A finish follow up

[fishlux]

I often wonder how a finish holds up over time. I'v only kept one pen for myself, so I can only see one sample. But I thought I'd show it off for those who wonder.

This is honeylocust, sanded to 400, and finished with Hut Crystal Coat. I know it's a friction finish, it's the only thing I knew how to do then. I also think it's long gone off this pen. But the pen is starting to develop a patina of use.

I like it, I know many of you will not. But here is an example of a "poor" finish three years out and used daily.

Lux

 

[kinggabby]

Call me nuts but I like it too. Seems more natural

 

[rjwolfe3]

Looks good to me too. I should try that sometime.

 

[spnemo]

I know I am in the minority, but I prefer the look of "soft" finishes verses CA or laquer. I really like how the soft finishes are replaced by a natural wear. I think this gives pens great character. It is as if the pen is telling a story.

 

[bitshird]

Hard woods can and do look and feel good with minimal finishing, CA gives a plastic feeling, sure it is very durable and will keep it's shine for a long time, but some times it's nice to touch wood, I tend to like a BLO-CA finish to me it still has the warmth of wood and some shine to it, but it doesn't feel like plastic. The very best of my personal pens just has a BLO finish period, and it' Irish Bog Oak on an Emperor, but I love the feel of the grain and the actual feeling of the wood.
I'm not going so far as using friction polish on pens, on bowls maybe but part of the charm of wooden pens is they are made from WOOD.

 

[monophoto]

Fred Picker was a noted photographer who started a niche business in Vermont in the 1970's making and selling large format cameras and accessories. Among his products were a pair of heavy-duty wooden tripods.

In his advertising for those tripods, he noted that an advantage of wood over metal is that, like people, wood 'gathers honorable scars'.

That would seem to be the case with pens also