Advice Needed: Matching blanks with kits

[Wongster]

Hi folks,

I completed my 3rd pen using Crushed Gold blank with Gatsby Grande 24kt gold from the bundle of 5 I bought from PSI. While the blank turned out rather nice, it doesn't seem to match well with the 24kt gold hardware as expected (my wife and buddy said so). Maybe because of the black portion of the tip and top cap. lol

Love the look of this blank:

But doesn't seem to go well with the kit:

Can anyone give me a tip or two for matching hardware with blanks? A general idea or two to get me started.

I'll be buying more kits and blanks, probably from PSI again (unless I found another source with the same purchase experience).

Thank you in advance.

Regards,
Kyle

 

[jttheclockman]

Not true. Just about anything goes good with black and gold or silver. The black maybe be too dominant to your eye and that is what is throwing things off. Go with any kit that does not use plastic such as any of the 2 piece kits. or a Zen kit

 

[BeeAMaker]

It looks OK, however I would have used Gun metal to contrast the gold in the blank. It looks odd because "everything matches". I recently finished a pen for a friend of my wife. It was an Orange swirl blank and I used an Antique Copper slimline. It looked OK and she loved it but I thought it looked a bit odd because there was not contrast. A black slimline kit would have looked better I think.

 

[magpens]

I think the match is not bad at all !!!

 

[Wongster]

Thanks guys. 2 friends replied when I posted it on my Facebook page (being a newbie, I would like to find out what's popular) that they like it. I gave it away this morning to my staff when she said she likes the look of the pen.

 

[mecompco]

I don't think it looks bad, either. I'm not a huge fan of gold hardware, but I do use it with select blanks.

Here's one of my pens with a similar blank, the gold Executive, just for comparison:

 

[JimB]

Matching blanks with kits or plating is often a matter of personal taste. It is the same for different styles of kits. What one person likes another will not.

When I started out I often made Sierra style pens. I would turn 3 to 5 barrels at a time. I would then layout all the Sierra kits I had with different platings and play mix and match with the turned blanks and kits. My wife usually joined me in the fun. It helped me learn what I liked.

Just remember, this only tells you what you like. I have turned a few pens that I didn't think were very good but someone else thought they were fantastic (and bought them) over ones I thought were much better.

 

[76winger]

Also don't forget the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

What looks unappealing to some will be so-so in the eyes of some and stunning from viewpoint of others.

 

[Wongster]

I don't think it looks bad, either. I'm not a huge fan of gold hardware, but I do use it with select blanks.

Here's one of my pens with a similar blank, the gold Executive, just for comparison:

Thanks for the pic, very nice looking pen you made! From your pic, I see what John T mean now when he said that "the black may be too dirminant...". The blank goes well with little or no black per the pen you turned.

This Crushed Gold blank is such a pain to turn. The end where the lathe tool exited the part during turning chipped no matter how careful and slow I went. I documented what I went through in my blog on my site. I'm glad I pulled through with it without any major mishap like the first half of the blank which cracked.

 

[BeeAMaker]

Also don't forget the saying "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder".

What looks unappealing to some will be so-so in the eyes of some and stunning from viewpoint of others.

SO true! I do a lot of custom work and what I like isn't always what the customer likes.

 

[BeeAMaker]

[ The end where the lathe tool exited the part during turning chipped no matter how careful and slow I went.

I have found that turning faster, and a light hand. reduces chipping. Of course your tools need to have a good edge as well. But there are some types of plastics that just chip no mater what.

 

[Skie_M]

I've pretty much never drilled a squared blank for my pen making other than by freehand, and I very quickly moved up from that.


As a matter of course, I turn all my blanks between centers to make them into round cylinders. This gives me several advantages and options to work with. With an easy and quick finish (sand to 400 grit, perhaps 1000 grit, then BLO + CA 1 coat), I hit it with some Meguair's Plast-X and take it off the lathe ... it goes into a small display box that I can easily carry around with me.

This gives me the ability to take one out and show it to someone, and tell them that the pen they are wanting will look a lot like this blank ... in fact, I will USE THIS BLANK if they like. It gives them the opportunity to see what the finished pen may look like in color quality, grain patterning, and chatoyance, if it has any.


This also aids in my penmaking, as in order for me to drill it on my lathe with my 3-jaw chuck, I have to turn it round to start with anyways.

Other side benefits ...

I can take the turned blank and hold it side by side with the pen kit ... see if it matches up and doesn't clash, in my mind ...

I get to look at some gorgeous turned wood all the time without needing to put it on a pen kit ...

I get to turn my newest and latest wood acquisitions without having to WAIT for a pen kit ....

I can also do all of this with my acrylic and other pen blanks.