High End Pens...

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grub32

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2008
Messages
342
Location
Ohio, USA.
I want to find out where you all get your high end kits to make your pens for best pricing.

Also, is there any place out there that you would recommend for purchasing burl online?

Again, still new to turning and want to make the best product I can.

Grub32
 
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What is high end in your eyes....Most highend ($75 and up retail)kits for me come from Craft supply USA...

Burl, the best wood and price will come from members here in the classified section...

A high end kit does not make "the best product". A skilled pen artist does....;)
 
I understand...I should say that I would like to make some pens that have "beauty in their metal" as well as the wood. I think that a slimline won't due justice to a nicely figured piece of wood.

Thanks for the response.

grub32
 
There's a lot between a slimline and an emperor.

If you want to show the best of the wood, a cigar is adequate and can be purchased for $3 and change.

The Jr. Gent (CSUSA) is widely-used ($10-15) and, if the pen turns out GREAT after turning you can use the Jr. Statesman to add some glitter (same tubes and bushings).

If you have lots of money and want to throw it at your hobby - the Emperor and Imperial (CSUSA) are gorgeous and will overpower (IMO) any beautiful blank that comes your way!

That's the starters, what else would you like to know???:D:D:D
 
I thought about buying the emperors...I think I will work my way up to those in the future...Maybe next year.
I will try the Jr Gent and Jr. Statesman....They look very nice also.

Thanks for the input.

grub32
 
It depends on who is doing the rating...$75 is low-to-mid-range to me, and would definitely be low-end to someone viewing the latest Joon catalog (where their most expensive offering is for $150,000).
 
You are correct, Dawn.

I forgot about it.

To be more specific, Grub, AFTER the blanks are turned you can decide which components to use. So, if a blank develops into a "special" pen, you can choose to put it in a Jr. Statesman, although you had planned to make a Jr. Gent. This is really handy sometimes. [:0][:0]
 
One more bit of advice to add to the confusion and enjoyment:

Most vendors sell tubes for their kits individually, hence you could turn the pen using Baron-type tubes and match the wood to the variety of platings available in both the Baron and Sedona Rollerball and Fountain pens. [}:)] :D

For instance, a good looking waterfall bubinga Jr Statesman might look stunning as a copper-plated sedona. ;)
 
AND if you use the Baron, the pen is the same diameter at both ends, so you can rotate it if you screw up late at night!!!

So MANY FEATURES!!!!
 
ARE YOU KIDDING??????????????

IF THERE IS A MISTAKE, I HAVE MADE IT!!!!!!!!- MOST multiple times!!![:0][:0][:0][:0]
 
I would say that I have probably made 50 or 60 slimlines in various shapes. I gave away probably 35-45...I lost count a long time ago...

Grub32

Thanks to all for your interest and help
 
(Also, is there any place out there that you would recommend for purchasing burl online?)
Check out Nolans (n4631x) listing in the Business classifieds, and other on here have some beautiful burls. Also I have heard that burlsource (http://www.xmission.com/~burlturn/) here in Utah has great burls also. I would look at the classifieds first. JMHO.

Mike
 
OK,I wanted to get a sense of where you were. I have turned a whole lot of slimlines and really like them. When I moved up I didn't go to the high end pens because, for me, I didn't want to waste an expensive kit 'trying' to give it the perfect blank with the perfect turning.

One day I will buy the $50+ kits, but only when I feel I can make a pen with my eyes closed. I find that every single day I am learning so much on the IAP I can't keep up.

So, having said that, IMHO I would suggest you move up through the kits rather than go straight to the high end....unless you are independently wealthy in which case I would say,everything you buy, buy the same for me and we can track each other's progress...OK?
 
Thanks for the information RLHarding - I really agree with you - I also love the versatility of the slimline. Mainly, my pens have been experimentations of design for FEEL. I have found a shape that I really like but it would look very odd in other pens.

I wish I were independently wealthy, I suppose then my hobby would be jet setting instead something as cheap as woodturning :D Funny!!

Anyway, I am going to try the gents and statesman and just buy extra tubes. If I like the blanks I make, I'll throw them onto the statesman.

Great advice. I have learned more about turning, photography and finishing more this week(the week I joined) than in the previous six months I have been turning.

This is an awesome place to play : )

Grub32
 
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