MorganGrafixx
Member
Originally, I wanted to just post a pic of the pen since it was something very special to my wife and I.
But I started typing out the description, and I decided my IAP family might want to know WHY it's so
important to us. You can check out the pic below if you don't want to read all of it. But I think it's worth sharing,
so it's there if you have a few minutes.
My wife and I just celebrated our 11th anniversary by taking a "no planning allowed" vacation. Meaning, we
were not allowed to plan anything out at all....no hotels....no destinations....no forethought of any kind! We just hopped
in the car and headed north to the Appalachian Trail mountains of North Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
She was stressed at first because she doesn't deal well with situations that are not planned out ahead of time. It turned out
to be the best time I have ever spent in my entire life! Carefree wandering in the mountains.
Anyhow, she's been on me for a while to make her another pen, but with all the orders I've had to fill, I haven't had much time.
Plus, I didn't want to make another average pen with a blank that anyone can order online. So during our wanderings,
we stopped at Tallulah Gorge (highly recommended BTW). After about 2.5 miles of hiking we came to a spot known as
"Inspiration Point", a spot on Earth like no other. A shear rock face overlooking 2 waterfalls and a 500 foot drop that
lives up to it's name! We sat there for what must have been an hour just admiring the unmatched beauty
enjoying each others company.
Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me! My "inspiration"! We got up to hike back out to the car and I picked up a spalted
stick about 1.5" in diameter and about 4 feet long. My wife asked me what I was doing and I told her that I was going to use
it as a walking stick. So back at the car, I smuggle the stick into my trunk and she's none the wiser!
For 2 weeks I obsessed over this pen. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect in every way. I must have put more hours into
this simple Cigar pen than any 4 other high-end pens combined. A few days ago I gave her a finished pen as I always do
(she's my quality control expert). She proceeded to look it over, feel the CA finish for any imperfections, twist the barrels
to test the transmission and fiddle with the fittings and clip.
After it met her approval she handed it back to me and said, "That's a REALLY nice one. I've never seen you make
a pen with that material before. What is it?"
So I replied, "Well, honest to God, I have no clue. I mean, it's wood, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."
"What do you mean, you don't know?" She asked. You cut off your label before you took note of it again didn't you?"
"No" I said, "It never had a label". It was about at this time I couldn't hold back anymore, and the corners of my mouth were
wrapping backwards toward my ears with a grin so big, she knew there was more to this than I was letting on.
"What?", she asked.
Then out of nowhere.......tears! I was still grinning like a boy with his first crush, but my eyes had filled to the point I could
barely see her face anymore. I tried to speak, but my voice box snapped shut so tight I couldn't even squeak out an answer. After
a couple seconds, I said; "That pen was made from a walking stick". It was almost as if I could read the thoughts playing out
in her head as she went through the meaning of that statement. Then she inhaled quickly, her eyes opened wide as she came
to it. "You mean.......?" Then the contagious illness that had clapped my throat shut had found it's way to her.
"Yep", I answered. No more words were needed.
She treats this pen as if it were made of egg shells and star dust. I have made her some REALLY nice pens in the past
that she just tosses around. But this one........I can tell it really means something to her. So looks like "mission accomplished"
for me. She wanted a pen and I wanted to make one for her that would would have meaning instead of value.
Thanks for humoring me and reading all the way down here. I know folks have other important things to do than
read my ramblings, but I just wanted to share this with everyone here!
But I started typing out the description, and I decided my IAP family might want to know WHY it's so
important to us. You can check out the pic below if you don't want to read all of it. But I think it's worth sharing,
so it's there if you have a few minutes.
My wife and I just celebrated our 11th anniversary by taking a "no planning allowed" vacation. Meaning, we
were not allowed to plan anything out at all....no hotels....no destinations....no forethought of any kind! We just hopped
in the car and headed north to the Appalachian Trail mountains of North Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.
She was stressed at first because she doesn't deal well with situations that are not planned out ahead of time. It turned out
to be the best time I have ever spent in my entire life! Carefree wandering in the mountains.
Anyhow, she's been on me for a while to make her another pen, but with all the orders I've had to fill, I haven't had much time.
Plus, I didn't want to make another average pen with a blank that anyone can order online. So during our wanderings,
we stopped at Tallulah Gorge (highly recommended BTW). After about 2.5 miles of hiking we came to a spot known as
"Inspiration Point", a spot on Earth like no other. A shear rock face overlooking 2 waterfalls and a 500 foot drop that
lives up to it's name! We sat there for what must have been an hour just admiring the unmatched beauty
enjoying each others company.
Then, like a bolt of lightning, it hit me! My "inspiration"! We got up to hike back out to the car and I picked up a spalted
stick about 1.5" in diameter and about 4 feet long. My wife asked me what I was doing and I told her that I was going to use
it as a walking stick. So back at the car, I smuggle the stick into my trunk and she's none the wiser!
For 2 weeks I obsessed over this pen. I wanted it to be absolutely perfect in every way. I must have put more hours into
this simple Cigar pen than any 4 other high-end pens combined. A few days ago I gave her a finished pen as I always do
(she's my quality control expert). She proceeded to look it over, feel the CA finish for any imperfections, twist the barrels
to test the transmission and fiddle with the fittings and clip.
After it met her approval she handed it back to me and said, "That's a REALLY nice one. I've never seen you make
a pen with that material before. What is it?"
So I replied, "Well, honest to God, I have no clue. I mean, it's wood, but beyond that, your guess is as good as mine."
"What do you mean, you don't know?" She asked. You cut off your label before you took note of it again didn't you?"
"No" I said, "It never had a label". It was about at this time I couldn't hold back anymore, and the corners of my mouth were
wrapping backwards toward my ears with a grin so big, she knew there was more to this than I was letting on.
"What?", she asked.
Then out of nowhere.......tears! I was still grinning like a boy with his first crush, but my eyes had filled to the point I could
barely see her face anymore. I tried to speak, but my voice box snapped shut so tight I couldn't even squeak out an answer. After
a couple seconds, I said; "That pen was made from a walking stick". It was almost as if I could read the thoughts playing out
in her head as she went through the meaning of that statement. Then she inhaled quickly, her eyes opened wide as she came
to it. "You mean.......?" Then the contagious illness that had clapped my throat shut had found it's way to her.
"Yep", I answered. No more words were needed.
She treats this pen as if it were made of egg shells and star dust. I have made her some REALLY nice pens in the past
that she just tosses around. But this one........I can tell it really means something to her. So looks like "mission accomplished"
for me. She wanted a pen and I wanted to make one for her that would would have meaning instead of value.
Thanks for humoring me and reading all the way down here. I know folks have other important things to do than
read my ramblings, but I just wanted to share this with everyone here!
