Some of you may have noticed that I primarily work in resins, it's what I enjoy doing, but I am also interested in woods that have character. I have done Snakewood, Curly Koa, Curly Mango, etc., and a couple of Joe Schneider's segmented blanks as well. A while back I received a couple of Joe's Norfolk Island Pine blanks and loved the knots and spalting enough to try them out. Here is the result. I think the color of the wood complements the Gentleman's Fountain Pen very well, but I would love to know what you think.
Well, you may not be aware of my appreciation for many of the Pine species and the fact that, I keep reminding folks that, one can do a magnificent piece out of Pine.
Of course, there are Pines and Pines, some have a lot less character than others, like so many other wood species.
I also tend to let the Pine spalt before I turn it, Norfolk Pine is well know as one of the species that spalts the fastest and the prettiest, the knots formation are also unique and quite pretty. Sap or resin, can be a problem if the wood is not treated well before use, Pine sap/resin can be easily neutralized by "roasting" the wood for a few hours, the use of foil paper helps to prevent burn marks in the wood, if the wood is too close with the heating elements but, high temperature will crystallize the liquid sap into a solid crystal that won't affect the finishes so, keep that in mind for when working with pine woods...!
I'm very pleased to see someone of your "calibre" to actually take the time to make a pen with Pine, once again you showed your ability and craftsmanship, congrats...!
Cheers
George