30 curly maple clickers

[ZanderPommo]

Well, title about sums it up. Gave a 6-8 week lead time and sending them out at the 4 week mark exactly. All engraved curly maple on black ti long clickers.

The money is good but oh boy can making 30 identical pens melt your brain.

 

[SteveJ]

Those look real nice!

 

[Bryguy]

Good for you! I'd never have the patience!

 

[leehljp]

WOW! Great group of pens and all are excellent! "Brain melt" - I understand that!

I enjoy making a pen, or several, but when it becomes "work," my stress factor goes up.

Excellent work!

 

[derekdd]

Well done!

I can only imagine what that process was like.

The amount of repetition would certainly be challenging.

 

[bugradx2]

nice work! I just finished up a run of 15 and can only imagine double that again!

 

[ZanderPommo]

Well done!

I can only imagine what that process was like.

The amount of repetition would certainly be challenging.

Imaging like, an assembly line full of machines right, but like…all the machines are like, pretty dumb.


I'm the machines….

 

[Mike@CSUSA]

Those look great! Well done!

 

[bugradx2]

Imaging like, an assembly line full of machines right, but like…all the machines are like, pretty dumb.


I'm the machines….

Just realized you're in the Chicago area too.

I know exactly what you mean by serving as your own "machine"

 

[egnald]

Quite a feat - I don't think I could have done it (well, unless the price was something I just couldn't refuse). The blanks are outstanding. - Dave

 

[Hippie3180]

Wow! That would make me loopy, hats off to you for getting through it. All look great!

 

[KMCloonan]

I would be like the 1984 Dunkin Donuts guy, only I would be saying "Time to make the pens"....

 

[sorcerertd]

Beautiful work, but yeah, I can't imagine "mass producing" all those. Brain melt for sure. I'm with Hank in that I don't want it to feel like work. I've done a couple by request, but I always advised that I can't promise when it will be finished.

@KMCloonan, that used to be me getting up to make the donuts. You'd think I would never want to see one again after making 200-300 dozen a day, but I still love donuts!

 

[ZanderPommo]

Just realized you're in the Chicago area too.

I know exactly what you mean by serving as your own "machine"

Haha no I've managed to escape to Washington state, but in many ways this place isn't too much better.

 

[ZanderPommo]

Quite a feat - I don't think I could have done it (well, unless the price was something I just couldn't refuse). The blanks are outstanding. - Dave

Thanks. Most of that is Curly Maple from Exotic Blanks. I think of the 30 blanks I ordered from them (I already had a lot on hand) I used something like 24 of the 30. And the other 6 weren't even much worse, I just had some already that were curlier.

I've actually never "blindly" ordered any blanks being sold as being figured in some way and been as satisfied with what I got. And for like $1 each no less.
@ed4copies strikes again

 

[ZanderPommo]

Wow! That would make me loopy, hats off to you for getting through it. All look great!

It helps when you start off as loopy

 

[ZanderPommo]

Beautiful work, but yeah, I can't imagine "mass producing" all those. Brain melt for sure. I'm with Hank in that I don't want it to feel like work. I've done a couple by request, but I always advised that I can't promise when it will be finished.

@KMCloonan, that used to be me getting up to make the donuts. You'd think I would never want to see one again after making 200-300 dozen a day, but I still love donuts!

Unfortunately for me, in today's economy, it's something I don't mind feeling like "work", but to be honest it still doesn't when there is variety. I have several Christmas orders already and I will make those with nearly the same efficiency, but after finishing this order I consider my "work" done and now I can do my profitable hobby.

By the way, my Dad worked at Dunkin for a year or two when he was like 17. According to him it was over 10 years before he ate another donut.
I love shooting, and I've been a competitive shooter since I was 14, so almost 16 years now, but my time in Army special operations from 2013-2016, they ALMOST made me hate it. 2000-3000 rounds per week in full kit will do that. I've found my sweet spot in the civilian world to be about 1500-2000 rounds per month. That's one of the ways I manage my sanity doing orders like this