That Very Special Pen

[jttheclockman]

I did not want to hijack another post but an interesting thought came through that thread and it prompted me to post this question. I was going to do a poll but I think instead I would love to see the pens themselves.

The question is, being you are now a pen turner, have you made that very very very special pen for YOURSELF???? One of those pens where you do not let anyone borrow it including the spouse or kids. One of those pens that even if someone saw it and offered to buy you would not sell for any amount of money. If yes then that truely is a special pen. It can be a number of things. Items cast into a blank from a passed relative or friend. A blank made for a reason such as color or wood or segmenting. I know there are some here that have been fortunate to buy or were gifted special blanks or pens from members here that have past on. These have special meaning.

So if you have that pen please post a photo here and tell us your story. Always great reading human interest stories.

Thanks and be well.

 

[KB8JXO]

Not yet. I am waiting until I visit the old homestead back in Ohio. There is a persimmon tree in the back yard that holds special meaning for me. I am going to ask it nicely if I can have a small limb for it so I can have a piece of it where ever I am. If a limb then falls on my head, then I'll make that special pen, once the wood dries.

 

[MTViper]

Yes, my family moved to the farm in 1960. Shortly thereafter, either my grandfather or my father planted a persimmon tree. It was badly located and never was much to look at, but it had lineage. While I was away in the Air Force, my younger brother came home and found the tree gone and on the burn pile. He managed to save a wedge of the tree. He carried it around for years then gave it to me. I set it on the shelf, not sure what to to. There wasn't enough to make a platter from. At its widest it was 1.5" high and tapered to a point.

After I'd been turning pens for a while, I remembered this wedge and decided to put it to use. I made the 3 Churchill pens pictured here for my two brothers and for me. I gave them out about the time Dad would have been 90. I have a few remnants left and I'm looking for some kits that I can use those on to make each of his 7 grandchildren a pen.

 

[Rockytime]

I appreciate the story. Makes the pens very meaningful.

 

[jttheclockman]

Yes this is what I am talking about. That special pen.

 

[liljohn1368]

I have pens that no one can barrow. But they were not made by me. They are from the last 2 PITHs that we've had. The only 2 I've participated in so far. But for that special pen I've made i haven't found it yet.

I have an old .22 rifle that was my granddads when he was little. It doesn't shoot and I was told it couldn't be fixed. I'm going to make 6 pens out of the stock of it. (He had 6 kids each will get one ) If there's enough left I will make me a pen out of it and will cherish it forever. But is that going to be the one? I can't say. So for now I'm still looking.

 

[SSobel]

I turned my first pen when I came home from AFG in 2011 and was hooked!...But I have yet to make "that special pen" that no one else can hold or use. I've been honored to make those kinds of pens for others, and I think there's more joy in that than making one for me. Maybe someday, I'll find just the right material to make that happen. I can't wait to see what others have made for themselves.

 

[acc78]

For christmas 2015 i made my dad a pen, but was not till feburary 2016 that i got to deliver it to him, and in the mean time i had made myself a pen, but i figured i would take a few pens to my dad and let him choose which one he liked the most including the one i made for myself.

He choose the one i had made for myself,after he freely choose that one, I explained that i had made it for myself, he wanted to give it back, and i told him no i felt honored he choose that one.

Sadly he passed away in May 2016, and i told my brother and sister while cleaning his house out that there was truly only one thing i wanted and it was that pen. I have only used it once since he has passed away.

The pen has a lot of sentimental value attached to it.

 

[Rounder]

I went to the old homestead and knocked on the door to ask if I could get some wood from the old tree in the backyard, but they wouldn't let me. Fond memories in that tree.
Man, parents can be so mean sometimes!

 

[Sappheiros]

You know, I don't think I've been here long enough to have that pen. I have so many ideas and so many plans. There is so much I want to learn still. At the same time, the only pen I have that I will not give away is my first. Of course, each pen I've made seems to be a first of something or other. First (wood) pen, first acrylic pen, first ____ kit pen, first fountain pen, etc. of course, I haven't kept all of my pens! I've given so many away, but the first stays with me.

One day, hopefully soon, I'll make the most beautiful of pens. I can see it now, but you'll have to wait to see it.

