I had a customer order a set of pens to give to his siblings. He wanted the pens made out of a piece of lumber from the family home they all grew up in that he now owned and was remodeling. Each year he liked to give everyone a piece of the old home and this year I was commissioned to make the gift.
He gave me the 100 year old oak and I trimmed it down to pen blanks and boxes for the pens. I saw several pieces had old nail holes in them so to add interest I used them for the pens. (I had removed the nails before running the board through my saw) I glued a small piece of solder into the nail hole and when the pen was done it looked like it still had a nail in the wood, without damaging my tools.
I routed slots in the boxes for the pens, added hinges, and ordered placards for the boxes.
I believe he is the happiest customer I've ever worked with, he told me this was the best "Gift from home" he had ever seen.
