my first pen post

[emtmike]

I have only been turning pens for about 3 months now and this is the first pen I am going to show off. It’s turned from deer antler. I know I still need work on my picture taking and turning. Please be honest and let me know what you think.

 

[gerryr]

It looks very good. The fit looks quite good and it's a nice shape. How did you finish it, looks like the antler has some sort of finish on it.

 

[wpenm]

Looks like a good job to me.

 

[emtmike]

It’s a CA finish. The antler it is sitting on is just an old piece of moose antler I have had hanging around.

 

[DCBluesman]

Three months?!? Wow. I'd say you've done a VERY sweet job...and the photography is better than I did for at least a year. Keep it up!

 

[Geo in Winnipeg]

Good job on the antler. You're doing a lot better after 3 months than I was.

 

[chitswood]

You did a good job, keep posting pics

 

[emtmike]

What would you charge for a pen like this if you were to sell it?

 

[gerryr]

Selling price can be kind of regional. There are a couple of common formulas that a lot of people here use. One is 3-4 times the cost of materials. The other is 2 times the cost of material plus $25 or more. Remember, you can always come down in price, but once you quote someone a price, it's pretty hard to raise it. Don't give it away, feel satisfied with what you get for it.

 

[Woodnknots]

Nice pen, and nice photo setup. It's better than the photographs I've taken in the past, believe me! I haven't gotten to using a straight CA finish yet. I'm screwing around with a variation of the BLO/CA finish right now. I finished one pen with it tonight, it seemed allright.

 

[alamocdc]

Looks good, Mike. I use the 4 times cost formula, but for antler I add $10. You just have to find what works for you.

 

[Johnathan]

Never sell yourself or your art short. The pen looks nice. After you really get into this you will get a feel for what to charge.