Editing The Pen Addict 568/transcript (section)

== Inspiration behind pen design ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' Nice. So a pen design came out of this idea, this continuation that you've had this really kind of great fulfillment from making something with your hands, creating something.

'''Frank:''' Yeah, it was. Yes, it was not the design by then. It was the fact that I knew I wanted to make more with my hands. And the next step should be writing instruments. I didn't have any idea how to do it back then, but the spark never left the head.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Well, we're going to get into that, I think, right about now and get into these writing instruments. But first, let me talk about one of our wonderful sponsors here at The Pen Addict. And that is Squarespace. So this episode of The Pen Addict is brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all-in-one platform for building your brand and growing your business online. You can stand out with a beautiful website, engage your audience, sell anything, your product, services, and even the content you create. Squarespace has got you covered. With Squarespace, you can sell your products in an online store. That's something that I do. Whether you sell physical or digital products, Squarespace has the tools you need to start selling online. You can get the best-in-class website templates, which I also use to customize and fit to your needs. It's as easy as browsing the category of your business to find a perfect starting place. No matter what your business is, Squarespace has a way to get you started quickly and easily. And you can customize it all with just a few clicks. And you can get to blogging. That's what I do a lot with Squarespace. They have powerful blogging tools to share your stories, photos, videos, and updates. You'll be able to categorize, share, and schedule your posts to make your content work for you. So I'm a huge Squarespace fan. I've been using them for probably more than a decade. And if you want to check out the platform that I use to write the Pen Addict, have the Pen Addict shop, and host all kinds of information over at PenAddict.com, head over to squarespace.com slash PenAddict for a free trial with no credit card required. And when you're ready to launch, use the offer code PenAddict to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com slash PenAddict. And when you decide to sign up, use the offer code PenAddict to get 10% off your first purchase and show your support for the Pen Addict. Our thanks to Squarespace for their support of this show and RelayFM. How did your first foray into pen making go? I'm figuring it was a wild success, right? Right from the jump.

'''Frank:''' No.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' It never is. It never is.

'''Frank:''' It never is. As I said, first I was intrigued by the fact to do something with my hands, craftsmanship. And then I got stuck with writing instruments. And I was doing some research. How can I start? And I think as many pen makers start, you find a website where they offer pen kits. And then you order some of the metal parts and some nibs. And you try your luck. And then you realize, oh, it's not that easy. Even though you have instructions and stuff. So I was looking out for teachers who could teach me how to do it. Something I usually always do or did in my life when I have a topic that intrigues me, I look out for experts in that field and ask them, would you mind teaching me? And my experience is they usually enjoy teaching. So I found wood turning was the first step into pen making. I had a wood lathe, was turning entirely on the lathe using kits, made a weekend course, another weekend course, diving in, diving in, diving in, and working mainly on all the pen kits you can get. And always on the lookout for the next hot pen kit to come out. Sure. But I realized pretty quick that a pen kit is nice for staying on a hobby level. And it was my part if I just wanted to do it as a side job, have some enjoyment, a couple of hours in the basement. And making a pen, having quite a quick success. That is what a pen kit offers you. It did not fulfill my spark again. You call it spark. Sure. The thing in my head. Yeah. Because I was always stuck with the parts of the kit, obviously, which were made out of metal. Limitations. There are limitations. And when you think of, I have an idea in my head, how could I do it myself and stuff. So I was in the need of another teacher, and this time one that would teach me turning metal, to become able to make my own kit, or my kitless, my first kitless pen. And that was, I think it's called a rabbit hole in English, my dive in the rabbit hole of kitless pen making. I found a teacher. He was a genius. He was an artist. A tinkerer who enabled me to make the first pen. It was not a fountain pen by then. It was a rollerball pen. I still have it in my pocket with me. I think I have some models that arrived out of that on my website, but the rollerball pens are actually not models I offer quite offensive. If you ask for them, I will tell you, yes, I will make one for you.