My newest creation! The “Slipstream” by Troubadour! Need some feedback from both makers and aficionados in general…

[TheTroubadourPensmith]

This is my newest model, the "Slipstream." It's an A.T. Cross-style twist. I'm going to also build a Parker version so that you can use gels and whatnot. I'm an aviation obsessive as well as a professional Pensmith and this is an amalgamation of two of my greatest loves. I really enjoy this particular hardware kit which I have never seen anywhere but a local woodworker's shop here in the Bay Area. I really like how the nib looks - it reminds me a lot of the center cone of a turbofan. The profile is very aerodynamic, going from 10mm at the apex of the mid-section, gently tapering down to 9mm at both ends. Very sleep and subtle. I felt like it would just look "off" with the clip at the back, so I've installed it at the nib end and I think it really completes the "flying" look! Main wood is King Cocobolo and midsection is Gonçalo Alves. The grip lines are burning in with guitar strings - six lines, my maker's mark. The sections are separated by small bands of real, raw brass. I'm including the sales copy I wrote down below here. Let me know what you think! I really respect this community's insights!

Slipstream: the wake a vessel leaves behind as it moves through the air.

With its aerodynamic and ergonomic design, the Slipstream is a writing utensil poised to take you places. This pen is inspired by my intense love of aviation, and like the fuselage of a sleek aircraft, its shape is evocative of elegance and speed. When people notice the backward, nib-mounted clip, they will immediately pause to take note of this unique-looking feature, and quickly realize that it wouldn't look right any other way; that this is something different altogether. They will see that you are a pilot, maneuvering your beautifully strange craft over the page, leaving your mark in its wake...

What will you leave behind in your own Slipstream?

 

[Alan Morrison]

How do you write with that without that clip being in the way.
Just doesnt look right to me.

 

[d_bondi]

How do you write with that without that clip being in the way.
Just doesnt look right to me.

It does look different, but...

It is very like the Pilot/Namiki Vanishing Point which is a retractable fountain pen introduced by Pilot in 1963. I have one and absolutely love it. A great EDC fountain pen and I have never once thought while using it, hey... that clip is sure annoying. The bonus is that this design keeps it nib up in your pocket!!

 

[MRDucks2]

I like it and think it is a neat idea. The clip may be bothersome for some, but not all. Look at the various shapes, sizes and designs of nibs on some of today's kits.

 

[Alpha1]

Not my cup of tea. But its definatelly different.