Three new ones from Edison Pen Co...and some Edison updates...

[bgray]

First off...I know that a lot of people have been itching for the Herald as an eyedropper.

 

Good news. It will happen within a month, maybe earlier. I'm still prototyping everything involved. I have many versions that have succeeded as an eyedropper, but I need consistency before I will commit to a production version of the pen.

 

I will be eliminating the centerband, and the trim ring on the barrel. That has always been a mild issue and the feedback that I get from customers is to eliminate them...so they are gone. No centerband, and the threads will be integral to the body material.

 

Also, I have plans for the Herald as a bulb filler. This will be super cool. Unscrew the back half of the barrel to reveal a bulb. Give me more than a month on this one.

 

 

 

 

In the meantime...here are the new prototypes coming out of the shop....

 

First is an admitted and blatant copy of the Nakaya Piccolo. I own a Piccolo, and it is my personal favorite, and daily writer. I do sales full time, and I need a compact pen to put in my pocket briefcase on the run. The Piccolo is perfect, but is a little short for my hand, so I made this as my new daily writer.

 

 

It's a little longer than the Piccolo. It's now perfect in my hand. I designed the section so that the threads are fine enough that it can be a CC or eyedropper. If I want the convenience of cartridges/converters, than I have it. But at the same time, the section threads are tight enough that they will not allow ink to escape as an eyedropper, and I get much more ink capacity.

 

 

 

 

Next up is a really neat pen idea that I had, and I'm glad that it worked (inadvertantly).

 

I wanted to make an eyedropper that would fill from a blind cap on the butt of the barrel.

 

A penmaking friend of mine said that it wouldn't work....if you are filling a pen with an eyedropper from the rear of the pen, then the nib is pointing downward. So because there is no vacuum, the ink will simply drip out of the pen as quick as you can fill it.

 

I honestly thought that surface tension would be sufficient to hold in the ink during filling.

 

Well, I made the pen, just to find out. I made it with a removable section and blind cap...just in case the blind cap concept wouldn't work.

 

Guess what? The pen will leak if you fill it from the back! I was very wrong. Not a gush, but a good drip, drip, drip...

 

However, this led me to a neat discovery.

 

I now fill this pen like a conventional eyedropper.....from the section end with an eyedropper.

 

Then when it's time to prime the pen, simply hold the nib over the inkwell, and unscrew the blind cap. Unscrewing the blind cap will eventually release the vacuum, allowing ink to drip out. Once you get a couple of drops to come out, then the pen is primed. Tighten the blind cap to secure the vacuum, and stop the ink from dripping out.

 

This will prime the pen without the nib creep involved with dipping the pen into the inkwell.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last up is a simple eyedropper. Nothing special, just a nice material, and a nice pen, however...

 

When creating the internal bore for the cap threads, I accidently made the bore about .025" too wide.

 

This diameter dictates what the barrel threads will be. Because the barrel threads have to accomodate the cap threads, this made the barrel thicker than what I wanted. This leads to the barrel having an awkward transition from barrel threads to the section.

 

I'll ask the forum...are you OK with the transition from barrel threads to the section?

 

 

 

Keep in mind that these are prototypes...you certainly wont hurt my feelings with comments on any of these pens.

 

Thanks...keep your eyes peeled...these ideas, along with changes to the Herald are around the corner.

 

Brian at Edison.

Edited July 20, 2008 by bgray

[fatehbajwa]

All beautiful pens Brian.................the transition from barrel threads to the section seems OK to me............in fact I kind off like the change.

[rroossinck]

HOTT (yep...two Ts for this one). Any plans for clips on these?

 

Hey, here's a weirdo request/perspective. For the second one (which is my personal favorite, especially with the translucent material), how hard would it be to cut threads all the way up the inside of the barrel? If it was possible to do it, I think it would make for an awesome visual effect that would really remind me of the first-gen Vacumatics. Coupled with the short blind cap, I think it makes for a REALLY cool look!

 

Well done, Brian...you've already got us salivating!

[Deirdre]

I have Marlens with similar transitions, and they don't bother me, especially since there isn't a HUGE step between the threads and the body of the barrel.

[bgray]

Thanks for the feedback on the transition.

 

I'll make a new section, and slope the rear of it to meet the threads...I'll see how it looks.

 

Right or wrong, I can't picture it until I do it.

Edited July 20, 2008 by bgray

[QM2]

Oh... I love these!

 

The overall form, and particularly the transition from barrel to threads to gripping section is very graceful on these. The pens look absolutely perfect. And I am so glad to see that these designs lack the thin metal ring above the threads which all the pens on your website have.

 

My favourite is the Piccolo imitation, which I think has merit of its own and does not look quite the same. I have a Nakaya Piccolo, and also wish there was a longer version of the same design. I think the domed cap looks particularly elegant, and you've captured that extremely well. This design also puts me in mind of the early Conway Stewart clipless BHR pens, which I love. Out of all the prototypes you've showed, I want to see this produced the most, and I think it would be a great success.

