That is mostly because I used up all of my Slims and we have a small hoard of Cigars. I have to pay Dad back for the kits whenever I sell one. And I'm also generating demonstrations of what the casts look like so they're easier to sell when the next IAP meeting comes up. I very much appreciate the compliment, and at some point I plan on investing some serious time with the high end timber and see if I can't come close to the work you're doing.
In my experience I would say that burls can be discouraging, especially the type that is soft and voidy (read afzelia and buckeye for example) I would advice that you go with a single tubed pen kit if you decide to go on with more expensive blanks. Going single tubed let you concentrate on the turning and finishing. Making the pen is less tiring and probably will lead to better results.
Talking about more expensive blanks... I really enjoy rosewoods, burl or not, they are fun and easier to turn, they are really dense, oily and generally stable. You could also go without a finish and just buff the hell out of them and achieve something closer to the wood.
Anyway, just my 2 cents.
Charles
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