 

[SteveG]

You know, I don't think I've been here long enough to have that pen. I have so many ideas and so many plans. There is so much I want to learn still. At the same time, the only pen I have that I will not give away is my first. Of course, each pen I've made seems to be a first of something or other. First (wood) pen, first acrylic pen, first ____ kit pen, first fountain pen, etc. of course, I haven't kept all of my pens! I've given so many away, but the first stays with me.

One day, hopefully soon, I'll make the most beautiful of pens. I can see it now, but you'll have to wait to see it.

Avi, you might consider making an intermediate "that pen". Do the best you can to make a really special one. Plan to keep it. Then, at some appropriate later date, make a "that pen"/phase two. Otherwise...too much waiting!!

 

[jttheclockman]

You know, I don't think I've been here long enough to have that pen. I have so many ideas and so many plans. There is so much I want to learn still. At the same time, the only pen I have that I will not give away is my first. Of course, each pen I've made seems to be a first of something or other. First (wood) pen, first acrylic pen, first ____ kit pen, first fountain pen, etc. of course, I haven't kept all of my pens! I've given so many away, but the first stays with me.

One day, hopefully soon, I'll make the most beautiful of pens. I can see it now, but you'll have to wait to see it.

Avi, you might consider making an intermediate "that pen". Do the best you can to make a really special one. Plan to keep it. Then, at some appropriate later date, make a "that pen"/phase two. Otherwise...too much waiting!!

AMEN to what Steve just said

 

[Sappheiros]

Steve, you are definitely right about that. What I meant was more along the lines of this: I don't have a material to turn that holds significance to me, there is no skill I just attempted or gained or mastered that I identify with (pride of accomplishment), so what would make a pen special to me would be a randomly generated attachment based solely on looks.

What might help me in this area is planning out a pen. When I turn a pen, I may know that I want to turn a rollerball or a fountain pen but I don't go into my shop knowing what kit and blank I'll be using. I need to make a plan. I will make a plan. I'll have to think on this for a bit.

 

[Rockytime]

I have a special pen but I did not make it. When I graduated from high school in 1956 my father gave me a very handsome Sheaffer pen and pencil set along with a new Samsonite two suiter suitcase. Was that a not so subtle hint?

 

[MTViper]

I have a special pen but I did not make it. When I graduated from high school in 1956 my father gave me a very handsome Sheaffer pen and pencil set along with a new Samsonite two suiter suitcase. Was that a not so subtle hint?

That depends, was the suitcase already packed? That would be a subtle hint. Packed and on the front porch ... not so subtle.

 

[leehljp]

My wife and I swap pens between the two of us and we have two that we do not let anyone else have or use.

One is the "30 pieces of silver" pen, and the other did not have strong sentimental value until 4 years ago. I did use the "30" pen in a wedding in which the ceremony included the signing of the marriage certificate. There were two people that came up to see that pen after the ceremony. That particular "30" pen was the third one that I made. (The first two were given to two friends in Japan for their work and help.)

One of the last pens that I turned in Japan, in the early summer of 2010 was from a blank by Gary Max, purchased in 2009. It is a walnut burl with a very unusual grain for a burl. The burl was also from the sapwood, which made it almost white (when it was new) in color.

The pen was (is) segmented with bloodwood on both ends separated by brass ring. LOML took it immediately after I made it and kept it along with 4 other of my pens in her purse.

Background for the sentimental part:
LOML and I are retired missionaries (M's). When we were M's, we would come home every 3 to 5 years for almost a year. For M's it was difficult to buy a decent vehicle that would travel as much as required and at then we would have to sell it at the end of that year. That plus living overseas for 4 years with no vehicle insurance back here (USA) made insurance rates HIGH when we came back without a previous insurance contract. Our organization (with 4000+ M's) has people in related churches in some states here in the US that provide a vehicle free of use for the year but we must pay the insurance. Mississippi has a very good organization that provides these services for Mississippi related M's.

The man that was in charge of the automobiles for returning Mississippi M's became a friend of ours back in 2000.

