JazzDoc
August 7th, 2013, 03:27 PM
Let me take this opportunity to lay some major kudos on Brian Smith (MusinkMan) of Unique Obliques (http://www.etsy.com/shop/UniqueObliques). Brian, as many in here already know, is a skilled craftsman interested in the art of turning gorgeous hand-created penholders/staves for dip pens. He also has an avid interest in penmanship and calligraphy.
Each one of Brian's staves is a one-off, there is no mass production here. The woods are exotic, beautifully selected and matched together tastefully. Decorative rings are either inlaid or cemented as layers between the various woods. Such woods as Koa with its 3-dimensional reflective properties, Gabon Ebony, Satinwood and Rengas Tigerwood are some examples of the woods I know he uses.
The staves are finished such that they are very comfortable to hold and the grip is pleasurable, even for long intervals. Various lengths, diameters and shapes are offered, and Brian is amenable to working with the individual to come up with the suitable penholder, either in oblique or straight conformations, in order to individually tailor the stave to that desired. The two I have (thusfar) gotten from him are both unusual and very sexy. The balance on both is terrific.
He fabricates his own brass flanges which enable angling and positioning (i.e., inward canting) for the writer's comfort and for maximal & equal contact by the tine tips as outlined by Dr. Joe Vitolo and others on IAMPETH's website. The flanges are well stabilized with slivers of wood.
What also blew me away was the 'presentation' upon arrival - each was packed securely within PVC tubes, and the staves were enveloped in a luxurious and exotic mini-tapestry delicately bound with a leather tie. A Zebra G nib was mounted in each flange and Brian was kind enough to even send along some vintage nibs he thought I would like to try out.
His prices are extremely reasonable for a product which could be far more expensive; and another terrific addition is the beautiful hand with which Brian addresses your mailing label; he also encloses a handwritten note which is a delight to behold both in content and style! You will see that he is very comfortable with Copperplate/Engrosser's and Spencerian - and I envy his flourishes!
Brian shares his ideas and impressions freely and it is a pleasure to have e-mail exchanges with him.
in summary, if I seem to be speaking in the superlative, you will understand why after you have purchased one (or more) of the creations from Unique Obliques on Etsy.
Here's a pic I shot this afternoon before I sat down to practice some writing...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/b_d_bop/BrianSmith_zpsc7046d86.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/b_d_bop/media/BrianSmith_zpsc7046d86.jpg.html)
Each one of Brian's staves is a one-off, there is no mass production here. The woods are exotic, beautifully selected and matched together tastefully. Decorative rings are either inlaid or cemented as layers between the various woods. Such woods as Koa with its 3-dimensional reflective properties, Gabon Ebony, Satinwood and Rengas Tigerwood are some examples of the woods I know he uses.
The staves are finished such that they are very comfortable to hold and the grip is pleasurable, even for long intervals. Various lengths, diameters and shapes are offered, and Brian is amenable to working with the individual to come up with the suitable penholder, either in oblique or straight conformations, in order to individually tailor the stave to that desired. The two I have (thusfar) gotten from him are both unusual and very sexy. The balance on both is terrific.
He fabricates his own brass flanges which enable angling and positioning (i.e., inward canting) for the writer's comfort and for maximal & equal contact by the tine tips as outlined by Dr. Joe Vitolo and others on IAMPETH's website. The flanges are well stabilized with slivers of wood.
What also blew me away was the 'presentation' upon arrival - each was packed securely within PVC tubes, and the staves were enveloped in a luxurious and exotic mini-tapestry delicately bound with a leather tie. A Zebra G nib was mounted in each flange and Brian was kind enough to even send along some vintage nibs he thought I would like to try out.
His prices are extremely reasonable for a product which could be far more expensive; and another terrific addition is the beautiful hand with which Brian addresses your mailing label; he also encloses a handwritten note which is a delight to behold both in content and style! You will see that he is very comfortable with Copperplate/Engrosser's and Spencerian - and I envy his flourishes!
Brian shares his ideas and impressions freely and it is a pleasure to have e-mail exchanges with him.
in summary, if I seem to be speaking in the superlative, you will understand why after you have purchased one (or more) of the creations from Unique Obliques on Etsy.
Here's a pic I shot this afternoon before I sat down to practice some writing...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/b_d_bop/BrianSmith_zpsc7046d86.jpg (http://s2.photobucket.com/user/b_d_bop/media/BrianSmith_zpsc7046d86.jpg.html)