I slowly started collecting them, whenever I come across a cool old camera. The holy grail is a Rolleiflex!! Wow, those are HARD to find, not broken, and when you find one in good condition, they are extremely expensive. Absolutely love the design of that camera, though. We've largely lost the classy look of things we call "Antique" these days.

I'm pretty happy with the Canon R system, though...they kept the overall look and feel, and size, of their DSLR cameras. I actually really appreciate that...if they had made them really small, like Sony's, they would have been so much harder to use. The R5 feels like it was made just for my hands, it fits so perfectly. Still...despite keeping their "classic" DSLR design, it still doesn't have that...panache that older cameras had!

 

[mark james]

Very nice finished pen. The blank is excellent and your turning is equally matched. The photography is great, so I look forward to future displays of your work. Well Done!

 

[jrista]

Very nice finished pen. The blank is excellent and your turning is equally matched. The photography is great, so I look forward to future displays of your work. Well Done!

Thank you, Mark!

I can't wait to get the light tent and some proper lighting setups, and see what I can do with softer light.