Wedding pen..... question ?

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Darley

Darley

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Hervey Bay Queensland
I been asked by a bride to be for her wedding next August 2005 to have a pen made for her to sign the registar. My question is what kind of pen is best for a New Bride, I look at BB site and find those filigree pen and I like the look of it,are they suitable?, what type of pen would you do? and what kind of wood would you use, I read somewhere that Holly wood is very white, where can I get some holly wood blank?

Thank's for your help

Serge
 
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Holly is a very good thought.
Hey if you want to I got some and would be willing to trade you for something from the land of OZ. I could send you a dozen for 12 of yours.
Or they have it on ebay also.
 
Corian would also be a good choice. No finish to worry about with all the guests using the pen. Hmmmm, if you do a really good job, will a chain have to be put on the pen to keep it by the book? It might be too tempting to borrow.

Rich
 
Serge, wedding pens are usually made like a desk set. I have seen then in places like WalMart, of course, made of cheap plastic. Most are white, and some have a very large white feather sticking out of it.

White, silver, mother of pearl, are the best colors, especially if the bride will wear white.

If you do a Google search for "wedding pen" you will get results like this"

http://www.weddingaccessories.net/penholdr.htm

A very nice touch would be to have the couple's names on the holder.

One more note: A desk pen is usually long and graceful, with a taper coming to a point. In this kind of setting, it is very dangerous to have a pointed object where people and even kids can get hurt. Look in my album for the desk set. The pen ends in a ball. You could end a wedding pen in two hearts, or some other motif.

You have some time to plan this one. Please keep us posted.
 
Thank you for your reply,

Fred in NC you like a library for me and I like the sound of the white feather sticking out of the pen, thank for the link.

low_48 I don't think the people will steal the pen but it's true that he will go through many hands so a CA finish would be a must.

Gary Max I would not mind a trade of a doz blanks.

Now what kind of pen kit would you use? do all of you think that the filegree would be to flashy? or what about a fountain pen?

Serge
 
Darley, a pen kit does not have to be very obvious. You could actually hide the fact that there is a mechanism inside. The pen tip can be painted WHITE with epoxy spray paint. I can visualize a desk pen that opens up into a lily, all in wood !

On the other hand, a filigree pen, in chrome, would be nice. Mother of Pearl (imitation, of course) would go nice with it.

Keep collecting ideas for a while. Eventually the right one will be obvious to you. And let your imagination run wild.
 
Gee don't they get holly wood from Hollywood, CA :) Just kidding!! Holly is nice wood to work with. Just a thought though---another material would be the imitation ivory from Craft Supplies (I do have one blank but haven't turned it yet---gotta get to it---)Also, at Woodcraft they have satin pearl pen kits (others may have these too)which is close to white---I used one for a desk pen---but for contrast in my situation.
 
Tom, I cut allot of the imitation ivory, it looks real nice. Some even have very faint light off white pattern or grain which really makes it look more natural.Cuts like tru stone or the inlace.The next best thing to ivory.
 
Well I think that I just have to figure out the design and what type of kit and wood, probably it will be the best to do 2 or 3 set and proposed them to the future bride like that she will have a choice of pens, do you think that another color than white will do for a wedding pen ?

Serge
 
White and silver are the traditional colors. However, it would be good to ask the bride. She might like to color coordinate with other decorations and bridesmaids dresses.
 
This is also a great up-seling opportunity. Brides and grooms customarily give gifts to their bridesmen and ushers. A custom pen in the bride's colors can be quite a special gift. Also, why not a custom pen on a base that includes a picture frame for parents? The ideas are endless. [8D]
 
As far as other colors, I had a Bride to be approched me last year. She wanted a Guest book pen in white. but the gifts for the wedding party she wanted in matching colors for there attire. we had the whole deal set up which was mucho work in itself. then life sort of fell down around her ears. her mother got seriously ill and she had to carry the wedding off pretty much by herself. alot fell through the cracks including my pens. I was doing it for cost as she is a friend of the family. mostly it became to many details, they fell back to a very basic and simple wedding.
Bride and Groom are hitched though and doing quite well.
 
