New Pens

[Daniel Heine]

Hello,

I've been busy the past couple weeks turning pens in between work, LOML todo list, and hauling my 15 year old son all over this green earth. In two years he'll be going off to college, and I won't know what to do without him!!! Please take a look at my pens, and give me some feedback. My son is the one who got me started with turning, I mean pushed me into the abyss. He wants to start turning a lot of pens, and start selling them at craft shows, christmas bazaars, etc. Please let me know if you have any experience doing that, and how it has worked out for you.

Thanks to all of you for all of the great advice I've received here. I really enjoy looking at the pictures many of you post. Is there anyone in the Chicago area that would be willing to teach an old man and a teeager bowl turning?

Thanks,
Dan Heine
:o

[Corey Hallagan]

Very nice Daniel. Great looking pens. Good luck on your sales!

Corey

[Frank Fusco]

The wasp waist and bulbous look are not to my personal liking and I have had trouble selling them.
The humble Slimline can become a very versitile pen by simply discarding the center band and letting your imagination fly.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Dan,
Frank has not so gently guided you in the right direction. Classic shape of pens will sell best and my expereince pens don't sell well at shows unless ... that is all you offer. I do sell pens but I don't even put them out with bowls and other turned work. They just don't seem to get noticed. I sell my pens to freinds/family and business contacts mostly from my shirt pocket. I have a few customers that use my pens for business gifts. Therefore I have come to only turning traditional shapes & formal looking woods. Choose the higher end plating options. Usually I throw away the refill (in rollerball kits) and buy nicer refills that have that sexy rollerball feel to them.

Chicago? I'm about 100 miles west so I ain't much help. I do know Dick Sing offers private lessons in his Joliet shop. Find his contact info on the AAW Directory. He is good and has a long history of making, selling and teaching others many craft show items. You can see his demo all day at Hardwood Connection in Sycamore IL on Saturday Nov. 18th.

Frank

[Bernie Weishapl]

Daniel those are some nice looking pens. I have had the same problem as Frank and Frank. I also have trouble selling them. My best sellers believe it or not are just plain and simple slimline pens. I have sold about 2 dozen slimlines to friends and have yet to sell a Euro Classic pen of which I made 10. I made two comfort pens and they didn't even sell. So my wife and my sister got those as gifts.