PITH from islandturner

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its_virgil

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
8,101
Location
Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
As I told islandturner, aka Steve McBeath, all I can say is WOW! Steve did an outstanding segmenting job, not only on the pen, but also on the box. The segmenting, turning, fit, and finish are all top shelf, or as my Dad would have said, "From the other end of the counter."

The pen and box match really well and I was quite impressed. I do not do segmented work but I do have an appreciation for the amount of time, the patience, and the talent needed to get the prep work done. All of the work done on the pen and box is absolutely excellent.

Steve also sent a beautiful birds eye cedar burl blank. I look forward to turning it as soon as I pick a kit to compliment it.

Thanks Steve for what may be the best PITH pen I have ever received. We made it even with the Canadian postal uprisint. Ironically, the pen I made also went to a member in Canada.

Steve was gracious enough to send me some pictures to post. The pictures are very well done also.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

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its_virgil

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Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
8,101
Location
Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
I agree Toni. Steve did an incredible job on both. I just may have to try some segmenting if I ever get the back log of snake skin blanks made...Texas heat is not condusive to snake skin casting.
Do a good turn daily!
Don

Don gorgeous Pen and the box is incredible, just love it.
 

Finatic

Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2010
Messages
760
Location
Southington, CT 06489
Outstanding workmanship and creativity. Is it me, or do I see a face in the barrel of the pen just above the nib in the first photo? You may have something there.
 

IPD_Mrs

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
2,048
Location
Zionsville, Indiana
Outstanding workmanship and creativity. Is it me, or do I see a face in the barrel of the pen just above the nib in the first photo? You may have something there.


Incredible set. I think you definitely had a very creative PITH partner - I'm totally impressed.

Yes I see a face in the barrel of the pen.

Mrs.
 

hunter-27

Passed Away Aug 14, 2013
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Joined
Oct 17, 2007
Messages
4,608
Location
Chadron, Ne, USA.
My pen went to him and I gotta say, he did not fair as well. The pen I sent him might be best described as "boring" compared to that work of art.
 

ohiococonut

Member
Joined
May 8, 2011
Messages
397
Location
Warsaw, Ohio
Very nice set indeed!

Are you talking about the little gray alien head? Thank God I'm not the only one who sees these things :redface:
 

its_virgil

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2004
Messages
8,101
Location
Wichita Falls, TX, USA.
I see the "face". It looks like an alein. Too bad the it isn't the face of Jesus...Steve and I could sell it and retire:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

I really like the pen...and box. Steve hit a homerun.

The blue colored pine was from a 2x4 harvested from a tree killed by the Mountain Pine Beetle. A fungus grows in the wood of those trees killed and turns the wood bluish gray.

Do a good turn daily!
Don
 

islandturner

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2009
Messages
376
Location
Victoria, BC
Well I am blown away with all the kind comments!

The inspiration was Don Ward (aka its_virgil) – I've only been doing this for a couple of years, and am still a 'rank amateur'. So imagine the intimidation level of drawing Don's name. When it comes to making high quality pens, he's a prolific writer, designer of kit and kitless pens, blanks, and a member of the Pen Makers Guild. This was like entering a PITH (Painting In The Hat) and having to paint a watercolour for Robert Bateman .

I wanted to use some Mountain Pine Beetle killed wood with its distinctive blue tint. In your local home depot you'll find this stained pine mixed in with other species, often in boards with three distinct colours – creamy white, medium brown, and blue.

There was a recent article by Joseph Schneider and Kevin Kronewitter called Random Segmented Pen Blanks (there's a photo on the home page). I got the idea to try their method using the three different colours of pine – all cut from two 8 foot 2X4's. I glued up a way too much and decided to try a matching box.

Mark Twain used to say that a person who carries a wildcat home by the tail learns a lot of things that a person who's never done that, simply wouldn't understand. Such was this project, learning many things from 'scratch'. One of the toughest – how to preserve the blue fungus stain, that wants to turn gray to black when exposed to anything wet – including CA.

The pen has some flaws which the tactful gentleman Don, has not pointed out – i.e. it is slightly over-turned at one end, but I'd run out of time when I noticed it.

I didn't notice the face in the barrel before shipping, but it's definitely there. Being quite pleased with all the nice comments, I showed this post to my 'considerably better half'. She looked it over, looked at the face, and pointed out that it might be my reflection… J

Thanks again, all…
Steve
 
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