First Bolt Action Pen

[wildbill23c]

Made a trip to Woodcraft and they finally had the .30cal kit bushings so I grabbed them and a few other items and came back home and made this pen out of a piece of Purple Hart Wood.



First pen of the new year.

 

[Airbear77]

Neat pen. I would like to make one of those one day.

 

[wildbill23c]

Neat pen. I would like to make one of those one day.

Thanks, they're actually pretty darn easy to make. The kits are slightly expensive I think it was about $13, but its 1 blank to turn and finish, and then the top end presses in, bottom end presses in, then the little bullet tip unscrews to insert the Parker Style ink Cartridge. I really like this style, and if this one sells soon I'll certainly be getting more kits.

 

[hard hat]

Nice work

 

[wildbill23c]

Nice work

Thank you. This is the first one I've made, and I have to say I can see why it is such a popular pen, it is extremely comfortable in the hand, and that bolt-action mechanism should really go over well for the hunters where I live.

Problem is trying to price pens, I can't figure out a pricing scale for these, and for the slim-lines that anyone will pay attention to. I don't want to go too cheap as then it won't give me enough return to buy more supplies.

 

[Leatherman1998]

Thank you. This is the first one I've made, and I have to say I can see why it is such a popular pen, it is extremely comfortable in the hand, and that bolt-action mechanism should really go over well for the hunters where I live.

Problem is trying to price pens, I can't figure out a pricing scale for these, and for the slim-lines that anyone will pay attention to. I don't want to go too cheap as then it won't give me enough return to buy more supplies.

Retail for me is around $50 and up.

Sent from my Galaxy Tab 3 using Forum Runner

 

[RBcarving]

$45 to $55 on the bolts....depending on the blank material.

 

[wildbill23c]

Ok, so I was pretty close on a ballpark figure, I was saying $45 for this one, but in reality, who's going to pay that much for a pen? Yeah there are people out there that will pay many hundreds of dollars for pens, I couldn't believe that until I got into the fountain pen world and seeing the prices and websites being out of stock on $200+ pens.

 

[Waluy]

I sell bolt actions at $50 with a basic blank. More expensive blanks have gone for 60-70 with the all brass one I did going for $75 after all said and done. And honestly it is one style I can't keep a hold of every time I make one it gets bought.

 

[Mason Kuettel]

I sold every bolt action I could make before Christmas and already have two more on order since. They sell well at the $45-$70 range for me with basic wood on the cheap end and snakeskin on the high end and antler in the middle.

PS-Your pen looks good!

 

[wildbill23c]

Thanks everyone, I priced it at $45 locally on craigslist, and $50 on ebay as shipping costs will have to be added. I'm really enjoying this pen-making, and I really hope it catches on here soon and I get a few sales out of it.

Thus far I've sold 3 pens, 1 to a guy in New Jersey, and 2 to a guy in Ontario Canada. Then of course the holidays ended before I really got anywhere, so now its just kind of a lull in sales I guess. I see these as mostly being a gift around the holidays.

Makes it a lot of fun though.

 

[OZturner]

Nice Bolt Action William.
Nice Fit,
What Finish did you use on the Purple Heart?
Brian.

 

[wildbill23c]

Nice Bolt Action William.
Nice Fit,
What Finish did you use on the Purple Heart?
Brian.

Thank you. I just used Myland's Friction Polish and a couple of coats of CA Glue to seal it. Really turned out smooth, and it isn't real shiny, but I've got some info on a different finish and will be picking it up here later this month.

Just sold one of these to the owner of a local feed store. He didn't even argue with the $45 price tag.

 

[wildbill23c]

Just put another Bolt Action together after work tonight.

Brazilian Cherry


Both Bolt Action Pens Together
L: Purple Hart
R: Brazilian Cherry

 

[Tom T]

Nice pens. Keep up the good work.
Look at the IAP vender sights for camo colors. I have mine at $70.00

 

[wildbill23c]

Nice pens. Keep up the good work.
Look at the IAP vender sights for camo colors. I have mine at $70.00

Awesome. I received a couple of acrylic blanks from a guy on another forum, so I may venture into that here when the weather warms up so I can put my lathe outside and not get that acrylic stuff all over in my shed.