Shiraz Grape Vine by George

[SteveJ]

This is the final pen in an order of 15 various styles and wrappings. Two were to be made of the McLaren Vale Shiraz Grape Vine available from George. I ordered three blanks originally, and blew up two of them (one I salvaged for a personal pen). Ordered four more along with some other blanks from him (and George included some extras as a great gesture of good will).

Apparently I only NEEDED one more since it turned beautifully and this is the result.

If you haven't turned one of these and seen them in person, I encourage you to buy some and put them on your favorite kit. I am pretty sure that when I show the pens to my customer next week she will order a bunch more. She is a wine enthusiast and the pens look so much nicer than she was anticipating that I think she wont be able to resist buying more for gifts.

The red pen I threw in for good measure rather than start another thread. It is an old American Classic kit from Berea made for my son who for some bizarre reason didn't think I could make a rollerball pen which wrote like a Uni-ball vision elite, which is (until he sees this one) his favorite writing instrument.

Steve

 

[Charlie_W]

The Grape Vine is by far my favorite!

 

[RushmanHCP]

The Grape Vine looks fantastic, congratulations. Must get me some of that vine!!

 

[Tom T]

Very nice. Vines are nice and so is the red one. Thanks for sharing.

 

[robutacion]

Hi Steve,

I'm glad that you finished your order, without many more complications.

I saw some of the other Vine pens you made, and together with this one, you done a marvelous job with them, congrats...!

I should only add that, all the Vine blanks I have left (a few hundred) are all stabilized, many would not have needed it, as per the hundreds I sold before I had the stabilization system however, mother nature decided to send a infestation of tiny wood borers that devastated/destroyed half of my stock so, and in an attempt to salvage what I had, I selected the ones with minor holes and the ones that were still unaffected and invested of a few gallons of Cactus Juice to stabilize the lot, some with clear juice, other with red or blue dyes.

So, I endup with various types and grades of Vine blanks that by being stabilized and cooked, killed and protected the vine that was still untouched but not for long, if I hadn't discover that I had an infestation that attacked very quickly the vine, nothing would touch it while green and drying but when dry, it become obviously a delicacy to these tiny bugs.

I may have never stabilized 2/3 of what I had, the material was very solid, as I made a few pens out of it so, I know however, not investing in treating/salvaging (for the second time) this precious material, I would have nothing left by now...!

So remember, Vine from me, in natural colour or dyed, is all stabilized...!

Cheers
George

 

[Fishinbo]

You are truly a master of your craft! Great pen blank.