Monument Pen

[flairwoodworks]

When I had a desk job I made this pen so that I always had a pen available without searching. It always went back where it belonged and nobody ever walked off with it.

The pen was made with kit components and shaped with a small block plane. It is cherry with a strip of black walnut wrapped around it. The base is black locust.
This, like many of my projects, was largely an experiment to push the boundaries and answer questions like:
"What is it like to write with a very long pen?"
"How long is too long?"
"What would people think of a very long pen?"
"How could the design be improved?"
"Will having this on my desk eliminate the problem of looking for a pen?"

 

[Curly]

Another question to add to your list.
Will I poke my eye out with a long pen?
In my case. Yes!

 

[Dalecamino]

You can't have too much fun.

 

[leehljp]

I doubt that I would poke my eye with it, but I would need to keep some epoxy around to fix it at least weekly from breaking it. I don't have any wooden rules around because they got short quickly - from breaking them!

Good Questions, Chris. The next questions though, are: What is the shortest I could make it and it would still stay here? At what point would someone be tempted to walk off with it, or I would lose it?

 

[flairwoodworks]

Another question to add to your list.
Will I poke my eye out with a long pen?
In my case. Yes!

In order for me to poke myself in the eye with this pen, I need to have my arm fully extended. People who brought stuff to my desk to sign and watched over my shoulder often took a step back, however.

 

[flairwoodworks]

Good Questions, Chris. The next questions though, are: What is the shortest I could make it and it would still stay here? At what point would someone be tempted to walk off with it, or I would lose it?

Excellent question, indeed.

 

[CjG78]

Ha!! Awesome

 

[TDahl]

That is very cool.

 

[walshjp17]

Chris, one thing I enjoy about your posts is that you constantly try to test the bounds of what we "normally" do. You ask questions that challenge the creative mind. We need more folks who are willing to go beyond the boundaries of the norm and into uncharted waters. Keep asking, keep trying and keep making. The rest of us are wondering what's next?

 

[flairwoodworks]

@walshjp17 I have referred to this as the relentless push to fail. I feel that one of the biggest inhibitors of creativity is the expectation to produce something that is "good". Without that expectation, you are free to try all sorts of things, and the more you try, the more you learn, and the more opportunity you have for growth and advancement.

 

[Kcimdrib]

It would make a great pointer if you were giving a lectuure. Maybe you could use it to post bills on. You could put increments along it and use it as a measure. Now look what you've started.