The Pen Makers Boat: #530 Now Sold

Lignum Vitae and Gun Metal Rollerball Pen

LIGNUM VITAE - Guaiacum officinale

Heartwood colour can range from a olive to a dark greenish brown to almost black, sometimes with a reddish hue. The colour tends to darken with age, especially upon exposure to light.

Lignum Vitae is regarded by most to be both the heaviest and hardest wood in the world. Its durability in submerged or ground-contact applications is also exceptional. Lignum Vitae has been used for propeller shaft bearings on ships, and its natural oils provide self-lubrication that gives the wood excellent wear resistance.

Unfortunately, Lignum Vitae has been exploited to the brink of extinction, and is now an endangered species. The name Lignum Vitae is Latin, and means tree of life, or wood of life, which is derived from the tree’s many medicinal uses.

This wood has a profoundly positive energy. The overall energy of the wood can be summed up as "the power and strength of goodness." The energy of the wood is considered very healing, in both physical and spiritual matters. The energies within the wood would also be excellent for divining information from far away as well as close to home.

This wood represents the end of strife and the beginning of a new, positive, cycle.

Pen #530 Was made at Fazeley Junction Just outside Tamworth

The journey from above Shadehouse Lock at Fradley Junction to Fazeley Junction an dour next trading destination was done in one hit. It's certainly not a long way, about 5ish hours but the weather was against us for the first few hours. The volunteer lock keepers had arrived and were quiet in their soggy waterproofs so at least the couple of locks we had to negotiate were quick and simple, then it was a right hand turn through a swing bridge and keep our heads down out of the drizzle.

About an hour outside Fazeley, just passing the industrial estates on the edge of Tamworth the sun started to come out and dry up all the rain. We carried on past a few early traders and turned (winded) the boat ready to take our place on our allocated mooring space. It wouldn't be the last time we'd move though. There's always one isn't there? Someone was digging their heels in, not happy with either their mooring place or the curve of the towpath. It's not easy to trade on the wobbly bits but someone has got to and the mooring plan is drawn up at random and emailed to us in advance so we can easily chose not to attend if it's a problem.

Whilst Debbie had walked (hiked) into town I moved the boat one final time and started catching up with the increasing pen turning list I had given myself. It was a great market and lovely to see so many happy people visiting from the locality and farther afield. Hopefully the local pub will get on board next year and maybe get a band and a BBQ organised and there is plenty of space for a few local charity stalls too. I can easily see this turning into the Fazeley Junction Festival in the future.