Woodcraft now sells worthless wood blanks

[witz1976]

Looks like they (Amazon Hardwoods) are using alumilite..here is the desc. of their fiji burgandy blank.
"
[SIZE=-1]Description: [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]A perfect combination of mother nature and science. These pen blanks are meticulously selected out of burled wood caps and cast in colored resin, which limits chip out & does not have the smell of acrylic when turning it. We recommend using thin coat or coats of thin CA glue before putting a final finish of your likings. This step will seal wood and Alumilite to an even sheen. Once turned,it resembles the sandy beaches of the Fiji Islands with its turquoise waters. Turns and finishes well."


[/SIZE]

 

[bkersten]

All that needs to apply here is, CAVEAT EMPTOR,- let the buyer beware. Especially if he/she does not do their homework.

 

[Laurenr]

I say, let em' have at it, and if they steal ideas from us, so be it.

Easy for you to say when you do not make part of your living from the ideas that are stolen!

True enough, but I don't think the people who buy the Fiji are your market anyway; at least not yet. Maybe those blanks are just starters, on the way to the real thing. I cast blanks nearly every day, and some of them I think are pretty darn good. But also I have some of yours that I haven't turned yet, because I haven't found a project worthy of them. You are NOT casting blanks anywhere near the quality of the Fiji. I honestly don't think the proliferation of mediocre products can do anything but elevate the good stuff.

I have been working the high end of my craft/profession for 41 years, and have watched the "crap" come and go. While they extract their pound of flesh and fall away, I and people like me continue on working the fraction of the market they will never touch.

I'm new to the pen craft, and could be completely off here. If so, I welcome the opportunity to be put straight.

 

[workinforwood]

I think a lot of us forget that this forum, although it may be a wealth of idea's that are constantly stolen by other, we are a very small percentage of the actual penturners in the world. I have no idea what percentage of all penturners we are, but I wouldn't be surprised if we were less than 5%, maybe less than 1%. In which case, there are thousands of people that make pens, some for sale, some just for gifts, some just a few for fun, that will go to a woodcraft store and buy the blanks because they have no idea what other options they could have. I meet people constantly that dabble with penmaking and have never heard of the IAP, probably some of them are completely computer illiterate. Woodcraft advertises globally in magazines, not just on the internet, and not just to people that only make pens, so I believe they will sell, at least for quite some time. If they suck...the sales will not repeat themselves, but for now, the sales will happen. I don't support the notion of it all..I'm just sayin that these are what I believe to be the facts of it all.

 

[jskeen]

And if you ever doubt that there are more people out there turning pens than that post here on the IAP, consider how many actual members there are here, vs how many of us actively post. If there are a dozen members for every poster just on here, how many penturners would there be that have never even been here at the same ratio.

 

[Texatdurango]

I think a lot of us forget that this forum, although it may be a wealth of idea's that are constantly stolen by other, we are a very small percentage of the actual penturners in the world. I have no idea what percentage of all penturners we are, but I wouldn't be surprised if we were less than 5%, maybe less than 1%.......

Too true!

For a few years I visited my local woodcraft on a steady basis and being retired, became somewhat of a "morning cofee fixture" and became friends with all the employees.

On several occasions, a customer would be browsing the aisle containing pen making supplies when one of the salesmen would be hollar out... "Hey George, what's your opinion of this kit, or what would you do in this case, etc".

Upon chatting, I would usually mention the IAP as a resource and was surprised at the number of times the person had never heard of the forum let alone ANY forum on pen turning.

In the RV park I am currently in, I met a fellow woodworker who, among other things, turns pens from a small trailer shop he tows behind his motorhome. When I asked him about the IAP, I learned he doesn't even have a computer..... go figure, life without a computer.... let alone the internet! He makes pretty nice pens though!

 

[Pen&FishingCT]

when it comes down to these kind of blanks i think of no other than Ankrom exotic blanks, i never bought blanks from curtis but feedbacks say it all.
members of the IAP are 100% dedicatedto the craft and i support that.

 

[sailing_away]

I agree. Support fellow IAP members.

