Mr. A strikes again! A special pen from Ryan.

[Carl Fisher]

So we've been hearing these stories of Mr. Anonymous over the past few months. They were great stories and he really helped some fellow IAP members in times of need.

When I put out the call to help fund raise for Ryan's band trip, several IAP members paid it forward and sent in truly amazing donations. Mr. A wasn't even in my mind at the time and I was just doing a Father's part to help fund raise for a great opportunity. Well, when one least expects it, along comes Mr. A to commission a pen. His desire was for a pen made entirely by Ryan with a story attached. Because of Mr. A and several other generous IAP members, I am happy to say that Ryan has hit his goal and will be on his way to Universal Studios in the spring to play his saxophone in the spring

I had to admit to Mr. A that I stepped in at two points along the way. I helped Ryan pick out the blank which was a stunning piece of Amboyna burl since he doesn't have access to my higher end blanks typically and I had to step in briefly when the blank exploded during turning and help him perform a repair and teach him how to recover from potential disaster. The pen was finished in Doctor's Woodshop Pens Plus.

Following are a series of pictures along the way. I hope you enjoy the process as much as he did.

 

[Carl Fisher]

Here are the second batch of pictures

 

[Carl Fisher]

And the final pictures

 

[Argo13]

Way to go Mr. A and Ryan. Enjoy the pen and the trip. Well earned.

Jason

 

[SteveJ]

Looks like a great time! How old is your son? Those music trips are great experiences!

 

[Carl Fisher]

He's 13 and in 8th grade. He's made pens before but had a few firsts with this one. It's his first long blank, his first what I would consider a higher end blank, and his first explosion and recovery.

We found out that he's also going to Washington DC this year so he's got two trips to pay for. We're going to apply the money we would have spent on the band trip to his DC trip. Without the support of some great people, he would have had to make a choice between the two.

 

[jyreene]

Awesome. We have a great family on this site.

 

[MarkD]

Awesome Job Ryan! Keep up the great work!
Have a great time on your trips!

 

[OZturner]

Beautiful Pen, Brilliant Story,
I don't know which is the Brightest?
The Shine on the Blank, or the Smile on Ryan's face.
Congratulations Ryan,
You have already hit all the right notes.
Great Parenting, Carl.
Brian.

 

[jsolie]

Excellent! I'm glad you were able to help him recover the pen. I imagine he wasn't terribly pleased when that happened.

 

[Jim15]

Awesome pen. Even more of an awesome story. This is a great place to hang out.

 

[Carl Fisher]

Excellent! I'm glad you were able to help him recover the pen. I imagine he wasn't terribly pleased when that happened.

You have no idea how dejected he was. He was almost in tears right after it happened and he couldn't understand why I was smiling. It was a great lesson to not give up in the face of adversity and instead of reacting instantly to stop and assess the situation and think through the problem. Since about 90% was in two big pieces, the rest was easily able to be filled with the shavings and dust from turning.

 

[wyone]

I LOVE the pictures.. and the story! It is so wonderful that you are helping him to understand that even when things go completely to pot, in your mind, there is often a way to resolve the issues. Even us old guys need reminded of that as well!

I wonder if the trip he is going on is to Disneyworld? Our son, a senior is raising money to go in the spring as well. They normally have a raffle and I am thinking I will make a few pens to donate and hopefully give the group a bit of a boost as well.

Some experiences in life as so valuable and I think you have led him to a wonderful lesson that I am certain he will NEVER forget. Good for you...

 

[robutacion]

Yes, Mr. Anonymous generosity and timing seems to be extraordinary in all aspects, most importantly, is what his actions mean, not only to the recipients but everyone else involved in the IAP family. A great lesson to everyone, one of which, many of us are capable/able of but, lack the inspiration.

You could not, not to be touched by what is behind certain gestures, any young folks that are lucky enough to experience such a lesson in their young lives, should embrace this sentiment and used throughout their lives, they will be a much better person by doing so, every so often, we have to stop for a few minutes and consider what is important, follow your gut feelings, you will be just fine...!

As for the pen, the maker, the coach and the tribulations of pen making, a great job done by all parts involved, the recovering of a bad situation, is the reality of life, regardless of who you are, you do the best you can do, and no one will dare to ask for any more than that...!

Congrats..!

Cheers
George

 

[walshjp17]

Congrats to Ryan for a well executed pen. Kudos to all the contributors and especially Mr. A. :good::good:

Congrats to you too, Carl, for helping Ryan see beyond the forest to find the individual trees and understand that there are more design opportunities than there are complete disasters.