ANOTHER BORING PEN

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Stuart Robertson

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Joined
Dec 26, 2021
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85
Location
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Another boring pen I'm afraid JT...
I just don't have the time availability and therefore the patience to get into complex pens at this time.And I'm still very much a novice a month or so in...
The interesting thing about this boring pen is that the wood is carbon dated at 40,000 years.
Some of you may be aware of a large tree species here called Kauri.It grows to a massive tree given a few years(like 1,000 + some)Not as
large as a Californian Redwood but still very large.The forrests of it were logged out fairly quickly,like forrests in most parts of the world.
A great deal of it was shipped to the U.S. along with a great deal of kauri gum(used in varnish production)dug from the ground.
There were prehistoric forrests of these massive trees which somehow became buried in swamp areas and in more recent years there has been quite a lucrative industry recovering large,40-60,000 year old "swamp kauri"trees.Although there are strict rules in place regarding the export of it,there has been quite a bit of credibility stretching.
 

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Great back story. The fit and finish are really good as was the selection of the metal component plating.

Most excellent job!
 
Probably not a boring pen Stuart, problem is I can't see it. The background blends with the pen and the components which causes problems for people like me, not color blind but unable to distinguish colors. In a nut shell, if you had any color other than brown behind this pen I'd be able to see it. I've mentioned it here several times but I guess the message didn't get listened too. I'm sure there are others like me who have this problem and I'd love to see your work but I can't. If it helps, my wife thought it was a very nice pen.

For Everyone else, I'd love to see your work but if you use the same color family in the background I'm pretty much screwed and can't enjoy your work! Please share your work with people like me, use a different colored background. There was a recent post about this subject that you should look up.
 
Beautiful pen, Stuart ! ! ! . . Thanks for showing ! !

The grain pattern in the wood is subtle and very appealing ! !

No handmade pen is ever boring . . . I love seeing them all, especially those made from such ancient woods.

Ancient woods and very dense woods have a strong appeal for me.
 
Plain is not always boring. Plain old walnut has been my experimental and learning wood for quite a few pen styles. If you are new, it's better to focus on the task than the materials. I like the shape (it doesn't look like a stuffed sausage) and can see you turned it to the right diameter to meet the hardware. That's pretty darned good already.
Your pictures are very good, and I'm able to see it well enough, but Tom does have a point about the background. Too much contrast can be just as bad, though.

That is very interesting information about the wood. Even though many woods with a story like that can have a boring grain or color, it's the story that makes people want them. So this is akin to bog oak, but has not turned dark brown/black. There must be different minerals in your bogs and certainly different properties of the wood as far as how it reacts to them. How was it to work with?
 
Oak is high in tannin,kauri isn't. Iron is such a plentiful element and may be present in peat bog or associated water.Tannin +,iron =black.
It's ok to work but any figure in the grain tears significantly and short grain also breaks easily.Sharp skew,light shearing cuts work best.
Kauri resin in the wood means it will glaze sanding paper readily so you have keep a fresh piece in contact,not too fast and light touch.
 

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Stuart Robertson said:
Oak is high in tannin,kauri isn't. Iron is such a plentiful element and may be present in peat bog or associated water.Tannin +,iron =black.
It's ok to work but any figure in the grain tears significantly and short grain also breaks easily.Sharp skew,light shearing cuts work best.
Kauri resin in the wood means it will glaze sanding paper readily so you have keep a fresh piece in contact,not too fast and light touch.
Click to expand...
Wow, those are definitely huge!
 
:):) Hey Stuart, glad you read my posts. Thanks for that. It is just me. Nothing against you or anyone here. I am just one of those people who always needed to to go that extra mile to make things that just are not found anywhere or at least are unique. You can look back at many of my scrollsawn items I have shown here. It just interests me more. Your pen is great looking and fit and finish are spot on. The back story to the wood is a nice read. If you sell these please include the story. Good luck.
 
Perhaps this might help being on a pale background. Streamline kit,which I think I prefer to slimline.
 

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wolf creek knives said:
Probably not a boring pen Stuart, problem is I can't see it. The background blends with the pen and the components which causes problems for people like me, not color blind but unable to distinguish colors. In a nut shell, if you had any color other than brown behind this pen I'd be able to see it. I've mentioned it here several times but I guess the message didn't get listened too. I'm sure there are others like me who have this problem and I'd love to see your work but I can't. If it helps, my wife thought it was a very nice pen.

