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This is a quick one to talk briefly about the Saturn gel refill roller ball pens I’ve been obsessively working on and normalize – just a little – getting really involved in things you love.
You know the creative mad genius trope? Where they barely function as a human when engaged in a project, refusing to leave their work space unless by overpowering necessity?
Welcome to my last month. My youngest kid had to point out that I hadn’t left the house in a month last week – I hadn’t noticed.(It’s… July? What?)
Okay, fine, it was more like two (plus?) months, and involved a level of obsession that caused me to drop half a pants size. It also involved a string of material, machining, turning, adhesive, metal, and sanity failures – but it was worth it! The project I’ve been consumed by? It’s DONE. Well, okay, more accurately: The process to make them has been worked out and streamlined to the point where they shouldn’t drive me quite as close to a cliff’s edge to make them in the future – I can repeat these consistently now. Without having to sit there and work out the next steps. It took making five of them in a row to get it figured out. (It’s never just straight forward with me, is it?)
For what it’s worth? Moving parts on a small, usable object made BY HAND is no small undertaking. I doubt this will be my last foray into the moving parts pen arena. It was an intensely satisfying challenge
Even with the moving-parts-on-a-pen-challenge, working out manufacturing steps and production was arguably the most challenging – and most satisfying- part. What’s the most efficient way of assembling? What’s the most material-efficient way of making each part? How do I make it so I can repeat it consistently, and also make a pen that will stand up to daily writer use? How do I reduce potential points this pen could fail to as close to zero as possible? How do I construct this so if something DID happen (like, you sat on it) the construction will reduce the risk of it breaking because most parts are reinforced? How do I make a REALLY good pen?
I don’t even know where to start talking about the process for these – but if you have questions, lob them at me.
I have 19ish more Saturns queued right now – the resin bodies are cut to length and into cap, body, and accent ring parts. The metal is in the workshop, waiting to be cut down and machined.
I just have to recover from two months of obsession before I step back out there.
So, of course, I started working on a couple design sketch ideas I’ve had bouncing around.
(I really want a sub-$200 bespoke (no pre-purchased parts) pen design. The manufacturing efficiency required for that is… significant.)
In other news, I tentatively will be at the 2nd Annual Orlando Pen Show in September. Which gives me a deadline to get these next pens made, as well as another design or three in production. You know, so I have something to show for myself, and my work. I’m a little nervous on this one. Not because shows are new to me, I’ve done my share. It’s just mostly a male-dominated space, and there are some challenges going in as…not a man. It can be difficult getting your work and yourself taken seriously. (Pen turners generally tend to be a really good group about that though because talk about a niche subject, so mostly I’m just excited.)
Wish me luck. Hopefully I’ll have more than work words again soon – I’ve been working through some personal things that don’t translate well into letters yet. I’ll write to you about them when I find a way to do it.
A.Markov
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This was originally sent as a newsletter for Of Pens & Paintbrushes. If you’d like to get this directly in your inbox, you can sign up here, at the Newsletter sign up page.