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Terredax

Banned
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
892
Just in the short time I've been a member, I've seen many new people.

Some of them have stuck around, some have left, and those that have never posted.
Then there are those that have been here for eternity.

It got me to wondering, what got you interested in making pens? What was the initial attraction?

For those that continue to make pens, what keeps you interested in making pens?
 
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Jim15

Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2005
Messages
20,976
Location
Hamilton, Ohio, USA.
I wanted to make something for my children so I took a course at Woodcraft about making pens and I bitten by the pen bug, haven't been the same since.
 

leehljp

Member Liaison
Joined
Feb 6, 2005
Messages
9,314
Location
Tunica, Mississippi,
This (for me) has been posted elsewhere. First, I love wood and wood smell. I have been making things from wood since I can remember, of which my memory of making things (small toys) goes back to the '53 or '54. This has never been my work, just hobby and fixing things (wood and mechanical) in a tight.

In the mid '80s, my family and I moved to Japan and I took some woodworking tools with me. BUT space is TIGHT over there. It would often take me 30 to 45 minutes to get saws, routers, tables and other items out and set up to make anything. Then 30 to 45 minutes to put everything up. This cut down on a lot of woodworking for me. Back in the mid '90s, I saw some ads on pen making. That stayed in my mind through the early 2000's. Then when home (USA) for a vacation back in the USA in late 2004, I bought a Taig lathe that would fit in my suitcase and took some other Taig wood turning tools back with me to Japan. At last, I could do something in which I could finish a project in an hour and not have to worry about putting everything up. AND I could smell WOOD! In Feb. 2005, I joined IAP. When home for several months in 2006, I purchased a Rikon 12 inch lathe and worked on that for pen turning until I came home (USA) in December 2010.

I am somewhat of a work-aholic in my work (ministry training) and often get myself snowed under in the work, for which I still do. Although I retired once, I cannot retire completely. I enjoy that far too much - watching people develop into leaders. That takes precedence for me. BUT when I work myself free of that mentoring, I do a bit of wood work along with bowl turning and pen turning. I still have not finished getting my shop in order since coming back from Japan.
 
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Terredax

Banned
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
892
I guess people are bashful.:redface:

I can empathize with giving them as gifts. It a nice feeling to see the recipients reaction.
I think writing is a lost art, and I'm sure some of the gifted pens will either not get used at all, or get used very little. But, it is still a good feeling to bring joy into another's life.
 

g8trbone

Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2017
Messages
33
Location
Forest, VA
Complete noob here. What got me interested was finding a way to provide a gift to my customers that had a true meaning to it. Something that I made and had more of a story than just buying a gift basket or some sweets.


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Robert Taylor

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
970
Location
North Canton, Ohio, USA.
I have a ShopSmith. Years ago they had a "Traveling Academy" that went around the country teaching. I went to a session in Cleveland and the instructor had some wooden pens that he was selling for a friend. I thought to myself "I can make those". He said that I would have a minimum of $75.00 invested to make the first pen. I thought to myself "no way" I started collecting what I thought I needed and was still afraid to even try so I took a class at Woodcraft and was "bitten" by the bug. Just completed pen number 912. My goal is to make 1,000 pens and move on to other turnings. And as Paul Harvey says "Now you know the rest of the story". Bob
 

jttheclockman

Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2005
Messages
19,082
Location
NJ, USA.
I love all kinds of woodworking for many years. Got the woodworking gene from my Dad. Always loved making things with my hands. I was at a woodworking show and saw Crafts Supply doing demos and I was hooked. Always wanted to get a lathe because my true passion or goal is to do true segmenting work such as bowls and vases and things and still is.

My pen turning experience is not like many here. I do not like to make things more than once. I am not into selling and yet I do sell at my craft shows. But I want to create. That is my passion. Anyone and their brother can take a piece of wood and make it round and call it a pen. As you see they have kids doing it. Eventually if I stay with pen making I will get into the kitless and maybe even stroll down the metal lathe avenue but there is so much that can be done with a simple pen blank and use the kits that are available today. When I get bored of that then maybe I will move on.

Now this is how I got here and where I go from here is just a guess. I have a project that I started about 5 years ago and it is a pen display case that will be hung on a wall. It probably holds about 50 pens or so (actually forgot) but it will have all my elite pens that I make over the years. When I die I am hoping someone will sell it and it gets passed on to a deserving person that understands the true meaning of what it took to make them. I guess you can say something like the IAP collection but just my work. I first need to finish the cabinet. On my to do list. :)
 

kingkeyman

Member
Joined
Dec 8, 2013
Messages
228
Location
Akron
I've made a couple of thousand pens since the mid 90's, and honestly, I cannot remember why I started. I only discovered the IAP 3 or 4 years ago. That's when I discovered that I wasn't as good as I thought I was.
 

