So, I'm between a rock and a hard place.

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Scruffy

Scruffy

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Messages
345
Location
Alabama
I have only been turning pens in wood.

Recently, I got some blanks from Larry (IDubia). I was glad to get them. The box included some acrylic blanks. I showed wife who normally likes my pens and even helps sell them.

She liked what I got ... except.... Her first comment ..

"What are you going to do with these plastic things?"

Turn them. Don't you think they will make nice pens?

"I would never spend more than $3 for a plastic pen. Go ahead, lets see what you can do. But I'm not too positive."


I only have about 2-3 chances here to get her to like acrylic. I showed her pens on this site, and she is still attracted to wood turned pens over acrylic.

Before retirement she was in Sales and Marketing departments of a number of companies. And she is an intelligent and wonderful woman.

Any ideas to change her lovely mind.
 
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I have to admit I also like wooden pens. My customers also don't order very many of the acrylic pens that I make? Not sure what else I can say. I would be careful of the big stick I find that my wife sleeps more lightly than I do so in the middle of the night payback could be rough. :eek:
 
My wife is of the same mind. She doesn't even like the segmented wood pens. The only way I have influenced her in this regard has been to actually sell a few where people have chosen the acrylic over wood.
 
Acrylic Pens

Alan,
I have a small retail shop in Central Texas that specializes in pens that I turn. From a retail point of view, I sell a lot more acrylic pens than I do
wood pens. People (espicially the ladies) would rather buy the acrylic pens. I probably sell 15 acrylic pens for every 1 wood pen. Hope that helps some.
 
SMJ1957 said:
My wife is of the same mind. She doesn't even like the segmented wood pens. The only way I have influenced her in this regard has been to actually sell a few where people have chosen the acrylic over wood.
Click to expand...


That's grounds for divorce!:biggrin:
 
D.Oliver said:
A stick. A big stick.:biggrin:
Click to expand...

Just remember one very important thing if you do choose this route, "She knows where you sleep." Also paybacks are always, well you know the rest of that saying.:eek:

Personally, I would turn a few, allow her to get used to them, and gently inform her that some people like chocolate while others prefer strawberry.:rolleyes::wink:

Charles
 
Scruffy, thats what makes the world go round. My wife unlike yours actually prefers the acrylic blanks to the wood. She says that the acrylic looks neater. As for me I prefer the spalted and burl woods over anything else. But thats just MHO. Just remember the old adage, "you can please some of the people some of the time, but not all the people all of the time".
 
Address to her the reason you make pens. Likely it is because you like it, so if turning a mix of materials make you happy, it is good to do so. Can she accept that line of reason. A second argument is the market place: if you sell pens, the sales of acrylics, etc. will speak for their viability. Finally, sometimes it is a first impression, which lingers for a while. Most "throw away" pens are plastic. Therefore plastic equals cheap. That thinking may go away if you provide a few very nice, non-wood pens, and she gets to warm up to them over time. If all that fails, get a big plastic stick, and use judiciously.

Steve
 
Make a pen for using her favorite colors. My wife loves coffee, so I turned a pen with coffee beans and pink acrylic. She loves it more than the zebrawood pen I made for her awhile ago.
 
It is true, many throw away pens are plastic.

So are many Mt Blanc, Shaeffer, Lamy, Conway Stewart, etc that sell in excess of $1000.

Ask her to look for high end pens on the internet or in your local mall. Can she FIND a high-end WOOD pen? There are a few, but they are less than 5% of the high end market. Are all those expensive pen makers wrong? They have tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to use for market research, why do you suppose they chose "plastic" (spelled "precious resin")?

If you are making pens for yourself or to give away, make whatever YOU like.

If you are making pens to sell, it is easier if you make what the CUSTOMER will like.
 
You may not be able to change her mind. It has nothing to do with sales and marketing; it's a personal preference. I've known people who preferred only wood and others who preferred other materials. Having both available has everything to do with sales and marketing - at least until you find the right mix for the market you sell to.:wink:
 
I turn lots of acrylic pens and lots of wood pens.
They all are well received. Acrylic pens with the many colors seem to have more interest than wood with woman I gave one to my daughter, she took it to work and I had to make three more right away. That said my daughter in law saw one of the olive wood pens and thought items great. Nicer than an acrylic one I had given her prior.
Try giving Her a true stone. The woman like the stone pens also, but hey do say they are a little heavy.
As for the stick, put it aside and take her to dinner.
 
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