Prussian Sea Fountain Pen

[ValleyBoy]

Hi pen people!

It’s nice to be back after the festive season, I had a very nice time and hope you all did too.

Whilst I’m officially beyond the three-day acceptable time limit for wishing you all a happy new year, I will just say that I am really looking forward to seeing what everybody does in 2024 and I hope you all do it in good health.

I’ve got a few ideas for improving my work in the year ahead. I’m going to do a bit more off-lathe work and try to get more out of my vertical mill. I want to explore making my own clips, more elaborate (not too elaborate!) accent rings and working more with celluloid. I have acquired quite a bit of both old and modern cellulose nitrate and it deserves to be made into pens. I just need to get my finishing to a better level with a bit of trial and error.

And bowls. I really want to make more bowls and do some proper wood turning again. I miss it a lot.

However my first effort for this year is, of course, a pen made from some good old fashioned acrylic. One of my favourites and I have a pen similar to this in my own collection.

Not much to say other than it’s got silver accents (sterling rings and Argentium coin). The pocket clip is chrome plated steel and it’s a Jowo no6 nib.

Threads are 13mm triple lead and the cap unscrews in 1.5 turns.

Cheers
Ash

 

[PensFromNo11]

Beautiful pen as always Ash.
I going to continue my kitless journey, but need to rein my ambition in a touch and get the basic dialed in this year with the odd experimentation thrown in just for giggles.

 

[MikeC]

Excellent as always Ash
Mike

 

[flexi]

I love the colours, it's a thing of beauty....I am going to have to up my game this year for sure....

 

[ValleyBoy]

Beautiful pen as always Ash.
I going to continue my kitless journey, but need to rein my ambition in a touch and get the basic dialed in this year with the odd experimentation thrown in just for giggles.

That’s typically how I approach stuff. I try to get the basics nailed down as well as I can in a repeatable way, (that’s quite important if you make a lot), and then try to develop and apply new skills and techniques as I go.

 

[ValleyBoy]

I love the colours, it's a thing of beauty....I am going to have to up my game this year for sure....

Thanks Mark, but your game always looks pretty up from where I’m standing!

 

[Bill Mooney]

Another stunner Ash.

 

[alan morrison]

I’ve got a few ideas for improving my work in the year ahead. I’m going to do a bit more off-lathe work and try to get more out of my vertical mill. I want to explore making my own clips, more elaborate (not too elaborate!) accent rings and working more with celluloid. I have acquired quite a bit of both old and modern cellulose nitrate and it deserves to be made into pens. I just need to get my finishing to a better level with a bit of trial and error.

And bowls. I really want to make more bowls and do some proper wood turning again. I miss it a lot.

You never mentioned segmenting wood pens! Maybe that for 2025.

Anyway, yet another lovely pen, Ash. You're getting good at this pen making.

 

[Gadget-UK]

Now THAT has to be my favourite of all of your pens Ash.
That really is a work of art, it’s stunning. (I love Blues - Black combinations)

 

[Adal6]

Beautiful ash very nice pens

 

[Kendoka]

Lovely! Reminds me of the ocean.

 

[Padster]

Great work as always Ash, I don't think I'll ever venture to the dark side I have too much else I like trying but need to try and keep the quality/raise the quality on what I do do!
And just for giggles the girls bought me a 3D printer for Christmas so trying to get to grips with that - as well as the wife's CNC/Laser we spoke about last year...although I did have a bit of breakthrough with that for her!

 

[alpha1]

Another very nice pen. I am hoping to up my game this year and carry on down the kitless pen route. I am hoping to aquire some 13mm triple lead taps and dies this year.

 

[sutdm]

Consistency is something i aspire to! I guess i could challenge you to make a piston filler from scratch........but that would be hypocritical as i'm still trying to make the first pen i feel i could sell.
Ash, do you cast your own silverware? If not, i'm guessing you took a while to find a reliable supplier. My understanding is Argentium silver is preferable to sterling because it doesn't tarnish in the same way?
Many happy returns of the New Year!
Mark

 

[sutdm]

P.S. have you ever had to sharpen or tweak a triple thread tap or die? Have you ever had to remove manufacturing burrs from the thread cutting edges and if so, how did you do it?
Thanks in advance........again, for the brain surgery.

 

[howsitwork?]

Ash

that hits every spot for me. Flowing lines, great colour combination and the accent rings set it off perfectly

 

[ValleyBoy]

Now THAT has to be my favourite of all of your pens Ash.
That really is a work of art, it’s stunning. (I love Blues - Black combinations)

Thanks Colin. It’s a real favourite material of mine too - I just love it.

 

[ValleyBoy]

You never mentioned segmenting wood pens! Maybe that for 2025.

Anyway, yet another lovely pen, Ash. You're getting good at this pen making.

Thanks Alan.

I did think of putting segmenting in the mix but I reckon I’d be setting myself up to fail. At least the other things I mentioned are achievable for someone like me

 

[ValleyBoy]

Great work as always Ash, I don't think I'll ever venture to the dark side I have too much else I like trying but need to try and keep the quality/raise the quality on what I do do!
And just for giggles the girls bought me a 3D printer for Christmas so trying to get to grips with that - as well as the wife's CNC/Laser we spoke about last year...although I did have a bit of breakthrough with that for her!

Thanks Paddy and I’m pleased to hear you’ve made some progress with the laser. I’m still playing around with mine.
I did consider getting a 3d printer myself so I’ll be interested to hear how you get on with it.

 

[ValleyBoy]

Consistency is something i aspire to! I guess i could challenge you to make a piston filler from scratch........but that would be hypocritical as i'm still trying to make the first pen i feel i could sell.
Ash, do you cast your own silverware? If not, i'm guessing you took a while to find a reliable supplier. My understanding is Argentium silver is preferable to sterling because it doesn't tarnish in the same way?
Many happy returns of the New Year!
Mark

Yeah I remember was going along just fine until the first time somebody commissioned two pens from me and I realised they needed to be exactly the same dimensions. That’s when I went back to the drawing board and rethought my entire process. It was a few years ago, and my process still gets tweaked a bit now and then, but I’m happy with the consistency I achieve overall.

As for piston fillers it actually wouldn’t be that hard to produce, but the time component, both in making them an any after sales support if/when they go wrong, that deters me. If a converter breaks then you just spend 3 quid on a new one but if the integrated piston filler fails it’s very likely the whole pen is coming back to me to fix. A hassle I don’t really need. Maybe I’ll have a go as a side project though.

One thing that I do feel is a little beyond me, but I’d love to try one day, is making nibs and feeds/housings. I think about that a lot and it would take a huge amount of work. Be fun trying though.