I have a brother who is always going to try some thing different, so years ago he was going to set up a blacksmith shop in my parents back yard, well he got the anvil, and some coal and never got any further, this summer I was cleaning up my parents back yard and found a bucket of coal in an old shed, and I thought it would make a funny Christmas gift to someone, when I got it home I thought I would try to make a pen with it, it is vary hard and dulls your tools, and is vary dirty to work with.