I start this by mentioning that me and my wife have always maintained the position of “What’s mine is yours and what’s yours is mine”. For many years this has been a seamless arrangement without incident until now. I rarely grow partial to possessions but one item in particular has caused me to develop a bond. That item is my pen that you had crafted for me.

I reversed her psychology and begin discussing work related issues particularly technology challenges that I was facing and I begin to see her drift in “Chick land”. She wondered off into the bedroom and I frantically looked for my pen. I could not find it. I panicked and wondered “Did she hold my new pen hostage?”. “Was she on to my scheme?”. Time had run out and I went to bed saddened yet determined. But luck was on my side. As I awoke the next morning I was preparing for my day and I glanced over by the counter and behold there it was. Not my pen mind you, but the one I had given her to keep. She had carelessly laid it on the counter next to her notepad. I eagerly took the pen as my hostage until my pen can be rightfully returned to me.

Hopefully, they will sort out this tension and get back to writing with their own pens. Teaches me a lesson, though: Married couples get matching pens from now on!

Though it’s a favorite of Penn State Ind, I bought this kit from Wood Turningz, an online retailer who offers anything from the PSI catalog at a discount, as well as other manufacturers. These pen kits were of top quality. I’ve noticed that the quality of the bag hints at the overall quality of the kit. If I can’t open the little parts bags or they are so thin that it’s easier to rip them open, I tend not to like the overall quality of the kit’s fit or finish.

The Redwood stock started in a grab bag from my local Woodcraft, and I cut it by hand with my Japanese saw and a miter jig. The Redwood was nicely figured and turned easily. I’m still learning, so most of my work starts and ends with a 1/4″bowl gouge rather than a more exotic selection of chisels. I try to keep the tool sharp, though I am eating up the chisel faster than I would like. Practice should improve my technique.

The finish started as CA glue to basically fill some gaps in the grain and essentially seal the wood. I used steel wool to buff out the CA haze, then used PPP satin bar finish for two coats. I finished with three coats of PPP high gloss and pressed so hard for so long that the finish smoked on the rag. It’s very nicely glossed.

Assembly posed an interesting challenge, and I made a rookie mistake that I won’t soon forget. I inserted the tip to the lower blank using my pen press, but ended up slighly crushing a ring on the very end of the tip. It’s exactly where the tip stops on the pen press, and normal pressure slightly dented a ring into the gold tip. Not a very noticable problem, but not something I want to see again. From now on, I’m going to unscrew the end of the tip from the flange before I assemble the blank.

The kit fit perfectly and I really did a good job taking the wood down to every transition point evenly. My first pens lacked a perfect soft transition from metal kit to wooden shaft, but this one really worked well. I sanded out to 1200 grit and the finish added 6 layers, but I don’t notice any gaps in between parts. I hope my friend at work enjoys his new pen. I doubt I’ll be able to wait until the holidays to give the gift.