Inconsiderate Customer!

[Bob Ellis]

I have a small permanent display of my pens in a cabinet in the shop at the Dales Countryside Museum in Hawes. Recently, a customer asked to look at an inlay violin Sierra pen in the display. The shop assistant opened the cabinet and gave the customer the pen to examine and then served another customer. By the time the assistant had finished serving the other customer, the one looking at the pen had left the museum, leaving the pen in pieces on the counter! I have no idea how he did it, but he seems to have unscrewed the two parts of the mechanism and rammed the lower part hard down into the cap end of the pen body, where it has stuck fast. It is too deep for the other part of the mechanism to engage the thread and all my efforts to remove it without damaging it have proved fruitless. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

 

[Dalboy]

Was this a siarra type pen as I have had that happen to me and it was caused by turning the pen to close the nib into it but instead of stopping they kept turning and ended up unscrewing the components, they then tried to put it together and ended up pushing the mechanism in further so you could not engage the thread. I did get mine out with another piece from a kit

If that is the case he could of at least explain what happened and not just leave it in pieces for someone to find.

 

[Grump]

Put a self tapper or bolt in and screw it just enuf to get a bite on the tube and yank it out.

 

[Bob Ellis]

Thanks for both your suggestions. I couldn't find another piece from a kit to screw into the thread and pull out the mechanism, but Brian's suggestion of using a bolt worked (don't know why I didn't think of it myself!)

 

[woodhacker]

thinking outside the box Grump

 

[woodhacker]

Love your pink nail varnish Bob

 

[Bob Ellis]

Yes, the nail varnish is one of my favourite shades. When I had finished doing my nails, I used it to coat the inside of some pink acrylic blanks.

 

[flexi]

Hi i had exactly the same done to me...fortunatly it had a PDA tip which i could unscrew and just push out....good to know what to do without one...

 

[Penpal]

The joys of selling at a location glad you were able to reclaim the pen its a delicate balance between selling wholesale and commission.

Peter.

 

[Bill Mooney]

Bob you call him an inconsiderate customer. I call him an a***h**e & I hope he reads this.

 

[Lons]

Yes, the nail varnish is one of my favourite shades.

I'm sure it was a different shade at Harrogate Bob, didn't it match your lippy?

You need to find that "customer" and kick him in the nuts. And maybe ask the staff not to leave a potential customer alone with one of your pens, I'm sure they wouldn't if it was a piece of jewellery.

 

[wm460]

I'm sure it was a different shade at Harrogate Bob, didn't it match your lippy?

You need to find that "customer" and kick him in the nuts. And maybe ask the staff not to leave a potential customer alone with one of your pens, I'm sure they wouldn't if it was a piece of jewellery.

I agree with Bob he could have walked out with it.

I pulled one out using a set of forceps.

 

[Bob Ellis]

It is difficult for the staff at the museum. They have to staff the shop, sell tickets for the museum, answer phone calls for the museum and for the National Park (which owns and runs the museum) and field general enquiries because the museum also acts as the local Tourist Information Office. There are never more than two staff on duty at any one time and sometimes (e.g. lunchtime) there is only one. There was only one hard-pressed lady on duty when the incident happened with my pen, so I can hardly blame her.

I also have to bear in mind that the Museum/National Park don't charge any commission for selling my pens, the proceeds from which go towards repairing and rebinding rare old books of local interest in a collection which is held in trust for the people of Wensleydale and is housed in, but not owned by, the museum.

 

[Jim]

Makes you wonder what he was doing to do this? Was he an heavy handed person or someone who deliberately tried to destroy the pen..

 

[Bob Ellis]

Since it is a violin inlay pen, maybe he hates just violins. If the same thing happens to the beagle inlay pen I finished recently, I am calling the RSPCA! :nonono:

 

[Winemaker]

I second Bills comment