Navigator Lignum Vitae

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qquake

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This is a Navigator rollerball in satin nickel, from Woodcraft. It's a first for me. The wood is lignum vitae, also from Woodcraft. I believe it's the South American variety. I love the subtle yet noticeable grain patterns. Made a handsome pen.
 

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egnald

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Greetings from Nebraska. A very nice pen. I have made a couple of pens with Lignum Vitae that came from propeller shaft bushings from an old ship. It is a very nice wood to work with. I like the looks of that kit too! - Dave
 

qquake

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Greetings from Nebraska. A very nice pen. I have made a couple of pens with Lignum Vitae that came from propeller shaft bushings from an old ship. It is a very nice wood to work with. I like the looks of that kit too! - Dave
When I was a kid, my dad was fascinated with lignum vitae. He had a small block of it he used to show me. He said it was used for prop shaft bushings in WW2 submarines. I think he would have liked this pen.
 

mark james

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When I was a kid, my dad was fascinated with lignum vitae. He had a small block of it he used to show me. He said it was used for prop shaft bushings in WW2 submarines. I think he would have liked this pen.
Your Dad was correct!
 

magpens

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Most Dads ARE correct ...
Your Dad was correct!
... but sometimes us youngsters don't realize it ..... or feel inclined to acknowledge it at the time ... often not until we become dads !!!!

BTW ... I love working Lignum Vitae also, but I think I have only met the Caribbean variety ..... a little greener than what you show, I would say.

Nice work on that pen, Jim !!!
 

qquake

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Most Dads ARE correct ...

... but sometimes us youngsters don't realize it ..... or feel inclined to acknowledge it at the time ... often not until we become dads !!!!

BTW ... I love working Lignum Vitae also, but I think I have only met the Caribbean variety ..... a little greener than what you show, I would say.

Nice work on that pen, Jim !!!
I thought Argentine was greener. This definitely has a green cast to it.
 

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KMCloonan

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Most Dads ARE correct ...

... but sometimes us youngsters don't realize it ..... or feel inclined to acknowledge it at the time ... often not until we become dads !!!!

BTW ... I love working Lignum Vitae also, but I think I have only met the Caribbean variety ..... a little greener than what you show, I would say.

Nice work on that pen, Jim !!!
Brings to mind my favorite Mark Twain Quote "When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."
 

egnald

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The Lignum Vitae I have definitely has a green cast to it. According to the information I got with it it was AA/Bearing Grade wood that was removed from a 100-year-0ld ship that was decommissioned, the Doulos Phos. The blanks were cut from a spare bearing block for the stern propeller tube. I just love the backstories for wood pens. - Dave

IMG_1502 Cropped.jpg
 

qquake

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The Lignum Vitae I have definitely has a green cast to it. According to the information I got with it it was AA/Bearing Grade wood that was removed from a 100-year-0ld ship that was decommissioned, the Doulos Phos. The blanks were cut from a spare bearing block for the stern propeller tube. I just love the backstories for wood pens. - Dave

View attachment 309738
I love back stories, too. I wish I could have gotten some of that wood. I remember years ago, a local bowling alley closed, and they had piles of the maple from the lanes out in the parking lot. I'm still kicking myself for not picking some up..
 

qquake

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Here is a lignum vitae pen I turned several years ago, that has a green cast to it.
 

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hokie

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Falls Church, Virginia
I'm pretty sure the "green" Lignum Vitae folks are referring to here is more accurately known as Verawood (Bulnesia sarmientoi): https://www.wood-database.com/verawood/

I wish places like Woodcraft wouldn't borrow names from other species so much for marketing purposes. It can lead to a lot of confusion. Seems like every other wood species is a variety of "rosewood" too. Haha.
 
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