Author: newtonpens

Update: August 3rd – #25 got it!  Congrats to #25!!

Hi everybody,

Yesterday one of the scholarship recipients and Nanna (she told me not to call her a grandma) came by to pick out colors and have her pen made.  She’ll be going to SAU so she picked yellow and blue.

The scholarship she got is thanks to all of you giving every month to the fund.  Thank you all so much.

And here it is!

The current scholarship is scheduled to end tomorrow night, but I’ve gotten more questions about the postcards and how it works.

It’s exactly the same as it always has been.  If you want to enter the drawing for a pen, just send $10 via paypal to
[email protected] 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 like Maddisyn above.

This is open to ANYbody in the entire world.

The only real change I’m having to make is to make the raffle itself 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

When you mail your note off, send me an email saying you’ve done so and I’ll give you a number.

This current raffle ends tomorrow night, August 3rd, 9pm central US time.

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.

Thanks!

Check it out!  I just got this Sheaffer Legacy 2 from Vanness the other day.  I don’t post much about other pens on here but I wanted to share this.

This is the Daum Crystal set made in 2000.  It came in three finishes – black, copper, and palladium.  They made 1,000 of each.  I chose the copper with a medium nib.  The black one in the pics below has a stub – but there’s no way it would get much use from me.  I prefer a nice round nib.  Usually fine or medium.

This set came with a Daum lead crystal ink well and feather made using the pate de verre method.  Very pretty.

The pen fills using the touchdown filler, which you can see in the video.  You unscrew the knob on the back of the pen and pull it back, put the nib in the ink, and push the knob down.  This compresses the sac inside the pen with air, and as the sac decompresses, ink is drawn in.  The sac is held in the section the same way a cart or piston converter is, so if it goes bad it will be easy to replace.  I don’t think these touchdown converters are available anymore, so I would end up making my own with an empty cart and a glued on sac.

The nib is incredibly smooth.  Perfect at all angles.

The pen is made of brass with the copper finish over it.  It’s not light, but not heavy either.  Feels really good in hand and very balanced when posted or not.

I haven’t dropped it yet… yet… so I can’t say how the finish will hold up.  I plan on using this thing at school once school starts back up, so we’ll see then.  Hopefully I never drop it.  I ruined my first Parker 51 in class.  Bent the nib over 45 degrees.  Sad day that was.  Hopefully the Sheaffer will never eat cement.

I really like this pen.  Ever since I saw the old PFM I’ve wanted one of these fat inlaid nib Sheaffer pens.  After handling those and the modern version I much prefer the weight of the Legacy.  I’ve been checking these out for the last couple of years at Vanness and finally bit the bullet a couple weeks ago.  I love it.  $300 isn’t cheap, but it’s hard to beat for a pen this good.

Update: August 3rd – #25 got it!  Congrats to #25!!

Good morning everybody!

Scholarships

I’m very excited to announce a new way to raise money for the scholarships: postcards!  What better way to use your fountain pens than by writing notes on postcards with artwork made by students?!  And all the money made from the sale of these postcards will go towards the scholarships!

When you buy a pack of 5 postcards for $10 you’re automatically entered into the raffle, which is totally free now.  If you wish to enter the raffle without buying postcards.  When you buy these cards, be sure a postal address is in the notes section of your PayPal payment.  If you wish to send a check or MO that’s fine as well,  just send me an email for postal details.

You can buy as many packs of cards as you want.  Each pack gets you one entry into the raffle.

To enter send $10 to
[email protected] via PayPal and be sure to mention postcards and give me your postal address in the notes section.

To enter for free send a note in the mail to
Shawn Newton – Newton Pens
PO Box 6048
Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

You can still contribute without expectation of receiving anything – just let me know when you send payment.

This will run from July 21st through August 3rd.  I’ll announce the winner that evening around 9pm Central US time, and the winner will get their own custom pen.

If you have any questions please ask.  The rules are posted here.

Nib Grinds

I’m also going to be running things a little differently around here with regards to nib grinds.

When you buy a Newton Pen you can now get a nib grind for 50% off: $15 instead of $30.  If you’ve had work done in the past, this deal applies to you, too.  Just send in any pen and I’ll grind it for $15.  Shipping is $5.  If you want me to return it insured let me know.

If you send in a pen to be ground, I’ll offer to adjust one pen for free.  One grind, one adjustment.  Just my way of saying thanks for all the support.

If you have any questions at all please ask.

Thanks,
Shawn

Hi Everybody!

I wanted to let you all know that I have new clips that I designed. They’re made from sterling silver or from brass.

Once I’m out of my engraved clips this is what I’ll be using exclusively as far as I can tell.  I’m very happy with them.

They will go along nicely with my straight clips I had made up last year.

#69 won it!  Congrats to Ray!

