May I please have your suggestions

[L32]

I have not been making pens for very long but have turned out some nice ones. Nice enough I guess that I have been asked to turn a set for a retiring Deputy Sheriff. She was A Captain and has to retire due to being extremely Ill with terminal cancer. I to am retired from the Sheriff's office and have known her for twenty + years.
I bring this to you all because You may have more experience turning special gifts for people. What type of pen or set do you suggest? Maybe a wood suggestion? I am really torn over this and can't decide. The Deputies and Sheriff have left the decision to me. I know she preffers small diameter pens. She was a Captain in charge of the Jail and was there almost thirty years. I suggested purchasing a pen from one of you master turners but everyone felt it would mean more if she knew that I had made it. Thank you in advance for your help and I hope I am up to the task.

 

[Bob A]

I made a retirement pen for a friend at work. It was a Gent Jr. in blue acrylic (Ford Motor Co.) and he loved it. So....my recommendation would be a Gent Jr. or a Baron. They are not too large of a pen and are very nice.

 

[Randy_]

It might not be quite as pretty as as a piece of exotic wood; but if you could get a piece of wood from her workplace, it might be a lot more meaningful?? Maybe something from a piece of excess furniture...maybe a chunk out of a baton....don't really know what kind of wood products might be available from her work/office area? Maybe you can get a limb from a tree on the jail property?? I'll bet you could find something really meaningful to her with a little thought!!

 

[mrcook4570]

Another possibility is to use a cartridge casing (of the caliber with which she trained) into the design (if you go with a ballpoint). If you opt for a rollerball or fountain pen, then both the Jr Gent or the Baron would make a nice gift. No matter which route you go, I think having the pen laser engraved would really add a lot to it. Laser engraving is not limited to just the name, you could have a badge (possibly even an exact replica of her badge) engraved on it.

 

[alamocdc]

Robert, IIRC nightsticks were made from Black Locust so a Black Locust burl would be nice. Dario may still have some. It's nice stuff. And hard.

 

[Woodbutcher68]

If she likes a small diameter pen, maybe you should use a Slimline style. The wood from a baton is a good idea or maybe wood from the state tree of your state.