The sentimental relationship of the pen:
When we came back from Japan in Dec. 2010, WC met us in Jackson (MS) and gave us a van to use for a year - our final furlough. Upon returning the van in Jan 2012, he noticed Linda's pen with the walnut burl and asked about it. I asked LOML if she minded giving it to him. She did. He was so appreciative of it. In late August of 2012, We were back in Jackson MS area and met him again for lunch. He said to us: "I can't take a pen that was given to someone else (me to Linda)" and he gave it back to her. Linda assured him it was OK for him to keep it, but he insisted. I told him that as soon as I got my lathe and DC system up and running, I would make another one for him, as I had a couple of those blanks.

A few weeks later, he was in a plane crash in Jackson and was killed. The pen is special to Linda and myself now.

 

[BRobbins629]

Not much of a story behind this one other than it incorporates many of the things I enjoy. I have a number of favorites, but always seem drawn to this one, looking carefully at it each time I use it. It's a Pentel conversion using 2 of my favorite woods - olive for the body and rosewood burl for the clip, cap and nib. Body was carved on CNC with code I wrote by hand; Clip hand carved with files and sandpaper; nib turned on mini lathe.

 

[vwa3guy]

JT! I think you have seen this one already but for the first couple of weeks this was my baby. that is, until the CA got cloudy almost a month after it was finished. It was a real heart breaker and I planned on disassembling it and sanding it down but of course then my lathe broke and it got returned to Teknatool (Nova) so it's still in it's box lookin like a cataract patient.

s10.photobucket.com/user/vwa3guy89/media/PENS/IMG_0581.jpg.html

 

[Penultimate]

I don't have a special pen yet, There are elements of each pen I make that I like but I always make a mistake that ruins it for me. So every time I use it I remind myself of the goof. I'm still working toward the ultimate pen, but I think every pen I make will the penultimate one.

 

[JoeyGee]

Wow, this is such a great thread. I love these stories. Thank you all that have shared them. Please keep them coming.

I don't have much to add, but a related story, I guess. Last summer and into the fall, my brothers, BIL's and I helped my dad put a first floor addition onto my parents' house. Most came from other points across the country, so we were in a time crunch. At one point, tempers flared over something really dumb involving trimming the rafter trails.

I collected the cutoffs from the tails and made pencils for each of them--always losing pencils was naturally part of the building process. Anyway, I know my pencil is very special to me and I'll never loan that to anyone. Sort of reminds me that 1) no one managed to kill each other and 2) no matter how important the issue was seen at the time, it was really minor and stupid and 3) it's just cool to be able to laugh about it now.

Like I said, probably not the point of the thread, but I at least wanted to contribute, lol.

 

[lhowell]

It's not much to look at but it is a replacement for my first THAT pen that I left in the church pew after taking sermon notes and came back to get it and it was gone! I was devastated as I had made the first THAT pen out of the same Woodcraft Inertia kit and in my college team colors (NC State).
I was mad at myself for leaving that first THAT pen behind and decided to make another one but in a different color. I call this one my "Pack in Black" as NC State's mascot is The Wolfpack! It goes wherever I go in my pocket and is never far from my sight! People can look at it but I always ask for it back (nicely of course) and tell them they can't have it but I'd be glad to make them one like it!

 

[lhowell]

For some reason on my iPhone it only allows me to upload one photo...so here is the first THAT pen I was talking about.

 

[jttheclockman]

I thought I would bump this thread back up being there have been a few people here talking about pens they have made for themselves. maybe you want to include them here and anyone else who wants to add their special pen. Thanks.

 

[Rick_G]

Teak fountain pen

When I was about 8 my dad broke his back at work. Several years later in the mid 60's workmans comp. offered a lump sum payment instead of a small monthly stipend, since the case was not closed in case there were later problems he took it and my parents used it to buy their first new furniture a teak living and dining room set. The coffee table came with an extra set of legs so he could choose the height he wanted. He carried that extra set until about 3 years ago through 3 moves and then gave them to me. I made this pen for myself and rollerballs for my 3 brothers and a slim line for my dad as that's what he preferred. For me this one's is the keeper and it stays on my desk.

 

[jttheclockman]

Very cool story Rick. Thanks for sharing and by the way the pen looks great and I am sure they all are well received.