Author: newtonpens

What is the size?

The question I’m asked the most is regarding the size of my pens.

Here is a guide with lots of comparison photos.

Diameter – Measured at the barrel threads.
Slim – .45″/11.5 mm thick at threads with .427″/10.8 mm thick section.
Small – .50″/12.5 mm thick at threads with .477″/12.1 mm thick section.
Medium – .55″/14 mm thick at threads with .527″/13.4 mm thick section.

Note: Most materials aren’t big enough for Large and Oversize pens to be made.
Large – .60″/15.25 mm thick at threads with . 577″/14.7 mm thick section.
Oversize – .65″/16.5 mm thick at threads with .627″/15.9 mm thick section.

Lengths – Measured with the cap off, from point of nib to end of barrel.
Measurements with cap on may vary depending on style of pen or if it will have a clip.
Short – 5″ or 127 mm open – long enough to house a converter or other filling system, but no longer than that.
Standard – 5.25″ or 133 mm open.
Long – 5.5″ or 139.7 mm open.
Extra – 5.7″ or 146 mm open.
Longer?  – You tell me what you want.

The pens shown are a slim Orville, small Gibby, medium Gibby, and oversize Gibby.

Here is an oversize Gibby next to an Esterbrook J:
oversize-with-esterbrook-j

Some of the pens I compared them to: Gray Parker 51, Red Sheaffer Snorkel, Pink Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000, Montblanc 149, and a  Green Pelikan M800.

By request here are pictures of a standard size and length Shinobi next to several well known brands.
Size is usually 5 1/4″ closed, 5″ open, with 1/2″ barrel threads, and 19/32″ (.60″) barrel and cap diameter.

Measurements of some popular pens.

Esterbrook J is .45″/11.4mm at the threads.
Montblanc 146 is .48″12.2mm at the threads.
Montblanc 149 is .562″/14.3mm at the threads.
1935 Parker Duofold Sr. is .49″/12.5 at the threads.
Parker 51 about .47″/12mm at the ring.
Pelikan 200/400/600 all about .43″/11mm at the threads.
Pelikan M800 is .49″/12.5mm at the threads.
Pelikan M1000 is about .53″/13.5mm at the threads.
1930 Sheaffer OS Balance .49″/12.5mm at threads.
Sheaffer PFM/Legacy about .49″/12.5mm at section/barrel join.

If you want something really big – just remember not all materials will work for pens this big:
Large – .60″/15.25mm thick at threads with .57″/14.5mm thick section.
Oversize – .65″/16.5mm thick at threads with .62″/15.75mm thick section.
Jumbo – .70″/17.75mm thick at threads with .67″/17mm thick section.
Giant – .75″/19mm thick at threads with .72″/18.25mm thick section.

Shown here are small, medium, oversize, and jumbo.

Small, Medium, Oversize, Jumbo

Shown below:Thin, Slim, Medium, Medium, Medium

Thin, Slim, Medium, Medium, Medium

Thin, Slim, Medium, Medium, Medium
Thin, Slim, Medium, Medium, Medium

Student Visit – Big Brass Pen

This last year in school I had been talking with one of my students about making pens and he had been working in Vo-Tech class (machine shop?) to make his own pen.  He had a few barrels and caps and one good section, but was never able to get a whole finished pen.  I wrote down instructions with step by step drawings, but it just didn’t happen.  They didn’t have time and his instructor wasn’t sure how to help.

Towards the end of the year I told him that he should have his mom bring him by the house this summer so he could make a pen.  I would order a bunch of brass and just walk him through the process.  He’s the first person besides me to ever use my lathe!  I was a little nervous, but that didn’t last long.  He’s a smart kid, and very conscious of his safety.  There were no lost fingers that day.  What a relief.

We started out with a quick sketch and some measurements and went right to it.  I had never made a brass pen so this would be a first for me, too.

Here he is working, and his pen.

May Postcard Pen Winner!

There were 52 entries this month and 36 got it.  Congrats to Mary G!

I’m going to put off starting the next bit of post card sales and pen drawing until July so I can work on getting a 501c3 started up, along with some new art post cards.

Thank you all so much for your support!  We raised $6219.73!!  That gives us over $200 to get started with next years scholarships.

A bit of news as well.  We’ve decided to give fewer scholarships but larger amounts.  So if we raise $6,000 next year, two kids will each get $1,000 for three semesters.  Or something like that.  We may change our minds by then, but the awards are definitely going to be bigger.

Thanks so much!

Shawn

2015 Scholarships announced!

Hi Everybody!

First I want to say thank you ALL for all you have done to make these scholarships possible. Without you none of this would have happened.

