Rollerball extravaganza

[bugradx2]

I was looking through some things lately and realized it's been forever since I posted anything up here and thought I would share a few photos of some rollerballs I've done in between a full schedule of children's activities and college move in for my oldest.

A couple of them are the C Series pens from Exotic Blanks. I keep saying the next one of these I make will have a custom center band and custom cabuchon but here I am still. The next one, I swear. The C Series pens are super easy to add the custom center band to also.

Exotic Blanks C Series (A Clip) with a JohnU Washi paper blank. I really love this pen.

Diamond Knurl Antique Silver with a maple burl body that's a personal favorite. This was given to a friend as a thank you.

Exotic Blanks C Series Chrome with Ti Gold with curly maple body that I donated for a charity auction

Exotic Blanks C Series Chrome with Ti Gold that was also donated to the same charity auction.

I have a few other pens I'll try to post up here soon.

Thanks for looking

 

[Woodchipper]

And thanks for sharing those elegant pens.

 

[Jim15]

Great looking pens.

 

[ed4copies]

Hey Kent,
Do you know and are you willing to say how the pens did at auction?
I certainly understand if you prefer not to give this info, but I am curious how others perceive the value.

 

[bugradx2]

Hey Kent,
Do you know and are you willing to say how the pens did at auction?
I certainly understand if you prefer not to give this info, but I am curious how others perceive the value.

Hi Ed! I'm happy to share how the pens did at auction but I will say I wish they'd done more but I knew the potential when I entered them.

A quick bit of background to set the stage for the auction. The fraternity I was in during college has a Chicago metro area tournament each August and these were part of the auction for the national philanthropy that we've supported since 1977. It's called The Ability Experience (https://www.abilityexperience.org/) and is a non profit focused on supporting people with disabilities. This year we had about 60-65 golfers made up of ages from 22 to 80. I brought three pens, two of them as custom casts in fraternity colors. The curly maple pen was done because I was making other rollerball style pens and wanted to bring a wood pen to the auction. I used a version of the technique I did on a pen for my niece two years ago for it. (you saw it at the MPG) One of my chapter brothers bought that one for his dad who's a woodworker.

Unfortunately, that means the room is not made up of serious pen people. Each pen went for $80-85 and I took an order for a fourth pen when one of the members turned to me during the auction and matched price on the pens asking if I'd make him one. Of course I said yes.

Honestly? I have only put pens into the auction twice and they've gone for $80-90 each if memory serves. I didn't put one in the auction last year because I made a cigar holder and cutter set instead. That said, I typically walk out of day with someone who comes up to me and orders a pen. One of the guys came up to me last year and ordered one on the spot because he was bummed he wasn't successful the year before.

For this auction next year? I think I will do another diamond knurl and a bolt action with a rifle case. I've tried to bring different things to test what grabs people and keep things fresh.

I don't do this auction to "get my name or business out" but do it because I can.

Photos below of the additional auction pen that was a Diamond Knurl along with a picture of the "duo"

 

[Sataro]

Great looking assortment of pens!

 

[mark james]

Superb pens and your donations are great gestures - well done.