i haven't really particpated in the forum (at least beyond reading posts) since joining fpn last december. i made this batch of pens back at the end of last year. i wanted to take a few minutes to share.

all pen hardware kits are available from craft supplies u.s.a.. the barrels are acrylics from craft supply and woodcraft. all of the acrylics are polished with micro mesh cloth, followed by plastic polish and then topped with several coats of rennaissance wax.

i look forward to your comments and questions.

thanks for taking time to look.

They all look terrific Jefrey. Hard to pick a favorite.

Amazing work. As said, hard to say which one I like best. The decorations have a Chinese-like look, or is it me?. No, I have to say it; the yellowish-orange one looks awesome.!

i understand that the following question is highly subjective, but i am still interested in your thoughts.

and, thanks to radman and ondina for already commenting.



i'm curious about your feelings on the combination of colors and materials used in making these pens - especially from folks who are "pen people" as opposed to "turning/lathe people".

i have shown these pens to folks who are neither "pen" nor "lathe" people. the responses, in general, have been rather positive. i have even managed to sell a few pens to friends and family.

the response from "lathe"people has been positive, but not as enthusiatic. i attribute this to the fact that "lathe" people have a better understanding of what goes into making a pen, and the "how did you do that?" factor is not an issue.

do these types of acrylics appeal to "pen" people?

would more formal or subdued colors be more appealing?

does a wooden pen have more appeal than an acrylic/synthetic pen?

is ornate pen hardware more desirable than simple pen hardware?

I'll add my 2 cents worth, as a penaholic and a turner -

My own preferences are for fairly subdued marbles or simply plain pens. This applies to colour & texture.
Regarding shapes, it's a 'moveable feast' - it depends on the ornamentation, but again reasonably subdued.

I love wooden pens, but again I tend towards the less 'fussy' designs.

These are all purely personal preferences and I reserve the right to change my mind on the slightest whim

As a hobbyist when I make anything, it is what I want and like, and very often done because some new (or re-discovered) technique has piqued my curiousity.

Most import of all, in my humble opinion, is that we have some fun from our turning.

Cheers,
Ruaidhrí

You are right. It's difficult to answer, because it's so subjective. If I go by my personal preferences:

I prefer the acrylics you use. I generally don't like wooden pens at all, and wouldn't go out of my way to get one. On the other hand, I've seen a few wooden pens that I really liked.

As to the colours - again, that's very subjective. I definitely lean towards dark, rich jewel tones. I love the Prussian blue, olive, rain forest, and garnet acrylics you used... and then sometimes I love bright, brilliant, even sparkly plastics. But there are a lot of people who prefer darker, neutral or earthy colours.

I don't like ornate metal on a pen, usually. I don't like very much metal on a pen at all, actually. But again, there are a lot of people who do.

Basically, I don't think there's any right answer about what appeals to pen people. If you take a look at the kinds of pens the well-known manufacturers are making, you'll see so many different kinds of materials, colours, patterns, themes, proportions... And there's always someone out there who seems to love them.

I think Ruaidhrí is on the right track when he says that he makes what he likes. If you're going to put all that effort into making something, you should enjoy it. You'll never be able to appeal to everyone. But if you keep producing pens like the ones you've shown us here, you'll be able to appeal to quite a few people, I would think.

My strong preference is for white metals and no metal section. That said, I do like some of the black titanium ornamentation, but I generally prefer a plainer clip than is in the top picture.

thanks for the comments.

these were the types of sentiments that i was hoping to hear.

i agree with Ruaidhri in that i decided to start making pens, as it was something that i wanted to learn how to do. and, the configurations that i make are those that appeal to me. except, as in one case, where i had a friend special order a few gift pens in which she selected the pen hardware and wood that was to be used - not combinations that i would have chosen, but she was reaching into her own pocketbook...

the two comments from hamadryad11 and Deirdre about ornate hardware and the amout of metal hardware are something that i have been thinking about.

these kit pens that i work with come in different levels of "ornateness" and the amount of precious metals used in making the hardware. i was beginning to feel that the more ornate hardware was not necessarily viewed to be a positve. and, since the more ornate kits are generally more expensive, this tends to drive the selling price to the point that may be too much for some folks.

i have been feeling like i want to concentrate more on the less expensive kits in an attempt to keep costs, and prices, lower, and hopefully appeal to more people.

i've also been wanting to experiment with making some "closed end" pens that eliminate the metal end caps all together and allow more acrylic, or wood, to be displayed on the pen.

thanks again, for the feedback.

I like the sounds of that. If you pick something really nice for the barrel and cap, it seems a shame to distract from the beauty of the material you used with overly elaborate hardware. I really like the closed end pens. Personally, I think they look more complete and streamlined.

Hello

first of all, my congratulations on your work...it is impressive for me ( I am only an user, know nothing about turning, it's like some kind of magic).

As you ask for opinions, I will give mine.

about the colors: I like all the combinations you show, they are beatiful, there is none I don't like, but if I had to choose I would go for the blue and the yellow-orange, and the grey with swirls, or maybe some purple with swirls (ummm, I love swirls...).

about the pens: they look too "metallic" for me, at least from the pictures, maybe it is different when you hold them. I see too much metal. It's maybe Ok for the body and the cap but in the section I think I will prefer some kind of ..well, other material different from metal, a "warmer" material if you understand what I mean. From the pictures I feel I won't be too comfortable holding the pens because of that metal in the section. Also, I do not favour those complicated metal ornates on some of the pens, and I would also prefer the simpler clips. The kind of ornate I prefer among yours is the one in your first pen. Aso, What's the weight of the pens? and diameters? these are quite important issues for many pen users.

I don't like golden things in my pens except for a two-tone nib, but of course that's a very personal preference.

Hope it helps you some way, and I want to repeat that I have been impressed when I saw the pictures, wow, please keep us informed on your work.
bye.

I think that you will find that just like anything else, preferences are going to run the gamut. Personally I love ornate, and gold color, I've often joked that I must have been a Victorian in my last life. As for color I prefer the rich marbleized types (pardon if I'm not using the correct terminology, I'm new to this) and less the swirly patterns. Also I'm not fond of hot colors such as yellows and oranges although a good deep, rich red is appealing.

You may just have to make what you like, while perhaps taking custom orders for anything else.

I recently watched a video on youtube on pen-turning and found it fascinating, but I need another shop-tool (and hobby!) like I need a hole in my head.