Here's a new design that I just completed. The main objective of the design was to make it more manufacturable than my wood spiral pen, thus be able to get some cost out. The pen has a desk base, but also comes with a cap. The design works either way. The pen is made from solid billet of aerospace grade titanium. and the grooves are anodized in a fade pattern. It can accept a 14K nib as shown or a roller ball.

Please let me know what you think.

Here's a picture in the base.

And a picture capped.

Here's another version of it with some mokume gane inlays. Mokume gane means wood grain metal in Japanese. It is 22K gold and silver mixed together.

Hi Bruce,

Wow! Wow! Wow! Awesome... I especially like the anodized fade pattern, I must say. It's incredible you can't see the transition to the base or cap. Very tight tolerances, that. Very impressive.

Thank you for sharing that!

Warm regards, Wim

Thanks Wim. I originally had the grooves spaced differently so the cut line was between some grooves. It just seemed wrong. I went back and changed them all. I like having the cut line in the groove much better. The grooves really help the grip on the barrel part. It's pretty comfortable to hold.

Great stuff, Bruce. I know this isn't the "Marketplace", but just give us an idea of what you have to charge for a pen like that.

Oooh, that's nice.

The anodized clip on the capped version doesn't do it for me. Reminds me of a Safari clip. That is, unless you're going to charge a similar $25 for it and then I'll take 4.

Roger, it's less than half the price of my other pen. I just put it on my website. I'll list the price on the marketplace thread.

WOW! That's one gorgeous pen. The only drawback would be the clip - really doesn't fit with the rest of the pen IMHO. Not saying it is, but it looks cheap and the rest of the pen is simply stunning! The anodized fade pattern is awesome. Any chance of a more traditional clip but anodized (something like a Cross ATX clip or one of Kevin's intro Danitrio's)?

I have to disagree about the clip--I think it's stylish and a nice minimalistic design that completely the pen nicely. Regarding the pen overal, it's a very impressive design and obviously the fit and finish are at a very high level. The inter-changeable base and cap is clever and handsome. Congratulations!

best, Dan Carmell

Thanks for the feedback guys. Clips are pretty tough to make, especially in titanium. (Southpaw, it would have to be titanium to get anodized like that. Stainless or spring steel don't take anodizing.) It normally takes dedicated forming dies and a big press. It would also mean making the cap in two parts. I looked at doing that, but to help keep the part complexity and cost down, I decided to stay with the titanium wire. It flexes nicely, so works well. It takes on the same elliptical shape as the body. You need to try stuff to keep from having the same thing as everyone else.

I do appreciate the input.

Hi

I think that looks very desirable, especially in the desk base. To be different, I don't like the anodizing -- at least in the pictures -- but I do very much like the mokume gane. But I think I would like it with just plain grooves, too.

The clip is OK. It's a bit hard to imagine what would be a great clip with that pocket cap. Have you thought about a ring-top? I'm not sure whether or not I'm serious about that.

Best

Michael

Oooooh! I just looked at your website. Alas, I couldn't justify either of the FPs you have there (not, at least, while the backyard still needs landscaping), but would you consider doing say the Titania in an FP form, maybe with a steel nib and feed of the kind that comes with the kitsets? Your work looks very choice, indeed.

Michael

Hi Michael, I did look at different variations of the clip. Space is really tight at the front of the pen because the nib is up there and the elliptical shape that the cap takes. The nib is off center and flares out, so there needs to be a certain size hole that you can't go below. It would be possible to do a solid clip with a ring that gets sandwiched between two parts of a cap. The parts would have to be really tight up there. One of the main manufacturing considerations is that the cap would need threads on both sides if a smaller cap was to screw to it. It becomes a workholding issue because the outside shape is turned to an ellipse by then. If things were square and larger like some pens, it would be a lot easier to do that.

I was thinking that some people might prefer the pen without anodizing at all, so I included that option on the site. It's a clean understated look.

I hadn't thought of doing Titania as a fountain pen, but it may be worth looking at. Having gained some insight into the manufacturing issues and solutions of the two higher end pens, that may open some doors that were not yet open before.

Thanks for your feedback.

What he said

Hi Bruce

You're thinking of the kind of washer fitting clip the Duofolds have, and I can see that would be difficult. What I was actually thinking of (and not sure whether I was being serious or not) is the little ring on the cap of pens especially from the '20s and '30s, designed to hang the pen from a ribbon or watch-chain. That way you don't have a clip at all, though they're not terribly practical for contemporary use, what with the death of the pocket watch. Though now that people string their id, cell phone and keys from a lanyard round their neck, maybe the ring-top could make a comeback.

Really glad to know you're thinking about FPs in the more affordable versions of your preciouses.

Best

Michael

Hi Michael,
I think I see what you mean now. It would be possible to drill a sideways hole through the end of the cap where the metal is still solid. This could be used with a lanyard that goes through it. No ring would be necessary. Might be an interesting option instead of a clip.

For a future project, I have a very cool shape in mind and just need to figure out how it might be possible to make such a thing. The body would curve, twist, and taper simultaneously. Always have to be pushing that envelope. It would just be too easy to make conventional pens.

Thanks Maja.

Incredible pens Bruce! Southpaw said it best; "WOW!".

Thanks KRZ.

I'm looking into Michael's idea of making a less expensive version with a steel nib and a solid clip from a kit. I have something pretty nice on the drawing board and need to decide on the final look it should take. It looks like it would be possible to make that one in acrylic or titanium.

That's some pretty great looking stuff Bruce. Wow. Do you do any pen shows?

Hi Chris,
I have not done any pen shows as an exhibitor yet. I will probably do the Washington and Atlanta shows to get my feet wet.