Show Us Your Oblique Penholders!

[hzsimms]

 

Soon he’ll be more of a collector than writer… so if I love to read, can i ask for a Roald Dahl holder, Jane Austen, Stephen King, all the fictional characters? A Sherlock Holmes-inspired pipe holder would be cool!!!

 

 

 

A syringe-styled holder might be more appropriate for Sherlock Holmes, what with his morphine and seven per cent cocaine injections!

 

Don't give the kid any ideas. Plus, I'm fresh out of coca leaves and meerschaum!

[hzsimms]

 

Wow Howard! That's awesome man! You must have spent some time on that one! Brilliant!

 

Thanks Brian. Lots of sanding!

[hzsimms]

Haven't had much shop time lately (life interrupts!) but finally got around to putting this one together. I've had this idea in my head for a while but the execution escaped me.

 

 

I mean, they ALL had feathers on 'em at one time, right? The feather is made of curly maple. The grip section is zebra wood and wenge. Hope you like it.

 

Howard

[Lyander0012]

Here's the result of my latest bout of lunacy. My son, who helps me work on these things every now and then (he's 16, has a truck and a girlfriend...I take what time I can get!), asked me if I would make him a pen. Seeing this as an opportunity, I told him that, if he'd learn to write with it, I'd make him "any kind" of pen he wanted. Well, he said he wanted one that looked like a "Daedric (sp???) Blade". WTH is a Daedric Blade, I asked? Apparently, it's some kind of really, really bad knife/sword from a video game he plays. Being a Space Invaders video game kind of guy, I asked him to get me a picture of the thing. This, then, is my interpretation of the "Daedric Blade" (and I still have no idea how to spell it).

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/IMG_3168_zps785e449a.jpg

 

While it looks long, it's actually a bit shorter than some of the long tailed pens I've made, about 11 inches. It's not exactly well balanced, but it doesn't feel horrible when you write with it either. The "blade" portion, while you can't really tell it from this photo, has a silver metallic pigment on it that gives it a very nice sheen. The good news is, he was very pleased. The bad news is I told him that he had to practice with something a bit more practical until he got the basics down. He took it pretty well. Then got in his truck and went to see his girlfriend!

 

Howard

 

As a 20 21 year old guy (when in the blazes did that happen?), I can assure you that regardless of whether or not this is anywhere close to a Daedric Blade (no idea what that is either, though I haven't had much time for games lately myself), this holder looks bloody awesome! Please tell me you do commissioned work XD

 

Seriously though, this is one of the more outre and beautiful holders I've seen in quite a while. Saved an image for future reference, haha.

 

 

Cheers, and keep up the amazing work!

 

Kevin

[The penner]

Musinkman, your penholders are positively lovely.

 

I'd break a limb to get to write with that one in the fourth picture (;

 

This art needs exposure. It's kind of sad thinking that we will be the last couple of generations to enjoy these things, for the same reason that it is sad to think that my language will become extinct when I'm gone. Enough depresso though, I think it's the integral calculus that has gotten me thinking so bitterly.

 

Cheers!

[The penner]

 

Here is my Century penholder, the only oblique penholder I own. I had gotten into the habit of cleaning it with an alcohol swab (a particularly accessible cleaning agent for a diabetic), so it lost the varnish it had on top.

 

I prefer the way it looks and feels now.

[smk]

 

Here is my Century penholder, the only oblique penholder I own. I had gotten into the habit of cleaning it with an alcohol swab (a particularly accessible cleaning agent for a diabetic), so it lost the varnish it had on top.

 

I prefer the way it looks and feels now.

 

I like the look unfinished wood too - it feels warmer. Any stains will soak right in though and become permanent.

 

BTW - that nib looks like it is sticking out a bit too much. The tip of the nib should be in line with the center of the holder - makes a big difference in control.

 

S.

[The penner]

Duly noted, Salman!

 

It's very difficult to make the nib go in any further though. Any tips on prying the flange opening a little looser?

Edited March 30, 2014 by The penner

[MusinkMan]

Musinkman, your penholders are positively lovely.

