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Fountain pen

Pete B

Registered
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
Posts
264
Location
Almost in Northumberland
Hi,
made this yesterday. Green was from the ever helpful and highly receomended Vincs at The Turners Workshop no affiliation and i have met the lad once, but a very good service.
The top is Jet trustone from another source.
Pen is based around a Schmidt kfh300 all in one unit which is why the grip section is clear.
It is work in progress, i quite like the shape of the pen body, but the cap...not sure, i was limited in the angle i could put on the end of the cap (open part) dues to material getting thin. I wanted a more sleek shape. It is a little longer than a normal kit fountain, as the body is one full blank an the top half a 3/4" blank.
It is a bit scratchy as the finish is not nearly good enough, but i am aware of that.

I would love to know what you think. Please guys be brutal and honest, this is the first picture i have posted and opinions really help me to improve.

Thank you

Pete
forum 3.jpg
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Pete, that is a smart looking pen, i agree with Alan, i would like to see a picture with the pen in its cap to see the overall shape ... :thumbs:
 

Jimjam66

Chief Battonager
Registered
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Posts
3,775
Location
Basingstoke, Hampshire
Lovely pen, Pete. The green is gorgeous. Shape is not my favourite if I'm honest, but it is original. I love the transparent section - do I understand correctly that it is a pre-made unit? Is it pre-threaded for the cap as well?
 

Pete B

Registered
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
Posts
264
Location
Almost in Northumberland
Hi,

thanks for the comments i appreciate them. I'm not actually happy with the cap, i wanted it to look more like the body.
More photographs as requested. 8 inches with cap on,a little under 7 without.
David. Yes its pre threaded for the body 10.2x 0.5mm and the thread visible for the cap is 10 x 0.5mm.
There is another one with a bigger nib, thats the only difference the body piece is all one.
Sorry about the blurry one.

Pete
IMG_2875.JPG
forum...jpg
IMG_2874.JPG
lastly a link to Schmidt if you re interested. The unit used here is the top one on the front cover or i think page 16
http://www.schmidttechnology.de/de/schreibgeraete/download/SCHMIDT-Schreibgeraetetechnik.pdf
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Thanks for the added images Pete, i wanted to see the cap on the pen also as in your first image it did look quite large for the shaft. But the pen is superb. :thumbs:
 

Pete B

Registered
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
Posts
264
Location
Almost in Northumberland
Thank you all, any critique is always a help.
The cap i tried to replicate the body but didn't.
To do it albeit in smaller proportions. I don't know whether i will be able to though as one problem is that the internals to cover, nib, section etc to the barrel is 55mm.
But we'll see where it goes.

Regards

Pete
 

Jim

Grand Master
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Posts
15,617
Pete, the overall shape of the pen is bang on, should you be able to reduce the cap thickness i honestly believe the pen would be a classic... :thumbs:
 

yorkshireman

Wood Rat
Executive Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2013
Posts
5,199
Location
wrexham
First Name
Keith
Excellent workmanship Pete but the shape is not my cup of tea, but thats just personal preference. Well done

keith
 

Jimjam66

Chief Battonager
Registered
Joined
Jan 27, 2013
Posts
3,775
Location
Basingstoke, Hampshire
Pete, the shape of the pen evokes a very New Age/Earth Mother, or perhaps Fantasy-inspired spirit. I suspect you'd have little trouble selling them by the bucketload into that type of market. As Jim says, the Cap to barrel transition is quite dramatic at present, but my take is that you've got something 'organic' in look and feel there (visualise the cap to stem transition of a stylised fantasy mushroom if you will). There's a certain style of fantasy Manga (comic/graphic novel) that thrives on exactly that type of look.

To digress slightly - there's a guy on Lumberjocks who makes wands (yes, you read that right). Weirdest looking twisted, gnarly and ultimately useless things you ever did see, but to his market they're catnip! I'm not for a moment comparing your work to his, but it crossed my mind that people who buy wands might think that pen was a dream come true.

The upshot of that 'stream of consciousness' twaddle is that I think your pen is actually quite lovely as it is, when placed in the right context. My initial comment was more a reflection of my 'context' than a critique of your pen!:goesred:
 

Pete B

Registered
Joined
Apr 22, 2013
Posts
264
Location
Almost in Northumberland
Jim, thats very kind and i would to think it might on day, but i personally think i know where i am, turning wise, and there are far more talented people than me. Thank you though that cheered me up.

David, thats very thought provoking and similar but in a different way to what someone said to me yesterday on the phone. I would have to explain what i mean verbally to explain that properly. Wands, very clever, i assume you mean that the cap would essentially be like the decorative handle, that the plain pen fits into, good idea. The style though, i have looked and i see what you mean. The body of this pen is a plain but hopefully nice on the eye, shape.
Its actually a bit heavier than you would expect at first glance, but the balance in your hand is really great as you don't feel it at all. That was total luck and not judgment by the way.

I'm also trying to, if i can repeat the shape as well , same as the body but in a smaller but in proportion, size. Space to do it because of the cap internal space might be a problem. I'm going to try later and hopefully the down slope will not be where the nib sits inside with the cap on, if you know what i mean.

I like the mushroom idea as i love the cartoon sort of mushroom shape.

They might sell and i hope they do, but it might have to be a variety of caps. Some contrasting, some same as body material. One problem might be though, the internals are $30 and i have a feeling £30 when they become available here, they are i think very good quality, they just feel like quality when you turn the piston thing to fill compared to K5's. I would change the nib each time as well.
Also, some people don't like clear front sections, but hopefully a lot do.

This could and will almost certainly be made as well in a more traditional kitless fashion, and i think that might work as well, for those who don't like clear front sections. I mean the normal way with a made front section with nib unit inside etc, etc.

You can't i don't think appeal to everyone and i am doing more traditional kit less ones as well, but at the moment its this one, and a wedding thing i'm trying to set up with a couple of websites.

Thanks for the ideas though, forums really are good for this i think.

Thanks again

Pete
 
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