Here’s my first “successful” pen that I turned. It is a slimline pen, which seems to be the standard for new pen turners. It is a nice practice kit, and very inexpensive. Since there are sooooo many pen tutorials on the internet, I am going to pass on creating one myself. I plan on going straight to the Celtic Knot Pen Tutorial with aluminum accents.
A few thoughts:
- I got the wood free from my contact at a nearby saw mill. He stated that it was highly figured maple wood that he accidentally cut down for firewood. I fail to see the “high” figure, but can not complain due to the price.
- To turn this pen, I followed the tutorial by Kevin Brady. This is an easy tutorial to follow with pictures of each step.
- How does this pen write? ehh.. I would say like a typical BIC pen. That is why you can purchase this kit for about $3. Just hop on over to woodturningz for what I think is the best service and best price. The average selling price of a finished slimline pen is around 15-20 dollars on etsy.
- Sanded to 600 grit, then Penn State finishing pads, followed with 6 coats of CA glue and a friction polish.
You can actually get most slimline kits from Penn State Industries for about $1.95. Might save you a dollar. I love having connections at the local sawmill, just got some gorgeous black walnut from them
Well hello peregrinerose, my first poster ever!!! Your right, I actually would be saving some money if bought the pen directly from Penn State (about a dollar as you stated)…. I will keep that in mind for next time, although I do plan on ditching the slimline for an upgrade soon. For some reason, I wouldn’t feel right selling a slimline on etsy for 15-25 bucks, but that’s just me.
I buy most of my pen parts from Penn State Industries, the price tends to be a bit lower. I do sell pens, and have sold even slimlines for up to $65… complicated segmented pens for those that like the skinnier pen types. Scallops, Celtic Knots, etc. I don’t sell a lot of them, and not on Etsy, but only because I do this for fun, not for funding.