Thuya and Springtide

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Valleyboy

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Jul 2, 2019
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341
Location
Wales
I recently did a little poll on my Instagram account to see whether people preferred pocket clips on their pens or not. I don't have a huge following but most of my followers are fountain pen users and 55% of the respondents voted against clips. Anecdotal I know, but I thought it was interesting and actually I was slightly surprised that as much as 45% liked having clips because when I make commissions I almost never get asked for them. Some said they like having them not to use as a clip but as a form of roll stop to prevent wandering pens from rolling off the desk.

Personally I like clips and all my own pens have them as I tend to wear a suit/jacket quite often for my day job, so I'd actually struggle without them. So as a result of the poll I've now decided to add clips to around half the pens I make. I have been practicing making my own from silver but I haven't managed to make the shape and thickness I like yet, so I am using proprietary stainless steel clips until I've come up with something I like.

This pen is only the second wooden pen I've made with a clip as I spent some time designing it so the clip doesn't rest on the wood and any tension that occurs when the clip is flexed is absorbed by the acrylic/cellulose liner inside the cap. The ring part of the clip is concealed within a small rebate inside the cap. The tenon on the finial passes through that ring as it screws into the end of the cap, thus holding it in place. The ring you can see is a decorative silver one that sits above the clip. I hope that makes sense!

The wood is thuya burr/burl and the section and finals are cellulose acetate. It has sterling silver accents and a Jowo nib which is fed by cartridge/converter. Cap threads are 13mm triple lead.

Cheers
Ash

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Beautiful pen Ash. Thank you also for passing on the information. I have been researching the different options for clips. I have always felt there needs to be some type of addition to the cap to complete the look (i.e clip or roll stop.) I am very interested to see what else you create. Thank you again for sharing.
 
Beautiful pen Ash. Thank you also for passing on the information. I have been researching the different options for clips. I have always felt there needs to be some type of addition to the cap to complete the look (i.e clip or roll stop.) I am very interested to see what else you create. Thank you again for sharing.
Thanks Tim. Yes I agree it finishes the pen nicely having some sort of hardware on the cap. I was thinking that you don't really see the big pen manufacturers making pens without clips, at least I can't think of any. Same with kits I think. Not many are clipless as far as I know.
 
Another very nice pen!
Nothing screams I'm a pen like a clip. By proprietary do you mean its your design being manufactured for you?
honestly I don't understand peoples problem with using a mass produced clip.
 
Great work Ash! I really like the little insight like hearing that you have a day job that seems you dress differently enough to not be honing your skills all day. Also interesting to hear your careful considerations to not stress and fatigue features in your pen. I definitely need to look out to get into queue so I can commission one of your works. - cheers
 
Another very nice pen!
Nothing screams I'm a pen like a clip. By proprietary do you mean its your design being manufactured for you?
honestly I don't understand peoples problem with using a mass produced clip.
Thanks and yes I agree about the clip. When I first started making them I always added clips and increasingly got asked to make pens without them. I honestly never knew that it was a thing 😊

Yes by proprietary I mean I buy them, and I think they're absolutely fine. The main reason for wanting to make my own, apart from being another thing to learn, is that they are much easier to fit because I would make the ring wider and visible so no messing around trying to embed it inside the cap and adding the separate decorative ring as I do now.

Cheers
Ash
 
Great work Ash! I really like the little insight like hearing that you have a day job that seems you dress differently enough to not be honing your skills all day. Also interesting to hear your careful considerations to not stress and fatigue features in your pen. I definitely need to look out to get into queue so I can commission one of your works. - cheers
Thanks Mark

Yes the dreaded day job, although the pen making is taking up ever increasing amounts of my time. I now call it a "full time hobby". 😊
Cheers
Ash
 
Thanks and yes I agree about the clip. When I first started making them I always added clips and increasingly got asked to make pens without them. I honestly never knew that it was a thing 😊

Yes by proprietary I mean I buy them, and I think they're absolutely fine. The main reason for wanting to make my own, apart from being another thing to learn, is that they are much easier to fit because I would make the ring wider and visible so no messing around trying to embed it inside the cap and adding the separate decorative ring as I do now.

Cheers
Ash
Thanks Ash,
I have not sold any kitless but see push back here about using factory clips on them. currently i don't have interest in learning how to make them. Have you found that using them is an issue with buyers?
 
Thanks Ash,
I have not sold any kitless but see push back here about using factory clips on them. currently i don't have interest in learning how to make them. Have you found that using them is an issue with buyers?
I can honestly say that the response to the factory clips is very positive. I buy steel ones from Beaufort Ink and the variety of styles and finishes means there is something for everybody. I tend to stick to the style I used on the pen in this post.

One of the things I like about the steel clips I buy is they're slim and quite elegant looking. When I make them in sterling silver I find I need to make them a little bit thicker to prevent them from bending too easily, so they do appear a bit more robust looking. This is fine but they don't look quite as refined as the steel ones do, which is why I am still playing around with ideas. I haven't even started looking at making steel clips yet. I've still got a lot to learn. 😊
 
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