[BassBlaster]

Finally made some time to get back in the shop. Its been way too long. I know Ive been away from here for awhile. Ive built a boat since my last posting here and caught lots of fish from it!!!

Anyhow. This pen was one I had started a couple months ago and needed to get it finished up for my next project. Remember that segmenting tutorial I promised you guys in Feb? Yeah thats the next project. Sorry, but were getting there, lol.

This amboyna is some of the nicest I have ever laid eyes on. My pics dont get near doing it justice. Its much more red and the sapwood is much less yellow than pictured. This is by far the nicest pen I have ever turned IMO and its gonna be hard to let this one go.

Jr Statesman, Rhodium w/Black Titanium accents. Heritance SF "med" nib. Premium two-tone amboyna burl. CA finish.

 

[BassBlaster]

Also, Im questioning the formula I use to price my pens. What would you price this pen at? The formula that has always worked for me values this pen at $130. Maybe its worth that, I dunno. Im struggling because Ive never asked that much for a pen before.

 

[Dave Paine]

Also, Im questioning the formula I use to price my pens. What would you price this pen at? The formula that has always worked for me values this pen at $130. Maybe its worth that, I dunno. Im struggling because Ive never asked that much for a pen before.

Really nice looking pen. I agree the wood is wonderful. :thumbsup:

Not a surprise if the pictures are not doing justice. Our eyes see so much more than we may be able to capture in a picture.

I have no experience in pens, but attended a demo back in March at the NJ "The Wood Working Show" event. The demonstrator was Barry Gross. This is his site.

http://www.bgartforms.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=38_35

He talked about attending a "high end" pen show circuit where the pens go for several hundred $. He mentioned people walking about with lopes to see if all the scratches had been buffed out. At the time he did not realize his pens had scratches visible with a lope.

You and I can appreciate a pen made with such wonderful wood. The challenge is getting someone to pay for the value.

I wish I could tell you where to sell this to find the kind of customers who frequent the "high end" pen shows, but I would say start with your asking price. It is a really nice pen. Easy to lower the price than increase.

 

[BassBlaster]

Thanks!

Ive actually been meaning to order a loupe so I can inspect for scratches myself. They are rairly inexpensive. If I was able to see scratches though, I wouldnt know how to go about removing them beyond what I allready do though. I sand to 12,000 with MM then use a plastic polishing compound for a lil extra shine. I cant see to capture that shine in my pics either. This one looks like glass but in my pics it has kind of a satin look to it.

 

[Dave Paine]

If I was able to see scratches though, I wouldnt know how to go about removing them beyond what I allready do though. I sand to 12,000 with MM then use a plastic polishing compound for a lil extra shine. I cant see to capture that shine in my pics either. This one looks like glass but in my pics it has kind of a satin look to it.

The site I linked has a Supplies page, and one of the supplies is this Acryllic polish to remove the tiny scratches.

http://www.bgartforms.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=39_62&product_id=516

 

[BassBlaster]

Thanks for the link. I know his name from my time over at IAP but had never been on his site before. He has pens listed for $150 to $175 that I sell for $75 and $80. I guess $130 for this Statesmen is very reasonable. Then again, people are paying for a pen made by Barry Gross so....

 

[clpead]

Very nice pen, the pricing I've seen on woodworking items is all over the place. The range on slimlines are anywhere from 12-60 or even more. Like Dave said, you just have to find someone willing to pay for it. A guy told me once he had a pen that just wouldn't sell at 125 so he put a show discount tag on it for 250 and it sold right away.

 

[robert421960]

nice pen bass :yes::yes::yes::yes:
people grip at me when i price one for 35 bucks
but that is way nicer than the ones i have made

 

[Therichinc]

http://broadwellstudios.com/ David Broadwell makes some of the nicest pens I have seen.He has some that go for THOUSANDS.... He is a knifemaker and a friend of my dads, They are in the Knifemakers Guild together. So to answer your question about price, I dont see a problem at 130... if not more.

