Pretty Wood Pen Voting: Round 1

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Pretty Wood Pen Contest Round 1: Please select four

  • Pen 1

    Votes: 21 20.4%
  • Pen 2

    Votes: 16 15.5%
  • Pen 3

    Votes: 7 6.8%
  • Pen 4

    Votes: 27 26.2%
  • Pen 5

    Votes: 4 3.9%
  • Pen 6

    Votes: 4 3.9%
  • Pen 7

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Pen 8

    Votes: 3 2.9%
  • Pen 9

    Votes: 5 4.9%
  • Pen 10

    Votes: 22 21.4%
  • Pen 11

    Votes: 5 4.9%
  • Pen 12

    Votes: 43 41.7%
  • Pen 13

    Votes: 42 40.8%
  • Pen 14

    Votes: 6 5.8%
  • Pen 15

    Votes: 7 6.8%
  • Pen 16

    Votes: 24 23.3%
  • Pen 17

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Pen 18

    Votes: 21 20.4%
  • Pen 19

    Votes: 24 23.3%
  • Pen 20

    Votes: 14 13.6%
  • Pen 21

    Votes: 9 8.7%
  • Pen 22

    Votes: 6 5.8%
  • Pen 23

    Votes: 6 5.8%
  • Pen 24

    Votes: 12 11.7%
  • Pen 25

    Votes: 4 3.9%
  • Pen 26

    Votes: 9 8.7%
  • Pen 27

    Votes: 2 1.9%
  • Pen 28

    Votes: 13 12.6%
  • Pen 29

    Votes: 4 3.9%
  • Pen 30

    Votes: 4 3.9%
  • Pen 31

    Votes: 22 21.4%

  • Total voters
    103
  • Poll closed .

Brian G

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Bloomington, MN
Voting is OPEN, and comments and banter are welcomed.

You can click on each photograph for a larger image.

Please admire the fantastic Pretty Wood Pen entries, and then vote for your four favorites. The top 10 will advance to the second round.

You have until Friday night (August 26) to cast your vote.

I applaud all of the entrants for their fantastic entries.
 
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Brian G

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Pen 1

Buckeye Burl stabilized in cactusjuice, 600grit abranet, with Mylands friction finish.

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Brian G

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Pen 4

The blank used for this pen was given to me by a dear friend who died from pancreatic cancer a year or so ago. The piece was large enough to get two pens made, one of which was given to him. I loved the spalting and feel it is one of the more outstanding domestic wood blanks I have turned------I have no idea what kind of wood it is.

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Brian G

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Pen 6

Sierra turned from Red Mallee Burl, the blank had some interesting reds and Browns through it. the patterns in the wood didn't show until it was turned. I turned this in a hope that it would be interesting and pretty enough to enter and was happy with the results.

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Brian G

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Pen 7

This slimline pen was made from a branch from a Fruitless Plum tree, that grew across the street from a good friend of mine. When I finished the pen I gave it to my friend.

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Brian G

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Pen 9

My pen is Amboyna burl on a gold Caballero. I applied several coats of CA then sanded to 800. Next I buffed the bodies with the Beall buffing system. I am very happy with the fit and finish of this pen. It's the first piece of Amboyna burl that I have done.

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Brian G

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Pen 10

I chose to use a piece of Birdseye Western Sheoak, Allocasuarina fraseriana , on a Jr Statesman Rollerball. It has been given a CA finish.

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Brian G

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Pen 11

My pen is a Round Top European ballpoint in titanium gold with tulipwood which has been stabilized (no color added). This is it's natural color when you find great quality heart wood with out the white creamy sap wood.

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Brian G

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Pen 12

I chose to make a Triton ballpoint from a piece of what I was told was silver maple. It sat outside my shop for the past 3-4 years. I cut into it a few months ago and was pleasantly surprised to find it spalted and slightly punky. I stabilized the blank with Cactus Juice to keep it from tearing out.

