The Emperors Dragon

[Jjartwood]

I wish I could take credit for this pen but all I did was make it round.
The Dragon blank from Exotics and the Ti Emperor just seem to go together when I had them laying on the bench,Lucky call.
This has to be a $75 dollar pen all day long,Ya think?
Thanks for looking.
Mark

 

[LL Woodworks]

very nice!

 

[Brooks803]

The pen looks great, but when you say $75 are you talking selling price or your cost to make it?

 

[Russianwolf]

The pen looks great, but when you say $75 are you talking selling price or your cost to make it?

me thinks maybe he left off a zero.....

 

[Jjartwood]

The pen looks great, but when you say $75 are you talking selling price or your cost to make it?

Actually It was a ill fated attempt at a joke,It seems that at every show there is the customer that says HOW MUCH???????
$75 Won't cover the material and although it may not look it,I do try to get a couple of bucks for the labor.

 

[jcm71]

Add a hundred at a minimum. Very, Very Nice!

 

[Brooks803]

The pen looks great, but when you say $75 are you talking selling price or your cost to make it?

Actually It was a ill fated attempt at a joke,It seems that at every show there is the customer that says HOW MUCH???????
$75 Won't cover the material and although it may not look it,I do try to get a couple of bucks for the labor.

Yeah I get that all the time. Hell, I've had more moments like that with other turners than customers!

 

[theidlemind]

Yeah I get that all the time. Hell, I've had more moments like that with other turners than customers!

I had that happen to me this weekend.
A "purist" pen maker (whatever that means) was appalled at my prices.

 

[turncrazy43]

I would tell the "purist" that if he wishes to work for nothing that is up to him, but for me I can't continue to make one of a kind works of art at a break even point or I will have to stop making pens. Try explaining the virtues of the durability of the fitting finish and the one of a kind hand made blank by an artist. The story often makes the customer realize how special the pen is and the unique value that it is.

 

[tim self]

I think that's a great combo.

 

[Marc]

very good looking pen. I am glad you were joking about the $75. Some folks would rather pay 49 cents for a plastic pen and use it until it runs dry. No one will steal it and if they lose it, so what? That person is not and likely will never be a quality pen buyer.

Fortunately we have lots of folks that appreciate a quality, distinctive writing instrument and know how good it feels in their hand and how the good Schmidt roller balls just glide across the page!

 

[thewishman]

I'll give you $79.50 - CASH MONEY! :glasses-nerdy:

 

[jyreene]

I think that looks good. Just because you "only" made it round does not mean the person who created the blank is the maker. You can give credit but its still your pen!

I know prices are semi contentious on here and to each their own. When I first started and didn't have a good fit, quality finish or quality kit, I generally sold them for cost of materials plus $5-$10. As I've gotten better I sell them for more. I try and get at least enough to be able to purchase double what I just sold and for the really time intensive ones or ones I spend extra time on I go with what I think the pen is worth to let go of it since I want to keep them ALL!

Anyways. I'll give you $81.37 for it! Puts down d20 dice...

 

[mikespenturningz]

Nice combination. Great looking pen. I was thinking at $75 I would start purchasing them from you and putting them up on my site and make a nice profit on them. I also get the same thing when I try to sell my pens in person. I actually had a guy drop my pen on top of my other pens when he saw the price I really had to bite my lip when that happened.

 

[PaulDoug]

First thing that came to my mind when I looked at the picture was "Game of Thrones" don't have HBO but I'm on the fourth book.

Beautiful pen. How does the maker of the blank get the dragon in. Is it scroll sawed, lazered, ?

 

[fernhills]

Great job, I have not gotten the courage to plunk down the cash for a blank like that for fear i would put it on my lathe and double the pieces without getting the extra cash. Carl

 

[Joe S.]

Once I had a lady think I was selling a cigar pen with tru-stone for 35 cents! She handed me a dollar and waited for change! I also had the guy who saw how much it was and dropped the pen! Maybe I should have a "you break it, you buy it" policy. :biggrin:

 

[LagniappeRob]

Great job, I have not gotten the courage to plunk down the cash for a blank like that for fear i would put it on my lathe and double the pieces without getting the extra cash. Carl

I understand what you mean, but suggest you take the plunge. Jeff's blanks turn beautifully. The only one I have any "issue" with was the Koi blank with the minerals in it (Mica I suspect), but that one came with a big warning one it. Took my time and finished off with CA, and it came out nicely. The rotacrylics are very smooth - love them and people love them too.

 

[ttm7]

www.exoticblanks.com is protected by BlockScript.

when i look at exotic blanks i get:

exoticblanks.com is protected by BlockScript.
seems they block me for ??
dont know if this happens to others but im thinking
they must not want any business
to bad for them
is there another vendor for the two items you used to make that pen?

 

[dbledsoe]

Must be you or your ISP. I had no trouble clicking on the link you posted. Try again. They are nice to deal with.

 

[walshjp17]

Are you using a plugin for your browser that blocks javascript from running? Some browser add-ons, such as No Script for Firefox, will block perfectly good non-javascript in error (or just for GPs:wink. I'm using Chrome, Firefox and Safari and can get to EB without any problems.

 

[Joe S.]

I'm pretty sure they are not trying to keep you out. That would be a little shocking for any business, but unimaginable for exotics!