Going El Natural

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pilot1022

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Why do we make pens? That’s a loaded question. Ask that to a penturner and you will get a dozen answers. For the fun of it, to make money, giveaways, fast turning project, do it for friends, a challenge, to show my artistic side, and the ever famous I like the feel of wood. Then I ask you this question. Why in the world would you cover that pen with CA glue, plastic, varnish, BLO, shellac, wax, or the other 101 finishing products out there and plug up the pores? You might say: Well I got to protect it, to make it look shiny, keeps it new looking, keep it from turning dark or a million other excuses.
Wood has a touch and feel all its own. Ever notice wood is warm to the touch, not like plastic or metal. Put that wood pen in your pocket and is a few seconds it’s nice and toasty. Wood over time takes on its own character, develops a nice rich patina as your body oils mix with the wood. It becomes a true part of you. So try going El Natural, polish that pen up to 12,000 and stop there, your pen will thank you. :D:D
 
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jeffj13

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I have done as you suggested. The first decent pen I made was left au natural. As the pen aged, it absorbed the oils from my hands. Unfortunately, these oils are not the cleanest and my pen (which was tiger maple) took on a dirty, dingy appearance.

In addition, a good finish doesn't simply protect the wood, it adds depth and improves the appearance of the wood. My current carrying pen is a curly koa churchill. While it was a nice looking piece of wood au natural, it took on a brilliance not possible without the finish. The curl was more pronouces and the chatoyance was brought out of the wood.

While there is nothing wrong with leaving wood unfinished, most woods benefit from a well applied finish.

jeff
 

DCBluesman

Passed Away Mar 3, 2016
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Tom - your point is well taken, but part of what needs to be considered is that pens take quite a beating. Some woods can handle the beating better than others. (cocobolo, olive wood, lignum vitae) Others simply look old in a hurry. An oiled mantle clock. which gets handled very little, may look wonderful and age well for years. A carved decoy that is kept in a glass case may do the same. I pen which is constantly bombarded with the dirt, oils and acids from our hands, which is subject to subjected to whatever surprising sticky spot appeared on your desk, etc., is not likely to have the opportunity to achieve patina before it is filthy. I've made a fair number of "no finish" pens and the right material holds up well. I've also applied many finishes, including lacquer, which do not convery a cold, dead feel in the hand. In the final analysis, I like to protect my work within reason. That doesn't mean heavy coatings of plastic, but it does mean a pretty finish. BTW, many hear turn resins exclusively. There's not much patina building that will occure in many life times. [8D]
 

cbonner

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I agree that some woods can look great with nothing but a polish. However, some woods look much better with a good build type finish. Off hand, things like desert ironwood and other chatanoyant (sp?) woods are best shown off with a clear mirror finish. I made a couple pens of beautiful desert ironwood burl, put a polished/ wax finish on them and found all the chatanoyance gone within a very short period of time. I don't know about anyone else, but when I pay the big bucks for highly figured woods, I want to preserve and showcase that figure as long as possible.

I will always finish Cocobolo with a polish and wax, but all chatanoyant or curly woods will get a clear mirror type of finish.

My 2c - Craig
 

RussFairfield

Passed Away 2011
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When I started making pens about 20 years age, we did a "natural" finish on the wood. We sanded it to 600-grit, gave it a coat of wax, and told people that the wood would develop its own patina from use. In other words, the pen would be polished and impregnated with the users own sweat and dirt.

This worked, but the wood wore away fairly rapidly and it wasn't uncommon to see a SlimLine where the wood had worn all the way down to the brass tube.

But, times have changed and peoples tastes have changed. We would probably still be making them that way except for one driving force - NOBODY WOULD BUY THEM.

There are still a few people around, I call them the "naturalists", for whom a polished bare wood with a minimal coat of wax is still an acceptable finish. But they are very few and far between and they aren't willing to pay very much for a wooden pen. Everyone else demands a pen that is finished, and the higher the gloss the better they like it.

