JEB's Churchill Custom Fountain Pen
in Alternate Casein Pinstripe Acrylic.
(Click photo's for larger views)
Alternate Casein with Black Accents
Drop down to the bottom of the page for info & specs on this pen.
About the Name:
This JEB's Churchill is another of my pens made in homage to an iconic pen made by the former Conway Stewart Pen Company. The Conway Stewart Pen Company (CS) located in England, closed their business in October 2014. If you're not familiar with the company and their pens, they were a British company that had been in operation since the very early 1900's with more than two dozen different pen styles to their name over their many years in business. Their most famous tag lines was "they made the pens for the Queen". Contrary to what many may believe, the name "Conway Stewart" did NOT come from the name of the founder of the company, but rather it was believed to have been derived from a popular vaudeville act of the day. If you would like to read more about The Conway Stewart Pen Company, you can find additional information at wikipedia.org/Conway-Stewart.
This pen of course was based on the iconic CHURCHILL--named after Sir Winston Churchill--CS even used his photo in their advertising. And while several of their pen styles had variations or different iterations over the years, the Churchill always stayed true to the original design throughout the years. My homage pen has a few subtle differences. Most were due to the the available hardware, but some were intentional in order to set it apart from the original.
So why make a homage or "look a like" pen? One reason is because I've always been an admirer of several of the CS pens. And when some of their original material became available a few years after they went out of business, I decided I wanted to try and make a few pens based on some of those original styles.
Another reason is because CS pens are still sought by fans and followers, and although they are not "the real thing", it allows me to offer them an alternative to pens that are no longer available. Yet another is the option of being able to have a pen in other non-CS materials that were never used for CS pens allowing a customer to have truly unique and one of a kind pen.
JEB's Churchill Dimensions:
The most outstanding feature of the original Churchill was the (large) size. And although I had to make a few compromises to my version due to the available hardware, my goal was to try and stay as close to the original design as possible--especially with the "writing portion" of the pen (barrel & section).
The main compromise I had to make was with the cap diameter. The CS Churchill had a very large diameter cap at 11/16" (17.5mm). But the largest diameter band available were only 5/8". So my cap diameter is 5/8" (15.9mm). But the difference is only 1/16" (1.6mm). But because of the smaller diameter cap, this pen will NOT post like the original. But the pen is such a large size, I can't picture anyone would want to post the cap anyway. The other main compromise I had to make was with the overall closed (or capped) length. Although the original Churchill was a full-size pen, the capped length was short compared to other comparable sized pens. This short length was achieved by recessing the pen much further into the cap (with the nib reaching into the finial) than most other pens. And this was a feature CS used on several of their other pen styles too. But because of the reduced cap diameter (and the tenon needed for the lower band), I couldn't drill out the base of the cap deep enough for that recess--I had to stop just below the band. As a result, my closed length is a little longer*. The rest of the specs are similar: The uncapped length is about 5 1/2". The minimum diameter of the barrel is .55" (behind the threads), and tapers up to a max diameter of .59", before dropping down for the Blind-cap.
*Please note: because my pens are hand-made, the lengths of the various parts can vary from pen to pen. But if you want that original short closed length, the length of the center portion of the barrel could be reduced to get it closer.
A very minimal change I made that you may or may not notice, was the number of grooves on the finial. I used FOUR grooves on my pen instead of the five that CS used. Five grooves were hard to cut by hand and keep them evenly spaced, so I decided to use just four so it was just a little different.
One thing you will notice if you look closely, is that I'm using the ORIGINAL Churchill clip. One of my customers found a small supply of the clips for sale online and picked them up for me. So the Churchill will only be available with that original clip for a limited time until all the clips are gone (note: they are also used on the JEB's DURO).
Original CS Material is available:
A few material suppliers have been offering the original CS colors for quite some time now, and I've been keeping a small supply of the popular colors in stock. Some blanks are NOS, while other are NEW but come from the original manufacturer that is still using the original CS color formula's. So if you had a particular favorite of the original CS colors but it wasn't offered in the Churchill, now may be your opportunity to get one! Contact me using the link in the Contact & Info tab (above right) for a list of the currently available colors.
JEB's Churchill Options and Upgrades:
Just like the original, the JEB's Churchill doesn't allow for (or require) many additional upgrades or options. My standard version is offered as a C/C (cartridge/converter), but it can also be ordered as and Eyedropper or BUTTON-FILLER (I'm also working on a LEVER-filler upgrade option, but it's not quite ready yet). The Eyedropper version is fitted with a special o-ring that seals the section and barrel. The stock steel nib could also be upgraded with a 14k or 18k gold nib to make your pen really special! AND like the original Churchill, you can order it in a Rollerball version too!
I also offer a variety of hand-made Pen Props & Pen Buttons, as well as custom Cuff-Links and Button Covers. You can order a Pen Prop in the same material to match your pen, or any one of the wooden styles made in a variety of stained or dyed colors. The Pen Buttons are available for any of the clipless pens. The Cuff-links and Button Covers can also be ordered to match your pen. I have a variety of styles and finishes in the Cuff-links. The Button Covers are available in gold and nickel.
About this Pen and Material:
This pen is was made with a special acyclic called 'Alternate Casein' that looks just like the original pinstripe casein that CS (Conway Stewart) used on one of their Limited Edition Churchill's. The material is very unique in that it has alternating white and ivory pinstripes. It also unique because the pinstripes wraps all the way around, as opposed to some patterns that 'flatten out' on two sides where most patterns will typically come together. As shown here, CS made two versions of the Casein 'LE': a) an 'all white' version; and b) a version with black accents. And after seeing some photo's of the original LE's a few years ago, I fell in love with them and knew I needed to make one someday. And finally, the opportunity arrived. I originally planned to only show the all white version, but then decided to take a few photo's with the black accent version using parts from my mock-up pens. As you may well agree, I think the contrasting colors play well off each other and create a totally different look.
Original Casein... Although this pen was made with the acrylic alternative of the casein, as of this date, the original CS casein (both white and black) are still available.
Inking System... This pen was made with the BUTTON-filler inking system. The 'BF' system uses an internal 'sac' made of rubber, latex or silicone to hold the ink. When the button is pushed, an internal 'pressure bar' flattens the sac. The pen is filled by first dipping the pen into the ink, then the BUTTON is pressed to force the air out. Once the button is released, ink is pulled up into the sac. The sac can hold up to twice as much ink as a standard cartridge or converter. The JEB's Churchill is also now available in a LEVER-filler. So now the JEB's Churchill is available in FOUR different inking systems: the standard C/C (cartridge/converter), Button-filler, Lever-filler, and Eyedropper.
This Pens Specifications:
Color / Material: Alternate Casein Acrylic.
Length: Capped 6.0" / Uncapped = 5.52".
Diameter: Barrel max .59" min .55" / Cap .625".
Clip: Gold plated steel.
Hardware: CS Gold plated steel.
Nib: #6 AGS (All Gold Steel) Meister.
Nib also available in 14 or 18k Gold.
Filling System shown: Button-filler.
Also available as an C/C, Eyedropper or Lever-filler.