Scott Greaves
10-23-2003, 2:02 PM
Hi Everybody!
Penturners are kind of anal and picky at times, stressing over the smallest things! So when one of our suppliers comes out with a new pen kit design, it's big news to us! Craft Supplies (The Woodturners Catalog) just introduced a new pen kit called the Junior Gentleman's Pen. I got my first kits in the mail yesterday, and had to hurry up and try them out so I could review them for everybody. So here's the scoop.
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<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp1.jpg"></CENTER>
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First impressions - This kit is another fine piece of work by Craft Supplies. Their new pen kits just seem to be getting better and better. The workmanship and the plating is first rate, although watch out for the same problem with the bushings that we were having on the Father Sing bushings a week or two ago (de-burr the bushing before trying to use it!).
The design is, of course, a take-off on the popular Gentleman's Pen introduced last Spring. It is smaller, to the extent that the small tube on the G-pen is the size of the large tube on the JrG-pen. The design has been thoughtfully improved over the G-pen. You have the option of the regular smooth end cap as on the G-Pen, or a new end cap with threads, for threading the cap on the end while in use.
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<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp2.jpg"></CENTER>
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Another nice improvement is that they re-designed the threaded portion of the pen so that there is less chance of mis-aligning the cap. The parts slide together quite a ways before the threads engage, allowing them to align and not cross thread. Another interesting innovation, at least on the rollerball (still haven't seen the fountain pen yet), is a faceted receiver.
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<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp3.jpg"></CENTER>
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The long metal plated receiver at the nib end has three side facets rather than being round. This adds quite a bit of visual appeal over what we thought was going to be a long, plain uninteresting piece!
I am writing this up from memory, so I don't have the exact sizes for the drill bits used, but they are both standard sizes under ½", so I had them in my super-duper Harbor Freight drill index. And the sizes they recommended actually were the right sizes! The first thing you'll notice is that because of the smaller diameter brass tubes, you will have more choice of material you can turn these pens out of. I chose a tortoise shell Decora for my first JrG-pen, which would never have fit on a regular G-pen!
The glue-up and turning are straight forward, with no tenons required. Assembly is also straight forward, with everything going where it seems it should go. I will mention here that the instructions that came with the pen kits are some of the best I have seen from Craft Supplies! A big Thank You to Rex for the nice instructions! The one thing I noticed was that the alternate end cap, the one with the threads, was not contemplated in the instructions. And wouldn't you know, there is a little loose metal ring piece that is part of that end cap that can be put on the wrong way, and would probably affect the extension of the ink cartridge on the rollerball pen if done wrong. If you look at the piece, and think about it for a while, it becomes obvious which way it should go. This is not a bad problem, and I still think the instructions are great!
<BR>
<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp4.jpg"></CENTER>
<BR>
One thing I noticed when assembling this pen is that the clip is quite long, almost the length of the entire cap section. But it seems to fit, visually, with the entire pen. If you're turning some shapes in your pen barrel, like I attempted to here, be aware of the size of the clip, and plan accordingly.
Final Impression - I think this will be a real winner for Craft Supplies! The smaller size will make this kit much more acceptable by the buying public - you know, like maybe people who don't have huge hands! I think this is going to be a wonderful standard pen kit, not too big, not too little, that will be much more flexible in adapting to other turning styles (shapes and such) that the Euro's and the Americana's don't allow. In short, I am very impressed by this new pen kit! And I think you will be, too!
Scott.
PS - Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I was in a hurry, and just shot them on my computer desk top this morning, fingerprints and all! I didn't realize how much the fingerprints would show up - guess I know now! SG
PPS - I am not affiliated with Craft Supplies other than as a satisfied customer. SG
Penturners are kind of anal and picky at times, stressing over the smallest things! So when one of our suppliers comes out with a new pen kit design, it's big news to us! Craft Supplies (The Woodturners Catalog) just introduced a new pen kit called the Junior Gentleman's Pen. I got my first kits in the mail yesterday, and had to hurry up and try them out so I could review them for everybody. So here's the scoop.
<BR>
<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp1.jpg"></CENTER>
<BR>
First impressions - This kit is another fine piece of work by Craft Supplies. Their new pen kits just seem to be getting better and better. The workmanship and the plating is first rate, although watch out for the same problem with the bushings that we were having on the Father Sing bushings a week or two ago (de-burr the bushing before trying to use it!).
The design is, of course, a take-off on the popular Gentleman's Pen introduced last Spring. It is smaller, to the extent that the small tube on the G-pen is the size of the large tube on the JrG-pen. The design has been thoughtfully improved over the G-pen. You have the option of the regular smooth end cap as on the G-Pen, or a new end cap with threads, for threading the cap on the end while in use.
<BR>
<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp2.jpg"></CENTER>
<BR>
Another nice improvement is that they re-designed the threaded portion of the pen so that there is less chance of mis-aligning the cap. The parts slide together quite a ways before the threads engage, allowing them to align and not cross thread. Another interesting innovation, at least on the rollerball (still haven't seen the fountain pen yet), is a faceted receiver.
<BR>
<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp3.jpg"></CENTER>
<BR>
The long metal plated receiver at the nib end has three side facets rather than being round. This adds quite a bit of visual appeal over what we thought was going to be a long, plain uninteresting piece!
I am writing this up from memory, so I don't have the exact sizes for the drill bits used, but they are both standard sizes under ½", so I had them in my super-duper Harbor Freight drill index. And the sizes they recommended actually were the right sizes! The first thing you'll notice is that because of the smaller diameter brass tubes, you will have more choice of material you can turn these pens out of. I chose a tortoise shell Decora for my first JrG-pen, which would never have fit on a regular G-pen!
The glue-up and turning are straight forward, with no tenons required. Assembly is also straight forward, with everything going where it seems it should go. I will mention here that the instructions that came with the pen kits are some of the best I have seen from Craft Supplies! A big Thank You to Rex for the nice instructions! The one thing I noticed was that the alternate end cap, the one with the threads, was not contemplated in the instructions. And wouldn't you know, there is a little loose metal ring piece that is part of that end cap that can be put on the wrong way, and would probably affect the extension of the ink cartridge on the rollerball pen if done wrong. If you look at the piece, and think about it for a while, it becomes obvious which way it should go. This is not a bad problem, and I still think the instructions are great!
<BR>
<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://myweb.cableone.net/swedg1/wt/102203/jgp4.jpg"></CENTER>
<BR>
One thing I noticed when assembling this pen is that the clip is quite long, almost the length of the entire cap section. But it seems to fit, visually, with the entire pen. If you're turning some shapes in your pen barrel, like I attempted to here, be aware of the size of the clip, and plan accordingly.
Final Impression - I think this will be a real winner for Craft Supplies! The smaller size will make this kit much more acceptable by the buying public - you know, like maybe people who don't have huge hands! I think this is going to be a wonderful standard pen kit, not too big, not too little, that will be much more flexible in adapting to other turning styles (shapes and such) that the Euro's and the Americana's don't allow. In short, I am very impressed by this new pen kit! And I think you will be, too!
Scott.
PS - Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I was in a hurry, and just shot them on my computer desk top this morning, fingerprints and all! I didn't realize how much the fingerprints would show up - guess I know now! SG
PPS - I am not affiliated with Craft Supplies other than as a satisfied customer. SG