Another knot... do they ever end?

[Texatdurango]

This Gentleman pen, finished with CA, is made from maple and the eight knot segments are crosscut mahogany which allows the bands to change color as the pen is rotated or tilted, much the same way a tigers eye stone does.

I decided to add a few swirl accents on the lower half because I thought it looked too plain.

What do you think, are the lower accents a bit much or do they help "balance" the pen?

Constructive comments, pro or con, are welcome.

 

[ahoiberg]

nice one george... i really like how this one came out. however, i'm still trying to decide if i like your other one with the 'accent' bands on top and bottom of the knot. it just looks like the tops of the knots almost bleed together. i suppose it's impossible to avoid with that many segments coming together though. that being said, it's still an amazing pen. i really like the pieces on the bottom, are those inlaid? kudos.

 

[johnnycnc]

Nice workmanship,George.
I like the accents on the lower,they
do seem to help balance the scheme.
The upper looks neat,but for me,not enough
definition on the ends of the knots.
The same color wood almost seems to have
"run together",at least on my monitor.
(don't get me wrong,the execution is dead on![])
I like the maple/mahogany combination,
and your finish looks great.

 

[Texatdurango]

Originally posted by ahoiberg
i really like the pieces on the bottom, are those inlaid? kudos.

I call them inlays. They are just pieces of mahogany inserted into saw kerfs.

 

[Texatdurango]

Originally posted by johnnycnc
<br />...
The upper looks neat,but for me,not enough
definition on the ends of the knots.
The same color wood almost seems to have
"run together",at least on my monitor.
.

It's not your monitor, the loops do look sorta bland. I think I figured out why these look so dull while others I have made are sharp and crisp.

I cut the mohogany cross grain so the segments would change hue when rotated or tilted. The downside however is that the ends of the segments show the lifeless, dull brown endgrain.

I think I'll rip the next ones to see if this is indeed the problem.

Also, I believe that the 60 degree cut is showing more of a "feathered" edge than a lessor angle.

 

[angboy]

I lvoe the bottom, and in fact think I'd like just that type of pattern in a pen.

 

[GaryMGg]

It's interesting that the bottoms of the rings are so crisp yet the tops aren't.
Are you sealing with thin CA before sanding? Perhaps some of the mahogany dust is
getting into the maple?
Your craftsmanship and eye for detail are spot on! Wonderful work.
Gary

 

[TBone]

Great craftsmanship George. Personally I like the bottom.

 

[johncrane]

l agree with Tommy great work[]

 

[rd_ab_penman]

Hey George, nice work! I like what you did with the bottom barrel!TJMO[]

 

[rcarman]

Love your work! Beautiful finish and all else said, it is no small thing to make an eight loop knot.

 

[mdburn_em]

I like the top and bottom section...just not sure I like them together. Seems like the top is a little "busy" for the bottom. I'm sure that is simply a personal preference and there will be people that simply love the combo.
That being said, it is very inspirational. This pen, more than any other I've seen, makes me want to try this.

 

[Randy_]

Nice work, George; but I think eight rings gts a little congested unless the rings are very thin. It's a little more complicated to set up; but I think a 6 ring knot will result in a more pleasing outcome in most cases.

 

[winpooh498]

Very nice! I like how you did a little on the bottom to bring in the colors of the top! []

Dawn