There’s still a couple weeks left in May to raise money for this years’ scholarships. We’re $122 short of $6,000. I expect that we’ll make that and then some by the end of the month. Any extra will be set aside for next year. In order to increase charitable donations, perhaps we should host large fundraisers regularly. This may further help us to reach out to many students and provide them with scholarships.

Regarding this years’ recipients-

First thing is the video from last Mountain Pine graduation – can you tell I was nervous??

That’s Natalie Webb from Mountain Pine. Other scholarship recipients include Christian Greer from Lake Hamilton School, Michael Siniawa from West Fork High School, and Nathan Steadman from Lakeside, all of those four from Arkansas.

natalie scholarship

From San Francisco, CA., is Marco Antonio Perez Jr. from Lowell High School, and from Iowa is Geoffrey Montour from Carlisle High School.

All of that is thanks to you folks, who donated and participated in the post card sales so many times.

This year I plan to do the work and become a 501c3. I’m already talking with a foundation who has said they may give a couple of thousand towards the scholarships and I couldn’t be more excited. The more kids we can help out the better.

Thanks again. Fundraising for the 2016 scholarships will begin in June and continue all through May. 🙂

Warmest regards,

Shawn Newton

A visit to Newton Pens

I had a couple visitors come by the Shop in April and I think a few of you may know them.

Leigh Reyes and Thomas Hall came by, Leigh all the way from the Philippines, to see a pen being made.

I didn’t expect them to bring a small pen show with them, as well.  We spent part of the morning just admiring all of her Nakaya pens.  I learned a lot about their nibs and how they’re made.  Very cool stuff.

Leigh took lots of photos and some video and put it all together, and here it is.

I don’t have visitors to the shop too often, but if you want to buy a pen and see it made, maybe we can work out a time when you can come by.leigh thomas shawn

April Fund Raiser Pen Winner! May fundraising may begin!

Wow I’m a day late!  I can’t believe it completely slipped by me.  I was so sure that tonight was the last day of April.  Yikes.

Well, the winner is, picked by Random.org, #21!  Congratulations Beth!

Now the hard part, deciding what to get!  🙂

We raised $380.45 this month!  That puts us up to $5654.56 with almost one more month to go before scholarship recipients are announced.  And a huge thanks to all of you who are reading and scoring the essays.  Several have already gotten their scores in and I can see a trend already.  I think there will be scholarships going out to kids all over the country this year.

If you buy postcards you also are entered for a chance to win your own custom pen!  Remember, one winner a month, and the drawing goes on all month long.

schol2

I will announce income for May and the winner of the custom pen on May 31 as close to 9 PM Central US time as I can get.

The drawings are free for all to enter, from all parts of the world.  No restrictions at all.

During the entire month of May, if you buy a pack of student art postcards you’ll automatically be entered to win a pen,  just send $10 via paypal to  and I’ll give you a number AND you’ll get a pack of postcards in the mail (so be sure to include your mailing address in the PayPal note, use commas).  Every penny raised will go towards the scholarships and support students.  Yes, you can buy as many postcard packs as you want, and for each pack, you’ll get a number.

The raffle itself is free.  If you want to enter the raffle without supporting the scholarship or helping graduating seniors (or getting any of those cool postcards) then all you have to do is send a note in the mail to:

Shawn Newton
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Everybody who enters will be given a number in the order of postcards purchased and letters in the mail, and at the end of the month I’ll draw a number to pick the winner of a custom pen.  I use random.org as a number picker.

Raffle pens are limited to c/c filling system, steel nib of any size with any grind you want.  If you want any extra customizations, bands or rings, special filling system, gold nib, or anything else, there will be normal charges.

2015-04-13-10.05.432-600x601

If there are ANY questions, please do ask.  If you have a suggestion about how to make things easier to explain or understand, please let me know.  🙂  This is all about the success of the scholarship and getting financial help to as many kids as we can.

If you want to help the fund without buying postcards, contact me through email, @gmail.com, for details.

Questions?
1. “I’m confused how do I buy? I see no buy button for the postcards.”

–There is no buy button.  You just send $10 via paypal to @gmail.com along with a postal address and I send you a pack of cards and a free raffle number.  If you type your address into the Note box, please use a comma to separate lines, otherwise your address will come to me as one long line, and I may not know where to break it up, especially for international addresses.

2. “Interesting idea.  Is it open to non-USA residents? I couldn’t find information one way or the other, but postage costs must surely be an issue.”

–Open to everybody worldwide.  International postage is only about $1.15 so not that bad.

3. “What kind of pen do I get if I win?”

–You get any model, any size, any nib grind, any material I have on hand.  If you want a gold nib or special filling system (button, bulb, or piston) I ask that you pay for that.  I’ll still cover shipping.

