to curve or not to curve that is the question

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Haynie

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Every once in a while I go through people's websites and portfolios here.

I am a straight barrel and cap guy, but I see that most folks enjoy a little curve in their pens. I am not talking Jessica Rabbit curves but definite curves.

Having never fondled a pen with curves I am wondering why folks prefer them?
 
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Part of the reason I like a little curve to the pen is so it looks different. When people get pens from stores they are often straight and/or tapered. I like to put a slight curve because it balances it out and makes it look a little more authentic. On capped pens it compensates for the difference in size between the cap and the lower barrel. Also, it is tough to beat the look of a perfectly executed curve!
 
Being a guy with large hands I prefer a thicker pen. when I turn a rollerball pen I always go for a straight barrel but especially when doing a slimline I like to bulge it out a bit. Occasionally, I'll catch a really interesting grain pattern or a swirl in the PR that I don't want to turn down any further and will incorporate a bit of flow into the pen to keep it.
 
Haynie said:
Having never fondled a pen with curves I am wondering why folks prefer them?
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Oh, that's just screaming for a joke - but I'll behave.

I don't like straight lines on cars - there's a reason why people like the looks of a MGB over a dodge caravan... (yes, I'm a big MGB fan - I want an MGB GT V8)

Pens, on the other hand, are smaller in section, and thus a straight line can look nice on an elegant kit...but I still like a bit of a curve to give it definition (and to show that it's harder than just taking a straight stick and pressing in a nib - they're paying for craftsmanship, after all - curves give the illusion of effort!). :smile:
 
I've done both but now prefer the straight look. Tapers are ok, but all my pens the last few months have had no part of the blanks left larger than the finials, center bands, or nibs.

That's just part of what makes this hobby so interesting. You can make them how YOU want them to look. There is no "correct" way!

Keep turning.
 
It seems to be a personal preference. For capped pens, I like a very slight curve on the cap and a relatively straight bottom section. It just seems "right" this way. I'm not a fan of balloon pens at all (pronounced curves), but I understand some people love them.

When I first started, I tended to make larger curves. My everyday carry pen, a Sierra style made from figured cherry from my sister's back yard, was the third pen I ever made. After 6 months, it bugged me enough that I put the body back on the lathe and made the curve smaller.
 
I like the curve and the straight just fine. Adding a few with sone wild curves to the collection makes for some interesting reactions from prospective buyers, especially those who want something more different than normal.
 
Ever look at a Mont Blanc, Schaffer, or older Waterman pens, they have a very slight curve. I guess it's a matter of preference, I don't like seeing much of any thing with a dead straight line, for one thing those things never appear in nature, only in Machine Shops.
Although some refuse to believe it there is even a curvature to this ball of rock we call a planet, it's not straight, (except if you drive 3 miles north of Leapwood TN,) then you will fall of the edge, into the abyss which is a straight drop.
 
I actually like the looks of 'curves' on the cheaper kits....slimlines, st. charles, etc... But on anything 'post-able', straight is the only way to go to make them look correct.



Scott (curve joke inserted here) B
 
I do all kinds of shapes because different people like different looking pens. I just had a man buy 7 pens for Christmas presents. He got different kinds, shapes and wood types for different people. He saw a deer antler pen and picked it up right away for one guy. I do a lot of different shapes - one exception, large balloon pens. Just don't go there even though I'm sure some would like them.
 
Ooohh I like them curves! Seriously, I have a customer that orders slimlines occasionally. If it's for a man, he wants the fat curves. If it's for a lady, he wants them straight, for smaller hands. I guess it depends on who is using it.
 
I think it depends on the kit, but for the ones I put a curve on, I think it has more to do with asthetics than the way it feels... just looks more elegant on most kits IMHO.
 
mgb gt v8

maxwell_smart007 said:
Haynie said:
Having never fondled a pen with curves I am wondering why folks prefer them?
Click to expand...

Oh, that's just screaming for a joke - but I'll behave.

I don't like straight lines on cars - there's a reason why people like the looks of a MGB over a dodge caravan... (yes, I'm a big MGB fan - I want an MGB GT V8)

Pens, on the other hand, are smaller in section, and thus a straight line can look nice on an elegant kit...but I still like a bit of a curve to give it definition (and to show that it's harder than just taking a straight stick and pressing in a nib - they're paying for craftsmanship, after all - curves give the illusion of effort!). :smile:
Click to expand...

ha ha
ive had 2 the coverted (ring on bonnet) and production model plus a mgc gt 3 ltre austin healey engine.
graham
 
I like the curve just because it leaves a little more material on the pen. Straight is fine, but can get pretty thin. Particularly with acrylics, shave them too thin, and they just aren't as pretty.
 
A very slight curve on a "straight" pen blank will sometimes look straighter than a perfectly straight blank. A "perfectly" straight blank can look like it is a little too thin (undernourished) in the middle. It has to do with how the eye sees things. I've read that this is true and have noticed it on my pens. It's not a big deal, but I make my "straight" pens with a very slight curve that's a little wider in the mid section than the ends.
 
turn4fun said:
A very slight curve on a "straight" pen blank will sometimes look straighter than a perfectly straight blank. A "perfectly" straight blank can look like it is a little too thin (undernourished) in the middle. It has to do with how the eye sees things. I've read that this is true and have noticed it on my pens. It's not a big deal, but I make my "straight" pens with a very slight curve that's a little wider in the mid section than the ends.
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This. I like a VERY slight curve most of the time, but only to fit the appearance of the pen.
 
Hi
Hey guys you have just wrote what i have thought for years, some of your posts make me feel not as silly as i thought i was, for the past few years i'm sure i've been thought of as that idiot in the garage. I take the curvey bit as what its like to hold i gave the thick material idea up when they grew silly in size. I radius and polish ends so if you make the part too big it still looks ok rather than have a sharp edge.
thanks for the thoughts
graham
 
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