Flamed 'susutake' Style Fp With Thread Wrap And Ruby Inlay

[drgoretex]

Hello folks. I thought I would add some pics of my latest bamboo work.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_0674_zps0y62ro3f.jpg

It has been a while (nearly two years) since I worked on bamboo. I made a few back then, initially using compressed bamboo 'wood', then had a go at using an actual bamboo culm. Applying some of the techniques that I used to use when making bamboo fly fishing rods, I made one of flamed cane with a thread wrap at the joint of cap and barrel.

Unfortunately, good quality bamboo in the appropriate diameters is rather hard to come by here in cold Canada, so the bamboo work went on the back burner. That is, until last year, when I got my hands on some very nice stock. I put it aside to age for another year, and a few weeks ago began to work on a new bamboo pen.

This pen once again uses some of those fly rod building techniques, particularly the flaming process to darken the cane and give it that lovely caramelized 'susutake' look, and also the application of the thread wrap at the joint - a technique designed to strengthen the joints on the fishing rods, which translates rather nicely to the bamboo pen.

The grip section is made of excellent black ebonite, and the inserts created for the cap and barrel threading are of the same ebonite. The end-jewels are of ruby acrylic to match the garnet thread wrap.

The finish is multiple layers of cyanoacrylate buffed to a nice, natural looking semigloss, mimicking the natural enamel of bamboo (which in fact gets scrubbed away after the flaming process), and to finish the pen off, I have installed a nice two-tone 18K JoWo fine nib.

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/FullSizeRender%20copy_zpslniyiae5.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_0680_zpsolrv8eye.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_0701_zpsypdyh3p4.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_0714_zpszay8i8rt.jpg

http://i221.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/kcavers/Custom%20Pens/Custom%20Fountain%20Pens/Designer%20Fountain%20Pens/IMG_0688_zps4tmjxdrp.jpg

Overall, I am rather happy with how this one came out, and am looking forward to making more as time permits.

Thanks for looking!

Ken

[Inspector]

Man you are good!!! So is the pen.

 

Pete

[flummoxed]

Lovely! Are the ebonite inserts at the top and bottom coloured as shown in the picture or is that the result after a colouring process?

[drgoretex]

Lovely! Are the ebonite inserts at the top and bottom coloured as shown in the picture or is that the result after a colouring process?

 

Thanks! No, the inlaid jewels are of ruby flake acrylic. It is the grip section and the threaded parts that are made from black ebonite.

 

Cheers,

 

Ken

[duncsuss]

Ken, this is beautiful on so many levels ... thanks for sharing the story as well as the pix

[mehandiratta]

this is soooo pure and beautiful... lovely work...

[linearM]

The pen needs to find it's way into the hands of a fly fisherman. It is a truly beautiful and unique pen.

[mehandiratta]

Are you selling these...

[Scribblesoften]

You have made a very nice pen. Just lovely.

[deepak23]

Wow. That color!

[Joseph B]

Beautiful.

 

Especially love the use of natural materials and the fit of the jewels. Well done!

 

Joe B.

[I.M.]

Very nice. Until I saw this pen I hadn't been interested in bamboo pens... Nice work.

[pelman]

Absolutely gorgeous work. Many congrats on this beauty.

[fountainpagan]

Beautiful work, Ken. Absolutely beautiful.

[drgoretex]

Thanks so much for all the comments!

 

Always looking forward to making the next pen...

 

Cheers,

 

Ken

[fireskink]

Simple, elegant and a marvellous colour!