More Pens

Because practice makes...more pens

Almost a year ago now I posted some of the first pens I turned. I turned a couple dozen more since then (which isn't a lot if you're an avid pen turner), so I thought I would share a few more.

First up, the first glue-up pen I turned. By glue-up, I mean I glued together multiple pieces of wood to create the wood blank. In this case, since I wanted to run the layers parallel to the length of the pen, the drilling had to be as precise as absolutely possible. I'm happy with how it turned out. If memory serves, the dark wood is Bhilwara, but don't hold me to that.

Next up, and pen and pencil set made from Marblewood I salvaged from some old hardwood flooring. It's a very hard wood that finishes quite well and is pretty interesting if you get a piece with the dark streaks running through.

Next, a beautiful piece of Zebrawood cut across the grain. That means some special care is needed during turning to avoid splintering along the grain, but the result is quite stunning. I was impressed with how well it finished. I kept a minimalistic design on this to allow the focus to be on the wood.

This set of pens was made as a gift set, so I kept the same contours while making one (the light one) out of Maple, and the other out Mahogany (maybe?). It's really difficult to beat the finish you can get on Maple.

Lastly, a pen from Olivewood. My dad was kind enough to give this blank to me, and it really did turn out beautifully. Olivewood turns very smoothly, and it actually smells like olives while turning! It took a glassy-smooth finish, and I sold this pen at a show. The contour is quite lovely, and in my opinion, is actually more comfortable than it might look.

I've found pens to be a good "quick win" if I've been struggling with other projects or have had a string of failures. Turning a pen is a pretty quick, and it feels good to step away from the lathe with a finished product that looks nice, even if I don't need another pen.