LumberJocks

Monkey Pod

Project by scottb posted 236 days ago 654 views 0 times favorited 15 comments Add to Favorites Watch
Monkey Pod
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Hawaiian Monkey Pod Cigar Pen in gold.

Great name, and great wood. I noticed some descriptions online pertaining to the difficulty of working this wood, certainly not the case.

Monkey-pod (Pithecellobium saman), samán in Spanish, is a fast-growing tree that has been introduced to many tropical countries throughout the world from its native habitats in Central America and northern South America. Although generally planted as a shade tree and ornamental, it has been naturalized in many countries and is greatly valued in pastures as shade for cattle. Short-boled, with a spreading crown when open grown, it forms a long, relatively straight stem when closely spaced. Its wood is highly valued in some locations for carvings and furniture.The tree was reportedly introduced into Hawaii in 1847, when Peter A. Brinsmade, a businessman visiting Europe, returned to Hawaii, presumably via Panama, with two seeds, both of which germinated. One of the seedlings was planted in downtown Honolulu, the other at Koloa on the island of Kauai. These seedlings are possibly the progenitors of all the monkey-pod trees now in Hawaii.

Sanded to 2000 grit, finished with BLO and friction polish. The grain in this pen has light and dark figure that shimmers in the light – Chatoyance!

more on monkey pod here

This is the 10th item in my 30 day project/challenge
& auction.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/


15 comments so far

View darryl's profile

darryl

1256 posts in 1079 days


posted 236 days ago

very nice looking cigar scott!
that does look like some beautiful wood.

-- ~ www.darrylmasterson.com ~ www.darrylmasterson.etsy.com ~ www.woodworkingdungeon.blogspot.com ~

View Douglas Bordner's profile (online now)

Douglas Bordner

3316 posts in 816 days


posted 236 days ago

The best in your series so far. Go, Scott, Go!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

View Dick, & Barb Cain's profile

Dick, & Barb Cain

6381 posts in 1052 days


posted 236 days ago

Beautiful Scott!

And thanks for the lesson.

-- -** You are never to old to set another goal or to dream a new dream ****************** Dick, & Barb Cain, Hibbing, MN. http://www.woodcarvingillustrated.com/gallery/member.php?uid=3627&protype=1

View Napaman's profile

Napaman

2820 posts in 829 days


posted 236 days ago

hey—-is this two in one day—-is that called puttin one in the bank??? lol

very nice scott!!!!!!

-- Matt, Napa, CA...sanity...has arrived...JUNE-JULY-AUGUST...

View RobS's profile

RobS

1191 posts in 1059 days


posted 236 days ago

Quite a display of penmanship you are providing this month. Maybe I can be present for one of your creations this month. Keep up the excellent work!

-- Rob (A) Waxahachie,TX

View woodworm's profile

woodworm

5835 posts in 343 days


posted 236 days ago

Great 30 days projects. Likes your previous cigars, it is always beautiful come out..

-- Regards, Woodworm - KL, MY.

View rikkor's profile

rikkor

11346 posts in 627 days


posted 236 days ago

You are doing the LumberJocks proud Scott. Another beauty.

View itsme_timd's profile

itsme_timd

663 posts in 583 days


posted 236 days ago

Another great pen, Scott. 10 down already??? Wow!

-- Tim D. - Woodstock, GA

View Karson's profile

Karson

21155 posts in 1153 days


posted 236 days ago

Another great Pen. Good job.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com †

View Dusty56's profile

Dusty56

2788 posts in 440 days


posted 236 days ago

Another goodie …I just wish that you could afford more film for your camera….one picture of your artwork just isn’t enough !

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

View SCOTSMAN's profile

SCOTSMAN

1625 posts in 337 days


posted 235 days ago

I haven’t made a cigar pen yet but I have made a quite a few pens this is a wee beauty.Anyway the last five I made were sierra pens have you heard of that type? I was extremely pleased with the kits as they are very well balanced I would highly recommend them. How did you find the cigar kits to do.??

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

View scottb's profile

scottb

3342 posts in 1079 days


posted 235 days ago

Haven’t tried a sierra scotsman… I like the cigars, but as I learned really early on, the blank length is crucial to a working pen. (And they have a lot of parts, but as long as the blanks are dead on, assembly is a snap (in fact it takes more time to open all the little bags with the Woodcraft kits than assemble) The Euro’s are way more forgiving and allow for a little variation, but you have to keep checking to make sure you haven’t pushed the twist mechanism in too far. Both are comfortable to write with, but for me I have (marginally) better penmanship with a beefier pen.

I’ll look into the sierra’s next time I pick up some kits. I have a couple Atlas (or Patriot, depending on the vendor) to try. Apart from the Slimlines when I first started, that sums up all the kits I’ve tried.
Any other recommendations for kits? favorites for design, balance, ease of use, creativity, or other criteria??? anyone?

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

View scottb's profile

scottb

3342 posts in 1079 days


posted 234 days ago

Went to work on another Hawaiian pen today, and found my robusta blank sitting right next to the lathe… Turns out this one was Monkey Pod. Such a great name, and a very interesting tree…. I just updated everything about the entry, but the photo. Read it again for the first time… as for tonights post, looks totally different, but it’s quite the familiar read.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

View Harold's profile

Harold

315 posts in 600 days


posted 231 days ago

Scott have you thought about the carpenters pencils? I have one that I use a great deal and it has turned out to be a wonderful ice breaker when meeting new people.

-- If knowledge is not shared, it is forgotten.

View scottb's profile

scottb

3342 posts in 1079 days


posted 230 days ago

the retractable ones from Craft Supplies USA or Woodcraft? Yeah, I’ve been meaning to make myself one of those. I burn through pencils mechanical or otherwise, and bet the fat lead on one of those puppies would really hold up.

-- I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it. - Pablo Picasso -- http://blanchardcreative.etsy.com -- http://snbcreative.wordpress.com/

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