In November of last year, about the time I started making pens, my father in law was diagnosed with inoperable small cell lung cancer. He decided to go home and die on his terms. Since then my wife and I have driven the hour and a half each way at least once a week to check on him and do his grocery shopping. One of the things that he always did when we visited was ask to see the latest pen. We would talk about how long they took to make and the type of blank I used. I made him two pens, one out of lemonwood and the other Amboyna burl. He asked me in May if I would make him two pens to give to two of his very close friends so they would have something to remember him. He wanted them to be made from the same wood and have the same plating. After several discussions he decided on Spalted locust on a gold roadster. He would say, has to be wood none of that girlie acrylic stuff (no offense to the women out there). He asked me June 11th how the pens were coming along. I let him know I had cut and drilled the blanks and would turn them the next day. We got a call the next afternoon that he had passed away. Life has just calmed down enough for me to get back in the shop. First thing I did was finish his pens. They're not perfect by any means, but he would of loved them. My wife are meeting his two friends on Wednesday to give them their pens. I hope they think of Roger every time they use them.
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Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app
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