How common is it when.....

[Old Bessie]

How common is it to buy pen blanks, because they catch your eye and then you get distracted or delayed for a while, and you suddenly don't remember what type of wood they are/were????

I am reasonably sure of common woods by sight, but I have more than a few that cool looking or unusual so I bought them--I have some that were gifts that I had no idea what they were when I received them, and I admit, that I am not all that smart. What to do?

I have looked at some Wood databases but still have no real idea.
I am not all that swift at all the posting pictures-(I have grandkids for that).

Now the most important question:
Does it really matter what wood is in a pen if the pen is nice looking when it's done? or is it a vital piece of information that is required to tell the person who gets said pen?

Just wondering........

 

[H2O]

It would probably depend on the person buying the pen or receiving it. If they happen to ask, it might be best to have that information available.

I didn't make many wood pens, maybe two.
When someone asks me what it's made from, I just tell them it's plastic, all of the bright and colorful pens (some not so bright and colorful) from any source are made from plastic. People use many names to give the impression that it's an exotic, high end material, but it's just plastic.

Then I give them examples of the names used.

 

[1080Wayne]

Probably not and not likely vital , but most customers will expect you to know most of the woods you use . It kind of suggests that you know what you are doing . You already know what you should have done so the trick is to remember to do it the next time you are attracted to a nice piece of wood . And yes , we have all been guilty , if we have been in this game for any length of time .

 

[SteveG]

I sell my pens every week at a vendor's table at a resort. That means I get to talk to a lot of people. My response here is based on that...

Many people like to know the details about your handcrafted item, and I expect they would be surprised if you did not know what you made it from. (That makes sense. Put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Their thoughts: You are a crafter and do not even know what you are working with??) A few are unconcerned about the specific wood, but they really are few. Your admitting to not knowing, along with the reason why (Ex: came to me as a gift, and was never identified.), is more palatable than just saying "I don't know."

Helpful hint: Every blank I get, gets labeled almost immediately. Sharpie works great. I realize that what I know today, I might not know tomorrow!

 

[larryc]

Remember the two most famous kinds of wood:
FOG (Found on ground) and GOAT (Got On A Trade)

 

[Old Bessie]

Thanks for the responses. Labeling a.s.a.p. it is! And for those few that are mysterious I believe the FOG and GOAT will have to do the trick! Awesome! Thanks again.

 

[Curly]

I had some really beautiful wood that came from South American pallets and had no idea what they were. A lady at a show asked what the wood was. I told her and she looked disgusted and left. Lie or don't use scrap or scrounged wood.

 

[Monty]

... When someone asks me what it's made from, I just tell them it's plastic, all of the bright and colorful pens (some not so bright and colorful) from any source are made from plastic. People use many names to give the impression that it's an exotic, high end material, but it's just plastic.

Then I give them examples of the names used.

I never tell anyone it's made from plastic.
My wife hates it when I tell someone it's made from the rare acrylic tree from the south sea island of Acrylia.:biggrin:

 

[plantman]

If you can't blind them with brilliance, baffle them with bull $hit !!! I have many many blanks that I no longer remember the names of. Your not alone by a long shot. Mark the wood with a marker, not a pencil, as soon as you get it. If you really have some outstanding blanks, look them up to see where they come from. Jot the information in a note book, and when you display the pen for sale have your card with that information on the back so the buyer can remember it when they show off their new pen to your next customer. People are always impressed when you have knowledge of the product you are trying to sell them !!! Jim S

 

[jttheclockman]

As mentioned, as soon as you get the blank mark it with marker. But the trick now is to follow its existence and keep a record of it. There are so many species of woods that it is impossible to know them all. I have found myself forgetting woods i used for my birdhouse ornaments. Easy to do unless you have cards or some other method of keeping a record of it. Not the end of the world. tell the person to enjoy the item and all its color brilliance for what its worth. I guarantee they are not going to remember it after you tell them anyway. When I sell my baskets I write the woods used on their receipt. After that i could care less if they remember.

 

[Smitty37]

As mentioned, as soon as you get the blank mark it with marker. But the trick now is to follow its existence and keep a record of it. There are so many species of woods that it is impossible to know them all. I have found myself forgetting woods i used for my birdhouse ornaments. Easy to do unless you have cards or some other method of keeping a record of it. Not the end of the world. tell the person to enjoy the item and all its color brilliance for what its worth. I guarantee they are not going to remember it after you tell them anyway. When I sell my baskets I write the woods used on their receipt. After that i could care less if they remember.

Here, JT we agree...There is also the problem created by the fact that many woods look so much alike that it's almost impossible to tell them apart. And there are way to many for anyone to remember them all. Maple for example curly maple, quilted maple, birds eye maple, crotch maple, sugar maple, silver maple and on and on....and they all look pretty similar when turned into a pen.

 

[Skie_M]

You forgot japanese maple and maple syrup.

 

[pianomanpj]

You forgot japanese maple and maple syrup.

Last time I turned maple syrup it took days to get it out of my hair. :wink:

But like Steve and others, I label my blanks as soon as I get them. I also write down the cost and the source from which it came. Since most of my blanks tend to be on the dark side (insert Star Wars joke here), I label them with a White-Out correction pen.

When I sell a pen, I give the customer two cards with it: the first is a care card, and the second is my business card on one side, and the serial number, style (I use my own names for component sets), plating, material (of the blank), and what the pen uses for a refill. If there are any issues, I can always look up the pen in my records with the serial number and know immediately the specs of the pen.

Some of this may seem like overkill, but all of my customers really appreciate all the added value for their money. I have made many sales because my customers have a deeper understanding and connection with a pen.

 

[Old Bessie]

I haven't ventured into a sales scenario, just gifting them, but the knowledge shared in this post is highly valued. Labeling is the key! Putting them in a ziplock baggie all together merely causes confusion-a feeling I know all too well! Than you all, again and again!

 

[Skie_M]

I like turning maple syrup ....


You don't know the power of the dark side!


See, first you gotta freeze it ... then you set up your lathe in a walk-in freezer ....


And then, you gift it either to an Eskimo, or to someone you don't really like so much ...



edit - insert evil laugh here, with pinkie held up for evil emphasis....

 

[jsolie]

...and they all look pretty similar when turned into a pen.

It's not just pens... :redface: I turned a bowl a couple weeks ago, and I call it "Spalted something-or-other."

 

[KenV]

If in doubt use a broad Latin name for a large family of trees -- you only need a half dozen to cover a huge span of wood

Acacia is one of those families that covers wood from many continents.