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Noah's Flood followed by a Sirocco!

Bob Ellis

Graduate Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2014
Posts
450
Location
Wensleydale, North Yorkshire
First Name
Bob
We get some severe weather in the high Pennines, but Noah's Flood followed by a Sirocco is extreme, even by our standards. Let me explain.

I've not been on the forum (or making any pens) for the last two months because my wife and I came home one Sunday lunchtime in late May to find that Niagara Falls had been diverted in our absence and was now flowing through our ceiling and light fittings.
The worst affected room was the workroom where I make my pens. The water board had done some work further down the village and had ramped up the pressure to test their work. The workmen then forgot to turn it back down to normal pressure with the result that there were several bursts in the area, all of which occurred out of doors except for one – the expansion tank on our hot water cylinder blew when we were out of the house and three rooms below were inundated - my workroom, our bedroom and the corridor.

As you can probably imagine, making pens has not been very high on my agenda recently. For the last six weeks, we have had eight industrial dryers and dehumidifiers going from early each morning until late each night and damp meters are still recording around 50% saturation in the worst-affected walls. I’ve had to throw out more than a dozen completed pens, where the water had split the wood, and I have had to dispose of even more blanks that were no longer usable. It has taken a long time to dry out my lathe and get it working smoothly again. It will be months before the house is dried out, repaired and redecorated, but I managed yesterday and today to make my first two pens since the flood. I started with a dragon pen using an acrylic blank just to test that everything was working properly and then I turned my attention to a new Sirocco that Phil had sent me. Others will have commented on this kit before me, but here is my belated opinion, with a few pictures of the Sirocco I have just made using a hybrid walnut and silver mica blank.

I’m not normally a fan of single barrel pen kits like the Sierra and even the high-end Majestic Squire because the mechanism is often suspect and I don’t find the design very pleasing. Therefore, I approached the new Beaufort Sirocco with a degree of scepticism. However, I was pleasantly surprised. All the components were manufactured to a high standard (no surprise there, considering the quality of Phil's earlier offerings) and they fitted together very precisely, which made final assembly a satisfying and hassle-free experience. The real eye-opener, however, came right at the end, when I sat back and admired my work. Not only was the pen aesthetically pleasing, but the mechanism was smoother in operation than any other single barrel pen I have ever encountered – further testament, if any were needed – to the high quality engineering that underpins this kit. The Sirocco also proved to be a well-balanced and comfortable pen with which to write, not something that can be said of all pen kits.

One of the things I dislike about other single barrel kits is the fact that the cap twists to advance and retract the nib and unscrews to replace the refill. This can lead to unwanted unscrewing when retracting the nib. However, with the Sirocco, these functions are separate: the cap twists to advance and retract the nib and the tip unscrews to replace the refill – a much better arrangement, in my opinion. No longer can I say that I am not a fan of single barrel pen kits: I have been converted!
 

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DJB Penmaker

Full Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Posts
308
Location
Cheshire
First Name
Derek
That's a beautiful pen. Not had time to do any of my Sciroccos yet, can't wait to try one. Love the blank too, fantastic finish.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk
 

Morse

Graduate Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Posts
679
Location
Cheshire. UK
First Name
Dave
Hello Bob.
Really love your choice of pen blank to the scirocco kit.
I'm still trying to match a blank I have to show off the pen kit!
We had a lot, lot, lot, smaller water problem in the house than you have, so I can understand what you are going through.
The dehumidifier use's your electricity, so don't forget to claim it back on your claim.

Dave
 

fortress

Registered
Joined
Apr 11, 2016
Posts
5,178
Location
Astley
First Name
John
I am very sorry to learn of your flooding Bob. That Sirocco is gorgeous, first class blank. :drool::drool:
 

Penpal

Grand Master
Joined
May 26, 2013
Posts
25,340
Location
Canberra AUSTRALIA
First Name
Peter
Everything about your pen is class Bob.

Felt your misery with the burst, makes everyday problems fade. Musing thank goodness it happened in summer.

Fantastic pics. Very pleasant to see around your pen reminded me of a tune with respect....Little Sirocco how do you do...hello I can read the blank.

Peter.
 

Phil Dart

Moderator
Executive Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2014
Posts
5,455
Location
Colebrooke, Devon
First Name
Phil
Goodness me Bob - it never rains but it pours. I'm sorry to learn about the water trauma. I can imagine that sort of thing turns your life upside down for a while, but I'm glad you are coming out the other end now.

You've made a cracking combination there - your blank is first class, and actually despite thinking there will be plenty of other reviews of the Sirocco, in fact yours is the first I've seen. Quite a few pictures have started to emerge in various places, but no reviews. You are the first Darling!:frenchkiss:

Thank you for your glowing words Bob. Needless to say, I'm delighted you like the kit.
 

Graham_C

Fellow
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Posts
1,153
Location
Tywyn
First Name
Graham
Sorry to hear of your water woes Bob, had something similar a lot of years ago - it really does turn your life upside down for a while. Glad to hear you're coming out the other side now :thumbs:

Super pen mate, looking forward to more soon!
 

silver

General dogsbody
Executive Member
Joined
Jun 29, 2013
Posts
6,301
Location
Somewhere in Staffordshire,
First Name
Eamonn.
Sorry to hear your problems Bob, water is one of the most damaging things in this world.

Im sure it could have been worse, if it had been floodwater you probably wouldn't have been living in your home now.

Good to see the Sirocco and a great first review as well, the combination looks well matched.
 

Gregory Hardy

Graduate Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2017
Posts
454
Location
Upper New York State
First Name
Greg
Wow - that is really striking. I also have avoided single barrel pens, but this might have given cause to rethinking my prejudices.

I hope the water issue is now behind you. Time to make pens!
 
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