Customers Choice

[Jim in Oakville]

Hi,

I thought I'd share this with you. As a pen maker we sometimes try to anticipate what designs and materials will work and we build our inventories accordingly. Some times this works, other times not.

I have a good customer in Montreal who really enjoys fountain pens, she likes vibrant colours and styles, some of which are outside my design thoughts that she continues to encourage me to explore.

This pen is based on her wishes, a pink Trustone on an all silver pen (an all silver nib is in the works to replace the two tone shown here).

At first I wasn't sure of the combination, but after I completed putting it together it looked nice to me, most importantly it looked excellent to her!

Currently she has me making another fountain pen for her, I am calling it the Bumble Bee, wait till you see that one!!


I like working with customers, sometimes they want what you are comfortable with, sometimes they take you in a new direction, all very fun for me.

 

[ryvnd2001]

Gotta love Tru Stone! Looks fabulous!

 

[Russianwolf]

pen looks great, but I gotta ask.... what's the black thing on the centerband? never seen that on those kits.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

pen looks great, but I gotta ask.... what's the black thing on the centerband? never seen that on those kits.

Thank You.

Yes that black band is part of the coupler hardware, hard plastic actually, I am experimenting with removing it after I have assembled the hardware, still working on this one.

 

[wood-of-1kind]

The 'customer' is ALWAYS right and in this case, she is!!!!!!! Nice work.

 

[Buzzzz4]

Nice looking pen. I had the same question about that black ring. I have two of these kits with the black ring, and really wish it wasn't there.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

Thanks every one for your kind thoughts.

I looked at how to remove the black ring and I think it's possible, but then the lower edge of the thin ring would need to be beveled and boom there goes the plate, so for now, The black ring is on, wish Berea could remove it in a minor redesign. Truth be said, my clients never say a word about it to me.

 

[chriselle]

Great looking pen. The black ring is the only reason I don't make more of those and the ones I do make are always darker blanks. I do like all the components otherwise.

 

[Rangertrek]

I like it! Great Trustone, materials look good together.

 

[Pioneerpens]

Looks Great! color, components, fit finish! nicely done

 

[Jgrden]

I like this "PINK" pen. Most of them remind me of cotton candy, this one has depth and texture. I like it. The tone of the pink is a little more robust than what I have seen.
Good job, A+

 

[dozuki]

First I think that is a great pen. Second, I don't do a lot of higher end pens and have to ask just what pen is that. Thanks and that is great.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

First I think that is a great pen. Second, I don't do a lot of higher end pens and have to ask just what pen is that. Thanks and that is great.

Thank you, This is a Canadian sold by William Wood-Write (www.penblanks.ca). It is essentially a Cambridge with plated sections that on the Cambridge are black, Thanks again

 

[wizard]

I really like it! Very feminine and elegant at the same time. Thanks for showing. Regards, Doc

 

[Jim in Oakville]

I really like it! Very feminine and elegant at the same time. Thanks for showing. Regards, Doc

Thanks Doc, since I made this one, I have had numerous requests for this material, pink coral from Dawn and Ed....

 

[rkimery]

What the customer wants the customer gets. She got a real catch this time!

 

[johncrane]

Looks really good Jim! the nice part is, it has a happy owner!

 

[OOPS]

I think the pen looks very elegant. I also like the black band, because of the contrast. Without the black band, it might look "washed out" or "blah." Those are my best technical terms, sorry.

I think that too often we focus on the minute details of each pen--which is natural, because we make them, and we want each one of our creations to be perfect. The vast majority of the public looks at the big picture--"Wow! That's shiny!" and show their new pen to everyone with a sense of pride. I say this not to encourage sloppy work, but merely a more reasonable sense of what looks outstanding to most people. Like Jim said above, he hasn't heard a word from any customer about the black ring.

 

[Russianwolf]

okay, one more Q.

How did you do the all silver? All the kits I see are Gold with Silver or Silver with Gold. I don't like the combo pens. I always go for the Black Ti versions of the CSUSA pens for example.

 

[DozerMite]

I haven't made any of those, so just curious.

Is it possible to replace the black ring with a ring of the pen material... in this case, pink??

 

[Jim in Oakville]

I haven't made any of those, so just curious.

Is it possible to replace the black ring with a ring of the pen material... in this case, pink??

yes it is, I am working on that now, I have turned down the black material to the sam ID as the hardware, now turning a new pink ring to epoxy on to the edge of the black plastic.

 

[Jim in Oakville]

okay, one more Q.

How did you do the all silver? All the kits I see are Gold with Silver or Silver with Gold. I don't like the combo pens. I always go for the Black Ti versions of the CSUSA pens for example.

I bought it as is from William Wood-Write, look up Canadian...he has three combinations for roller ball and FP

 

[le_skieur]

Hello Jim,

I really love that fontain pen. Color, kit everything is maching so well.