• Pen making

So I started work on another pen this week. It’s a simple design, a cigar shape with a standard section made out of a lovely green blank and black ends and section. The end of the cap is made of black casein and the section along with the end of the barrel are made from ebonite, that was simply because I originally intended to do a hidden clip band. That is something I am currently struggling with, I have about a 70% success rate on that. It’s a tricky thing to do. I have to use a boring bar and go in along in line with the blank rather than perpendicular to it like usual.

I have to basically turn an indent into the end which will allow the clip ring to fit into it, this usually makes the walls of the cap really really thin. So thin that one slight mistake will break them. When it goes well though it can look really cool. I will get there, luckily the person this pen is commissioned for didn’t mind whether it had a visible clip band or not.

Oh and I got myself a new toy to help with carving the ends of pens.

• Pen show

This is the going to be the last update concerning the pen show in a while. How did it go you ask?

Freakin’ awesome! My dad gave us a lift there so we didn’t have to leave super early to get the train. I learned so much. The biscuits were a big hit! So many people took photos of the biscuits as well as the pens. I got a lot of interest in the pens themselves and everyone who looked at my table at least went away with either a card a biscuit or a pen. I learned a lot from it, I know what I can do next time. I know better how to display my table and what not.

But the cool thing is, I managed to make a profit. At my first pen show! That was something I was not expecting. I wasn’t expecting to sell anything. When I broke even I gave my wife a high five, well to be honest we shared a subtle high five after each sale. We had a little drink with one of the other exhibitors afterwards then it was a train home. I did get in trouble with my mum though as we were a little late.

I have my table booked for the October show though.

Anyway that is it for this week, take care everyone and have a good weekend.

Anyways as usual you can follow me on instagram @denscustompens this is where the giveaway be at.

and if you want to find the archive of these posts I host them on my website here