For Everyone else, I'd love to see your work but if you use the same color family in the background I'm pretty much screwed and can't enjoy your work! Please share your work with people like me, use a different colored background. There was a recent post about this subject that you should look up.
Click to expand...
Added some pics on a pale ground hope that helps.
 
jttheclockman said:
:):) Hey Stuart, glad you read my posts. Thanks for that. It is just me. Nothing against you or anyone here. I am just one of those people who always needed to to go that extra mile to make things that just are not found anywhere or at least are unique. You can look back at many of my scrollsawn items I have shown here. It just interests me more. Your pen is great looking and fit and finish are spot on. The back story to the wood is a nice read. If you sell these please include the story. Good luck.
Click to expand...
I'm a bit that way inclined too in most of the other work I do,particularly where I have design freedom and nice or unusual materials...
How do I find your scroll work?
 
magpens said:
Beautiful pen, Stuart ! ! ! . . Thanks for showing ! !

The grain pattern in the wood is subtle and very appealing ! !

No handmade pen is ever boring . . . I love seeing them all, especially those made from such ancient woods.

Ancient woods and very dense woods have a strong appeal for me.
Click to expand...
Thanks Mal.
Although we live on a "space ship" billions of years old ,along with every stone we kick,relating to a young 40,000 year old bit of wood sometimes seems easier and more amazing that essentially a bit of carbon in another form,has lasted so long without decay.
 
Stuart Robertson said:
I'm a bit that way inclined too in most of the other work I do,particularly where I have design freedom and nice or unusual materials...
How do I find your scroll work?
Click to expand...
https://www.penturners.org/threads/new-items-for-shows.162498/

https://www.penturners.org/threads/for-the-nonbelievers.157927/

Over the years I have dropped in many different photos of my works when it was appropriate to the thread. But here is some of the latest work I did that was showing off here. You could also go to my album and see a couple of the pen stands and pen boxes I made using various woodworking skills that I entered into a few contests here if interested. Many times I like to combine hobbys and sometimes it works and sometimes failures. :)
 
wolf creek knives said:
Probably not a boring pen Stuart, problem is I can't see it. The background blends with the pen and the components which causes problems for people like me, not color blind but unable to distinguish colors. In a nut shell, if you had any color other than brown behind this pen I'd be able to see it. I've mentioned it here several times but I guess the message didn't get listened too. I'm sure there are others like me who have this problem and I'd love to see your work but I can't. If it helps, my wife thought it was a very nice pen.

For Everyone else, I'd love to see your work but if you use the same color family in the background I'm pretty much screwed and can't enjoy your work! Please share your work with people like me, use a different colored background. There was a recent post about this subject that you should look up.
Click to expand...
I'm sorry to hear that, Tom. I know for me, I always shoot my pens on a white background. I like to see the pen and its details, not a fancy background.
 
I'm always amazed by the beauty one finds in what many consider to be just a plain piece of wood. You managed to highlight that natural beauty with your attention to detail. That's not boring in the least. I think it's an amazing pen. Thanks for sharing your work and the story.
 
Stuart Robertson said:
Oak is high in tannin,kauri isn't. Iron is such a plentiful element and may be present in peat bog or associated water.Tannin +,iron =black.
It's ok to work but any figure in the grain tears significantly and short grain also breaks easily.Sharp skew,light shearing cuts work best.
Kauri resin in the wood means it will glaze sanding paper readily so you have keep a fresh piece in contact,not too fast and light touch.
Click to expand...
WOW! Just think how many pen blanks you could get out of that!!! šŸ¤£šŸ¤£
 
Great Pen and Great piece of wood. You would need some Bandsaw to tackle that.
Well done and a great story.
 
A Bic is a boring pen. nothing boring about your pen. Thanks for sharing the photo.
 
Stuart Robertson said:
Added some pics on a pale ground hope that helps.
Click to expand...
Thanks Stuart, I can distinguish, kinda, the difference in colors. That is a nice pen and the story is awesome! A while back I switched to a blue back drop in my light box and it's been a big help for me. I tried a very light tan but had problems so I moved to the blue screen. As Jim, @qquake, mentioned, a simple white back ground does well. Sorry if I came off a bit strong but I get very disappointed when someone makes, what I think, is a beautiful pen and I can't see it. My wife is a big help, but...she's not a pen turner.
 
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