Natural Finish

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montmill

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What would be the best finish that would leave a tactile wood feel? I've had people say the CA finish is too plastic feeling. I do have a pentel conversion I did for myself and don't remember how I finished it. It's maintaining it's look so I don't think it's bare wood. Maybe water based poly?
 
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I don't agree with the 'plastic feeling' comments often made, but it does seem to be a common theme. Different methods of finishing the CA can change the feel. But other finishes like a lacquer or poly finish can provide the feel and longevity you might be looking for.
 
A tactile wood feel? What is that? Any finish that leaves a shiny look is going to feel like plastic. There was just recently a discussion on this topic. Many discussed using rubbing polishes or so called friction polishes, to wood to keep that wood finish. You have to take in consideration what type wood it is. if it is a highly deep grained wood then what you feel is the grain patterns. If it is a very closed cell wood and sanded to a high grit then it feels smooth. You can keep that feel with a couple coats of thin CA and do not polish to such a high shine. You can use a satin lacquer. Satin poly is not something I would use because it still feels like a film built up. Difference between water based poly or lacquer is not much. same feel and look but maybe less yellowing. I had mentioned the use of Danish oil is very popular in the woodworking world. The amount of poly in it is very small. But it will give light woods a yellowish tint and make some woods look darker. i used it all the time on my scrollsawn wood projects and people loved the feel. But I also always sanded ech project to 220 grit even though I was using alot of red oak. It had that soft sheen look and feel of wood.
 
I've done ultrathin CA over a wood blank, 2-3 coats, and then lightly sanded 600 with the grain, to knock down any ridges, and then run through the micromesh using walnut oil. Ultrathin GluBoost soaks in and doesn't fill the pores, leaving some texture.

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I don't necessarily agree with JT that all shiny finishes feel like plastic. Different finishes have different feels. But I do think that a natural feel isn't paramount when it comes to pens. As others who do sales have reported, a good CA without any blemishes is the pinnacle of success.
 
The problem with such finishes, in my experience, is they don't last very long and you have a pen with dull spots where you've worn away the finish.

I'm not sure there's a perfect finish for pens. It seems to depend on what you're shooting for.
 
Todd did a nice job of showing the shine and texture you can get with CA as the finish just using thin. The feel of wood and plastics is subjective. As I said I can get a beautiful feel on wood with Danish oil. It is durable. As far as Ca wearing off, even thin coats is going to take alot of wear and tear. Much more so than with friction polish. All depends what your goal is in the end. Durable and feels like wood is a tough combo especially in a pen.
 
I agree with most points mentioned above . Below its an olive wood pen finished with walnut oil only. I use it to keep notes at home; it hasnt seen abuse but no carefull use either. No dull spots since there is no friction polish to wear. There is a sort of patina forming that is uniform. I wet sand my pens to 1000 maybe 1500 grit but i think that the closed cell structure of olive wood plays the most important role. Again its not super shiny but not dull either. This is the closest to a natural and shiny finish i have achieved.
 

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There is no perfect finish for everyone. The questions on finish go like this: Is the pen for you, or a special request or to sell?
1. For you and you don't like CA: A. Natural finishes - Waxes and polishes look good but do not last and require frequent cleaning as matter of fact. If one has this kind of habit, it will work well; If not, it will look like it has dirty hand grit after months.
B. Different types finishes, Lacquer, polys, and real long term - Urushi - they all take longer amounts of time with urushi taking roughly a month.
To long term woodworkers, it is often an "insult to our intelligence" to see beautiful wood covered with "shiny". But if we want to sell to the public, we need to "get over it". (See the Russ Fairfield quote below.)

2. Special request: what ever they ask for.

3. General sales: Shine baby shine. Mark Mayo sells and his sales are noted in this link:
https://www.penturners.org/threads/some-thoughts-after-a-good-show.183039/

While we may "hear" that CA is too plasticy looking, or feeling - that comes from "Pen Makers" but not from the general public, and also from among woodworkers who do love the "feel" of wood. No problem with that, except to recognize where it comes from - woodworkers that like the feel of wood (and I are one!) When selling to the general public, Get outside the "woodworker" mentality and sell to what they want. This is not just Mark Mayo's observations from his sales, but it has been a theme for a long time from pen makers here who sell.

Russ Fairfield wrote this back in 2007:" The only conclusion that really matters is that of the customer, and I would bet that most of them will go for the higher gloss. People are like crows, they are attracted to shiny stuff."
 
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@leehljp - I got a laugh out of your explanation - it was exactly what my wood club friends had heatedly discussed at a recent meeting, but on a slightly different subject. We were talking about wood lidded boxes. In order for a woodworker to think it is 'perfect' the lid has to make a 'popping' sound when you remove the lid from the box. Suction fit = Perfection....lol. To the people who have received my gifts of a lidded box, the 'popping' scares them a bunch, thinking that they will break off the finial I usually leave to open the box - so much so, they leave it on a shelf for decoration and will not ever open it! So, I make two different boxes - one that has a suction fit when I am doing it for a woodturner, and one that is slightly loose for everyone else - and they both get used equally now!

Beauty is in the eye of the holder (recipient), not necessarily in the eye of the creator. A slight twist on an old saying......

Kevin
 
I often used wipe on (oil) poly, 2-3 light coats. I did not sell my pens, so had the ability to use the finish I preferred. I completely understand your term 'tactile wood' feel and that is my preference. This is my current desk pen, turned/finished over 8 years ago and the finish is in good shape.

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