Serge There is a desk pen kit that I use for the wedding pens that I have made in the past. I bought mine from Lee Valley www.leevalley.com and the kit is called a Stick Pen. Lee Valley's model number for it is 88K73.02, the cost is for 1 thru 10 $2.15, 10 thru 25 $1.83, 25 thru 50 $1.70 and 50+ $1.60. They are a one piece pen and you would need a blank at least six inches long but it can be longer. The kit only has four pieces, it includes the cross type ink refill, the gold writing tip, a spring for the refill and the tube. The tube is about 1 1/2" long and is threaded on the inside to except both the tip and the mandrel shaft. These kits are really cheap and the mandrel for it is only $5.25 that number is 88K73.03. These are really easy to make, allows a lot of room for creativity and makes a very nice desk style pen. Hope this helps.

Wayne
 
I posted instructions for this kit earlier today. Look in the pen turning forum under "Lee Valley pen kit"

A mandrel for this kit is convenient, but not a necessity. I don't even own one. This kit is also available from Craft Supplies.
 
My friend's mother re-married in September. Since she and her new husband are strong into religion, I made a pen set for them out of Bethlehem Olive wood. It was a perfect fit for them.
 
I just did the same for a friends wedding. First they asked me to make a special pen for their Pastor as a gift and I chose Bethlehem Olive wood. Then as a suprise for the bride and groom, good friend of the family I made them a desk set with olivewood for the pen and birds eye for the stand. They all really appreciated it very much.

Wayne
 
Oh Come On Darley you have until August to figure out how to turn one of those Cala Lilly pens for the bride..LOL... and when you figure it out you can tell the rest of us how...
 
Thank's Wayne and Fred in NC the pen look good on leevalley site,thank for your post Fred in NC, what a coincidence, I would have to go through the site, the price as been up since, but never mind,I will get very serious by early next year as Christmas time is busy for me and I got a rule that I don't order in the festive season because of " PAT the Postman " ( a English cartoon that my children are found of him, so am I )to many parcel to ship in this time of the year,

I thank you all of you who put is own input, I just to have to click this litle brain of mine for this subject .

What do you think about a fountain pen?, I never turn one before, do you think that would be nice to propose ?

I was thinking that I should turn 3 to 4 pens display, some with guests book and show to the bride to be and go from there with her colour and so on. How That !

Serge
 
Serge, looks like a good plan to me.

Not everyone uses fountain pens now. I think there are younger people who have never used one. If that is the case in your area, maybe it would be safer to stick to a ballpoint pen, gel, or rollerball. You can get a refill with a nice color of ink to match the color scheme.
 
Here is a pen that I like even better than the Lee Valley kit for your particular application:

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=050-7090

050-7090.jpg


I would stay away from the fountain pen idea for the wedding book as some people are not comfortable with them.

However, you might consider making a set of matching His & Her fountain pens as commemoratives of the wedding for the bride and groom!! You could get them laser engraved with the date of the wedding or the name of the couple or both if there is room. What about making a commemorative pen as gifts for the Best Man and the Maid of Honor. Is there enough money in the budget for something like that??


200412115191_050-7090.jpg
 
Fred in NC,Fountain pen is true not many people use it, but I love them, use to write in my young age at school with a steel feather pen and the glass inkwell, I'm agree with you about colour silver or nickel will go well with any type of wood I think, ( I must turn one , one day )

Randy this is a good looking pen from CSUSA but I think I can do one like that with a 7 m/m pen kit, I just would have to do a short 7m/m madrel for it for the uper part, what do you tihnk the length is 8", 9" , engraving is a good idea but I don't know if someone here in Australia do it for pen and I think is a different set up something I have to investigated. If I have to send the pen to the states it will be costly and I don't want charge a bull for it, but in the mean time wedding is once and bride expences is high,

I whent through this site and look most of work that members did only one things I have to say " I pull my hat to all of you, your work is stuning and awesome " .

Well, one last question, because some of you did pen for wedding and I would probably thing that most of you give it to the bride as a present

In your though, what would be the price you will charge for it if you have to sell, $40.00, $60.00, $80.00 or more , Ok is all depend what kind of kit and material you use.

Serge
 
Serge--it depends on the wedding, but for a really nice pen for a nice, large wedding $30-50 US would not be too much. That works out to a lot more $AU, I know, but it's still probably an affordable luxury for an event which is, hopefully, once in a lifetime. [8D]
 
It is very difficult to tell you how much to charge for a pen or desk set, or any crafted item.

