Pen Making & Sales Ideas

[wildbill23c]

Ok, not sure where to really post this, none of the other areas look right either.

Anyhow, I just recently got into making wooden writing pens, and will be adding pencils here soon as well to make sets.

My question is, does anyone on here do this type of stuff, and if so what do you recommend as far as getting them out there so people can see them and purchase them? So far I have just listed them on Ebay and Craigslist. Any other ideas? I may be building a display case to put in a few local shops, but are there any other ideas I could maybe use to get a better viewing and boost sales?

Here's what I've got so far, these are just slim-line pens. I want to add pencils as well as a few other designs of pens as I go along.

 

[Jim Oaks]

Wooden pens? How do you make wooden pens?

 

[adsm08]

Wooden pens? How do you make wooden pens?

I imagine the engineering of it is similar to the construction of metal or plastic pens, except you make the body out of wood.

 

[wildbill23c]

Wooden pens? How do you make wooden pens?

LOL, its just like the way they make other pens, except the body is made out of a piece of wood rather than metal, or more widely available plastic. Depending on the pen or pencil you are making there's one or more brass tubes that you glue into a drilled pen blank, once the glue dries, you use a pen mill trimmer to square the pen blank to the pen tube, then you put the blank(s) on a lathe and turn them down to the bushings that you purchase with the corresponding pen kit you are making. Once you get it turned down, sanded, and finished, then you remove it from the lathe and put the pen tip, the operating mechanism, the center ring, and the pocket clip and end cap on the pen, these parts are compression fit, and you can spend $70 or more on a dedicated pen vise, or I just bought a $10 quick clamp and use it as my vise and it works great.

Its pretty simple once you get the hang of it, and I got it down to about a 20 minute process start to finish for each pen. Most importantly it is relaxing for me and helps lower my stress levels after work.

So far I've got pens listed on Ebay, Craigslist, and have sold a few on another forum I am on as well, 2 of which went to Canada, the other one to New Jersey. Its fun to make stuff like this, and now if the weather would only cooperate so I could get out in my actual shop to do other projects.

 

[Mark_88]

Good looking pens...do you use refill cartridges or are they all fountain pens? I can't imagiine drilling the core of something that small...

Haven't used a fountain pen for nearly 40 years...but I know a few people still use them...

 

[wildbill23c]

Good looking pens...do you use refill cartridges or are they all fountain pens? I can't imagiine drilling the core of something that small...

Haven't used a fountain pen for nearly 40 years...but I know a few people still use them...

Funny you mentioned fountain pens, I'm quite a bit younger than most of the people here on the forum (I'm 31), and I'm just getting into fountain pens as well, and really enjoy writing with them. They can be quite expensive however LOL.

The pens I've done so far use standard Cross style pen refills and are of the twist mechanism variety. They are excellent looking pens, they amaze me each time I make one. There are ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen kits, I have a fountain pen made from a kit that I bought online to get an idea of what was involved in making one. Those are all on my list of kits to buy.

As for drilling into that its pretty easy. The pen blank starts out as a 3/4" x 3/4" x 5" piece of wood, I cut the blank in half, then use a drill press vise and clamp the piece in it, then drill through the middle of the blank. Its pretty quick and easy. I've got enough blanks drilled now that I can pretty much just eyeball the center as it don't have to be perfect as when its turned on the lathe you will end up getting it centered anyhow.

Fountain Pen Capped


Fountain Pen Cap Posted


Fountain Pen Disassembled for Refill


Woodworker's Pencil 5.6mm Thick Lead

 

[swynx]

My step moms brother makes pens and such out of deer antlers. What he did was send a set of pens. One of each he had to offer to the local radio and news stations. Within days he was swamped with orders.

I think what your doing is awesome. Love the look of the pens. My girl friend is into drawing. Got any thing for say shading? Or outlining? She's always complaining about pencils and pens hurting her hand. She's also into fountain pens.

Perhaps if you had a comfortable pen for drawing and shading I might buy a few.

Also what about fine point marker? The only fine point marker I know of is a Sharpie. My girl friend uses them to outline her drawing and I know those are not comfortable.

Maybe what you should do is look into all sorta of writing utencils. I've never seen a fancy hi lighter. Gel pen. None of that. The carpenters pencil is a great start in this direction.

How much are the pens? Specifically the fountain pen?

 

[Mark_88]

Ah, now I understand.

Years ago, even before I got to actually use them, we had ink wells that you had to dip the pen in (fairly often). It looks like yours use a cartridge and I've never actually seen them like that...very interesting.

Anyway, I remember seeing the original fountain pens at home sticking out of jars and whatnot but rarely used...that was when the ball points hit town...

 

[wildbill23c]

My step moms brother makes pens and such out of deer antlers. What he did was send a set of pens. One of each he had to offer to the local radio and news stations. Within days he was swamped with orders.

I think what your doing is awesome. Love the look of the pens. My girl friend is into drawing. Got any thing for say shading? Or outlining? She's always complaining about pencils and pens hurting her hand. She's also into fountain pens.

Perhaps if you had a comfortable pen for drawing and shading I might buy a few.

Also what about fine point marker? The only fine point marker I know of is a Sharpie. My girl friend uses them to outline her drawing and I know those are not comfortable.

Maybe what you should do is look into all sorta of writing utencils. I've never seen a fancy hi lighter. Gel pen. None of that. The carpenters pencil is a great start in this direction.

How much are the pens? Specifically the fountain pen?

Thanks, I am planning on expanding my pen choices, however like everything else you need money to really be able to expand.

To answer your question regarding shading and drawing pencils, the big fat pencil I posted as a woodworkers, shop pencil, is also known as an artists pencil, it has a very large diameter 5.6mm lead, and comes in 2 different hardnesses, one being HB, and the other is 4H I believe. There are also colored lead inserts available as well.

The price for the pens I have listed on here in the slim-line style are $20 shipped anywhere. The fountain pens will be kind of pricey due to the additional cost of the pen kits, the cost for these will range from $25-50 depending on the pen style. Like I said there's a lot of other pen designs I will be getting into but I have to get the money coming in to be able to expand.

I will certainly be working on some different designs here within the next month or so, and be able to possibly get some better comfortable pens. My goal is to offer sets, a Ballpoint, a Fountain pen, and a Pencil. The possibilities will be endless once I get going really well and find ways to get my own ideas incorporated into these pen kits. The rollerball pens are gel-based ink so that's a great combination of both.

I really like this Fountain pen I have, and although it seems heavy it fits in the hand very comfortably. So that design may become a base for other styles of pens eventually as well. Something that comes to mind is a way to incorporate the sharpie marker into one of these pens, yes I agree the sharpie itself isn't very comfortable. Ha, a little bit of research on the ol' internet and I did in fact find a site that sells the kits to turn a regular sharpie marker into a more comfortable to handle pen (http://www.beartoothwoods.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_149&products_id=4028). Link is to the site that has the pen kit for the Sharpie, and will also work on the slim highlighters as well. Next couple paydays will be spent getting some new pen design kits to experiment with, I'll be sure and order a few of this kit as well and as soon as I get some completed I'll try and find this thread and post up some pictures.

Here's the cost base right now:

Slim-Line Pens: $20 (shipped)
Slim-Line Pencils: $20 (Shipped)
Pen/Pencil Set: $38 (Shipped)
Carpenters/Drawing pencil: $30 (Shipped)
Fountain Pen: $25-50 (Shipped)

Other pens/prices will follow as soon as I get kits and start making them to see the real costs involved. Some pens/pencils, etc. require much more time and work to make them, so those will of course cost more.

Any further info would be greatly appreciated, as well as ideas. Thanks everyone.

 

[swynx]

Idk how your hand is with engraving but maybe eventually make Pens with designs engraved. (Common names? Common designs?) My girlfriend would infact make me buy a few with a skull on them. She loves skulls and camo... as cliche as that is.

Maybe eventually you could do custom designs. Nothing big. Just initials or names, maybe a small fairly simple design. " ford ranger" "4x4" that sorta stuff. You couldn't get to carried away as the price would have to go up and Idk many people that would pay 75+$ for a pen.

What about dipping them in camo mix?

Key chain pens?

 

[wildbill23c]

Idk how your hand is with engraving but maybe eventually make Pens with designs engraved. (Common names? Common designs?) My girlfriend would infact make me buy a few with a skull on them. She loves skulls and camo... as cliche as that is.

Maybe eventually you could do custom designs. Nothing big. Just initials or names, maybe a small fairly simple design. " ford ranger" "4x4" that sorta stuff. You couldn't get to carried away as the price would have to go up and Idk many people that would pay 75+$ for a pen.

What about dipping them in camo mix?

Key chain pens?

Oh I have all sorts of ideas, but with those ideas it involves money, and usually some other form of equipment I would need inevitably. The engraving of initials or simple things like that I could handle but carving has never been something I've been good at, or even would attempt my hands aren't that great for doing detailed carving, or any carving for that matter. Not to mention trying to carve or engrave on a small 7mm piece of wood will be tricky due to the small size, and my hand limitations being steady enough to do that type of stuff. However, yes I agree the initials would be a nice touch for sure, if I can figure out how to do it accurately and easily enough to not ask a small fortune for doing so.

I can eventually do camo pens in replacement of the wood blanks, there are acrylic blanks that are camo colored, dipping them myself wouldn't be worth it, and the cost of the pen would start going up astronomically, and from a private seller nobody will pay the price that I'd have to ask to do great detailed work, I'll be lucky to sell any of these pens at $20, let along any higher cost than that. However have you seen the prices of some Fountain pens, we are talking multiple hundreds of dollars, to even over $1,000 for a fountain pen. I'm sure there are people out there that would buy those, but those are brand name fountain pens and some are collectibles. However none of the pens I make have any name to them they're just a generic off the shelf at the hobby store pen kit type thing.

My largest problem is I have ideas, but no money and hardly any time. I've been off work since December 20th so my paycheck is going to be pretty dismal as it is, plus normally I am working 6 days a week so its hard to try and plan or do anything, and if I have to go after supplies it has to be done on a Sunday because the closest store is 30 miles away, and I can't plan to go after work as I never know if I'll get off work exactly at 4pm, then I'd be rushed to get to the store before they close at 5:30 between leaving work and trying to deal with all the traffic that time of the day, its more stressful than its worth most times by the time I'm off work the only thing I want to do is just go home.

I'm definitely noting all these ideas, and searching for places to get the kits for these ideas. Keychain pens are easily done, as well as the sharpie idea as well. Found another website that sells this stuff, so now my brain is running millions of miles a second LOL. I hate when that happens .

 

[swynx]

Yeah haha. Just start writing them all down with a cost to make and work up the ladder. Make different charts for say popularity? Lowest manufacturing price? Ease of sell?

 

[wildbill23c]

Yeah haha. Just start writing them all down with a cost to make and work up the ladder. Make different charts for say popularity? Lowest manufacturing price? Ease of sell?

I've been doing just that, before I buy a pen kit I search all of my suppliers for the best price then order from that site, sometimes another site is cheaper so it all depends. However, prices are pretty well set until things change and if a certain pen kit goes on sale I can always lower my prices or raise prices according to the prices of supplies.

This is the nice thing about having the internet, its easy to do searches and find the best price. Of course the more kits and supplies I order at a time the cheaper those kits are. So I try to order several of each kit at a time so I can get them cheaper. However, most of my kits have gone to experiments and gifts so far so I haven't exactly been making any money.

Haven't sold any for a while, but then again its past the holidays, and almost the end of the year, so I'm guessing that most people are broke, and either waiting for payday, or just plain not interested.

 

[wildbill23c]

Not this payday on the 2nd, but my mid month paycheck I'll be purchasing a bunch of new pen kit designs. I will be adding a pencil to these slim style pens, to give set availability. I also found some keychain pens, along with a mini stylus for touch screen devices. So there's plenty of room for me to expand my horizons. Also will be adding fountain pens and rollerball pens.

I did find some information on highlighter/sharpie marker kits so I'll be getting a few of these kits as well. I'm looking into a different style of drawing/sketch pencil that uses 3mm lead as well.

Really exited as I start expanding to see where this all takes me. I realized that I can't just expect things to happen overnight, especially right after the holidays and right into the new year, people just aren't buying stuff right now. It just worries me that I'll spend all this money and lose it all in stuff that isn't going to sell.

 

[swynx]

Yeah that would suck. Try and get your name out there