Asked Chat GPT to tell me the best wood

[Flintski22]

Today I decided to ask Chat GPT what the best wood for pen turning is. I'm interested to know if you all think AI had a good response and what you think the best wood for pen turning is.

Chat GPT says that the best wood for pen turning is cocobolo. Now I'm still pretty new to pen turning and woodworking in general so there are many beautiful woods that I haven't yet had a chance to work with or make a pen out of, but I have turned a pen from cocobolo before and I was very pleased with the wood. It turned pretty good and took a finish beautifully.

Did Chat GPT come up with a great answer here?
And what really is the best wood for pen turning?

 

[1080Wayne]

`Best` in what way ? If you want a near white pen , you will choose holly , most definitely not cocobolo ! All it gave you was a distillation of lists made by penturners of their favourite woods , and cocobolo was at the top .

 

[randyrls]

Cocobolo is indeed a favorite, but symptomatic of our instant response (bad) society. Cocobolo is a member of the rosewood family and has potential for bad health effects. You can get "flu like" symptoms. Be sure to use a dust mask and wash any exposed skin after use. Repeated exposure can cause sensitivity

It is restricted by CITES in large quantities.

PS If we all posted that we preferred cow patties for turning pens, ChatGPT would dutifully spew that up

 

[Mortalis]

Let alone the Cocobolo is known to cause allergic reactions in a lot of people with skin irritation, respiratory issues, and other allergic responses due to its high oil content and allergenic compounds.
It can be a very beautiful wood but, as Wayne states, best in what way?

As far as the best wood for turning......IMO, Cherry turns very clean as well as Ebony.

 

[egnald]

Well, the Dave GPT engine would have returned "Free is the best wood for pen turning". Dave

 

[Dave Mallory]

Cocobolo does make a nice pen…smells totally unique as well. I like the darker cocobolo pens the best. Here is a thought - I buy cutting boards at kitchen shops and cut them down to use as blanks. If you pick some olive that has awesome markings then you get amazing pens. Very easy to work with and cost effective. Each pen is totally unique. I have been turning pens for over 25 years and love making them - well over 1,000 pens by now. I've published a couple of articles as well. Pen making becomes an addiction…..

 

[Flintski22]

`Best` in what way ? If you want a near white pen , you will choose holly , most definitely not cocobolo ! All it gave you was a distillation of lists made by penturners of their favourite woods , and cocobolo was at the top .

Best in terms of overall beauty.
Of course the best wood for pen turning is subjective on what you want, if I was going for a bold color I'd choose purple heart or bloodwood.
I just asked it which one was the best for pen turning in general.

 

[Flintski22]

Cocobolo is indeed a favorite, but symptomatic of our instant response (bad) society. Cocobolo is a member of the rosewood family and has potential for bad health effects. You can get "flu like" symptoms. Be sure to use a dust mask and wash any exposed skin after use. Repeated exposure can cause sensitivity

It is restricted by CITES in large quantities.

PS If we all posted that we preferred cow patties for turning pens, ChatGPT would dutifully spew that up

All true. Most sawdust is an irritant to my lungs so I always wear a respirator. The sawdust didn't bug my arms, probably cuz I shower after I make pens.

 

[Flintski22]

Let alone the Cocobolo is known to cause allergic reactions in a lot of people with skin irritation, respiratory issues, and other allergic responses due to its high oil content and allergenic compounds.
It can be a very beautiful wood but, as Wayne states, best in what way?

As far as the best wood for turning......IMO, Cherry turns very clean as well as Ebony.

You bring up a nice point about how cleanly a wood turns. If that was the criteria I'd asked GPT about I'm sure it would've spat out something different.

 

[Flintski22]

Cocobolo does make a nice pen…smells totally unique as well. I like the darker cocobolo pens the best. Here is a thought - I buy cutting boards at kitchen shops and cut them down to use as blanks. If you pick some olive that has awesome markings then you get amazing pens. Very easy to work with and cost effective. Each pen is totally unique. I have been turning pens for over 25 years and love making them - well over 1,000 pens by now. I've published a couple of articles as well. Pen making becomes an addiction…..

Oh okay! I have yet to turn olive, I'll look into getting some and turn it. Thanks for the idea, the cutting board things is really smart as well.