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Brian G

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Pen 14

Bolivian Rosewood, a rather rare, dark wood with beautiful grain.
The components - Noveau Sceptre, tastefully elegant with low bling.
Finish - CA, carefully crafted and buffed to a deep luster.

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Brian G

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Pen 16

The piece of wood is a spectacularly figured piece of Tiger Myrtle on a Gunmetal/Gold Kojent fountain pen with a 24kt plated steel nib.

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Brian G

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Pen 18

I purchased this piece of cocobolo burl several years ago and decided to wait for the 'right time' to turn it and finish it. This contest seemed to be that 'right time'. I teamed it with a Jr. Anthony kit and finished it with French polish.

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Brian G

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Pen 19

This is made from a piece of Diagonal Cut Padauk

Kit: Jr. Abraham Rollerball - Chrome & Black Titanium
Material: Diagonal Cut Padauk
Shaped with: Carbide tools
Dry Sanded: 120, 220 and 320
20 coats of CA
Wet sanded: 400, 600, 800 the Micro Mesh 1500 through 12K

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Brian G

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Pen 20

The wood used is Laos Amboyna Burl. The pen components are the Broadwell Nouveau Sceptre Rhodium and 22kt Gold Fountain Pen. It is finished with Behlen stringed instrument lacquer (brilliant gloss). It has been rubbed down to a soft gloss using Megular's #2 fine cut rubbing compound.

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Brian G

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Pen 21

My entry to the Pretty Wood Pen contest is made from a piece of Pretty Wood that came from Lou Metcalf's stable of Pretty Woods. It is one of the prettiest pieces of Thuya Burl I've ever seen matched with a Cambridge Rollerball. For the finish I used Pens Plus with 3 buffed coatings of Trade Secret wax. I love the look and smell of this wood and to enter one of Lou's blanks into a contest honoring him has been a fun experience.

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Brian G

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Pen 22

The story behind this wood is that it was purchased in the garden section of the local Ace Hardware Store, where it was labeled as a stake for planting small trees. It's obviously spalted, and is probably not native to North America, so I have simply called it "spalted garden-stake wood". The component kit is the Navigator with sterling silver plated hardware. The wood was sanded through 400 grit and polished with tripoli and tin oxide [usually referred to as white diamond]. No other finish was applied.

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Brian G

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Pen 24

Blank is a maple burl paired with Chic-Line V2 chrome twist pen. This pen was turned with roughing gouge and a mini spindle gouge. Finished with CA med glue and polished to 12k Grit.

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Brian G

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Pen 29

Curly Koa on a Le Roi Elegant Version 2 in Chrome/Blk Chrome. Blank was sanded to 600 grit then 6 coats of a BLO/Med. CA mixture was applied and buffed out at high speed.

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Brian G

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Pen 31

Majestic Jr. Fountain Pen in Rhodium & Black TN.
Made with two-tone Amboyna burl.
Finished with 20 coats of thin CA and sanded from 400 to 12k grit and then buffed.

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jttheclockman

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NJ, USA.
Are you kidding me:eek::eek::eek: I knew this was going to be one of those tough contests but man I have to tell you it is going to take 4 days to make 4 choices. I may get one a day. I have to say hats off to every single person who entered this contest. It shows by the numbers that it is a popular contest that will be sticking around. I wish there was a way I could have them all on the same screen at once. By the time I switch to the next my mind is overloaded. Wow job well done. This is going to be tough and there is not one single loser here.

Before I forget, Brian nice job getting these all posted.
 
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GoodTurns

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Bowie, MD, USA.
Well done to all of the entrants. Every one of them is worthy of Lou's statement; "I make pretty wood pens." You have truly captured the spirit of the contest.
 
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RobS

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Ah, to say everyone brought their A game would be an understatement. How the heck do you choose. Seriously, if this were an art exhibit, and everything was for sale, there would be nothing left after the first half hour.
 
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