Teachers Pens Gifts

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Our granddaughter and her 3 roommates are all graduating from Western Michigan University as teachers after they do their fall internship teaching. So I made each one of them a pen.
Cherry, Wenge and Bocote

200562184140_Cherry%20Wenge%20Bocote%20Teachers.jpg


Curly Maple, Wenge and Bocote

62184226_Curly%20Maple%20Wenge%20Bocote%20Teachers.jpg


Honey Locust, Jatoba and Bocote

184316_Honey%20Locust%20Jatoba%20Bocote%20Teachers.jpg


And my favorite, Willow Burl, Zircote and Bocote

200562184432_Willow%20Zircote%20Bocote%20Teachers.jpg


Comments and criticisms are welcome. Thanks for looking!:D
 
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JimGo

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Very nice Bev! I'm sure they will be well appreciated.

You asked for criticism, and personally, I hate when I ask for it but don't get any. This forum, and the occasional meetings with Lou, Michael, and (hopefully) Tom, are the only way I can get some good, impartial feedback about how to improve. So the following are the things I see. As I'll point out below, some may be intentional design choices, and if that's the case, then please ignore my comments!

In the bottom one, it looks like the middle of the center section comes to a definite point. Since the rest of the pen has nice, smooth lines, that just seems out of place to me. The end of the center closest to the camera also looks a bit "proud", but that might be the angle. Also, I'm not sure if it was intentional, but the red and black ends look to be different sizes (may have been done to more easily judge one side versus the other by feel). It may also be a result of the angle at which the picture was taken.

On the top one, I think the center is a little too thick on the ends for the way the other two parts are shaped; you have a soft angle from the "nib" ends, but a much more severe angle for the center part (the rest of them have more consistent lines, IMHO).

The shapes of the nib portions on the middle two seem to vary significantly, like the bottom one. Again, this may have been intentional, but I think they might have looked better if they were more closely matched.

PLEASE don't take my criticisims as saying these are horrible pens; nothing could be farther from the truth! (Heck, if my comments make you disappointed with them, you're welcome to send them to me, I have several teachers in my life who would love one! [:D]) At the same time, please don't take the comments as implying that I could do any better! I see a lot of these same kinds of things after I get my pens off the lathe, assemble them, and have them sitting around for a while.

Oh, and on the plus side, the finish looks great on all of them! They have a nice, warm look to them.
 

airrat

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Nice pens, I would say my favorite is the Willow Burl, Zircote and Bocote. I like how it seems to flow in toward the center.

Nice mixes of the wood.
 

Docsmith45

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Bev;

good looking pens. I personally like the form and wood sel;ections on #1, with the cherry, wenge and bocote. I have to make one of these for my lovely wife who begins her 39th year of teching this coming fall. Thanks for sharing.
 

Randy_

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Can't make up my mind which one I like best.....probably the one out of honey locust. Jim has made some comments that pretty much mirror my thinking.....especially concerning the thickness of the center section of the top pen.

On a related subject, I have seen a number of comments to the effect that a lot of schools are getting away from grading in red ink because all of that red hurts the little darlings feelings??? I'm "old school" and think it is silly; but it is a fact, nonetheless. Does ne1 know of a source for the short ink cartridges in colors other than red and black??
 
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Thanks for all of your comments and criticisms. I really appreciate them. The photos may be a bit misleading as to the difference of the ends because one end is farther from the camera than the other. I will try to get better pics next time. The center of the top pen is the thinnest of the pens. It sorta comes to a point but it is very smooth. I really see what you mean about the center on the bottom one, I should have made it flow instead of the sharp incline.
Doc, your wife is to be congratulated! I'll bet she has seen many changes in students in that time. Especially in their behavior. That is the one thing our Granddaughter worries about - students behavior and discipline. She wants to teach 4th and 5th grades.
Randy, what will they think of next!! Just don't hurt the little ones egos!!
 
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