NB Dane Oak and Gun Metal Fountain Pen
(A donation from the sale of this pen will be gifted to The Narrowboat Heritage Foundation, the Custodians of NB Dane)
EUROPEAN OAK - Quercus robur
Usually straight-grained, the heartwood of European Oak varies in colour from light tan to brown. Quarter-sawn pieces show attractive flame figuring. The wood is fairly hard, heavy and dense, clean but with the occasional knot. European Oak is a beautiful timber and with an oil finish, the grain will turn a deep golden brown.
This particular piece of oak (probably English rather than European) is just a little bit special though. It comes from the rear cabin side planking of Narrowboat Dane. I was given a few off cuts by the superb craftsmen who were carrying out the extensive refurbishment to this historic boat.
The rotten parts of these rebuilt boats are usually used to stoke the fires that steam the new planks for bending to the hull's shape.Luckily these pieces of elm were too important to burn and have been properly stored. I wasn't sure how deep the rot would have gone and how deep I would have to delve into this piece to find stable wood. The pens I make from historic boat materials have been thoroughly tested by me to make sure that they will give pleasurable daily use.
Narrowboat Dane was built by the Mersey Weaver and Ship Canal Carrying Company and used as part of their fleet. She was built in November 1946 and first registered on January the first 1947. Ade from A P Boatbuilding is currently restoring her on behalf of The Narrowboat Heritage Foundation, the work being done is re-bottomed with new chine planks, kelson, stem post and soon to receive two new bow planks, gunwales, decks, new back cabin and engine room. The pens that I will be making from Dane are all from a heavy lump of Elm bottom plate and a replaced side plank made of oak.
Pen #613 was turned on 3rd August 2016 at Bugbrooke.
Usually straight-grained, the heartwood of European Oak varies in colour from light tan to brown. Quarter-sawn pieces show attractive flame figuring. The wood is fairly hard, heavy and dense, clean but with the occasional knot. European Oak is a beautiful timber and with an oil finish, the grain will turn a deep golden brown.
This particular piece of oak (probably English rather than European) is just a little bit special though. It comes from the rear cabin side planking of Narrowboat Dane. I was given a few off cuts by the superb craftsmen who were carrying out the extensive refurbishment to this historic boat.
The rotten parts of these rebuilt boats are usually used to stoke the fires that steam the new planks for bending to the hull's shape.Luckily these pieces of elm were too important to burn and have been properly stored. I wasn't sure how deep the rot would have gone and how deep I would have to delve into this piece to find stable wood. The pens I make from historic boat materials have been thoroughly tested by me to make sure that they will give pleasurable daily use.
It's a peaceful stretch of canal between Napton and Braunston and we stayed here for a good few days watching the passing boats and thunderstorms and catching up with making penstock for our next festival at Blisworth. We even managed to bump into fellow boater and blogger Maffi who very kindly gave me a log of cherry wood that he had started to season on his roof. It's not too often that I can get good quality English cherry wood so I will cut this log down into large pen blanks and finish seasoning them over winter to see what they turn out like next spring.
After a short evening cruise to Braunston we were very surprised to find a free mooring right opposite the Boathouse pub perfect for our stop off to meet up with local friend Richard and then later the same day Jenny and Chris all of whom brought some nice seasoned wood for me to add to my stockpile. We left again early the next morning, not so early that we would disturb people that managed to go to the pub the evening before, and then it was time to go up the Braunston locks, through the tunnel, down the Buckby locks and moor up a few miles further south in one of our favourite canal side villages Bugbrooke.
You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here
It's a peaceful stretch of canal between Napton and Braunston and we stayed here for a good few days watching the passing boats and thunderstorms and catching up with making penstock for our next festival at Blisworth. We even managed to bump into fellow boater and blogger Maffi who very kindly gave me a log of cherry wood that he had started to season on his roof. It's not too often that I can get good quality English cherry wood so I will cut this log down into large pen blanks and finish seasoning them over winter to see what they turn out like next spring.
After a short evening cruise to Braunston we were very surprised to find a free mooring right opposite the Boathouse pub perfect for our stop off to meet up with local friend Richard and then later the same day Jenny and Chris all of whom brought some nice seasoned wood for me to add to my stockpile. We left again early the next morning, not so early that we would disturb people that managed to go to the pub the evening before, and then it was time to go up the Braunston locks, through the tunnel, down the Buckby locks and moor up a few miles further south in one of our favourite canal side villages Bugbrooke.
You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here
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