How Many pens do you make, that you keep yourself

[mikedealer]

How many pens do you guys own, that you've made, that once you make it, you realize its too nice to sell to anyone and keep it yourself. you just get that perfect peice of wood or burl or acrylic, and after its completed your like "well this is going in my collection" haha.

I parted with 2 pens recently i made, and i regret selling them now haha. how do you guys get over the feeling.. drying my eyes with the money doesnt help much haha.

 

[brownsfn2]

I have made over 500 pens. I have 2 on my desk that I kept and use myself. Kind of funny but to me it is worth more to sell them although I do agree it is hard to part with some of them. (Until the payment comes in)

 

[tomtedesco]

I have about 6 "special" pens that I keep at home. Any pen I carry I am willing to give away. Sounds crazy!

 

[mikedealer]

I have about 6 "special" pens that I keep at home. Any pen I carry I am willing to give away. Sounds crazy!

i like that attitude, not crazy at all haha.
lately ive only made higher end burl/high end pen kits, and friends and friends of friends really dig a higher end pen.. once i get the money in my hand i do lose any sentimental/envy feelings towards the pen haha.

 

[Dan Masshardt]

Not a single one.

Every pen of mine that I use is a mistake of some sort. The two I used most are ballpoints from a couple months in. Both are beautiful pens but the lower barrels are trimmed too short.

 

[TonyL]

Made 400 in a little over a year - I just started keeping non-mistakes for myself. I am up to 6 and use 2 bps (parker style and one rb all the time. I am just getting into fps now.

 

[Sprung]

I think I have 5 or 6 pens that I've made for myself so far that I've kept and don't have any plan to even try and sell them. My wife has kept more of the pens I've made than I have! I've sold a few pens, but none yet that I don't regret selling. Have traded away a number of pens and given away even more than that and don't regret letting go of any of those either.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

Usually the first one of a new type or something different I'll keep because there's something not quite right. If I'm on vacation and pick up something special I might keep one for a keepsake. I just counted and I guess I have twenty. I didn't realize I had that many. I like the wooden cigar boxes and I have one of those to throw the special pens in. I have two that I carry when I go out and one I use everyday at work.

 

[thewishman]

Almost every pen I have made especially for myself has been sold. There are a couple that I wish I could still see, but most of the time, I enjoy them for a short while and am ready to share them with someone else (in exchange for money to start on the next keeper.)

 

[csr67]

I've made about 50 pens and kept just one for myself. It's a magnetic vertex rollerball with a buckeye Burl blank. The finish came out so nice the wood looks like a piece of marble. I've had a few offers to buy it, but I'm keeping this one.

 

[JimB]

I only have one pen I made for myself. It's one from when I first started and is a Sierra with cocobolo. My wife also has one of my earlier pens and to this day I still think the pen she has is the nicest pen I have ever made.

 

[Dalepenkala]

I only have 1 that I have made I keep for myself. It's a zenith watch pen.
I do have others but they are all rejects that I won't sell.

 

[jttheclockman]

Every pen I make is for sale. What is the fun in keeping them.?? Always can make another. That is what we do.

 

[vakmere]

How many pens do you guys own, that you've made, that once you make it, you realize its too nice to sell to anyone and keep it yourself.

85% of them I keep. I can look at the pen longer than I'll look at the money. If there is a sale involved I'll make 2 of the same and keep the better one. I'm not in the pen business so selling them is not important to me. I had a couple I wish I kept and I put an end to selling off my best work. I did the same with bass guitars I bought in the past and wish I had not sold. I kept the Ken Smith, Spector, and Wyn basses because of the beautiful woods used in them and sound. These are only 2 of the 9 I have.

 

[mark james]

Interesting Read.

 

[RichAldrich]

First and second pens. (Slimlines. Have but do not use).
First segmented pen. Sierra click. Everyday pen.
Computer board pen. Blue. Made two for my brother and I.

 

[WriteON]

About 98%. I definitely have a pen/hoarding problem.

 

[penicillin]

Old thread.

All of the pens I make have been gifts, other than the ones that I made for my family to use and the ones I made for myself.

I have four pen and pencil sets. I tend to use pencils as much or more than pens. One set is on my desk, one set in the shop, one set in my laptop backpack, and one set in a zipper clipboard that serves as a "portable travel office".

There are also pens in a few random places for the family to use where we need them, like the kitchen, a small fold-down desk where we prepare letters and packages for mailing, and various side table drawers next to chairs, couches, and bedsides.

 

[WriteON]

Aside from I keep about 98% I never have pen with me. I'm speechless.

 

[howsitwork]

I have a special fountain pen I made from Wenge for me. It's not prefect but I love te grain and feel of it. Also a matched set of slimlpines (pen and pencil) in walnut . Also Two acrylic fountain pens my sons wanted and they chose the blanks for. SWMBO has a pink ivory one I made. Family have some Lignum Vitae click pens I made .

I make for friends and requests . Gives me pleasure to see them used.

 

[penicillin]

P.S. Once I made a beautiful pen for myself from Cocobolo. It was one of my best achievements to date. I showed it to one of my (adult) children who said, "Can I have it?" ... I couldn't say no.

 

[JohnU]

I have a small variety I use for display at demos, but as for use... My wife has a nice collection. I get to see and hold them once in a while.

I have a collection of blanks I set aside for my use. I keep thinking someday I'll make them for myself but usually they only get made when I need a donations or gift.

I've given away several I regretted later but think ... I can make another like that. I just rarely do. Lol