Ideal pen blank size?

[Kelly C. Hanna]

While I never got the lathe bug I did wind up with a gillion pieces of both antique mahogany and Ipe just laying about the shop with nowhere to go. I've decided to offer pen blanks, but have no clue as to the perfect size[s] I need to cut them into....can anyone shed some light?

[Nancy Laird]

Kelly, most pens need 3/4 x 3/4 x 5" blanks. I emphasize most because I believe there are some pen styles that need 1 x 1 x 5-1/2" (though I haven't turned any that large yet). You'll probably get better yield from your raw material if you cut them 3/4 x 3/4 x 5", and you'll probably sell a bunch of them!

Nancy (82 days)

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Thanks Nancy! I just hate this wood to go to waste.

[Rich Souchek]

Kelly,
Nancy is right on the basic size, there is another larger size about 78" or 1" square by 5 1/2" to 6" long. The larger size is for larger pens, the real fancy ones and the gents, churchills, el grandes etc.
The problem I see is that the wood we penturners really want and will pay money for is the fancy burls and stuff with wild grain. Flatwork woodworkers usually want the stright grain, uniform grain that can be used in cabinets and furniture. This type of wood with flatwork grain is boring in a pen. The only exception to this that comes to me right now is in segmented pens, where small pieces of diferent woods are cut and glued up to form a fany pen blank. They would also not want the wood cut into blanks, but the scrap pieces you have.
Try a small group or two of the blanks with pictures and see how it comes out. You might post this on penturners.org in their classified for a large audience.
You might also post the scraps for sale by the pound with some pictures and see wht happens.
Or maybe you need to get into segmented flat work?
Rich Souchek

[Rich Souchek]

Kelly,
Maybe it is time for you to make some chess sets????
Rich S.

[Rich Stewart]

I think most of the pens I have made required only about a 5/8 X 5/8 X 5 1/2. I have gotten some 3/4 inch blanks and thought what a waste it was as most of it was turned away. A lot of the key- chain type items and cigar pens need the 3/4 inch, but not the regular pens. Might want to come up with a variety of blanks for different applications to get maximum yield from the wood.