Has anyone turned...

[Tim Brooks]

A pen like this?

http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/cgi-bin/shopper?preadd=action&key=050-4142

First let me say, I have only turned a total of 10 pens or so. I am very new to the vortex.

I realize a pen like this is for the avid pen collector but is there really a market for something like this or is this something you would only give as a gift? Even then, I would imagine if one gave it as a gift, the recipient would have no idea what they have--I know I would not have had I not seen the write-up and price.

What is your experience with offering pens such as this (for sale or otherwise)?
My mouth hit the ground when I saw the price....:eek: Wow!

[Wilbur Pan]

To put things in perspective, high end fountain pens can easily go for $200-400, with some commanding prices as high as $1000 or more. For a better idea, take a look at www.fountainpenhospital.com.

Then again, these pens aren't sold at craft fairs, either.

[Dario Octaviano]

This is the Limited Edition version...you can have them cheaper for $45-$55. There is also a Jr. version which I much prefer.

Yes, a lot of people turn this (more of the non LE). I haven't turned the LE version but have a few of the non LE my self.

Finding the right market (which I haven't yet) is the key. That said, I finance this hobby via my pen sales ;).

[Tim Brooks]

I realize this is a narrow-minded view but I can't write well enough with any pen to cause me to want to spend $1,000+ on one. It is my guess these pens are never used though.

I just find it unbelievable.

--I am certainly not judging those who do apprecieate these pens and want to buy them. I suppose it is more of a culture shock for me.:D

[Dario Octaviano]

I realize this is a narrow-minded view but I can't write well enough with any pen to cause me to want to spend $1,000+ on one. It is my guess these pens are never used though.

I just find it unbelievable.

--I am certainly not judging those who do apprecieate these pens and want to buy them. I suppose it is more of a culture shock for me.:D

How about this pen? :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWQPKBVC8TI

[Bernie Weishapl]

Tim I have sold two of those fountain pens. It was to a lawyer and one to a banker. Most of it is prestige and you will find a few that do appreciate a pen of that caliber.

[Lee DeRaud]

There's a "Collector Gene" in play here: could be pens, watches, cars, shoes, guns, comic books...or even tools. Some percentage of the population has it, the rest don't...and the ones that don't (including me) don't really understand the point of the whole thing.

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

tim--

i got the itch to start turning pens, right after i got my lathe this past fall.

the first pen kit i got, was the emperor pen - the non limited edition version. my wife bought it for me as a christmas gift.

i really liked the style of this pen, as well as other larger pens that craft supply offers.

i am finally getting around to making the pen.

in addition to the pen kit, i bought five extra sets of brass tubes, and a bunch of different wood blanks so that i could make several tube sets, and then pick the one that looked best.

i'm not selling anything that i make, yet. but, i have made some small items for family and friends.

my thinking about this pen was, if i was going to go thru all the effort and expense of setting up to make pens, i was going to make what i considered to be "really nice" pens.

if this first one turns out well, i will be making similar pens for family and friends as gifts for special occasions.

right now, i am not terribly interested in making slim lines, or other similar pens. i don't much care for the style, and i find them hard to write with, since i have large hands.

if i ever start selling pens, then i may change my approach.

time will tell.

[Tim Brooks]

It is certainly interesting to hear different people's perspective on things like this. :D

I want to move to the nicer pens as my abilities improve and I can purchase the additional machinery necessary to do the job properly (i.e. I still use my power drill to drill the pen blanks) I don't like saying "never" but I can not imagine I would ever spend more than say $50.00 on a pen kit and that one would be for a very special occasion. Special request are different, obviously.

[Stan Cook]

I have turned a few of the standard emperors, but none of the limited edition ones. It makes a very nice large pen.

[Rich Stewart]

I'm too scared of screwing it up to try anything more than, say, 5 bucks or so. I've made about 30 pens and I still manage to goof one up real bad sometimes.

Rich

[Raymond Overman]

I'd love to turn one of these but my budget wouldn't quite be able to afford it. I know there is a market for expensive pens but maybe not with my name attached to it.

This pen has a quarter million price tag:

Only 9 in the world and made out of carved jade.

Amazing Pen (http://shop.penworld.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=pwm2001)

[John Hart]

Tim, I received that pen as a gift. I was a little shocked, but the guy who made it was proud of it and wanted me to have it. I'm a bit like Lee....I don't get the point of it all. I used it to scribble something, then put it in a bowl that I turned a while back, and it's sat there ever since. I picked it up the other day and tried to scribble something with it...but the ink was all dried up. So, I figure it'll lay in that bowl for a few years till I find a more suitable place for it. It's not that I don't like it....It's just kinda large and not my style.
On the other hand...I received a much simpler pen from Ken Hertzog and I use it regularly and keep in in the box he engraved in a special place on my desk in my office...right next to my antique books and roman coins.:)

[Chris Barton]

OK, I'll venture out from the Leper colony for a moment or two to chat about this topic. True pen collectors that are into fountain pens (that's 99%) would be much more likely to buy this pen than let's say a standard run of cigar pen. I am a reformed fountain pen collector and have paid more for a pen than I did for 3 lathes combined. These folks are not easy to find but, can be located if you go to the right venues. Sell one nice fountain pen to one of these persons for $300-500 and make as much profit as you do selling 100 slimlines. Your market is in professional organizations local meetings. You also have to be ready to stand behind your product 100%.

This is really nothing more than marketing. I remember when turned pens first begand to show up at the local crafts fairs, nearly 10 years ago. A slimline was just as rare as any other wooden pen but, now they are for sale in the news stand at the airport. Exclusivity can make a big difference.

[Jeffrey Fusaro]

chris--

when i made my emperor pen, i opted for the roller ball version. i was wondering if the ink/nib on the fountain pen would clog and need frequent cleaning.

can you comment?

[Chris Barton]

chris--

when i made my emperor pen, i opted for the roller ball version. i was wondering if the ink/nib on the fountain pen would clog and need frequent cleaning.

can you comment?

You are spot on. Fountain pens are by their very nature, somewhat high up-keep. But, they can be uncloged usually by simply running warm water over the nib. If I am about to use a fountain pen from my collection that has sat for a while, I always soak the nib in some warm water for about 30 minutes and clean it with a soft brush. Most collectors have a few pens that they write with on a regular basis and the rest are usually stored in their original packing, kind of like one of the tool forums here:D .

[Wilbur Pan]

The other easy way to unclog a fountain pen is to use a cartridge that draws ink into the pen for refilling rather than the disposable ink cartridges. They are a little more messy for refilling, but the action of sucking ink up into the pen through the nib will clear it out in a jiffy.

[John Hart]

Sooooo...what you guys are saying is that I shouldn't have used my scissors to unclog mine? :confused:

It still didn't work after I gouged out all the dried ink, so I figured that I just needed bigger scissors. ;)

[Paul Downes]

Rich, Just order some extra tubes with the kit. If you screw up you are only out of the price of the tubes and wood. I know all about this. :eek: I blew up a angle cut bloodwood and angle cut cocobolo one night last week. :( Time to quit and go sulk on smc for a while.........