Show Us Your Oblique Penholders!

[goring_shmith]

Hello once again. What I want to show you today is a straight penholder. What does it make so special is that I carved it using my own way. I hope you like it:-) It is made out of walnut wood harvested near my house and all the carving proces was done using some regular paper cutters. Only the hole where the nib flange is inserted was done using an electric machine. Everything else was handmade without any lathe or chisell. I am really intersted about your opinions, cricics or questions about it. Thank you so much.

[Cryptos]

@goring_shmith, really clever piece of carving. Is it shaped specifically for your hand?

 

 

Here is a masterful piece of work from one of the nicest pen makers I've spoken to: Chris Yoke.

 

 

[Rednaxela]

Beautiful @goring_shmith. Looks like a very nice and comfortable pen!

[goring_shmith]

Beautiful @goring_shmith. Looks like a very nice and comfortable pen!

Thank You, Rednaxela! Yes, indeed, it feels really comfortable, though its shape might prove something else

[goring_shmith]

@goring_shmith, really clever piece of carving. Is it shaped specifically for your hand?

 

 

Here is a masterful piece of work from one of the nicest pen makers I've spoken to: Chris Yoke.

 

 

Thank you, Empty_of_Clouds. Two more people except me holded this pen in their hands and they felt it really comfortable, but I can not guarantee that it will fit in any hand.

[Cryptos]

It is a really nice holder, goring_smith, and always great if it fits your hand well.

 

I have another holder on request from Mr Yoke. I have to say he is one of the most accommodating custom makers out there - in fact, he is the only custom maker I know who is directly approachable (I'm sure there may be others hiding away somewhere). And wait times are most reasonable too.

[Sagarb]

Holder: Custom made/ Nib: John Mitchell EF 047

[Cryptos]

Just arrived today. The one at the front. Both are by the superb maker Chris Yoke.

 

 

I'll try and get better pics when the opportunity to shoot in daylight happens!

[hzsimms]

Hi all, been a while since I posted (family, work, golf, all the usual excuses), but I have been doing a good bit of work in the shop and thought I'd share my newest "creations" (I will apologize now for the length of this post, but, hey, I've been away a while!). Besides making oblique holders, I also restore vintage fountain pens, including replacing the clear, acrylic ends on old Waterman 100 Year pens and Taperites. While fixing one of those, it dawned on me that transparent acrylic might look good integrated into an oblique holder. So, what follows is the result of several months of experimenting with acrylic, resin, epoxy and anything else I could lay hands on to combine with wood and then turn into an oblique holder.

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Blue%20Rings_zpsfjtjdccf.jpg

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Amber%201_zps5bmhrnw0.jpg

 

These were the first two I did using rods I bought from someone else. In a moment of lunacy, I decided I could make my own rods and blanks and proceeded to invest in a whole bunch of equipment that I had no clue how to use. After making a great many incredibly sticky messes, I sort of got the hang of it.

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Confetti_zpscjvk7oz0.jpg

 

This one is from my first successful blank (that didn't explode and create havoc in the shop). Here's a better photo of the transparent section.

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Confetti%20Close_zps046vtqrr.jpg

 

For what it's worth, I also cast the blue acrylic blank that's on either side.

 

As this post is getting to be incredibly long, I think I'm gonna break it up into sections. A) I'm sure I'm breaking some bandwidth rule somewhere and I don't want to put anyone to sleep.

 

Howard (Part II to follow)

 

 

[hzsimms]

Once I figured out how to cast my own stuff, I figured I could just do it all at the same time so, inspired by those Secret Wood rings that I absolutely love but would never wear, I got to these.

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Short%20Blue_zpsbc8raccf.jpg

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Long%20Blue_zpszdhyfe3d.jpg

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Epoxy%20Ring_zpsua3xjl45.jpg

 

Then, I started messing about with the wood, mixing up big pieces and little ones, just little ones, etc. and came up with a variety neat blanks that turned into these.

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Purple%202_zpshjvsynma.jpg

 

(Another page break here...the whole bandwidth thing again!)

[hzsimms]

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Purple1_zpsyinzjst9.jpg

 

This one was me trying to figure the wood as I cast the mold. It's funky and I don't think I'll do it again but it was fun and I learned something!

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Green%201_zpsujd0doie.jpg

 

Speaking of funky...

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Walnut%202_zpsxkvwvkow.jpg

 

These last three are probably my favorites thus far.

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Mosaic%201_zpsj91rsm9r.jpg

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Mosaic%202_zps5nen7t2e.jpg

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Deep%20Blue%201_zpsl0vcqglu.jpg

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Deep%20Blue%202_zpsa8fc5i07.jpg

 

And finally, fun playing with the resin!

 

http://i1349.photobucket.com/albums/p743/hzsimms/Palm%20Wenge%201_zpsu94cxay0.jpg

 

So there you have it, my adventure into things transparent. Hope you like it!

 

Howard

[zuerincolour]

My most recent purchase!

 

http://i65.tinypic.com/24c9mw3.jpg

[smk]

Lovely work Howard. I just love the wood+resin combinations you have cast.

 

Interestingly, I have also been playing with combining Acrylic with wood. It must be the season for it :-)

 

Here is one with a Holly base.

 

 

- Salman

[Cryptos]

How do you factor in the potentially different heat expansion rates?

[hzsimms]

Lovely work Howard. I just love the wood+resin combinations you have cast.

 

Interestingly, I have also been playing with combining Acrylic with wood. It must be the season for it :-)

 

Here is one with a Holly base.

 

 

- Salman

 

 

That's terrific, Salman! I really like the way the acrylic and the wood aligned, very nice.

 

Howard

[hzsimms]

How do you factor in the potentially different heat expansion rates?

 

I cast the blanks at about 60psi of pressure, so no problems yet (unless, of course, you count the fact that the pressure pot is essentially a pneumatic bomb looking for a way to explode and you're standing right next to it!).

 

Howard

[erikanxpress]

Here is one of my latest dip pens. LOVE this thread, btw. Have been following it since 2014. Thanks for all the inspiration!

 

[goring_shmith]

Hello everybody!

 

Here is my penholder-The oblique hourglass penholder. It is a reliable one and I use it every time I want to write something nice.