Hello and welcome to our web site,
My name is Derek Smart and I’m the owner of Smart Manufacturing. For the past 30 years I’ve specialized in the design and manufacture of commercial, medical, aerospace... high precision products for many industries. Up until now my company and I have always manufactured for other companies. A number of years ago... I decided to go to work on an idea I’ve have for some time now. Being a novice collector of pens. I’ve often thought of making a more interesting, more comfortable and yes... a more beautiful pens. This is what we've come up with so far:
1) I'll start by mentioning what I believe is the least interesting aspect of our pens... the Argentium Sterling Silver components are cut from solid Argentium Sterling Silver. Vitreous Enamels are heavy, so solid sterling silver accessory is used to balance these pens.
2) We've placed much attention to style, shape and feel. To me it seems... Pens on the market today all have the same shape and look. We've tried to make fresh start here. Comfort, style feel...
3) I believe that Vitreous Enameling is the most beautiful art form that can be applied to any metal surface. Therefore, from the ground up these pens are specifically engineered and designed to be fired at 1500 with Vitreous Enamels. We've also developed many process’s that allow us to fuse high quality glass enamels to the body of these pens. These process's, in combination with our specialized design, leaves our pens in a league of their our own. These pens are designed to produce a deep, vast unobstructed 3 dimensional scenes. 3 dimensional means.... because of this specialized design, we fire many layers of enamel. The end result is, Vitreous Enameled art with depth. Giving our pens another perspective that others pens don’t have.
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Working with Earth and Fire...
These days many highly priced pen manufactures use 24kt gold or jewels to add value to their pens. Because of the difficulty in working with real Vitreous Enamels... real enameled pens are truly a rare find these days. For the most part, real enameled pens have been abandoned. Sadly... truly beautiful creations of art made from this wondrous fine glass called "Vitreous Enamel" have been replaced with plastics or resins. Yes its true hundreds and thousands of dollars are spent on plastic and resins pens. Although the "plastic and resins" may be accented by real gold and silver accessory. Somehow.. ( to me anyhow) such pens is lacking the emphasis of fine quality craftsmanship when plastic is used. Although I’m sure there is enough gold to justify the price, where’s the craftsmanship? Computers are making everything these days, even our finest pens.
Yes... its difficult working with real Vitreous Enamels. It’s a time consuming process, especially on a pen designed to be fired with many layers of enamel such as mine. So why do we choose to work with real Vitreous Enamels? Its in our very being to do so... I should take a moment to explain that. Here’s a little history on Vitreous Enameling... Vitreous Enamels are of Earth and Fire. When man first discovered fire, he soon realized that the Earth when sufficiently heated by fire, would melt and cool into crystalized forms. He (she) soon discovered that if some of these crystals were broken into small pieces and ground very finely. They could then be re-fired and fused to metal. Gold, Silver and Copper... mans first choice of metals to "work" at the dawn of our intellect. The most common and abundant of which was Copper. Skilled craftsman called Metalsmiths and Enamelists have produced fine art for people of means for a very long time indeed. Many of these items are now stored in Museums around the world. Many of these Enamels are seen as the finest quality craftsmanship of their times. For likes of Kings, Queens, Roman Emperors, Egyptian Pharaoh's and Cleopatra herself, have all possessed these items of fine Enameled art. Many of these wondrous Enamels of Earth and Fire have been found in their tomes. Adored till death...
This is why we've chosen to work with real Vitreous Enamels or "Earth and Fire" As other craftsman have done for nearly 4000 years.
Thank you for your interest.
Sincerely
Derek Smart
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My son William laying out in his hot tube again.
