The Story Behind the Turning

[OklaTurner]

One of the things I really enjoy about turning is the story behind my products. Admittedly, some of my turnings are just generic and there's no real story behind them. However, my every day carry pen holds a host of memories (and lessons) behind it. I have a Gatsby in chrome and gold with an olivewood blank.

For instance, when I pull it out to use and I see a little bit of white shining through the blank it reminds me of the struggle I had with my 27/64 bit wobbling and creating a larger hole than needed. I remember explaining to my wife that I just spent $25 on epoxy just to glue the tube inside the blank. I remember having to add CA to the cap because it would just spin when I'd try to use the pen. I remember tossing it into my pile of pens thinking I'd just sell it at a discount because it wasn't worth the price of the kit. I remember pulling it out of the pile several days later and inserting a genuine Parker refill and elevating it to the status of "Every Day Carry."

When I look at my every day carry pen I see several mistakes that keep me from being able to sell it to the public. But, more than that, I see several lessons learned that make my new pens worthy of selling to the public.

So, what's the story behind your every day carry pen? Is it a cast-away? Is it something you spent hours perfecting just for you? Is it a Bic?

 

[Charlie_W]

Each pen as well as a new material is always an opportunity to learn and progress in our talents and procedures.
We all have our stories of how we came to penturning and like yours, some pens have their own story.

BTW, I would not sell any pen I was not happy with nor discount the price of a pen with issues. These are part of the learning. You can always turn a new blank and make the same pen worthy of selling/someone desiring to own it.
Also, for an everyday carry, have a knockout pen in your pocket that will wow those who happen to see it.....not a flawed unsellable pen.

Good luck!

 

[Herb G]

My everyday pen is a Space pen I bought at age 16. I paid about $25 for it.
That was 40 years ago. I keep putting refills in it & it still writes like the day I bought it.
It's dependable, and consistent.
I value consistency over style or looks any day.

 

[campzeke]

I usually only carry a pen for a week or two and end up selling it. I have the first PSI Comfort pen I made and use it almost every day. It is a full dressed Comfort including the rubber grip thingy on a marblewood blank. The pen also sports one of my first CA finishes. Fit and finish is OK and hopefully my current pens are a little better. I keep the pen because I like it. It still has the original kit cartridge in it and is going strong.

 

[OklaTurner]

Each pen as well as a new material is always an opportunity to learn and progress in our talents and procedures.
We all have our stories of how we came to penturning and like yours, some pens have their own story.

BTW, I would not sell any pen I was not happy with nor discount the price of a pen with issues. These are part of the learning. You can always turn a new blank and make the same pen worthy of selling/someone desiring to own it.
Also, for an everyday carry, have a knockout pen in your pocket that will wow those who happen to see it.....not a flawed unsellable pen.

Good luck!

Thanks for the advice. I was really hoping for a story.

I'm an environmental technician. In one day I can clean a trench of pig lard lubricant, remove radioactive material from a building and transfer sulfuric acid between tanks. There's a reason I don't carry my best.

I'd like to hear a story about one of your pens.

Micah

 

[OklaTurner]

I usually only carry a pen for a week or two and end up selling it. I have the first PSI Comfort pen I made and use it almost every day. It is a full dressed Comfort including the rubber grip thingy on a marblewood blank. The pen also sports one of my first CA finishes. Fit and finish is OK and hopefully my current pens are a little better. I keep the pen because I like it. It still has the original kit cartridge in it and is going strong.

How long have you been turning pens?

 

[jttheclockman]

Always carry a good quality pen. May wind up selling it or showing it off. Keep the mistakes at home. Use them on your desk or workshop. Do not want to show mistake pens ever. Sold a few pens from carry pens.

 

[Gwatson50]

Is there a perfect hand made pen? I see pens selling for hundreds that have inlays set in kerfs that are of different widths. I see Celtic knots that are just the tiniest amount lopsided. Finishes that have tiny little scratches, unaligned grains, cracked finishes where the press was too aggressive, clips whose assignment is too cover a blemish, a roller ball just peeking near the end of a pen cut too short... for humans, perfection, like justice, seems to only be pursued, never entirely achieved. I've come to love the journey in part because I doubt I'll see the destination.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[Phillip Kelley]

Like!