 

[Bob Willing]

Just remember you have made that pen with the wood that I am told is in the Rolls Royce dash. That is very expensive wood. I bought some pen blanks about 18 months ago and shutter what I will pay again. Just look on eBay if you doubt the price. That is my favorite wood.

Not sure what you paid for the pen mechanism but I always ask more for ink pens.

 

[BassBlaster]

Just remember you have made that pen with the wood that I am told is in the Rolls Royce dash. That is very expensive wood. I bought some pen blanks about 18 months ago and shutter what I will pay again. Just look on eBay if you doubt the price. That is my favorite wood.

Not sure what you paid for the pen mechanism but I always ask more for ink pens.

Yeah I know all about the price of Amboyna and some of those people selling on Ebay are asking rediculous prices for crappy looking amboyna. Theres also some very nice stuff being sold there but the guys asking premium prices for low grade material just baffles me. Fortunately, I got hooked up with a supplier awhile back that deals in premium exotic burls. Everything he sells is premo stuff and his prices are fair. I have about 10 bucks in the blank itself. The Statesman componants are roughly 35 bucks. The upgraded nib, Ive seen priced as high as 20 bucks. Exotics sells them for $5. I get them as an upgrade when I buy the componants so its only a couple bucks.

Ive always used blank + componants X 3 to get in the ballpark for the price. I just didnt want to ask more than the pen was worth but after looking around on a few sites, $130 is fairly cheap for this pen especially considering the wood I used.

 

[Bob Willing]

Pricing is a really scary thing, it depends where you sell your items. When I sell in Southern Wisconsin people have no qualms about price but here in the UP of Michigan is another story. For example I sell my S & P mills as a set for $160.00 to $140.00 and up here they say aren't those beautiful, down south they say, I'll take that one! You have to understand all of my sales are at gun shows where I sell pens, bottle stoppers, S&P mills, game calls, carving tools and gun/fishing rod racks.

 

[duncsuss]

$130 is fairly cheap for this pen especially considering the wood I used.

I agree.

If I'd made this, I'd be asking in the $160 to $180 range. With the Heritance nib, maybe a bit more. (Getting it is a different matter -- but I categorically do not want to give anyone the idea they can come to me for a cheap pen.)

I can usually get rid of fine scratches in the finish by hand polishing with clean t-shirt material and Hut's Ultragloss plastic polish. I always polish along the length of the barrel as the last step.

 

[BassBlaster]

I agree.

If I'd made this, I'd be asking in the $160 to $180 range. With the Heritance nib, maybe a bit more. (Getting it is a different matter -- but I categorically do not want to give anyone the idea they can come to me for a cheap pen.)

I can usually get rid of fine scratches in the finish by hand polishing with clean t-shirt material and Hut's Ultragloss plastic polish. I always polish along the length of the barrel as the last step.

Thanks for the polishing tip. I typically use Huts as my final polish as well after the MM but Ive never looked at my finish through a loupe. I can tell you without a doubt, this is the best finish I have ever laid on a pen and the only thing I did different is that I replaced my MM. I had been using the same pads for over a year. My finish was still good but when I compare to a pen turned using the last pads, there is definately more shine. Ill be replacing my pads more often now.

Heres my tip for the day....WC sells the little MM pads for pens for like 17 or 18 bucks. I purchased the bigger 3" X 4" set for 24 bucks and cut them in half. Now I have 2 sets and saved a few pennies.

 

[duncsuss]

Heres my tip for the day....WC sells the little MM pads for pens for like 17 or 18 bucks. I purchased the bigger 3" X 4" set for 24 bucks and cut them in half. Now I have 2 sets and saved a few pennies.

Good idea!

I usually buy MM from Woodturningz in their January sale. I forget how much I paid last time, maybe $12 for the set.

 

[bigcouger]

:thumbsup::thumbsup: Beautiful BassBlaster, I love Amboyna Burl all the different colors an the sweet smell to

 

[BassBlaster]

Thanks cougar! Havnt seen you for awhile. Good to have you back!!

 

[bigcouger]

Thanks Bassblaster, good to be back for a while but off an on for now :laughing: