# The Carry Pen???



## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

How many of you have that carry pen??? That special pen you whip out when someone says sign here. If so what kind of pen is it??? How many people actually use a fountain pen as a carry pen and if you do are you afraid of ink leaks?? Finally how many of you have made sales because of your carry pen???



OK I will start and say I have 2 carry pens right now that I use all the time. One is a green Sierra computer board pen. The other is a copper braided sleeve Sierra. This pen started out as a test pen to see how well the plating holds up and I can tell you for 1 year now it has shown no wear. The computer pen has a few dents but still looks good.

Yes I have sold a few of these pens from just using them to sign credit card receipts. It also got a couple customers to inquire about other pens I make and which I made sales. So it is a cheap form of advertising and yes it works.

So how about you all???


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

I keep a carry pen at work as I need to write in patient charts. I prefer the beefier pens and I like click pens. My first was a titanium cigar but I dropped it just perfectly and it jammed up the mechanism but good. My next was a PSI Gatsby (I believe similar to the Sierra) in rhodium. No issues with it. Recently switched to a slimline twist that I added a stylus tip to for double duty on paper charts and the iPad. As for sales, I have had patients ask about them (and have sold a few) but try not to mix the real job with the fun job.


----------



## Evilfrog (Aug 2, 2011)

I have always carried a pen, ever before I started turning. But I have made sells off of my current pen. Which is just an eastern cedar 24k slimeline. Actually, this guy:


----------



## snmhanson (May 23, 2011)

Pretty new to pen making but I'll still chime in. I have been keeping two pens with me at most times and rotating between my stock. I like to have a fountain pen handy for showing off how sophisticated I am . I also try to keep a roller ball on hand because they tend to enhance by child-like handwriting. Right now I have a Tycoon roller ball on my desk and a Gatsby ballpoint in my bag.

The only comment I've gotten so far was when I had a client sign some papers with a Majestic roller ball. He commented about how heavy it was. I've gotten some good feedback when actually showing my pens to people, but no unsolicited comments other than the one above.

Matt


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

JTTHECLOCKMAN said:


> How many of you have that carry pen??? That special pen you whip out when someone says sign here. If so what kind of pen is it??? How many people actually use a fountain pen as a carry pen and if you do are you afraid of ink leaks?? Finally how many of you have made sales because of your carry pen???
> 
> OK I will start and say I have 2 carry pens right now that I use all the time. One is a green Sierra computer board pen. The other is a copper braided sleeve Sierra. This pen started out as a test pen to see how well the plating holds up and I can tell you for 1 year now it has shown no wear. The computer pen has a few dents but still looks good.
> 
> ...


Let's see your pen. 
I don't carry pens around.


----------



## PhilipCollier (Jan 2, 2012)

I carry two...one is the first pen i made ..it is a nice bocote (sp?) with a slimline kit...tend to use that one at work. The other is a deer antler Euro pen. I use that one when im out and about.


----------



## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

I carry a pen at work. The one I carry isnt too fancy, just a platinum slim in zebrawood. It has sold many pens for me though, in fact, my best customers are people at work. I have a supervisor that buys multiples at a time and another supervisor that buys one every other week or so. He always says his wife steals them so he needs another. I'm glad his wife is a pen thief!!! I'd like to make a much nicer one for carry but I only carry a pen at work and personally dont care for a bulky pen hanging in my shirt pocket. Will continue to carry the slim untill I find something nicer and not so bulky. Maybe a Sierra wouldnt be bad to carry.


----------



## Wooden Key (Apr 12, 2012)

Ooooooh, this sounds interesting!

I carry a pen daily and use it a LOT, do they make gel versions? 

If I were to pick up this hobby of pen making, where can I find the metal parts and ink cartridges?


----------



## sawdustfactory (Jan 30, 2011)

Hey key, welcome to the forum. Yes they make gel ink for them. As for supplies: Craft Supplies USA, Penn State Industries, Berea Hardwoods, Arizona Sillouette, and several others that I'm not as familiar with. I'm sure some of the others will add. Also your local Woodcraft or Rockler.


----------



## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

Dominick said:


> Let's see your pen.
> I don't carry pens around.


 
Well here is the computer pen and also the copper braided pen I am carrying around. I sold more copper pens than computer pens by showing these.


----------



## Dominick (May 2, 2011)

JTTHECLOCKMAN said:


> Well here is the computer pen and also the copper braided pen I am carrying around. I sold more copper pens than computer pens by showing these.


Now that's something different you never see. 
Thanks. That's pretty cool.


----------



## iclight0 (Sep 12, 2011)

I like the civil war pen done in walnut. This one done in cherry


----------



## Wooden Key (Apr 12, 2012)

How much do these typically sell for versus how much they cost to make?


----------



## JTTHECLOCKMAN (Dec 31, 2011)

Wooden Key said:


> How much do these typically sell for versus how much they cost to make?


 
About that much:thumbsup:


----------



## BassBlaster (Nov 21, 2010)

There has been a few debates about what the actual cost to make a pen is. All things considered, the pens I have made up to this point have been from $12 to $30ish, my cost. I havnt gotten into the higher end stuff yet though!!


----------



## davidpensfan87 (Apr 16, 2012)

Here is my carry pen. It made me 35 dollars today!!!


----------



## sprior (Aug 31, 2008)

JT, every time I see your copper braid pen it's all I can do to stop myself from buying one, and I'm not a pen collector and I'm such a computer guy I barely ever even use a pen, but I see that one and the "gotta have one" urge is hard to control.


----------



## Itchytoe (Dec 17, 2011)

That would be my carry pen. Also pics of what I'm working on in the office. Redwood burl pen in a Sierra kit with gold and black titanium. I think. Since I started carrying a pen, I realized how little I actually use one.


----------



## jlord (Feb 1, 2010)

I have 4 carry pens that I use regularly. I have gotten many sales because of them.


----------



## mackem (May 20, 2007)

sprior said:


> JT, every time I see your copper braid pen it's all I can do to stop myself from buying one, and I'm not a pen collector and I'm such a computer guy I barely ever even use a pen, but I see that one and the "gotta have one" urge is hard to control.


+1 :yes: My thoughts precisely SP, That is one
beautiful looking pen. :smile:


----------