 

Have you ever made, or considered making, pens with an internal filling system -- lever, piston, button?..

[bgray]

//Have you ever made, or considered making, pens with an internal filling system -- lever, piston, button?..//

 

Yes, I have. A button filler is probably the easiest of the three (and it's VERY complex)....then the lever, then the piston.

 

With the new Herald redesign happening, and the pens above happening, there's little room for other stuff...but rest assured...I'm always looking for new avenues.

 

Buttons, levers, and pistons will not happen anytime soon, but trust me, my business will not expand with the same old stuff....and I want my business to expand.

 

Edited July 20, 2008 by bgray

[fatehbajwa]

//Have you ever made, or considered making, pens with an internal filling system -- lever, piston, button?..//

 

Yes, I have. A button filler is probably the easiest of the three (and it's VERY complex)....then the lever, then the piston.

 

With the new Herald redesign happening, and the pens above happening, there's little room for other stuff...but rest assured...I'm always looking for new avenues.

 

Buttons, levers, and pistons will not happen anytime soon, but trust me, my business will not expand with the same old stuff....and I want my business to expand.

 

 

 

Wouldn't the ED be the easiest?

 

Do we have to wait for the others to come first? :embarrassed_smile:

[Deirdre]

BTW, even a bulb filler? Would totally rock.

 

I wonder if something like Stipula's sleeve fillers would be easily obtainable.

[bgray]

//Have you ever made, or considered making, pens with an internal filling system -- lever, piston, button?..//

 

Yes, I have. A button filler is probably the easiest of the three (and it's VERY complex)....then the lever, then the piston.

 

With the new Herald redesign happening, and the pens above happening, there's little room for other stuff...but rest assured...I'm always looking for new avenues.

 

Buttons, levers, and pistons will not happen anytime soon, but trust me, my business will not expand with the same old stuff....and I want my business to expand.

 

 

Yes...ED is easiest...but above, I was doing a comparison of buttons, levers, and pistons. I wasn't putting ED into the equation.

 

Edited July 20, 2008 by bgray

[bgray]

OK...here's a sneak peek....

 

Here's my idea for a bulb filler Herald.

 

 

Still only a sketch....but it will work. Give me at least a month to get this past the prototype stage.

 

[bgray]

HOTT (yep...two Ts for this one). Any plans for clips on these?

 

Hey, here's a weirdo request/perspective. For the second one (which is my personal favorite, especially with the translucent material), how hard would it be to cut threads all the way up the inside of the barrel? If it was possible to do it, I think it would make for an awesome visual effect that would really remind me of the first-gen Vacumatics. Coupled with the short blind cap, I think it makes for a REALLY cool look!

 

Well done, Brian...you've already got us salivating!

 

If you want threads to show all the way through...throughout the entire pen cap...then I'm afraid that it's impossible. Threading tools will never reach that far.

[fountainbel]

Congratulations Brian, very nice.

I really like the minimalistic & sleek look of your closed pens !

One question : is the diameter transition between section & barrel not influencing the gripping , hence ergomonic writing comfort of the pen ?

[rogerb]

Congratulations Brian, very nice.

I really like the minimalistic & sleek look of your closed pens !

One question : is the diameter transition between section & barrel not influencing the gripping , hence ergomonic writing comfort of the pen ?

I think that is the question...and a difficult one to answer without the pen in your hand, IMO, although others seem happy with pens which have quite a big 'step' (for example the Bamboo....and I have a Montegrappa which has a similar shape, but causes me no problems).

 

More power to you, Brian ....

[Tangelfoot]

//Have you ever made, or considered making, pens with an internal filling system -- lever, piston, button?..//

 

Yes, I have. A button filler is probably the easiest of the three (and it's VERY complex)....then the lever, then the piston.

 

A matchstick filler would be the easiest as it would be sack and bar with a hole in hte barrel.

 

[Phthalo]

These are wonderful! Very, very nice stuff.

[Abhik]

Brian, Bravo! You have done wonderful transitions from your earlier design. I am now convinced!! Please announce when you ready.

I have been waiting for a year almost to get those rings out!

Wish you a success!

Keep it up.

Abhik.

[bgray]

//Have you ever made, or considered making, pens with an internal filling system -- lever, piston, button?..//

 

Yes, I have. A button filler is probably the easiest of the three (and it's VERY complex)....then the lever, then the piston.

 

A matchstick filler would be the easiest as it would be sack and bar with a hole in hte barrel.

 

Actually, yes...you are right. And do have matchstick plans.

 

And that's my plan for the Glenmont. There will be a blind cap with a small and thin sterling silver rod that comes out of the blind cap. Remove the blind cap, and use it to push the pressure bar with the attached silver rod.

 

[obmike]

i like the top pen quite a bit.

[Rocket Jones]

Please announce when you ready.

Absolutely! I *love* that Piccolo-esque model.