Just to annoy Frank

[Mike Vickery]

I have often heard that a lot of people do not like to use walnut on pens. Personally I love walnut on pen and think it looks particuliarly good with Maple burls accents. Walnut pens have always sold quite well for me. I think we might overlook this wood while customers often buy it due to name recognition as a premium American hardwood. I was talking to a guy the other day and told him I made wood pens the first thing he ask was if I had a Cherry pen. Why? I would guess it is becuase of the name recognition of this premier cabinet wood.

some Walnut pens
49066

49067

49068

49069

49070

I did not want to hijack the other thread with this.

I would like opinions do you think we as woodturners often overlook some of the premium hardwoods in search of more exotic woods, while customers might snatch up a wood they recognize by name.

Oh for the record it is Frank Fusco that am annoying. We have had the Walnut pen discussion several times before.

[Richard Jones]

Mike,

Of all the exotics that I turn, my wife still likes the walnut slimlines the best and those are the ones that she sells more of at the shop. The clientele that frequents a flower shop don't usually have hands that a Euro feels comfortable in.............. She may push the slimlines more since they are more comfortable to HER, but who cares as long as they sell?

And, this is still pretty much a rural area. Everyone knows that walnut is "good wood", but not too many people around "these here parts" know what jatoba or goncalo alves is. For the most part, I just get blank stares.

Walnut accents on a cherry pen also look very nice...........

I also do a thing at the shop that others may also do. I will turn custom pens/bowls/whatever out of customer-supplied wood. "Something that was your grandfather's, like an old table leg or broken lamp? Let me turn that wood into something that you can give as a gift that can continue on in your family." Very good for the holidays. Not to hijack your thread, just that most of the wood that I get like that is walnut...............

It could very well be a regional/geographic thing.

Rich

[Frank Fusco]

Usually, it doesn't take much to annoy me. ;) But you failed on this attempt. :p
I like your pens,the finish is great, especially the first 'walnut'.
The closed end looks good, I have done some and like the appearance.
Haven't tried the hidden clip thing yet, looks like too much work and might not generate a higher enough price to justify.
I just find walunt hard to finish due to open pores. I once cut a bunch of blanks and offered to give them away free on a penturning forum. Not one single taker.
Congratulations on some fine work.

[Mike Vickery]

Oh Frank you just are not being fun today.

I hear what you are saying, many pen turner seem to feel Walnut is not exotic enough. I would take the blanks but I probably have 100 in my shop already. The point was more what Richard said above Walnut sells. I would guess because of the name recognition but am not really sure why.
Oh and usually I just fill the pores by wet sanding with BLO at 220 then using thin CA. Then finish as usual. If you blow up the third pic down you can tell I did not do this on that pen and it shows in the finish (not in a good way).

[Reed Gray]

Having only turned one pen, I can't really comment about them, but for a furniture wood, I will take air dried black walnut any day to anything else I have worked. Cherry has wonderful color, but walnut is so much richer, and has so many colors in it. It is a little dark for some, but not for me. I just sanded out a bunch of English walnut bowls, and they are almost as nice.
robo hippy

[Aaron Koehl]

Mike,

I really like walnut pens as do some of the folks in my area, and especially paired with maple burl. My only problem with them is getting them to retain their shine- as a new pen turner, I'm still looking for the ultimate Walnut Pen Finishing Technique (tm).

[Dennis Peacock]

I'm still looking for the ultimate Walnut Pen Finishing Technique (tm).

I believe that's called: Epoxy Based Paint there Aaron. :p :p :D

[Corey Hallagan]

Excellent work Mike as always. I personally love walnut for pens and it is my favorite domestic wood to turn period I use a curly walnut Classic American style pen every day and have made several Sierras as well in Walnut. I have made several walnut PSI comfort pens for Christmas to give for gifts. Excellent craftsmanship Mike.


Corey

[Bernie Weishapl]

Mike my favorite wood to turn for pens or I guess I should say for anything is walnut. I would rather use walnut to turn pens as any other wood. Nice job on the pens by the way.

[Frank Fusco]

Having only turned one pen, I can't really comment about them, but for a furniture wood, I will take air dried black walnut any day to anything else I have worked. Cherry has wonderful color, but walnut is so much richer, and has so many colors in it. It is a little dark for some, but not for me. I just sanded out a bunch of English walnut bowls, and they are almost as nice.
robo hippy

Reed, as much as I like to start a good argument....uh....debate :rolleyes: ... I do agree with you. A master woodworker once said to me, "If it's worth making, it's worth making with walnut." I consider walnut the King of woods and Maple the Queen. But, that said, for teensy objects like pens, the open grain is a drawback and there are so many fancy and exotic woods available that they usually seem to draw attention first.

[Keith Christopher]

the pen I use at work is a El Grande made out of claro walnut.