Orange and Teal Fountain Pen

[ValleyBoy]

Hi pen pals.

Been faffing around a lot lately. Playing around with section shapes, especially on larger pens. I’m not unhappy with the way I currently make them but a change is as good as a rest and all that.

I quite like the look of this shape but I’m not keen on how it feels - my hand slips down as I hold it because I didn’t make the waist deep enough so it’s more of a wedge than an hourglass.

I’ve also decided to make smaller finials on the larger pens to exaggerate the fact that they have more girth. (Gents, before you ask I don’t know if this works in every scenario ).

So I’ll remake the section tomorrow. I quite like the colours though. So that’s something…

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Cheers
Ash

 

[RobR]

Love that colour scheme. Really nice contrast. I like the section, but I guess it's all in the feel.

 

[flexi]

Great colour and contrast, all I ll say is if it ain't broke don't fix....whilst I can't even come close to what you do, I prefer your previous sections....sorry

 

[Tom.1946]

Hi pen pals.

Been faffing around a lot lately. Playing around with section shapes, especially on larger pens. I’m not unhappy with the way I currently make them but a change is as good as a rest and all that.

I quite like the look of this shape but I’m not keen on how it feels - my hand slips down as I hold it because I didn’t make the waist deep enough so it’s more of a wedge than an hourglass.

I’ve also decided to make smaller finials on the larger pens to exaggerate the fact that they have more girth. (Gents, before you ask I don’t know if this works in every scenario ).

So I’ll remake the section tomorrow. I quite like the colours though. So that’s something…

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Cheers
Ash

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Very Very nice Ash, what is the kit as I have never done a fountain pen as yet. Does it come in different colours on the kit??

Tom

 

[flexi]

Very Very nice Ash, what is the kit as I have never done a fountain pen as yet. Does it come in different colours on the kit??

Tom

I can answer this,
This is a kitless fountain pen...Ash makes the various components his self (other than the pen clip and medallion in the cap) it's the next level turning.
You need to turn, thread and dimension the various parts, cap, body and nib assembly, Ash also threads the finial caps ( coloured ends) to fit his silver accents. It gives much more flexibility to shape and style, size of the pen and nib.

 

[Padster]

Ash, I like the pen and the colour combination, but I could be with Mark here and say I think I prefer your usual styling. Now I caveat this because I'm flicking between multiple of your threads to do the compare, perhaps you can post them together so we can give a valid compare, assuming you are looking of an opinion - and of course its only an opinion from someone not capable of doing what you are producing!

 

[MikeC]

To boldly go where no man has been before

I like it

Mike

 

[Adal6]

Nice pens love the colour Alan

 

[DuncSuss]

Superb craftsmanship as always, Ash, and another great colour combination.

I think you're right - if the section makes it difficult to use the pen, there's something wrong no matter how nice it looks. I've tried adding a lip at the end of a straight-sided section, which stopped my fingers sliding off but l still wasn't keen on it - felt like I was holding it in the wrong place to have proper control. I end up coming back to the hourglass shape.

ps ... "faffing around" ... I like to call it "experimenting", but she usually see's right through that attempt to make it sound serious

 

[Nicholas Andrews]

Hi pen pals.

Been faffing around a lot lately. Playing around with section shapes, especially on larger pens. I’m not unhappy with the way I currently make them but a change is as good as a rest and all that.

I quite like the look of this shape but I’m not keen on how it feels - my hand slips down as I hold it because I didn’t make the waist deep enough so it’s more of a wedge than an hourglass.

I’ve also decided to make smaller finials on the larger pens to exaggerate the fact that they have more girth. (Gents, before you ask I don’t know if this works in every scenario ).

So I’ll remake the section tomorrow. I quite like the colours though. So that’s something…

Wishing you all a great week ahead!

Cheers
Ash

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Your pens look gorgeous, as always, but as you so rightly say, the "feel" of a pen is important - perhaps the most challenging aspect of our pen turning. I accept I am biased, having used and collected Parker 51 pens in all of their configurations for some 50 years, but the shape of a 51 barrel takes some beating. Which is why, perhaps, it was always "the World's Most Wanted Pen." When I have time I intend to emulate the 51 shape with a witless pen. Don't hold your breath as I have far too much else going on at present, but if another member was to ahve a go............

 

[sutdm]

Ash, hi
Beautiful colour combo and finish. If you're still open to different section shapes then take a look at some models of Leonardo MZG where they had a milk bottle shaped section so that the fingers actually grip parallel material. Several pen reviewers found it extremely comfortable and secure. I have used the shape myself several times and find it the same. all grist for the mill.
Mark

 

[ValleyBoy]

Ash, hi
Beautiful colour combo and finish. If you're still open to different section shapes then take a look at some models of Leonardo MZG where they had a milk bottle shaped section so that the fingers actually grip parallel material. Several pen reviewers found it extremely comfortable and secure. I have used the shape myself several times and find it the same. all grist for the mill.
Mark

Hi Mark

Yes I’m familiar with Leonardo. I don’t own any but I have tried one at a pen show. I am guessing here but I believe the reason for the section shape might be due to the posting of the cap. Their caps post very snugly on the barrel and, unlike some pens, don’t just rest on the threads, but grip on a narrower area further up inside the cap. This also explains the turned down major diameter behind the threads on the barrel. They need that there to cater for the deeply set cap threads.
Again I stress I’m guessing here but I have good reason to come to this conclusion. The reason I think this is the case is because I was trying to design a pen that posted “properly” and ended up, after a lot of different incarnations, coming up with something very similar, which of course I couldn’t use so it never made it

Cheers
Ash

 

[ValleyBoy]

Your pens look gorgeous, as always, but as you so rightly say, the "feel" of a pen is important - perhaps the most challenging aspect of our pen turning. I accept I am biased, having used and collected Parker 51 pens in all of their configurations for some 50 years, but the shape of a 51 barrel takes some beating. Which is why, perhaps, it was always "the World's Most Wanted Pen." When I have time I intend to emulate the 51 shape with a witless pen. Don't hold your breath as I have far too much else going on at present, but if another member was to ahve a go............

Thanks Nicholas and yes I agree, it’s got to feel right and work as a pen above all else.

I love the 51 and I bought a couple to take along to the WES vintage pen repair course I went on last year. Unfortunately I couldn’t make the second part of the course so never got around to working on them. I forgot all about them until you said this so now that you’ve reminded me I think I need to get them working. (Maybe one as I suspect one of them is more of a donor pen).

 

[ValleyBoy]

Superb craftsmanship as always, Ash, and another great colour combination.

I think you're right - if the section makes it difficult to use the pen, there's something wrong no matter how nice it looks. I've tried adding a lip at the end of a straight-sided section, which stopped my fingers sliding off but l still wasn't keen on it - felt like I was holding it in the wrong place to have proper control. I end up coming back to the hourglass shape.

ps ... "faffing around" ... I like to call it "experimenting", but she usually see's right through that attempt to make it sound serious

Thanks Duncan and I agree 100%.

Overhead a few goes at fiddling with the section shape but I always go back to the hourglass style. I need to accept that some things in life just don’t need me to fix them

And if there was a PHD in faffing I’d definitely be Doctor Ash by now.

 

[RobR]

...witless pen...

I see that you've seen some of my efforts then...

 

[Bill Mooney]

Another stunner Ash.

 

[howsitwork?]

beautiful can’t think how I missed it until now. Good of you to be open about the shape and feel Ash . It looks ideal maybe with a more “waisted” gripping section it might work but colour wise and proportion look great