After becoming a new dad, both shop time and sleep have become much more limited. I was able to get these few pens done by chipping away 10 minutes at a time. A couple maple burl Sierras and a Tree of Heaven modified Long Boy.
I never expected Tree of Heaven to actually furnish wood for a pen. I'd expect it to be like Aspen or Cottonwood. How did you get this idea?
One that surprised me was Chinaberry. It's prolific in west Oklahoma and more than one person has cut it for firewood and didn't remove the bark. You can actually here the caterpillars munching on the wood. It'll keep you up at night. But the wood is very dense and light colored. Just remove the bark.
Glorious Pens Sam,
Beautiful Blanks, Well Turned, Fitted and Finished.
On Well Chosen Pen Kits,
Congratulations on the Pens, and also on becoming a Father,
Thrust that Mother and Babe are both doing well.
Brian.