Neil,
You'll have to try a lot harder to offend me!
I started making the JR Gent with a profiled cap and a flat barrel and it was more popular as it was not as clinical and with woods such as zebrano and straight grained rosewoods amongst others, the curve enhanced the beauty of the wood. I continued the practice with this pen but because of the non postable element of the cap/barrel, the straight barrel looked stupid with a profiled cap, hence the slight curve. It is a much nicer pen, i think, as I have turned it, but thats my choice and opinion! But it is without doubt my best seller.
On the issue of what sells where, it is more of what sells when, a good example is that I sell the slimline stylus but with a streamline centreband and at Christmas this flies off the shelf, the belief, I think, is that the elder generation were trying to be thoughtful and buy it for the younger generation Ipad/phone users. Differences that I have noted I am not convinced are down to the area but more likely attributable to the advertising mediums used by the show promoters, for instance the Crafts for Christmas show must have been advertised in SAGA magazine and 2 for one offers on the back of hair dye cartons. I am sure there are Males under 50 in Harrogate, but if there are they didnt show when I was exhibiting!
Fountain Pens outsell Rollerballs pens by at least 5:1, the last consignment of the Orion I bough 35 Fountain Pens and only 5 Rollerballs, I put that experience in context, I will do 53 shows this year, all of which are at least two day shows.
