I'm looking for pen box designs

[Perry Holbrook]

I've been asked to make about 70 pen boxes for a corporate gift. The pens may or may not be handmade but they at least want a handmade box. I would like to do something other than the standard design with the little barrel hinges unless I can come up with something unusual.

Anyway, would anyone care to share something they have either seen or made that I could shamelessly copy.

Thanks, Perry

[Michael Robertson]

Hi, I have been toying with the idea of making "tubes" from tree limbs. They would have to be fairly straight but I figured I would do like a lidded box with a friction fit lid. Part off the lid and turn the tenon and then go to the drill press to hollow the tube. Maybe a Forstner bit and an extension or a long paddle bit on the drill press. Then sand the tenon/lid to get the fit right. Kind of a novelty and probably not what you would need for your situation, but you never know.....

Or, then you could do tubes from nice wood and get artistic with beads and coves, captive rings, etc.

Good Luck and post pic's of what you do come up with!

Mike

[Bob Hallowell]

All the pens I sell i put in a nice box, I get them from woodturninz.com. but they are from psi. http://www.pennstateind.com/store/pkbox2t1.html I even made a jig so I could modify these boxes to fit biger pens. I couldn't come close to making a box that cheap. unless you only charge 4 dollars an hour labor.

I think you should make the pens and buy the boxes

Bob

[Frank Fusco]

Bob said it well. There are several sources for buying nice boxes very reasonably. I once found a source that sold rosewood pen and pencil sets IN A BOX for under $5.00. Go figger.
Those from PSI look nice but there are others also.

[Perry Holbrook]

Thanks for the replies. Maybe I should have given a little more info. I'm not looking to buy, and resell. I can probably get around $50 per box for something that is top quality and that came from my studio. I would love to make the pens as well but I think they have decided on a high end "name" pen.

The box from PS gives me a few ideas about a possible hinge. If you are interested you can see some of my other little boxes at kopperwood.com The pen box will probably not be anything like any of these (that's why I asked the original question) but maybe they will give someone an idea.

Thanks, Perry

[terry miller]

Perry there is a guy on another site that I frequent that makes a sliding dove tail box which is really neat looking. Here is a link to a thread about it you could either post there to ask him how he does it or I can try and get his e-mail for you http://http://www.thepenshop.net/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2527&KW=dove+tail+pen+box

[Joe Melton]

Perry, maybe you could buy the cheap boxes and modify them. The wood in the ones I have is quite nice, and the quality of the work is just fine. It would save you quite a bit of time, in all likelihood.
Don't have many ideas at the moment on how to customize them, though. Perhaps some marquetry or other types of inlays on the top? Laser engraving, of course, is an obvious suggestion. Maybe you could do something of a theme associated with the customer's business.
Good luck.
Joe

[Kenneth Hertzog]

Perry
I custom made my own boxes which incorporated a watch insert or a photo insert the 1 3/8 hole inserts I used two barrel hinges and routed two slots in them for a pen pencil set or whatever. If you are interested I will send a photo.
ken

[Bill Grumbine]

Perry, here is a picture of a box I designed back in the mid 90s. I don't have any of the measurements on hand anymore, but if you want to copy it go for it. I sold lots and lots of these for $50.00 for the box alone, or $95.00 with a 1920s Parker style pen in them. It has been about eight years since I made any, and I have been thinking of bringing them out of retirement.

http://www.enter.net/~ultradad/penbox1.jpg

Good luck with it.

Bill

[Brad Kimbrell]

I have always liked the boxes that lift the pen up out of the box when you open it. Two fingers come up as the lid raises and push the pen up out of the box.

[Keith Outten]

Perry, here is a picture of a box I designed back in the mid 90s. I don't have any of the measurements on hand anymore, but if you want to copy it go for it. I sold lots and lots of these for $50.00 for the box alone, or $95.00 with a 1920s Parker style pen in them. It has been about eight years since I made any, and I have been thinking of bringing them out of retirement.

Good luck with it.

Bill

Bill,

Thanks for sharing your pen box design which is very elegant and one of the nicest I have seen. I can see I need to create a ShopBot CNC file and route a few of these for the holidays. Laser engraved they would be perfect for many of the people on my Christmas list.

Thanks,
Keith

.

[Bill Grumbine]

Bill,

Thanks for sharing your pen box design which is very elegant and one of the nicest I have seen. I can see I need to create a ShopBot CNC file and route a few of these for the holidays. Laser engraved they would be perfect for many of the people on my Christmas list.

Thanks,
Keith

.

Keith, we used to get these things engraved all the time, and they were extremely popular. We engraved the top of the outside, the inside top, and for one customer, we engraved an entire stanza of her school alma mater on the bottom. People loved these things.

Bill

[Perry Holbrook]

Bill, I'll show that box to my customer. Hope he'll go for it. Thanks very much for sharing and for permission to use the design.

Perry