 

[Skye]

I agree. Support fellow IAP members.

Pretty much what it boils down to for me.

 

[Texatdurango]

I agree. Support fellow IAP members.

Well......... at least the honest and ethical ones!

 

[MesquiteMan]

Does anyone know how long James E Lie or "Amazon Exotic Hardwoods" has been making these? Since none of us have heard of him, is it not possible that he too has never heard of any of us and that he actually came up with the idea all by himself? I'm not saying that he didn't steal the idea, but I also can't say that he did. Just because WE know of Curtis being the first to do this, doesn't mean this guy didn't do it before Curtis or came up with the idea later, not ever having seen anyone elses "worthless wood" blanks.

Please go back and read some of the original posts in this thread. Not only had they heard of it, they admitted to me on the phone that they found the idea in an article on the internet. They actually called me asking for advice on how to do it!

It would really help if you guys would read the entire thread!

 

[MesquiteMan]

Does anyone know how long James E Lie or "Amazon Exotic Hardwoods" has been making these? Since none of us have heard of him, is it not possible that he too has never heard of any of us and that he actually came up with the idea all by himself? I'm not saying that he didn't steal the idea, but I also can't say that he did. Just because WE know of Curtis being the first to do this, doesn't mean this guy didn't do it before Curtis or came up with the idea later, not ever having seen anyone elses "worthless wood" blanks.

Here you go, I went back IN THIS THREAD and copied it for you.

They are being made by some folks in Florida, I believe. They actually called me for advice on using Alumilite, not even aware that I was the one that came up with the idea. They were telling me all about this process that were doing with wood and resin. I asked them where they "came up with" this process and they said from a tutorial on the internet!! I then told them I was the one who wrote the tutorial and came up with the idea. The fellow kinda got caught with his foot in his mouth for a minute!

I still helped him but they decided to use something other than alumilite i believe. From the ones I saw a Woodcraft, they are using PR or something similar. The ones I saw were pathetic at best and way overpriced. They were selling theirs for more than I sell my very best ones that take tons of labor cleaning out all the rocks and dirt and ruining bandsaw blades by hitting the rocks.

All they did was like a most of the copies here on IAP and that is to take a piece of burl cut off and throw it in resin. There is very little work involved in making these. $19.99 for a blank that takes very little labor and can be cranked out is ludicrous.

 

[dl351]

I haven't bothered to read all 5+ pages of this thread, but I saw these worthless wood blanks at my local Woodcraft and was curious about them. Personally, they cost too much. As for buying from Woodcraft, I like Woodcraft, and since it's a privately owned franchise, I have no problem buying blanks from them. When I need simple blanks, and even if I need one of Nolan's blanks quickly (he sells to the local Woodcraft here), I have no problem buying from them. Sure, it's a large chain, but even the guys at the store remind me that the online Woodcraft store is their competition. They're always nice and willing to help, so I have no problem with Woodcraft (in general) trying to expand their horizons. On another note, I actually bought a worthless wood type blank from them a while ago (I think it was olive) that was made by one of their employees. It also cost about half as much as the ones they recently stocked.

 

[toddlajoie]

Yes, I read all of that Curtis. But are you sure the people who called you are in fact the same people who are selling these to Woodcraft?

Colors are the same,
Names of colors are the same,
Blanks look the same,
Prices on their web site are the same.

Too much coincidence for me, even if I had reason to doubt Curtis, which I don't.

 

[MesquiteMan]

Yes, I read all of that Curtis. But are you sure the people who called you are in fact the same people who are selling these to Woodcraft?

Yes, I am 100% positive since they said they were cranking out 1,500 per week and that they were working with/for a hardwood company. I do not think Mr. Lie himself is the one doing the casting. I am pretty sure he is subbing it out to someone else locally. Also, it is kinda funny that you question this when my original "Worthless Wood" article was written 2 1/2 years ago and I had been making "Worthless Wood" for 2 1/2 years before that. Worthless Wood actually pre-dates my "Original Cactus Blank"™ by 6 months or so. If they had possibly come up with it before me, don't you think they would have marketed it before now??