The way I price my work is based on cost of materials plus time spent doing the work. The cost of materials is marked up, for example if the kit and wood cost $5. then it is charged at $10 to $15. This accounts for handling expense, and other materials used. Then you add the time. For example, two hours at $20. plus $12 for the material will give you a price of $52.

As far as my charge for time, Serge, I am of the opinion that I am not any less than a plumber or electrician or car mechanic. I can make a basic slimline in 20 mins. at a material cost of about $3.50, and I get a minimum of $20 for it. That puts my rate at about $25 per hour, which I think is fair around here.

In US dollars, a nice wedding pen should start at not less than $40, and if it gets real fancy, the sky is the limit. It depends on what the customer wants and can afford.

NOTE: Regardless of the selling price, I will not sell a pen that is going to be seen and handled by lots of people, unless I can be very happy and proud of it myself. Remember, it will be like advertising for you.
 
Thank you both of you for your comments, did a good help for my litle brain. I would like to thank's all the members who participated to my wedding pen question and I shall resume sometime next year with some photos.

Thank you again

Serge
 
Somone in the yahoo penturners a couple years ago made a wedding pen with the white acrylic blank and the kit with the metal embelishment that goes around the outside ... arg can't think of the pen kit name... it was grogeous that way! Search for it and I will try as well
I really liked it a lot...
Chris
 
Chris you aren't talking about the filligree kits from CSUSA by any chance are you? Now that I think about it they may just make a nice wedding pen.

Wayne
 
Originally posted by Darley.....engraving is a good idea but I don't know if someone here in Australia do it for pen.....
Click to expand...

Serge: Laser engraving is pretty common technology these days. May not be available in your local area; but I'll bet you could find service in Brisbane or Sydney.

Totally off topic; but what the hey.....years ago I spent a bit of time in Fremantle and Melbourne on the way to and from Antarctica. Beautiful country.....had a great time. Wish you weren't half a world away as I would love to visit again.

Besides turning pens as a hobby, I also keep Sugar Gliders.....flying possums. While well know as one of the many marsupial species of Australia, the ones I have are a subspecies from New Guinea. They have been kept as pets in the US for about 20 years; but have only become known and popular in the past 10 years or so

sugarglider1_th.jpg
 
What a wonderfull happy men you are sugar glider are beautifull, sleep all day and active on night like possum, do you keep him in a cage or you got a garden, I know that my father in law down in Melbourne could not keep any fruit on is trees and is magnolia tree as well for is flowers, unfortunatly I can't send you one as they are protected species, my friend who give me the blackwattle wood got on is proprety some black Cokatoo he can sell them in Germany for over $ 15000 the bird, but you see here in Australia our faune, certain flower and wild life are protected.

I like the photo of your litle fellow [:)]

Serge

Ho ! I forgot you should have bottle brush tree at your place they love the sap of the flower
 
Originally posted by wayneis
<br />Chris you aren't talking about the filligree kits from CSUSA by any chance are you? Now that I think about it they may just make a nice wedding pen.

Wayne
Click to expand...

YES!! Thats it!!! HE used the white acrylic blanks (Forgot the name) and the fillagree pen... was indeed a gorgeous combination!

Chris
 
Serge,
I've got a holly blank and I'll put it in the pkg I'm putting together for you. I did a wedding pen with the filligree kit with ebony under the filligree anjd holly on the bottom. Don't have any ebony but I could put a half-blank of African Blackwood in your pkg. Going to try to get it out to you this week. Thanks for yhour patience.
Do a good turn daily!
don
Originally posted by Darley
<br />I been asked by a bride to be for her wedding next August 2005 to have a pen made for her to sign the registar. My question is what kind of pen is best for a New Bride, I look at BB site and find those filigree pen and I like the look of it,are they suitable?, what type of pen would you do? and what kind of wood would you use, I read somewhere that Holly wood is very white, where can I get some holly wood blank?

Thank's for your help

Serge
Click to expand...
 
I bet it was a beautiful pen Chris.I did the Spider Web filligree that Wood Craft sells for my son who is snow ski racer. Any of you that ski will probably know about Spyder Ski wear and how popular that stuff is. Well that Spider Pen was a huge hit with not only my son but the r4est of his ski team as well, it ended up being a hit for me as well.

Wayne
 
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