Author: newtonpens

Hi everybody,
It’s been a while since my last and a lot has happened.
Newton Pens has it’s own Employment ID number (EIN) – YAY!
I’ve figured out a way to get the scholarship money to students, and after this year, I’m going to make the scholarship available to kids anywhere in the country.  I’ll have to start my own non profit I believe, but I think I have a friend or two who can help me get the paperwork together and filled out.

Since I started making pens I have made two pens for very nearly every order – I lost track a while back, but I’ve made lots of twins – and these pens have been given to dozens and dozens of deserving high school students at my school and several other schools around Arkansas.  I have ten or so more student pens to make, and then I’m going to call it quits for student pens.  Instead I’m going to focus on the scholarship.  Starting this summer, every pen you buy will have a portion of the money sent directly into the scholarship fund to join the money made from raffling pens off each month.  This will help to grow the scholarship and help more students achieve their college goals.  Each recipient will get a pen and a couple bottles of ink of course.

This also means my prices will be changing a little bit – more on that later when I’ve figured out exactly what I’m going to do. I’m going to get rid of the 15mm pen reducing my lineup to four sizes with four main styles for each size and any style full custom you come up with for me. 
My plan to select students for the scholarship is to form a group of like minded pen nuts to go through applications and pick recipients each year.  Any advice here would be greatly appreciated.  🙂  I still have to figure out what the requirements for being selected will be.  Hopefully some of you brilliant pen lovers will have some good ideas.  If so email me – [email protected]

The next pen starts tonight.  The pen isn’t finished yet, but here’s a sneak peak…

This has raised $310 so far!  Thank you!
Total money raised as of April 25, 2013 –
PayPal balance:   $2,002.35 USD

Finished pen pictures.

will end May 3rd so I have time to get a check from Paypal to my school for two lucky students before graduation.
So far you’ve all helped raise $1,701.67 USD.

 

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

If you have any questions or concerns please let me know and I’ll get back with you asap.
This purchase is not tax deductible.

Thanks.
Shawn

 

More hard rubber to choose from when you’re ordering a pen.  🙂

The drawing is getting close! Go to the Fountain Pen Community and enter for a chance to win! 🙂 All you have to do is contribute $10 to help with hosting/website fees, and you’re entered.

So recently I’ve begun to think more seriously about coming up with a set few styles with names.  I’ve been told by friends in the pen industry that I have too many options and that it’s a bit overwhelming and that it would be a good idea to simplify things a bit.

So I posted over at FPN asking for a bit of advice for names, and that quickly led to names from science.  Isaac being the most obvious.  🙂

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/243299-naming-my-pens

Here’s what I’ve come up with for now…
Nothing set in stone of course…

OH.  And don’t think that the complete and total custom pens that I’ve been making for you will disappear.  I will still make pens built to your specifications, whatever they may be, but I also want to make it easier for people to order one of the more popular styles, of which these four seem to be.

Isaac – Gravity
This is probably my most popular style.  Slight bulge of body and cap.

Other ideas: Principia.

Scheele – Short Stick.  I liked the story of Scheele not getting credit for his discoveries, sort of like getting the short end of the stick.  So I give this name to my shortest pen.  

Other Ideas: Gravitas.

Mendeleev – Periodically.
Because he created the first version of the periodic table, and this was the first sort of nice pen that I ever made.  Small step in the barrel but the cap and barrel don’t close flush together.  Has a small taper towards the back.

Other ideas: Momentum.

And last, Darwin – Natural Selection.
A straight and simple, clean lined pen for the man who came up with the theory of evolution by means of natural selection, a subject that can be anything but straight and simple, especially when you consider some of the weird animals that are out there.  🙂

Other ideas:  Inertia.

The Fountain Pen Community is hosting a pen give-away to help pay for hosting costs.
Here’s the post:

This year, The Fountain Pen Community is giving away a pen from Newton Pens!

Shawn Newton of Newton Pens, has generously provided a pen for the give-away! The pen is from his Custom “Medium” Pen line! It’s made with alumilite, and has a #6 Jowo point. This pen has a retail value of $175!!

To help our community, and help offset overdue board costs/expenses, we are going to send this pen to a lucky TFPC member! We are a member driven community, and we rely on member contributions to keep The Community active!

To enter the drawing, you simply contribute $10 to the board! Click on the Contribute tab at the bottom of the main board page. You will be directed to the Activeboard donation page, where you can make the donation. A confirm email will be sent to you, and the admin at TFPC (yours truly) will also be notified. A drawing number will then be assigned to you by the admin by email, and this number will be used in the drawing!