4. “How do I enter for free?”

–Send a note or postcard in the mail to me at
Newton Pens Free Raffle
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Include contact info like name and email or I won’t accept it.  Nicknames/usernames don’t count.  This is the same thing I tell my students at school: put your name on it or I can’t grade it!  🙂

5. “Who can get a scholarship?  Art students only?  Kids in Arkansas only?  Kids at the school where you work only?”

–Right now the scholarship is open to any high school students going in to college, anywhere in the USA.  Kids at any school can apply and receive a scholarship.  Current college students are not eligible.  Adults going back to school are not eligible.

You can browse my materials page for an idea of the materials I have on hand.  If you win, and you want to see more, I’ll take more photos of my material stock.

Scholarship Applications!!!

And the applications are all in!  I received 30 in all this year.  I’m excited to read through them all, too.

schol apps photo

Eleven people have volunteered to read the essays to help pick scholarship recipients.  If you’re interested in reading to help, please let me know.

There’s still plenty of time for you to buy some of those awesome student art postcards to raise money for the scholarships, to help these kids pay for whatever college expenses this can help them with.

Participate in April fundraising.

On top of the $1000 reward the students will receive, they will get to pick their own custom pen made especially for them.  And kids, if you live close enough, and are interested, you’re more than welcome to come by the shop and watch your pen being made this summer.  I have a couple dozen bottles of ink you can pick from too, to get you started.  After you run through your first bottle, or decide you need more colors, you can order more from Vanness Pen in Little Rock, Ar.  🙂

I’m exhausted so probably forgot to mention something, but if you have any questions please do ask.

Thanks so much.

Shawn Newton

March Scholarship Drawing Winner, and it all begins again!

First of all, apologies for being late posting this, I thought I had posted on the 31st, but there must have been a bit of a glitch on my end, so here it is for sure this time.  🙂

So a big congrats to Celeste for winning the drawing for March!  She’ll be getting her own custom pen designed to her specs, and it should be nice, too.  We’ve already ironed out all of the details.

So far you’ve all helped to raise $5274.11.  It looks like we should reach $6000 by the time scholarships are given out at the end of May.  Thanks so much!

*****

It’s April, and that means it’s time to start buying those postcards again to raise money for some graduating seniors going in to college.  The applications have been coming in quickly here as it gets closer to the April 4 deadline.

If you buy postcards, you also are entered for a chance to win your own custom pen!  Remember, one winner a month, and the drawing goes on all month long.

I will announce income for April and the winner of the custom pen on April 30, as close to 9 PM Central US time as I can get.

The drawings are free for all to enter, from all parts of the world.  No restrictions at all.

During the entire month of April, if you buy a pack of student art postcards you’ll automatically be entered to win a pen,  just send $10 via paypal to @gmail.com and I’ll give you a number AND you’ll get a pack of postcards in the mail (so be sure to include your mailing address in the PayPal note).  Every penny raised will go towards the scholarships and support students.  Yes, you can buy as many postcard packs as you want, and for each pack, you’ll get a number.

The raffle itself is free.  If you want to enter the raffle without supporting the scholarship (or getting any of those cool postcards) then all you have to do is send a note in the mail to:

Shawn Newton
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Everybody who enters will be given a number in the order of postcards purchased and letters in the mail, and at the end of the month I’ll draw a number to pick the winner of a custom pen.  I use random.org as a number picker.

Raffle pens are limited to c/c filling system, steel nib of any size with any grind you want.  If you want any extra customizations, bands or rings, special filling system, gold nib, or anything else, there will be normal charges.

If there are ANY questions, please do ask.  If you have a suggestion about how to make things easier to explain or understand, please let me know.  🙂  This is all about the success of the scholarship and getting financial help to as many kids as we can.

If you want to help the fund without buying postcards, contact me through email, @gmail.com, for details.

Questions?
1. “I’m confused how do I buy? I see no buy button for the postcards.”

–There is no buy button.  You just send $10 via paypal to @gmail.com along with a postal address and I send you a pack of cards and a free raffle number.  If you type your address into the Note box, please use a comma to separate lines, otherwise your address will come to me as one long line, and I may not know where to break it up, especially for international addresses.

2. “Interesting idea.  Is it open to non-USA residents? I couldn’t find information one way or the other, but postage costs must surely be an issue.”

–Open to everybody worldwide.  International postage is only about $1.15 so not that bad.

3. “What kind of pen do I get if I win?”

–You get any model, any size, any nib grind, any material I have on hand.  If you want a gold nib or special filling system (button, bulb, or piston) I ask that you pay for that.  I’ll still cover shipping.

4. “How do I enter for free?”