 

I'd break a limb to get to write with that one in the fourth picture (;

 

This art needs exposure. It's kind of sad thinking that we will be the last couple of generations to enjoy these things, for the same reason that it is sad to think that my language will become extinct when I'm gone. Enough depresso though, I think it's the integral calculus that has gotten me thinking so bitterly.

 

Cheers!

 

Why thank you Penner! Very nice of you to say that!

[smk]

Duly noted, Salman!

 

It's very difficult to make the nib go in any further though. Any tips on prying the flange opening a little looser?

 

That is most probably due to the difference in the diameter of flange and the nib. You will need to adjust the flange i.e. make it rounder or flatter to match the nib. Make sure you insert a piece of thick paper (or an old nib) in the holder before you reshape it (with needle nose pliers) so as not to totally close the gap. It takes a bit of careful fiddling so don't lose patience.

 

S.

[MusinkMan]

Duly noted, Salman!

 

It's very difficult to make the nib go in any further though. Any tips on prying the flange opening a little looser?

Yes...you need to adjust your flange a little for the nib. If the nib is too tight for your nib (which is what it sounds like)...you need to make the arc a little "rounder". Make sure you have some kind of nib inserted in the flange while you bend it more "round" to prevent it crimping and closing up on you. Once the flange is "rounded" out a bit more, that nib will snug right in there! Push it through until the point of the nib is approximately at the center of the pen holder (as Salman said). In other words, if there were an imaginary line running straight through the center of your pen's handle, picture that line continuing out of the front of your handle (like a laser firing out of the end of it). Well, line the point of that nib right on that imaginary centerline.

[MusinkMan]

Haha Salman...we were writing at the same time it seems. LOL!

[smk]

LOL - and we wrote the same thing too :-)

[caliken]

"It's very difficult to make the nib go in any further though. Any tips on prying the flange opening a little looser?"

 

I have a simpler solution (which is probably frowned upon, by the penmeisters out there).

 

The century flange is removable by carefully pushing it off the end of the holder. Then it's a simple matter of inserting the nib in the flange in the correct position, and then close the flange with one hand, and push it back onto the holder.

 

I know that the wood may weaken over time - but this doesn't have to be done very often and the flange retains its original shape and can therefore be used with different nibs.

 

I've been swapping nibs in my Century holders this way, for some time now without any noticeable damage to the wood.

 

I have to admit though, that I've haven't used them since acquiring beautiful holders from Brian (UInique Oblique)!

 

 

Ken

Edited March 30, 2014 by Ken Fraser

[hzsimms]

As a 20 21 year old guy (when in the blazes did that happen?), I can assure you that regardless of whether or not this is anywhere close to a Daedric Blade (no idea what that is either, though I haven't had much time for games lately myself), this holder looks bloody awesome! Please tell me you do commissioned work XD

Seriously though, this is one of the more outre and beautiful holders I've seen in quite a while. Saved an image for future reference, haha.

 

 

Cheers, and keep up the amazing work!

 

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, I appreciate that very much! PM me about the commission work and we'll talk. Thanks again,

 

Howard

[mvarela]

A big shout out to Howard! Thank you so much!!!!

 

[dhnz]

It's nice to see the Excelsior style back with a modern look. They're very nice penholders, both the originals and Howard's revivals.

 

PS. The nib on that one may need to come back in the flange a bit. It looks like it may be a bit too far forward but that may just be due to the angle the photo was taken.

Edited April 8, 2014 by dhnz

[mvarela]

It's nice to see the Excelsior style back with a modern look. They're very nice penholders, both the originals and Howard's revivals.

 

PS. The nib on that one may need to come back in the flange a bit. It looks like it may be a bit too far forward but that may just be due to the angle the photo was taken.

 

Yes, it's a little past the axis in the pictures, I hadn't put it back in properly after cleaning it.

[Stompie]

Wow, Howard and Brian, you guys are making some awesome holders there.

 

Just a thought, has anyone done a guitar shaped holder yet? If a blade can be turned into a pen holder well then........................

[The penner]

So much talent condensed in this thread. I could stare at that script for hours, mvarela.