We will have the drawing on Friday, May 3rd! We need at least 30 people to participate (entries), and donate said $10 amount. You are free to donate more, and you will receive a drawing number for each $10 amount you donate!

This give away is open to members of TFPC who contribute said amount to board dues. The admin/mods of The Community (Frank/DWL/Chthulhu) are not eligible in this pen drawing. Adjustments to the the drawing date and/or number of participants are subject to change. The pen is provided to The Community by Newton Pens for the purpose of giving the item to the winning member of the drawing. Drawing will take place, and pen will be shipped to the winning member by Newton Pens. The winner decides the nib type/nib size/clip option(adjustment/additional fees may apply). Any changes or requests for changes and/or adjustments to pen will then be the responsibility of the winning member and Newton Pens.

Please refer to The Rules forum topic of The Community for more information and explanation of board policies/regulations. Furthermore, You expressly understand and agree that neither we nor the makers of the Community area software nor Newton Pens shall be liable under any circumstances to you whatsoever for any loss or damage of whatever nature suffered by you in connection with your use of the Community areas.

Good Luck!!

 

A few shots from the last few weeks.  Just because.  🙂

Yes – sewer pipe.  It’s unused of course.  😉

So here’s a two-tone that I had been thinking about for a while.  I’ve had this blue pipe material for over a year and haven’t wanted to use it until recently.  I really enjoy making these two-tone pens.

And then of course this pic just makes me think of a couple cuddling on a couch with a sappy girl movie on TV.

Wow what a great show!  I met lots of people and made lots of great contacts.  I sold one pen and traded another.  One of the guys from the pen club asked me if I was selling a lot, and I said no but I’ve made some REALLY great contacts and have met all sorts of wonderful people!  He gave me this knowing grin, and said “That’s what it’s really all about.”

At the end of the day Sunday I entered at the LAST minute for one of the raffles.  A pen that I had donated was up, a leather bag, and then the Taccia Savanna, the buffalo horn pen hand shaped to look like a piece of bamboo.  Absolutely gorgeous.  AND I WON!!  I couldn’t believe it!  So awesome!  The whole place lit up with laughter and some applause and I was absolutely giddy!  What made it even better was getting to pose with the head of Taccia herself!

And if you haven’t checked out some of their latest offerings you’re really missing out.  She brought some of the most beautiful modern pens I think I’ve ever seen to the show.  One of them had stingray skin around the cap, in the tradition of the Japanese knife and sword handles, and it was just stunning.

 

Here are the rest of the shots from the show.

Susan Wirth

Henry Simpole

 

Wahoo!  I’ll be there!
http://www.arkansaspenclub.com/

Friday 8th of March 2013

7am                           Pen Club Members will set-up the room, with Vendors shortly after that.

8am                           Vendors begin setting up

Noon                        Doors open to the public

7pm                           Doors close to the public

7:30pm                    Pizza Party in the Hospitality room, for Vendors and weekend pass holders

Saturday 9th of March 2013

10am                        Doors open to the public

11am to 11:45     Think Ink with Sam Fiorella in the Hospitality Room

Noon to 12:45    Pens for Kids APCA event from the Anderson’s

1pm to 3pm           Intro to Calligraphy by Deborah Basel

3pm to 4pm           Basic  Fountain Pen Repair with Fernando Padilla

6pm                           Doors close to the public

6pm                           Open House at Vanness

Sunday 10th of March 2013

10am                        Doors open to the public

10am to Noon      Intro to Calligraphy by Deborah Basel

3pm                           Doors close to the public

Raffle – There will be an option to purchase raffle tickets at the door for guest , vendors, and pen club members. There will also be periodic door prizes given away during the course of the weekend. You must be present for the door prizes to win, but not the raffle.

Note: Vendors will have access to the Hospitality room from Friday morning, till Noon on Sunday, with the exceptions when the room is being used for one of the seminars. There is a private restroom in the room, and the room key will be at the check table just outside the room.

I’m getting my nibs engraved!  I’m so proud.  I feel like I’m a real pen maker now.  🙂
Mike at Vanness Pens did this for me tonight in no time at all. I was so excited! I didn’t think it would be that easy. And it looks so good!

This bulb filler pen will be raffled off at the Arkansas Pen Show this year!  Want a chance to win it?  Then come meet us at the show.