I like the journey...in search of my best work....it is illusive

Is there a perfect hand made pen? I see pens selling for hundreds that have inlays set in kerfs that are of different widths. I see Celtic knots that are just the tiniest amount lopsided. Finishes that have tiny little scratches, unaligned grains, cracked finishes where the press was too aggressive, clips whose assignment is too cover a blemish, a roller ball just peeking near the end of a pen cut too short... for humans, perfection, like justice, seems to only be pursued, never entirely achieved. I've come to love the journey in part because I doubt I'll see the destination.


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[Penultimate]

Each new pen becomes my penultimate pen as I try to make a mistake free best feeling daily carry. Each pen I make represents another mistake that helps me refine my techniques. During my last pen I learned that I need to pay attention to my compound so it doesn't come off the screw when machining a taper. Or how about checking the tail stock to make sure it is aligned because sometimes it loosens. A couple good things I learned is end mills make fantastic flat holes for hidden clips and this site is a great resource with a lot of nice people.


Sent from my iPad using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[Russ_Gray]

Art is a Journey

I approach pen turning like other endeavors in my life. Indulge me to share a similar story in another venue.

I am an avid martial arts "student". Throughout the years, my journey allowed me to obtain multiple belts and master certifications from some of the best grandmasters in the world. I started and turned over several schools to my students and still am the senior master of a few of them. However, that means I'm just a student with more experience.

One of my instructors stopped my workout one day and asked me to explain my goal. I told him that I was going to work on the technique until I perfected it. At this point in my journey, I learned a valuable lesson. He told me that perfection is something that my come once or twice in a lifetime, but the journey and striving toward perfection is the path that keeps us improving our art.

As a young student (and perfectionist) I was crushed. I argued with him and kept working at it... only to prove him right. As time passed, a few of my students quit with this realization. Others went on to own schools and reach high levels of achievement in the arts. When I obtained accolades and reached my goals in the arts, I found myself reflecting on the path much more than the destination. When reached what I thought was a goal, I learned that it was only the beginnings another journey.

Pen turning is (to me) the same. I found this new obsession by accident and was immediately hooked. I constantly have to remind myself that a good pen is a good pen. A great pen is a great pen. A perfect pen... well I might make one that I think is perfect at some point in my life. However, the journey and reaching for perfection is what makes the art worth the effort.

Thank you for this thread... I needed the reminder. ( I blew up two blanks yesterday.)

Russ

 

[leehljp]

Keep making them. Every once in a while one will escape the gotcha's and everything goes together perfectly.

I made the front page here once and the pen was perfect. Many asked and I posted my method. Then the PM's started and I explained again. "What is so difficult?" I thought. Then I decided to make a duplicate and document it step by step. Blank 1 was a mess; Blank 2 was just as bad. Blank 3 no better than the others. I quite trying to duplicate it after the 7th try.

I just got lucky on the first try (actually it was the second, as the first was a mock run to see which method was easier.).

That said, I have long been a proponent of spending a day - several hours on one aspect of pen making, similar to the old Karate Kid's "Wax On, Wax Off" motions. After about 15 pens, I bought a bunch of slimline tubes, got some pieces of pine 2x4 and cut them into blanks, drilled holes and glued them in. I was totally unconcerned with making a pen. I focused on CA finish. I did this for hours. Then I focused on learning how to sharpen the tools for a smooth blank. I learned the "feel" of a sharp tool versus what I "thought" a sharp tool was. By the way, on this step, I learned to sharpen my hss tools sharper than the best of carbide, which is why I use carbide for roughing now.

Because of chipping of CA or other finish on the ends, I experimented with Turning between centers (and called it mandrel-less back then.) This stopped the chipped ends for me. Other issues that cropped up - I would spend time on that issue with throw away blanks.

The point is, I spent time learning each step. Yes, a person can get the perfect pen and then repeat it, if they focus on the specific process rather than trying to make the end result of a pen. Learn EACH process until you can do it and FEEL it. Then it will begin to come together.
. . . Well, except for a repeat of the striped pen:
http://www.penturners.org/forum/f13/ss-baron-penstripe-33138/