You can still make a "natural" finished pen, but you had better plan on giving them away because you won't sell very many of them.
 

Dario

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I have yet to make an unfinished pen...but I came close with the one I did last. It is made of the oiliest wood I know (or tried). Cocobolo, lignum vitae, and olivewood won't come close to this one. None of the woods mentioned ealier would come close (even desert Ironwood) as shiny as it got after MM sanded/polished.

The wood is TX Mountain Laurel...and it has wonderful color too!
 

gerryr

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After doing a few shows, one thing stands out and that is that people always go for glossy smooth wood on pens. That does not appear to be true for things like bowls or vases. I've seen several turners who appeared to be doing quite well at shows whose finish was, by our standards, rough. People like a natural finish for wood, unless it's a pen and then they want want smooth and shiney. I'm doing fewer and fewer pens with a CA finish. I'm using lacquer because I can still get an absolutely smooth finish and it has a good gloss and it feels better. So far, customers seem to like it too. The only people I've seen trying to sell unfinished pens are people who maybe sand to 220 and also don't worry much about the fit. Their pens are cheap, $10-15, but they never seem to be selling any. I think there's a lesson there.
 

Rifleman1776

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My first personal pen was a Big Leaf Maple burl Baron. It had only a single coat of Myland's finish on it. As is well known, that finish is not durable at all. Within a short period of time the finish was off and I was handling bare wood. Sadly, the wood looks lousy from dirt, oils, etc. I put back on lathe and tried to restore a finish but the damage was done. It now looks like a bad job of finishing and has no beauty. There is a reason why fine finishes have been developed for fine woods and woodworking.
 

wdcav1952

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This is a debate that comes up now and again. Like many debates, there is room at the table for differing ideas. I agree with those that like a protective finish that amplifies the beauty of the wood. Bare wood gets dirty in my opinion, and I do not like that look. I have made two pens with simply a waxed "finish over hightly polished wood. They are BOW and Lignum vitae. They look nice, but they are not handled on a regular basis. For show, they are acceptable. For regular use, I shy away from them.

If you do not sell pens, do as you prefer. If you sell pens, the market will direct your decisions.

FWIW,
 

Grizzlyss

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Innisfail, Alberta, Canada.
Originally posted by Dario
<br />I have yet to make an unfinished pen...but I came close with the one I did last. It is made of the oiliest wood I know (or tried). Cocobolo, lignum vitae, and olivewood won't come close to this one. None of the woods mentioned ealier would come close (even desert Ironwood) as shiny as it got after MM sanded/polished.

The wood is TX Mountain Laurel...and it has wonderful color too!

Okay Dario, enough teasing us, where are the pictures. LOL. I for one would be very interested.

Sheldon
 

gerryr

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Dario keeps doing this to us. First is was that Oak burl, then some other wood and now this. He keeps gloating, but he won't share.[:(][:D]
 

alamocdc

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San Antonio, Texas, USA.
I've been carrying a pen of spalted Pecan that my youngest son turned for me almost 9 years ago. I carry and use it daily. He used only a carnuba stick for the finish and the wax has long since worn away. I've waxed it nerry a once (that means never, BTW) and it is still soft, warm and rather shiney. Some woods will hold up well, while others will not. But I still believe that this also depends on an individuals body chemistry. For example, some folks will "eat" through a metal watch band in less than two years, while others may get many, many years out of one. Unfortunately, these people don't come with a label so we have no idea what will work well for whom, and we have to protect our creations for the most extreme (if we care about our reputation as craftsmen, at least). FWIW
 

Draken

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I'm curious how much unfinished wood furniture the original poster has in their home. My guess most of it has some sort of finish on it above and beyond a simple coat of wax. Why should pens be any different?
 

pilot1022

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Please let me calrify something, I dont leave pens completly "nude" I add a bit of wax or polish to the pen I just dont encase it with a ton of plastic or goop. I like my pens to look and feel natural. Sorry about all the confusion. Thanks for all the good ideas and replys
 
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