* Pen making

I have been very lazy but I have finished off the [pen for a client](https://i.imgur.com/98Oxeow.jpg). They wanted the holes drilled in the barrel and a roll stop. The roll stop is actually a magnetic finial from a visconti that the client sent along with the pen. There was a choice between that and a gold tie pin, I think the visconti one looks the best as did the client.

I made some pens from the blanks that I made, and I made a gold and yellow (with a bit of orange thrown in) blank which I am loving. That I am going to be working on over the weekend. That is the one in the lathe in the short video.

The blanks that I made didn’t go together. That is the problem I have found with making my own blanks, Repeatability is a bit of an issue. So I wanted the [two blanks](https://i.imgur.com/X7TxTrU.jpg) to go together however the almost pastel colours of one doesn’t really go with the purple and the blues of another. So I ended up making a blank which in my head was half [blue and half purple](https://i.imgur.com/RrStdBn.jpg) with white separating them and swirling them. It came out really well ad I think the caps look quite [striking](https://i.imgur.com/mHGcEyL.jpg) on the pens.

So here are the pens in all their glory. The [first](https://i.imgur.com/xClSxkL.jpg) one [I did](https://i.imgur.com/YeuCsL8.jpg) was a [half zeus](https://i.imgur.com/cRubvCj.jpg) and the second one I [did](https://i.imgur.com/bINpagI.jpg) was a [clipless Gaea](https://i.imgur.com/p6bmuHb.jpg). I was having some teething problems using the new material as I wasn’t used to the tolerances of the drilling so the first one or two that I made in the red and yellow blanks I doubt I will sell. As I mentioned previously before I think one came out soft. I will be selling these other ones though. When I get to be better at the repeatability of the blanks I will come up with a range of different colours much like what Jonathan Brooks has done but obviously different and with my own flare to them. Didn’t start doing these to copy other people after all.

Things seem to be picking up at last. I am starting to get a bit of a waiting list now, a situation which excites me but also terrifies me. I have to start organising my time more and dedicating set blocks of time to pen making if I want to keep on top of things. For example, I had to do my first tax return recently and it highlighted how much money I have lost over this past year, hint: it’s a lot, so the fact that people want my pens is great I just hope it continues.

As usual feel free to give feedback or suggestions in the comments. Please take care of yourselves and your loved ones and stay safe.