 

[rjwolfe3]

So how bout dem Cowboys!!!!!!!

 

[Padre]

I guess its an option, but I'll support the IAP members first who make them.

Erik

+1 Absolutely

 

[Padre]

Yes, I read all of that Curtis. But are you sure the people who called you are in fact the same people who are selling these to Woodcraft?

Yes, I am 100% positive since they said they were cranking out 1,500 per week and that they were working with/for a hardwood company. I do not think Mr. Lie himself is the one doing the casting. I am pretty sure he is subbing it out to someone else locally. Also, it is kinda funny that you question this when my original "Worthless Wood" article was written 2 1/2 years ago and I had been making "Worthless Wood" for 2 1/2 years before that. Worthless Wood actually pre-dates my "Original Cactus Blank"™ by 6 months or so. If they had possibly come up with it before me, don't you think they would have marketed it before now??

All I have to say is WHY BUY FROM THE REST WHEN YOU CAN BUY FROM THE BEST??? Go Curtis!

 

[glycerine]

I've delete my previous posts. For some reason, I got back into that groove of "debating" everyone. I meant no offense or disrespect to anyone, especially Curtis.
Someone even sent me a PM to say "lighten up". And seriously, this isn't usually the way I am. I've just been in a bad mood. So, let me apologize.

 

[Padre]

I believe the internet somehow allows people to have a more 'knee-jerk' reaction to posts online. They read the post and (almost always) immediately post a response.



Sometimes in anger, sometimes when angry at something else, or under the influence of life.



I believe this leads to some responses being posted that, in normal life, would not be said in a personal discussion.


I also believe that this capability to anonymously and instantly reply leads to people saying things they might not say if they took time to consider, re-read and then reply. Like 'my mama always used to say', never write a letter in anger. Wait 24 hours.

 

[Texatdurango]

I believe the internet somehow allows people to have a more 'knee-jerk' reaction to posts online. They read the post and (almost always) immediately post a response.

Sometimes in anger, sometimes when angry at something else, or under the influence of life.

I believe this leads to some responses being posted that, in normal life, would not be said in a personal discussion.

I also believe that this capability to anonymously and instantly reply leads to people saying things they might not say if they took time to consider, re-read and then reply. Like 'my mama always used to say', never write a letter in anger. Wait 24 hours.

Good observations. As I read your post I was reminded of something Dr. Phil said in one of his shows which was about being "right fighters"!

Regardless of the debate or facts at hand, quite often folks get wrapped up into being right and going to any length to make the opposition wrong and quite often the original issue has become a side issue having nothing to do with the debate at hand.

It sure seems as if the forum is being consumed by "right fighters" lately. In most threads I read someone is busy correcting someone else for simply voicing their opinion on a topic. Can't two people be right at once?

Sure would make reading a lot more enjoyable if folks would just respect others opinions without trying to correct them all the time just so they can be seen as being right!

 

[Padre]

I believe the internet somehow allows people to have a more 'knee-jerk' reaction to posts online. They read the post and (almost always) immediately post a response.

Sometimes in anger, sometimes when angry at something else, or under the influence of life.

I believe this leads to some responses being posted that, in normal life, would not be said in a personal discussion.

I also believe that this capability to anonymously and instantly reply leads to people saying things they might not say if they took time to consider, re-read and then reply. Like 'my mama always used to say', never write a letter in anger. Wait 24 hours.

Good observations. As I read your post I was reminded of something Dr. Phil said in one of his shows which was about being "right fighters"!

Regardless of the debate or facts at hand, quite often folks get wrapped up into being right and going to any length to make the opposition wrong and quite often the original issue has become a side issue having nothing to do with the debate at hand.

It sure seems as if the forum is being consumed by "right fighters" lately. In most threads I read someone is busy correcting someone else for simply voicing their opinion on a topic. Can't two people be right at once?

Sure would make reading a lot more enjoyable if folks would just respect others opinions without trying to correct them all the time just so they can be seen as being right!

I couldn't agree with you more! I have backed away a little bit from posting because of the right fighters. But I still get a lot of info!!

Thank you!