Jgrden

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2009
Messages
6,287
Location
hOUSTON, Texas
:worship:There are allot of members that do not post but read. They are called 'lurkers". It does not seem to matter to me if your are vintage or newbie, we all learn from each other. The spirit of IAP has been to help the new members and man these people really step up to the plate.
The reason for my obsession in pen turning, making, designing and selling is that I love it when I see a cursive letter formed correctly, just like on the high school chalk board. It is a ting of beauty and when there are several letters and even a sentence written correctly gives me the willys. (have you heard hat one before?)

Secondly my trade was in banking when banks were really banks. Writing; numbers, reports, evaluations, tax evaluations, branch audit reports etc. Soon after retirement Woodcraft offered a course in pen making. Just one hour did it and this man was hooked.
And then a pen was sold !!!!! Writing letters to relative was fun because the old school people loved and took pride in their penmanship.

Now the task is to encourage cursive writing in schools, promote National Pen Day (Nov. 2), and let the creative justices formulate ideas for new designs than make picking up a pen FUN, EXCITING, IMPORTANT and aristocratic. To watch someone pick up or carry a fountain pen should create awe.
 
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
8,206
Location
Tellico Plains, Tennessee, USA.
My profile shows my join date as 2006, but think I was here before that under another screen name before I asked Jeff to change it... he may have left join date intact, not sure...

I don't do pens much any more, matter of fact, just gave all my pen stuff to a close friend, except for a few pieces that I'm hoping my wife will be able to use when she gets able to do some turning... we'll have to see about that later.

I got into turning pens about 17 years back when I admired a guys bowl turnings in an art gallery in Fredericksburg, Tx... I comment that it would be nice to be able to learn to do that... my wife told my son I wanted a lathe for Christmas, I got one and half dozen pen kits... he and I played with the lathe Christmas day and both were hooked.
I made and sold pens, key rings, and other small turnings for about 5 years in Houston area before I retired to Tennessee in 2005. Mostly I do bowls and pepper mills now.

The original lathe is long gone, it was a spindle lathe from Home Depot and unsuitable for turning bowls, but did really well on pens. I've used a JET 1442 for about 10 years now.
 
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Scott

Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2003
Messages
2,689
Location
Blackfoot Idaho
Yep, I have been here since before eternity! ;-)

I have always been interested in woodworking because my Dad was a carpenter and it just rubbed off on me. I got a lathe because I wanted to try turning bowls. I never was much good at that. But when Winter came around and I couldn't go out to my garage to turn anymore (it gets chilly in Idaho), I got a mini lathe for the basement. It came with a starter kit for turning pens, and I was hooked! I joined the Yahoo Penturners group, learned and practiced, and started writing about penturning. This was all before the IAP! That's how I got interested.

Scott.
 

Cmiles1985

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
Messages
1,611
Location
Aransas Pass, TX
I've always enjoyed the looks of wood, and I've always loved pens.
I had really wanted to get into woodworking, and with my previous employer, I received a "bonus." Bonuses with said company were a choice of gift cards, so I went with Amazon. I figured I could buy a tool or two (it was a whopping $500 bonus), so I decided to dive in to woodworking headfirst. But, what could I buy with that amount that would fit in my one car garage? Turning equipment! So, that bought a couple of chisels, some kits, and finishing supplies.

That's the most expensive bonus I ever got! And that was way back in 2013 (I think).


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shaciam630

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2017
Messages
2
Location
Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
New Turner

Hi guys! I'm pretty new to turning. Just started in December and have made less than a dozen pens so far.

What got me into pen turning you ask.... my husband!

He wanted to set up a shop and when he first told me I thought he was crazy. Why make pens when you can just buy them at the store? Who buys these expensive pens? This is a lot of money to invest... etc... etc..

Then he got the shop set up and convinced me to come down and give it a try. Now we need a second lathe. I have yet to make a wooden pen (it's coming) but I love the acrylics. I love seeing what they look like finished. I love creating something that is unique and one of a kind.

I've made pens for my dearest and closest friends and family. I still need my husbands help with a few things with getting set up but I'm getting better.
 

mecompco

Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2015
Messages
1,607
Location
Fairfield, Maine
I had a lot of tools from my foray into knife making. Was on the lookout for a metal lathe to try making smoking pipes. Got the lathe, then somehow or other got a PSI catalog in the mail. Sent for their free pen making DVD and decided I had to try it. Then discovered the IAP. Soon, two wood lathes arrived, as well as numerous tools, chucks and jigs. Two years later, many pens have been made and sold, but no pipes.

I love to see people using and enjoying something that I have created. Making stuff is a nice respite from keeping technology working and moving data around as I do for a living.

