Help with matching hardware with wood

[ImEricToo]

Hello All,

Just started pen turning and have some starter kits. Looking them over and realized a little tricky matching hardware with wood. I figure the obvious will always work - dark hardware with light wood and visa-versa. What about others? Does anyone have any guidance? Even something as simple as anything goes, except blah with blah won't look as good as one would think.

For example, looked at cherry with gold and sometimes I think it's too close a match and will not look that great and 'wash' out, but other times I think it looks good that it sort of blends.

Thanks a bunch for any advice.

Eric

 

[Jay]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You may like what others may or may not. Just look through the thousands of photos of the various pens and you will get a good idea what others think are good combinations. I usually just ask my daughter what she thinks of a possible combo.
Jay

 

[KenB259]

For me, gold is the hardest to match up. It's my least favorite so I rarely make an all gold hardware pen.

 

[RKB]

I like to use Gunmetal with wood blanks.

 

[jrista]

There are no rules.

Light with Dark, Dark with Light, Dark with Dark, Light with Light, combination of light and dark (i.e. "kitbash"), segmented woods. You can also contrast colors. I like to combine gold kits with...red colored woods, purpleheart, black wood (ebony, bog oak, similar), etc. I like to combine chrome/silver-colored kits with light woods (holly, maple, etc.) as well as dark woods. I like combining gunmetal (darkish) with dark woods, but it can also go real well with light woods. I have had some kits that had both gunmetal and gold, and you can combine those with a variety of woods.

For two-part kits, you can mix woods as well. I've made some redheart or bloodwood pens that use ironwood in the caps with gold kits, stuff like that. These are all just examples, though...there really are no rules. You can make good combinations out of just about anything, with only occasional exceptions.

Look for not only monochromatic contrasts...or compliments. Look for color contrasts and compliments as well.

 

[leehljp]

Here is a link to a thread that is very long. But if you look through it, you can see all kinds of combinations and get some ideas that you like:

https://www.penturners.org/threads/no-comments-just-post-new-segmented-pens-and-likes.111419/

 

[egnald]

It's been said already - all related to personal preferences. I have a drawer dedicated to pens I've made and didn't like so they are slated to be knocked apart and re-assembled with a different blank (I either have or can make spare tubes for almost every kit I have in my stash). I have also received comments from some people looking through my re-build drawer say that they really, really liked the thing. Those become gifts really, really fast! - Dave

 

[PatrickR]

Do some research into color theory and color pallets. That will get you started. That said, do what looks pleasing to you. If you see a color combo in something you like, take a picture of it for later use.
An old rule of thumb for metals and color is that gold is warm and to be used with other warm colors (red, purple etc.) and silver is cool (blues greens etc.) but this rule is commonly broken to good effect.

 

[ImEricToo]

Hello All,

Just started pen turning and have some starter kits. Looking them over and realized a little tricky matching hardware with wood. I figure the obvious will always work - dark hardware with light wood and visa-versa. What about others? Does anyone have any guidance? Even something as simple as anything goes, except blah with blah won't look as good as one would think.

For example, looked at cherry with gold and sometimes I think it's too close a match and will not look that great and 'wash' out, but other times I think it looks good that it sort of blends.

Thanks a bunch for any advice.

Eric

Thanks everyone for your ideas, advice and input. All very very helpful. I have a lot to think about now and have fun with!!

 

[boatemp]

You hit the nail on the head. ABOVE ALL. HAVE FUN

 

[jttheclockman]

Yes it comes down to the eye of the maker of the pen. The more pens you make the more you get to see what looks better. As far as segmenting goes you always need color separation or you will not see the segments well. As for metals used it is taste thing. As for matching components with blanks, there is no rule. I can say blacks and whites always look good with silvers. Woods such as rosewoods look good with brass and golds because it is softer look. Just look through the many pages of SOYP forum and you will get many ideas. Good luck and yes have fun.

 

[farmer]

You get to make your own rules up, it's part what makes up your style of artistry.
Make whatever you want to make, anyway you want to make it, out whatever materials you wish to use.

The only people who count are the customers and the people who you want them to have something you made.
Everyone else can kick sand.

Be creative and good luck

 

[RunnerVince]

I've made plenty of pens where I end up not being happy with some aspect of the color, whether it's how the material (wood, acrylic, etc.) matches the kit, how two woods look together, how a wood looked after a certain finish was applied. Without fail, when I show the pen, SOMEONE loves it.

The same thing is true with the final shape, the kits themselves, different types of finishes. I'm sure there are regional considerations as well. For example, I know myrtle wood is basically firewood in Oregon and Washington, but highly prized elsewhere. In those places, the fact that it's myrtle wood might trump any other considerations for your buyers. In certain communities, you may see better sales with the "fancier" domestics (cherry, walnut, etc.), where in other markets (particularly, in my experience, urban areas) the exotics sell better. I've also noticed that the clients I'm reaching strongly prefer darker woods. I sell very few single-wood pens made with maple, oak, ash, pine and similar light woods.

Finally, I've noticed recently that burlwood pens are selling a little better. I don't do any segmenting, but that seems to be very hot right now as well. And in a year, or five, they might still be hot, or something new might take the market by storm, or something old might come back again. Maybe National Geographic does a documentary called "The Great American Oak," and suddenly everyone will want oak pens. Or the next Avengers movie has a character say that his wood side table is African Blackwood. You never know. The only thing you can do is observe what's selling, and cater to your customers.