–Send a note or postcard in the mail to me at
Newton Pens Free Raffle
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Include contact info like name and email or I won’t accept it.  Nicknames/usernames don’t count.  This is the same thing I tell my students at school: put your name on it or I can’t grade it!  🙂

5. “Who can get a scholarship?  Art students only?  Kids in Arkansas only?  Kids at the school where you work only?”

–Right now the scholarship is open to any high school students going in to college, anywhere in the USA.  Kids at any school can apply and receive a scholarship.  Current college students are not eligible.  Adults going back to school are not eligible.

You can browse my materials page for an idea of the materials I have on hand.  If you win, and you want to see more, I’ll take more photos of my material stock.

March Scholarship Fundraiser!

Hi Everybody! It’s March! So far we have almost $5000 raised for the scholarships. I’ve been getting applications in the mail like crazy this last week. I’ve got 9 readers so far, if you want to volunteer to help read essays please send me a note. All essays will be judged in whatever way you think are best, scored 1-10, with 10 being the best. If I have to break any ties, it will lean in favor of students who need the money more. I’ll be emailing references and counselors to get that figured out.

To help with the scholarships (and get a chance at a free custom pen) all you have to do is buy a pack of postcards for $10. That’s 5 cards with a different piece of student art on the front of each one. Every penny raised from the sales will go towards the scholarships to help some deserving students with their college expenses. Many people struggle with this, so they go to the Common Scholarship App and other sources to help, and it can really transform a life. I know one of the kids who got a scholarship last year bought herself a nice little used car with her money! 🙂

Life as a student can be expensive and therefore scholarships can be incredibly helpful. There are other ways to make managing your finances easier too. For example, some students find that credit cards can be useful when it comes to making ends meet. You can learn more about credit cards for students on the Nova Credit website.

Anyway, congrats to Ray for winning last month’s pen drawing!

I will announce income for March and the winner of the custom pen on March 31st, as close to 9 PM Central US time as I can get.

The drawings are free for all to enter, from all parts of the world. No restrictions at all.

During the entire month of March, if you buy a pack of student art postcards you’ll automatically be entered to win a pen, just send $10 via paypal to @gmail.com and I’ll give you a number AND you’ll get a pack of postcards in the mail (so be sure to include your mailing address in the PayPal note). Every penny raised will go towards the scholarships and support students. Yes, you can buy as many postcard packs as you want, and for each pack, you’ll get a number.

The raffle itself is free. If you want to enter the raffle without supporting the scholarship (or getting any of those cool postcards) then all you have to do is send a note in the mail to:

Shawn Newton
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Everybody who enters will be given a number in the order of postcards purchased and letters in the mail, and at the end of the month I’ll draw a number to pick the winner of a custom pen. I use random.org as a number picker.

Raffle pens are limited to c/c filling system, steel nib of any size with any grind you want. If you want any extra customizations, bands or rings, special filling system, gold nib, or anything else, there will be normal charges.

If there are ANY questions, please do ask. If you have a suggestion about how to make things easier to explain or understand, please let me know. 🙂 This is all about the success of the scholarship and getting financial help to as many kids as we can.

If you want to help the fund without buying postcards, contact me through email, @gmail.com, for details.

Questions?
1. “I’m confused how do I buy? I see no buy button for the postcards.”

–There is no buy button. You just send $10 via paypal to @gmail.com along with a postal address and I send you a pack of cards and a free raffle number. If you type your address into the Note box, please use a comma to separate lines, otherwise your address will come to me as one long line, and I may not know where to break it up, especially for international addresses.

2. “Interesting idea. Is it open to non-USA residents? I couldn’t find information one way or the other, but postage costs must surely be an issue.”

–Open to everybody worldwide. International postage is only about $1.15 so not that bad.

3. “What kind of pen do I get if I win?”

–You get any model, any size, any nib grind, any material I have on hand. If you want a gold nib or special filling system (button, bulb, or piston) I ask that you pay for that. I’ll still cover shipping.

4. “How do I enter for free?”

–Send a note or postcard in the mail to me at
Newton Pens Free Raffle
PO Box 6084
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

Include contact info like name and email or I won’t accept it. Nicknames/usernames don’t count. This is the same thing I tell my students at school: put your name on it or I can’t grade it! 🙂

5. “Who can get a scholarship? Art students only? Kids in Arkansas only? Kids at the school where you work only?”

–Right now the scholarship is open to any high school students going in to college, anywhere in the USA. Kids at any school can apply and receive a scholarship. Current college students are not eligible. Adults going back to school are not eligible.

You can browse my materials page for an idea of the materials I have on hand. If you win, and you want to see more, I’ll take more photos of my material stock.