Help on pen size

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David M

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Jan 21, 2009
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Norton, Va. 24273
Last night at a local farmers market I had a man ask if Could make a larger fountain pen than I had ( Classic or Classic Elite fountain pens ) . He like the size and feel of the cigar pen.
My question is what fountain pen can be made in the shape / size of a cigar. He is also wanting a fine nib .
PSI has the Big Ben and Tycoon . Would one of those be the right size , and what size nib do they use ( I am thinking lager ).
Just checking before I ordered , Thanks for any help.

David

http://davidspen.com
 
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A Tycoon is going to be about the same size as a Am. Cl. I'd go with a Jr. Gent. Cost of the kit is comparable but quality is better. and I'd put one of Lou's nibs on it. And the Jr is actually easier to build since there is no tenon.
 
The Big Ben fountain is the same shape as a cigar. And you can always get a replacement nib
 
Depends on how much he wants to pay for it. The PSI Big Ben and Tycoon would be at the cheaper (and less durable plating) end of the spectrum. If cost is no problem, there is always the full size Gentleman, Statesman, Emperor, Lotus, and Imperial from CS USA.
As for the fine nib, check with Lou (DCBluesman) for info.
 
I like the CS offerings because of quality.
I make full sized Gents and Jr. Gents and have done one Emperor.
To some folks hands the Jr. sizes are nice but full are just too much to handle.
Allowing people to try is very helpful. OTOH, I have a potential customer, a woman, who is a fountain pen aficionado that has declined every fp offering I have shown her because they just don't feel right in her hand. I haven't made a sale but that is better than her buying something she can't try first and becoming an unhappy customer.
 
I've had great experiences with the full size Gent FP's from CSUSA. One customer told me that his performed better in every way than his $500 sterling Namiki fountain.
 
David,

You might also take a look at the Baron or Sedona. Both have a good size. The Baron if flat ended and the Sedona is roubed. Both are Barea Hardwood models but I've only found them in the Fountain with a wide range of platings at
Arizona Silhouette.

Vic
 
Here are my very subjective impressions:

The Jr series and Baron/Sedona are bigger around in the barrel, but the sections are skinny. So if he's looking for a fat, cigar sized pen, I'd go with a Churchill from Berea or one of their resellers. It has a nice fat section which I find much more comfortable in use than the Jr's or B/S's, due to both weight and girth considerations. I haven't used an El Grande, but they would be the same size as the Churchill, but with a flat top. I have a few of the CSUSA version, called the Ligero (FP version discontinued), but find that the flat plastic piece on the top of the cap has broken on two of them, so I don't trust those anymore. I don't know if the El Grande shares the same fate.

The full sized pens from CSUSA (Gent, Statesman, etc.) I find are much too heavy for all but the briefest of notes, and I don't like the feel of metal sections, though the pens look quite nice. I made one for myself, sold it after a short time due to the weight.

Bottom line, if he likes the Cigar, the Jr's and S/B's will probably feel too skinny to your customer due to the very narrow section.

Dan
 
I like the feel of the full size Gent, it has a great balance for me and it allows me to write without discomfort. You may want to just make a couple pens of each type and let the customer get the feel for what each pen is like and then they can place their order. I know that is a costly endeavor in the beginning but it has worked out well for me, it can be done over time.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
, I have a potential customer, a woman, who is a fountain pen aficionado that has declined every fp offering I have shown her because they just don't feel right in her hand. I haven't made a sale but that is better than her buying something she can't try first and becoming an unhappy customer.
Click to expand...
Frank, does she have a pen that she is comfortable with that you can use as a starting point to work from? The weight, diameter, length, and balance can all be adjusted to make her what she is comfortable with.
 
Rifleman1776 said:
I have a potential customer, a woman, who is a fountain pen aficionado that has declined every fp offering I have shown her because they just don't feel right in her hand.
Click to expand...

Frank---Speaking of course in generalities,the typical commercially made fountain pens have a section diameter somewhere between the Jr's and the Gent or Churchills. There are no kits that I know of that have an similar section diameter. The smaller kits also have a straight or tapered section, whereas the typical commercial pen has section shaped more like the Churchill, flared a bit at either end. This could account for them not feeling right to your customer. Weight is another factor, most kits are heavier than commercial pens, and balance differently, though many of the the Chinese and other pens made primarily from metal are quite heavy also.

As I think someone else suggested, ask to check out one of her favorite pens, and see what is different about them.

Dan
 
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