Regards,
Michael
 

lhowell

Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
335
Location
Apex, NC
I got interested in woodworking in high school because we had an awesome teacher who pushed us and we got to make great projects instead of the typical birdhouse or tool box. My second project ever was Norm Abram's Mission Morris Chair! Still have it in my house today!
About three years ago I went to a craft fair with my wife and mother in law and saw a man there that had turned beautiful wood bowls and we started talking. He told me to take a class at the local wood store if I was interested in learning how to turn. I took the class and made my first bowl and I was hooked on turning!
Always had seen the PSI ads in the woodworking magazines I get and figured I would give it a shot. My great uncle recently got out of the turning business and he sent me three boxes full of stuff from pen blanks to pen kits, mandrels, barrel trimmers, basically everything I needed to get started! Watched a few YouTube videos and set off turning my first pen. Haven't looked back!
Now I've started casting my own pen blanks and have learned how to logo cast, make my own abalone pen blanks, and am starting to push more boundaries as I am practicing feather blanks and thread wrapping now too. Even picked up a few watch parts to try and make a watch parts blank!
The IAP has been invaluable with the support, the information, and the library on helping to refine the craft of penturning as well as open my eyes to the vast world that lies beyond! Next step is a few kitless pens!
 

walshjp17

Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2012
Messages
3,416
Location
Weddington, NC
When I was about ready to retire (almost six years ago now!) my soon-to-be-ex-brother-in-law (an organ builder) suggested I look into woodworking as a hobby. Shortly thereafter, my wife came home from a shopping trip and said she saw a store with all kinds of woodworking tools in the window.

We went to that store -- it was Woodcraft -- and we wandered about. After chatting with one of the salespeople, I signed up for a basic lathe class, bought a Rikon 70-100 lathe and got ready to turn. After the basic lathe class, I signed up for a pen turning class. We turned a simple Wall Street II (Sierra clone) pen. I was hooked. It was so nice to be able to turn something and be able to use it right away. Instant gratification.

Since then I've been to two Arrowmont sessions (planning on a third for later this year), joined and demonstrated at three woodturning clubs, founded a penturners club and am now going to be demonstrating at a regional venue -- the North Carolina Woodturning Symposium. Still hooked after all these years and still learning new techniques.
 
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Bob in SF

Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2016
Messages
1,762
Location
San Francisco
Multiple factors for me:
I come from an extended family of tradespeople, artists, musicians, etc; and my Dad was a Master Electrician on a repair ship in the Pacific theater of WWII. Upon return from the War, he instilled in us children the central and critically important idea that "the brain is wired up to the hands - use these gifts". He rightly and regularly bemoaned the loss of American vocational schools. Dad was a fine gemstone faceter, and always found the beauty in the rough gemstone material (and people).
My Mom was a capable goldsmith.
I often make and modify my own musical instruments - mostly recorders in the beginning, later more complex things - and learned metal smithing and casting to fashion instrument keys in my teens.
Henry David Thoreau's Dad was a pencil maker and encouraged Thoreau to make his own writing instruments - and when I learned this little biographical detail 1+ years ago, it "flipped the switch" in the direction of pen making.
From cuneiform writing on clay through hieroglyphics, ink wells and dip pens in school, cartridge fountain pens, ballpoints, and texting, there remains a passion for making marks at the busy intersection of thought, brain-hand linkage, self-expression, communication, archival documentation, art, craft, enhanced by use of handmade uniquely capable writing implements.
Better yet, and thanks to the generous spirit of this forum, techniques can be shared instantly.
That's my little story and I'm sticking to it.

Happy Monday to All - Bob
 

Paul in OKC

Member
Joined
Jul 26, 2004
Messages
3,089
Location
Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Always wanted to do wood working of some kind, but being a machinist by trade leaves me a bit too annul and not being able to make table saw cuts and other things at + or - .005 just left me frustrated. Went to a local wood hobby store one day just to look around and saw a youngster (12-13 yo) turning a pen. I thought, wow, I understand a lathe and it looks like there maybe some tolerances to this kind of work. I was hooked. That was about 20 years ago. Don't turn as often these days, but still have both my Jet lathes and tools and drawers full of 'project' ideas for pens. Some day.........
 

skiprat

Passed Away Mar 22, 2022
In Memoriam
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
7,812
Location
In a Skip in Wales
My wife was once going to buy an Ottoman kist, but when I saw the price, I said I could make a better one. She said...' How would you make the round feet?'
I said I'd buy and learn how to use a lathe and still have change.:biggrin:

Then we looked through CSUK catalogue and we saw GOLD pens :eek:
I figured I'd make these and get stinking rich and retire and all that nonsense.:rolleyes:

My wife got her kist, I got 3 lathes, a mill and enough tooling to pay off my mortgage ( if she knew how much it was worth )

I keep doing it because it's a hobby that I can leave in a mess and come back too when I'm home or have a minute or two. I work away about 20 nights a month, so pen making is ideal for me.

Never actually selling pens allows me the freedom to be a little artistic with some of my pens and doing kits alone for money would drive me nuts. Ok, ok...... nuttier:biggrin:

Another big reason that I make pens is because I actually like it here on IAP....:)
 

Terredax

Banned
Joined
Nov 1, 2015
Messages
892
The stories and inspirations are fascinating. Sometimes, we start on one path and end up some place completely different.
It's amazing how something so simple, can bring so many together, trying to achieve the same goal... a pen.

I appreciate everyone sharing how you've become a pen maker.
 
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