Thanks everybody for contributing to the scholarship.  You raised enough this month for one kid to get a $1000 scholarship.  Let’s keep it up.  🙂

Starting next month the way we raise money will change.  Instead of , I’m going to have some post cards made up with student art on the front.  Buying a pack of post cards will automatically enter you into the .  If you don’t want to buy any postcards, you can send a self addressed, stamped envelope to me and I’ll send you back a number.  This way the giveaway is a free, no purchase required deal.  If any of you have any suggestions I’m all ears, but I think this will be okay.

Thanks,
Shawn

I’m going to be at the Washington DC Pen Show in August!  Arriving the 7th, at a table the 8th, 9th, and 10th.  I’ve bought tickets and booked a room and everything.  It’s official!

Holy cow I’m nervous.  I’m going to get as much made as I can and bring it all with me.  I’ll also be bringing a few rods with me for show-n-tell.  Is there anything in particular you would like to see?

I’ll be sharing a table with Vanness Pen, working double duty.

Also a huge shout out of thanks to Vanness for donating a Rhodia pad and some inks to one of the kids who got a pen from me a month or so ago.
http://vanness1938.com/
http://rhodiapads.com/

They donated a huge Rhodia blank pad for the girl who got this pen. (click link)  They also donated a couple bottles of ink for scholarship recipients as well.

This was for one of my students when I taught at Centerpoint (my first two years teaching) who always impressed me with her talent and work ethic.  I contacted her current art teacher and was told nothing but good things.  So she got a pen.  When I asked to buy a notebook from Vanness for one of my old students, they GAVE it to me.  Thanks so much for your support of my program and for giving to my kids.  I really really appreciate it.

I also got a couple pics from scholarship recipients over the last couple of days.

One asked for a Shinboi and a bottle of black ink (thanks Vanness!).

From Tosha…

And from Maddisyn…

 

Thanks everybody for all you’ve done to support the scholarship and to help get these kids some help with college expenses.

The current is open until June 28th if you want to get in on it.

Thanks,
Shawn

Hope you’re all having a good summer so far.  I’m enjoying all this shop time.  🙂

I thought now would be a good time to start raising money again for next year’s scholarships.

We all raised just over $6000 and have helped 6 kids out with $1000 scholarships.  I wish I was better with words, but it means so much to me to be able to help out like this, and I wouldn’t be able to do it without all of you.

So let’s get started.  🙂

One winner – one pen.

All you have to do to enter is send $10 via paypal to [email protected] and I’ll respond with a number according to what order you got in.  If you’re the 3rd person, you’ll be #3, if you’re the 33rd person, you’ll be #33.  Simple right?  At the end of the two weeks I’ll use a random number picker and the first number picked will get a prize!

What prize?  Any pen made by me you can dream of.  Includes any nib grind.

You may buy as many as you like, all at once or spread out over several days.  It’s up to you.  Purchase not tax deductible.

So if all that sounds good then you can buy as many pen as you want payable through paypal to newtonpensscholarships@gmail.com.  Be sure not to send payment to my other email address as it may get lost.

Drawing will run from Wednesday, June 11, through Saturday, June 28, 2014.

If you have any questions please ask.  If I forgot anything please let me know!  🙂

Here’s a load of cool materials that I have available, plus lots more in the shop, for that lucky pen winner.

Hi Everybody!

Scholarships went out!  Six students were selected based on the essays they wrote, and each one will be getting a $1000 scholarship.

Congrats to you kids at Mountain Pine, Cutter Morning Star, Benton, and Lakeside!

And thank you to my volunteers.  Thank you so much!  This would have been so much more difficult without your help.

I have the video from graduation and will get it put up as soon as possible.

Next – I wanted to share a couple boxes my awesome box making friend has put together for me.  He showed them to me this morning and my jaw fell to the floor.

They’re both made from Arkansas Black Walnut, one with Padauk and the other with Leopard Wood accents.  Just incredible.

Aaaaaaaand it’s SUMMER TIME!  I’ll finally get the shop time I want!  🙂  So if you have a pen in the queue, expect it a bit sooner than I originally told you.

 

Thanks!  Have a great summer!

Shawn Newton

A bit of work, a bit of fun, and a really good dinner.

First Happy Mother’s Day!  We had a great day today walking downtown and then Chinese for dinner.  Downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas is beautiful.  Here are some shots…

And the winner of the Pen Drawing?

Well, 65 were sold this time, and in all for the entire year raised $6123!  That’s amazing!  Thank you all so much!  I can give away 6 $1000 scholarships!

And the winner is…
He came in at the very last moment.  Just a couple minutes before 9.  The very last entrant.

#65!!!

Congrats!

Who will win the batch of Indian pens?

#41!

Congrats to you, too!

Thank you all so much.  I’ll post a video of the graduation ceremony as soon as I can.