The Moonwalk Pen - 3D printed to commemorate Apollo

[BamaPen]

Back in the 1960s, I worked on the control system for the Saturn V moon rocket. When the 50th anniversary of the lunar landings came along, I wanted to make a pen to commemorate them. It took me over two years to make my design into a reality, but the Moonwalk Pen is the result.

 

The basic pen - cap, barrel, section - was modeled in SolidWorks. Texture representing the lunar surface, the well-known Apollo footprint, and the lunar craters on the cap were added using zBrush. The pen is printed in acrylic resin on a Formlabs printer to a resolution of 25 microns. The cap and barrel are hand-painted to add the subtle colors of the moon, and a JoWo #6 nib unit and Schmidt K5 converter complete the pen.

 

For more information, visit my web site at moonwalkpen.com

 

[txomsy]

Wow!

 

What an amazing idea and most appalling execution!

[BamaPen]

6 hours ago, txomsy said:

Wow!

 

What an amazing idea and most appalling execution!

I'm always open to constructive criticism. Care to elaborate?

[txomsy]

Little to comment.

 

The idea of a 3D representation of one of the major milestones of Humanity is genius. The choice of two iconic images (craters that have been associated with the moon for centuries, and the first step on moon soil, which has become the icon of the feat) makes it loaded with meaning and emotion.

 

Personally, but that's me, I like textures, and the 3D sandy texture and images just add. All in grey makes it a discrete pen until one looks closely, something I also like.

 

Price is out for me, but I fully understand that a limited edition, hand crafted work has a price, and in this case I think it is actually bang for the buck given the final product.

 

So, basically, nothing to add that I can think of to improve the pen.

[silverlifter]

17 hours ago, txomsy said:

What an amazing idea and most appalling execution!

 

I think he meant to type "appealing": autocorrect strikes again!

[Misfit]

How cool you got to work on such an amazing rocket.

 

The pen is super cool, very fitting to Apollo 11. I’d love to have one, but don’t think I can afford it currently. 

[txomsy]

Oh, yes! It was "appealing". The problem of writing quickly. I often have to edit my posts to correct misspellings. Something that hardly happens when handwriting. Sorry if the mistake made you think I disliked the pen, for I do actually admire it very much.

[Aysedasi]

Phew! 

[mizgeorge]

Damn, I was just getting the popcorn ready...

[BamaPen]

10 hours ago, txomsy said:

Little to comment.

 

The idea of a 3D representation of one of the major milestones of Humanity is genius. The choice of two iconic images (craters that have been associated with the moon for centuries, and the first step on moon soil, which has become the icon of the feat) makes it loaded with meaning and emotion.

 

Personally, but that's me, I like textures, and the 3D sandy texture and images just add. All in grey makes it a discrete pen until one looks closely, something I also like.

 

Price is out for me, but I fully understand that a limited edition, hand crafted work has a price, and in this case I think it is actually bang for the buck given the final product.

 

So, basically, nothing to add that I can think of to improve the pen.

Thank you very much for your comments.

[Misfit]

@BamaPen

 

@dcpritch bought one of your

awesome pens, and showed it off on the Stub O’ The Day thread. When I admired it there, he posted a link to the website you also posted a link for. 

 

It is such a cool pen. You used some great images that absolutely harken back to Apollo 11. I have the Acme Studios Rocket Hero, which used Buzz Aldrin’s boot print on the Moon on the pen case. 
 

Can you tell us more about your work on the Saturn V?

 

Here is the ink to the thread I mentioned, in case our OP is interested.  It’s about half way down. 
 

 

[BamaPen]

39 minutes ago, Misfit said:

@BamaPen

 

@dcpritch bought one of your

awesome pens, and showed it off on the Stub O’ The Day thread. When I admired it there, he posted a link to the website you also posted a link for. 

 

It is such a cool pen. You used some great images that absolutely harken back to Apollo 11. I have the Acme Studios Rocket Hero, which used Buzz Aldrin’s boot print on the Moon on the pen case. 
 

Can you tell us more about your work on the Saturn V?

 

Here is the ink to the thread I mentioned, in case our OP is interested.  It’s about half way down. 
 

 

OK, my very first job as a young electrical engineer was with the Boeing Company in Huntsville, Alabama. Boeing was the prime contractor for the SI-C (first stage) of the Saturn V. We were also the system integration contractor for the entire three stage launch vehicle. My group focused mainly on the design of the control system for the SI-C, but we also did oversight on the control systems for second and third stage flight. We used a variety of tools in the design process, and we also had a huge computer setup that allowed us to simulate in real time the flight of the launch vehicle, including translunar injection. We could simulate a variety of failures, including engine out, actuator hardover, and others, plus hit the vehicle with a worst case wind. With those results we could determine what conditions would cause the rocket to loose control and explode, and then we could propose rules that fired the escape system to hopefully save the lives of the astronauts. It was exciting work, and the best part was that none of our worst case scenarios every actually happened. The Saturn V achieved success on every flight.

We also worked on the launch of the Skylab space station. That was not a manned launch - the astronauts went up separately - but it was a challenge of a different sort.

Although my space work ended with Skylab, I never have lost focus on our efforts, and when 50 years had rolled around without anyone else going to the Moon, I just had to do something to commemorate. The Moonwalk Pen is my answer.

[Misfit]

Thank you so much for sharing your story. You may not have walked on the Moon, but were an integral part of the missions.  
 

How many of the pens do you have left?  Knowing your part in the Saturn V and the rest makes that pen more and more attractive to me. I mean, how many pens are made by a person involved in what they are commemorating?  Not many I’d guess. 

[BamaPen]

12 hours ago, Misfit said:

Thank you so much for sharing your story. You may not have walked on the Moon, but were an integral part of the missions.  
 

How many of the pens do you have left?  Knowing your part in the Saturn V and the rest makes that pen more and more attractive to me. I mean, how many pens are made by a person involved in what they are commemorating?  Not many I’d guess. 

I actually make the pens on demand, and try to keep key parts on hand for about a two week delivery. All of the Artist's Proofs (12 pens) have been sold and delivered. I've sold 17 of the Limited Edition and will stop at 50 (if I get that far!). I plan to offer a rollerball version. The only difference is the fountain pen nib/section/converter is replaced with a rollerball refill and suitable section.

[BamaPen]

I still have a few of the Limited Edition of the Moonwalk Pen available. As I said before, this will be limited to 50 pens.

 

So far, pens have gone to Australia, Philippines, Austria, the UK, and all across the USA. 

 

Figboot reviewed the pen and gave it really high marks. Here's a link to the video: