Watching my Edison Pearl being born

[Bill]

About three weeks ago I ordered an Edison Pearl. I wanted something different and took a chance on a red and black swirled acrylic with subtle bits of “raspberry” and “grape” showing in the deeper pearlescent areas. Brian turned a little of the rough acrylic block so we could get a look at the pattern before making a decision.

 

Here is what it looked like on Brian’s webcam.

 

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/spanielgang/pens/pen01.jpg

 

Last Wednesday, I camped out in the Edison Pen chat room with several others watching him work. When he started on my pen, I recorded the video feed from the lathe whenever it was being used. In all, I captured about 90 minutes of video. Other than interacting with pen people face to face, this was as much fun as I’ve ever had in several years of using and accumulating pens. I watched him make a couple of pens in the days prior; however, the adventure was magnified because of the unpredictability of the pattern and, frankly, it was my pen! What a blast!

 

Here’s a still frame of the lathe in action.

 

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/spanielgang/pens/pen03.jpg

 

I was in the area on business Monday and picked up the pen in person, which worked out well because Brian changed the feed and made some adjustments on the nib so it performed to my liking. And perform it does. I think the other pens in the current rotation are starting to miss me. But none of them have ever stared in a “Making of” video nor mesmerized me daily as it reveals new perlescent patterns.

 

Now that I’m back home I’ve made a few photos of it because, well, just because I know we like looking at pens. Enjoy.

 

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/spanielgang/pens/pearl_1_3978.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/spanielgang/pens/pearl_2_3993.jpg

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/spanielgang/pens/pearlandflamingos4007.jpg

Edited April 24, 2009 by Bill

[kiavonne]

Very nice, and an interesting color combination. I like seeing different patterns and materials emerge with Edison pens. Makes having a bespoke Edison all the more fun and enticing.

[RoyalKooparillo]

Wow, that's very cool that you got to see your new pen being born. Congrats on the gorgeous acquisition!

[ianmedium]

that really is beautiful, I love the irradesence of the raspberry!

[WendyNC]

Absolutely gorgeous. I'm sure watching it be created was a real treat!

[Brian]

Congratulations on a fantastic looking pen. I like the colors as well. We are lucky to have this available to us.

[bgray]

Holy Smokes!

 

I usually don't chime in on these threads, but I must!

 

Your photos are among the best that I've seen of my pens.

 

Thanks for posting!

 

Brian

[cmenice]

I also watched your pen being born Bill. It's a lot of fun. I really like the way your pen turned out. Your photos are amazing. Watching on cam you just can't see the detail you captured in the photos. Congrats on an awesome pen.

[Glenn-SC]

Very nice!

 

I have two Heralds and am trying to limit my choices of material for number three.

 

Or four ....

 

Dang

[DRP]

DELICIOUS!

[chkuo]

Congrats on having such an unusual experience (and a nice pen in the end too)! The photos are great; the contrast between before and after is truly amazing.

[GeeTee]

Congrats. What a nice material. I almost looks like the patterns is painted.

[JayLo]

Very cool. I've got one on order, thanks for the idea.

[pen2paper]

easily one of the best presentations of a new pen ever!

I Want one of these! so your post = great, appropriate advertisement too:D

So tell us-p2ps always dry hands a bit moist with excitement-what inks, in what colors, do you plan to use?

AND, to complete the review, we need to see a test drive of what this new baby can do!

Congrats to both You and Brian.

Brian, when might we be able to see another pen-turning on your web?

[WendyNC]

I keep checking Brian Gray's website to see if he's going to be at the Raleigh show. At least "tentative" doesn't mean no, right? My husband says he'd like to go with one to the show one of the days (I think to see what all the fuss is about) and my birthday is in August . . .

[JFT]

Wow that pen is beautiful. You took a very good guess on that acrylic This is the first Edison Pearl that gets me excited

[TheodorAdorno]

Hi All,

 

Brian also recently made me 2 x oversized Edison Pearls in both green/black mottled ebonite and red/black swirl ebonite,

 

it really is a strange experience to see a rod of dull ebonite being skillfully turned into 2 shiny monster pens and in our mass-produced times bespoke customisation is rarer than chicken's teeth!

 

although I did keep waiting for him to drop them ....

 

[Bill]

...what inks, in what colors, do you plan to use?

AND, to complete the review, we need to see a test drive of what this new baby can do!

 

Brian likes Sailor inks and we used Sailor Blue in it during the nib tweaking. Two nights later I flushed out the pen in the hotel room and filled it with Sailor Blue Black. The color of the pen cries out for a red, which I rarely use, or a deep black, like Aurora. My most used pens and inks are brown or blue variants so I'm not quite sure where I'm going with this pen, but I don't expect it to leave the rotation any time soon. The nib is wet and is a broad enough fine that it should showcase inks that have some shading.

 

Thanks to a PM suggestion by a moderator here, I will expand the original post into a real review and place it in the reviews section. Stay tuned.

 

Bill

 

 

[Bill]

I found this photo I made in the hotel room about two hours after picking up the pen. Althought the makeshift lighting was not great, the photo does show the purple coming through the depths of the black.

http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm82/spanielgang/pens/pearl3959a.jpg

 

By the way, after a few weeks of regular use now, I have not experienced any problems with the pen. The flow continues to be about a 7 and the nib remains quite smooth.

 

Bill

[brianw06]

My Pearl and 76 are to be born tomorrow, I will have to campout and watch myself

 

 

 

Edited for Picture , Pearl in the demonstrator, 76 in the other

Edited June 8, 2009 by brianw06