Teak Wood for Pens?

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tony0778

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Nov 16, 2007
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Liberty, SC, USA.
I've not seen very much info regarding using teak for pens. I just received some "freebie" wood that I was told is teak. It's a very tight grain and fairly heavy.

Have any of you used teak before? Any lessons learned that I should be aware of???
 
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Salem, Illiniois, USA
Do you know where the teak came from? Someone just have some scrap froma board they bought or does it have some sort of history behind it, like taken from the deck of an old battle ship? If it has a history make sure and document it and keep that information with the pens you make from it.
 

leehljp

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Tunica, Mississippi,
A few people make one from teak once in a while. Teak is a beautiful wood when used in furniture and molding. But generally</u>, in pens, it is a none eventful wood. Holly, bloodwood and black woods (and a few other solid color woods occasionally) look beautiful for their color, but for some reason, the color of teak and uneventfulness of the grain (usually plain grained) doesn't give a pen any pronounced character.

If the teak is from something of sentimental or historical value, of course it gives special meaning. But as a wood by itself, it generally does not appear as a special pen that most people would pick out of a group of pens from many other woods. However, there is always the one person in 20 or 30 that will value teak.
 

Dario

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Austin, TX, USA.
A fellow IAP member sent me a few cross-cut spalted teak from a cruise ship. Initially looked ordinary but they turned into really nice pens. They are also oil soaked and it helped create a really deep looking (chatoyant) finish.
 

hrigg

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Nov 8, 2006
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Spokane, WA.
This is a close-up of a teak Sierra in my album. It's OK, but nothing to write home about without any interesting history.

tn_teak4.jpg
 

Sylvanite

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Jul 18, 2006
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Hillsborough, North Carolina, USA.
Two properties of teak that make it suitable for outdoor (and marine) use are that it is naturally oily, and that teak absorbs an unusually high amount of silicates from the soil. Both of these contribute to teak's ability to hold up to the weather.

The silicates, however, are hard on tools. Teak will dull your chisels more quickly than most other woods.

I have made several pens out of teak. Personally, I think there needs to be some significance to it (such as in my "belaying pen"). Pieces of teak with interesting grain are few and far-between so the wood itself tends to come out bland. Teak pens usually need extra shape, or special history to overcome the lack of figure.

Regards,
Eric
 

kcordon

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Aug 14, 2005
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Location
Draper, UT, USA.
Here are a couple of pictures of Teak Pens. One is "Spalted" Teak and the other two are straight grain and some cut on an angle. Sorry the pictures are not better. I was playing with a new camera when I took them.

I agree that if there is not some significance and or something special about the grain it is pretty bland.

I like the way it turns and all the Teak I have done has been salvaged from Cruise Ships that I worked on so they all have special meaning to me.

I have found it hard to get a good finish and have even tried to have it Stabilized. I think it is so oily that you have to use DNA or Acetone before you finish to have a better chance.

200824151053_Spalted%20Teak%20Gentlemen%20001.jpg


200824151110_2%20Teak%20Pens.jpg


Kevin
 

hughbie

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Sep 4, 2006
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Springfield, Missouri, USA.
i've done a teak fountain pen for a co-heart at work. he loved it. but like everyone else says....teak just doesn't have the 'wow' factor.
when you glue ti tubes in, clean the holes with acetone to remover some of the oils so the glue will hold tightly.
along that same line, when you go to add finish to the turned blank, give it a good wipe down to remove surface oils. the finish will work mucho better.
GOOD LUCK!
 

wjbowling

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Feb 11, 2008
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Location
HERRIMAN, UT, USA.
A good friend of mine turned a pen from teak that he was given from the deck of the USS Missouri. He was kind enough to provide a small portion for me to turn. I have not used it yet - waiting for the perfect acrylic to turn for the top.
 

kirkfranks

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Nov 23, 2006
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Location
Salisbury, MD, USA.
I have turned some teak pens too and as noted above they are somewhat plain looking.
They do look good for segment pens. I did a couple with maple and bloodwood and teak and the combination was good.
I also wipe down with acetone before using CA for finish or risk getting a hazy spot.
 
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