Hi Mark, thanks for the kind words.
In the past 2 weeks, I have really gone on a concerted study to find something other than CA for my wood pens. From previous turning I found Mahoney's Utility Finish darkened the wood, generally not to my liking. I had recently gotten some Mylands - both Sanding Sealer and Friction Polish, in addition to some PensPlus. 4 of the last 5 wood pens I completed were finished with PensPlus and the last with Mylands Sanding Sealer followed by Mylands Friction Polish. The Mylands really darken the wood, thus I didn't go any further than the one pen.. PensPlus, appears to only darken the timber a little, and it really brings out the figure of the wood! Moreover when holding one of these pens, it feels like wood, not acrylic.
Thus I would say the Mesquite Burl is typical of what I come to expect from PensPlus. No doubt, PensPlus is now my go to finish for wood pens. Of course, all will also receive 2 coats of Ren Wax.