Using purchased blanks

[tommy2tone]

I was thinking about doing some craft shows next year. What is the procedure in using someone elses blanks (Toni or Jonathan's). Do I tell the customer I made the pen but not the blank? In all honesty I will cut, drill, turn, sand and finish it myself..

 

[mywoodshopca]

I was thinking about doing some craft shows next year. What is the procedure in using someone elses blanks (Toni or Jonathan's). Do I tell the customer I made the pen but not the blank? In all honesty I will cut, drill, turn, sand and finish it myself..

Hi,

You need to bring Toni / Jonathan along with you and introduce them as the blank maker. :biggrin:

Completely up to you what you tell them. If a wood has a history, pass it along, otherwise focus on your finish, etc..

 

[its_virgil]

What do you tell them when you use blanks purchased from say, PSI, Woodcraft, CSUSA or other places? Those too are someone else's blanks. I think most customers know we don't make our own blanks…well, some of us do…actually, many of us do. I tell them if the blank was made by me and I tell them when someone else made it, if I know. Otherwise I just say "No, I did not make the blank. I purchased it."

Do a good turn daily!'
Don

 

[tommy2tone]

What do you tell them when you use blanks purchased from say, PSI, Woodcraft, CSUSA or other places? Those too are someone else's blanks. I think most customers know we don't make our own blanks…well, some of us do…actually, many of us do. I tell them if the blank was made by me and I tell them when someone else made it, if I know. Otherwise I just say "No, I did not make the blank. I purchased it."

Do a good turn daily!'
Don

I've making my own for now. People wanted certain colors or decals/labels. I will keep this info in mind in the future. Thanks.

 

[kovalcik]

I usually just say I purchased the blank and show them examples of unturned blanks. That satisfies most people. If the person is another penturner or they show more interest I will talk up the artist if I know who made it.

 

[carlmorrell]

I say "I am not really the artist. I just frame it"

 

[Gregf]

I was at a show a couple of years ago, where a pen maker had an incredible line of crap he fed people that didn't know any better. His work was nice, I would have bought one until I heard the blowhard's spiel. My sister was with me. She was impressed until I later showed her the same blanks in PSI's catalog that he claimed he made with his "secret process".
You can say how a blank is made when asked by saying "they are made" vs "I made". Subtle difference that most won't notice and still be truthful.

 

[Brooks803]

I was thinking about doing some craft shows next year. What is the procedure in using someone elses blanks (Toni or Jonathan's). Do I tell the customer I made the pen but not the blank? In all honesty I will cut, drill, turn, sand and finish it myself..

Hi,

You need to bring Toni / Jonathan along with you and introduce them as the blank maker. :biggrin:

Completely up to you what you tell them. If a wood has a history, pass it along, otherwise focus on your finish, etc..

Hey...if anyone wants to cover the travel expenses I'd be happy to assist you at your table. I could be your pen blank coordinator and would speak with customers and design them 1 off blanks :smile-big:.

Had a similar situation happen by accident in Raleigh at the pen show. I drove up to see a friend (and fellow pen maker) and attend the show. Ended up staying around his table (that was full of pens made with my blanks) and I was introduced as the artist who designed the blanks. I was able to answer a bunch of questions and talk about my process a bit. Helped make a sale or two :biggrin:.

On a personal note and on subject to the OP. I'm not worried about being credited in your sales pitch. The only thing I would not like is if anyone said they were me, using my name and all.

I would give caution to saying your the blank maker on any specialty blanks though. You never know what the customer will come at you with if you do. They could ask you to recreate it in a different color...or with a different coin, etc. Then you'd be put on the spot and if you aren't 100% sure you can get that blank in a timely manner you are going to look really bad when you can't deliver.

You could always something along the lines of "I use specialized artists to make my pen materials" and then go into what went into making that special blank.

 

[carlmorrell]

When was there a pen show in Raleigh? Who hosted it?

 

[ed4copies]

If you do wood pens, did you make the tree??

Pen-makers don't "Make" any of the blanks, we enhance them.

I like the statement above, "We frame the art", but I would not use it, because it makes it sound too simple.

I purchased all my blanks (when I did shows, PR was not "discovered") for the first decade of selling----I distinguished some by telling folks they were made in Italy, in the same factory that made the acrylics for the high end "brands". (This is still true)

FWIW,
Ed

 

[SDB777]

I was thinking about doing some craft shows next year. What is the procedure in using someone elses blanks (Toni or Jonathan's). Do I tell the customer I made the pen but not the blank? In all honesty I will cut, drill, turn, sand and finish it myself..

I guess it would be nice to be able to remember where/who/what the blank is, but unless you are selling to another turner...I think it would be a 'non-factor'?

I cut thousands of pen blanks from timber I have gathered. I didn't make the tree.
My wife and Bob pour a 'LOT' of blanks. I think the resin, mica, and swirls can 'speak for themselves'....


The focus should be on the 'maker of the final piece'.....




Scott (cows don't get credit from McDonalds) B

 

[Buzzzz4]

I am often asked if I made the specialty blanks like the watch part pens or similar blanks. I let them know that a friend make the blank, and I created the pen with the blank. It works very well. The customers don't really care that I didn't make it all. They really want to know that the pen was handmade.

 

[nava1uni]

The only time I get asked is if the blank is unusual and then I tell them about the person who made it. It is still interesting to them that someone made it and that I fashioned into a beautiful pen.

 

[Jim Burr]

Once you buy it, it's yours. You didn't make the tomato, but you own the can with them in it! Just be honest and support the folks it came from. A few months ago, I sold a Sierra EB with one of Toni's tubes to a well known local paint artist. She was thrilled to know the history of how the pen came about. Just made it all the more special. Granted, Joe 6-pack may not appreciate the knowledge, but he may!

 

[thewishman]

I use this as a selling point.
"This material was made by a friend in Wisconsin, she has a great talent for creating special colors."
"This blank was made by my machinist partner in Michigan. Each part is individually bent and attached to the material in a ten-day process. He casts it in resin and sends it to me to shape it to for the pen"
"This blank was made by a friend who was raising money to adopt a child."
"This blank was made by a retired Marine who invented a new process to mix several colors together. Isn't it beautiful?"
"This part was made by a world-famous polymer clay artist, I can't imagine how much work it takes to make something so intricate."

I love to buy special blanks with stories behind them, they are the vast majority of the blanks I use. I also mention that I buy the metal parts, to keep the pens affordable. I have several pens that are completely custom and use their price to demonstrate how much more the pens cost when I make all of the parts.

 

[plano_harry]

I do what Chis said - my best blanks come from friends on IAP. At least the ones worth talking about are usually from someone I know and I make that a selling point. I only use blanks that have an interesting story.

Since I don't do shows, I don't need to make a lot of inventory. I use the best and most unusual blanks to show what is possible, and take orders from there. If they just have to buy my sample, I will get over it. And make another.:biggrin:

Harry

 

[denniszoomy]

I would just tell them that I did not grow the tree I just found the pen with in it.

 

[Smitty37]

I was thinking about doing some craft shows next year. What is the procedure in using someone elses blanks (Toni or Jonathan's). Do I tell the customer I made the pen but not the blank? In all honesty I will cut, drill, turn, sand and finish it myself..[/quote]Many of the custom blanks don't require cutting or drilling and not much finishing. Personally I would tell the customer only that the blank is custome made and is a unique one of a kind so he'll never see another pen that is exactly the same.