What's the ugliest pen you've been asked to make?...and did.

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J

jzerger

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Joined
Feb 7, 2012
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196
Location
Salisbury, NC
Everyone who doesn't make pens seems to have suggestions for you: "it would be cool if..." "I'd buy one if you..." etc.
Seldom do I make the pen because I (think I) KNOW it's going to be so ugly ...they won't want it and I sure as heck don't want it...not to mention the mental stress of doing something I try never to do...make an UGLY pen (I end up with enough of those without help).
I've been burned a few times but usually refuse to make it.
However,
I was asked to make a slimline chrome with an acrylic blue-crush lower barrel and a coffee-bean (white) upper barrel. I happened to have the stuff to do it so made it. They loved it and actually bought it the next day (so no pic).
I've also been asked to make a pen casted with their child's baby teeth in the barrels. I'm pretty sure she'd actually buy it...but I don't do a lot of my own casting and can't really get excited about what I think it'll look like.
Give the people what they want? or not (and sleep better at night knowing you didn't make something so hideous)?
 
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jzerger said:
Seldom do I make the pen because I (think I) KNOW it's going to be so ugly ...they won't want it and I sure as heck don't want it...not to mention the mental stress of doing something I try never to do...make an UGLY pen (I end up with enough of those without help).
Click to expand...

I was asked to make a black dyed box elder burl pen. I made it and they liked it, but I thought it was the ugliest thing I had ever made!
 
When some one goes thats a cool Idea for a pen "I would buy one of you make it", get a non refundable deposit. Unless you just want to make one for the heck of it and dont mind the fact its all your expense if they dont.
 
If I think it will be ugly, I don't make it.

Where I get caught is when I'm working with a customer on a custom design, and then (part way through the process) they start asking for aspects that I don't like (and therefore don't want to make). So far, I have not had to outright refuse. I've been able to either adjust the design to implement their request in a way I do like, or talk them down from the request.
 
I was doing a small show in Toronto and got a strange request from a lawyer that stopped by the booth. He and his wife had just lost their dog and he wondered if I could make a special pen for his wife. After a lot of discussion about his choices he took my card and later sent me a package containing fur from his remaining two cats and a dog. To commemorate the deceased dog he sent a copy of the dogs' pedigree and a business card from the "vet". When I read the card it wasn't just any old vet. This one was a pet cardiologist.
So, as per his instructions I cast the pet fur and a collage of the pedigree and vet info and put it on a Sedona black titanium rollerball.
The cap with the collage looked good but the barrel of fur looked more like a drowned rat.
Sent him a picture and he loved it. Payment cleared and off it went!
Never again though. Wrapping the tube with fur was a royal pain
 
Let them pay up front and make me an ugly pen. And I know about ugly pens, as I finished 2nd in the ugly pen contest last February
 
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randyrls said:
jzerger said:
Seldom do I make the pen because I (think I) KNOW it's going to be so ugly ...they won't want it and I sure as heck don't want it...not to mention the mental stress of doing something I try never to do...make an UGLY pen (I end up with enough of those without help).
Click to expand...

I was asked to make a black dyed box elder burl pen. I made it and they liked it, but I thought it was the ugliest thing I had ever made!
Click to expand...


Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
I haven't been asked to make a truly ugly pen. Sometimes I'm not very excited about it, but nothing I thought was just plain ugly. I have been asked to cast some blanks that I thought were ugly. But sometimes they surprise me.
 
I was commisioned to make a "valve pen" a few years back. It looked like a commercial valve and seat. The customer worked for the valve company and wanted a pen version of the product he sold. He wanted it silver, like the metal valve. I made it from Maple and painted it. The threading on the valve stem was a PITA to make.
The end product looked like the customer wanted, but it did not look pretty to me.
 

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:eek::eek: I don't make ugly pens !! Some just shine less than others. I don't do requests unless I like the consept of the design. Uglyest blank I have seen is the one with the dog terd cast in it. That should be interesting to drill. Jim S
 
My wife goes crazy over anything I make.Every once in a while I will use old 7mm tubes and make something hideous.As always she loves it but I get it back before she can show anyone.I guess love truly is blind......lol
 
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