#939 Now Sold

Red Acrylic and Burr Wood Fountain Pen



This is a hybrid pen, which has been made using both elm burr wood and acrylic. The burr wood was placed in a mould and the resin poured in around it and then left to set.

BURR
A burr (American burl) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds.


A burr results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be environmental or introduced by humans. Most burr grow beneath the ground, attached to the roots as a type of malignancy that is generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. Such burrs sometimes appear as groups of bulbous protrusions connected by a system of rope-like roots. Almost all burr wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mould infestation are the most common causes of this condition.

Burr yields a very peculiar and highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty by many; its rarity also adds to its expense. It is sought after by people such as furniture makers (mainly used as veneers, artists, and wood sculptors.

Turning the two different materials is a tricky job as they both react in their own way to the chisels used. This makes the process longer and increases the concentration required.

Acrylic turning is messy, I really try to clear every last scrap of it up; it can also be smelly; the sharp little chips get everywhere and it can blunt the turning chisels really quickly. 

Then the final grades of sanding and polishing start to reveal something special and I really like acrylic again... until the next time.

Pen #939 was turned on 7th April 2018 near Kingsbury Water Park on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.











You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog
https://thepenmakersjourney.blogspot.com/


oh and please like us on Facebook too here
https://www.facebook.com/ThePenMakersBoat
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#929 Now Sold

Red Acrylic and Burr Wood Premium Twist Pen

Price ~ £40



This is a hybrid pen, which has been made using both elm burr wood and acrylic. The burr wood was placed in a mould and the resin poured in around it and then left to set.

BURR
A burr (American burl) is a tree growth in which the grain has grown in a deformed manner. It is commonly found in the form of a rounded outgrowth on a tree trunk or branch that is filled with small knots from dormant buds.


A burr results from a tree undergoing some form of stress. It may be environmental or introduced by humans. Most burr grow beneath the ground, attached to the roots as a type of malignancy that is generally not discovered until the tree dies or falls over. Such burrs sometimes appear as groups of bulbous protrusions connected by a system of rope-like roots. Almost all burr wood is covered by bark, even if it is underground. Insect infestation and certain types of mould infestation are the most common causes of this condition.

Burr yields a very peculiar and highly figured wood, one prized for its beauty by many; its rarity also adds to its expense. It is sought after by people such as furniture makers (mainly used as veneers, artists, and wood sculptors.

Turning the two different materials is a tricky job as they both react in their own way to the chisels used. This makes the process longer and increases the concentration required.

Acrylic turning is messy, I really try to clear every last scrap of it up; it can also be smelly; the sharp little chips get everywhere and it can blunt the turning chisels really quickly. 

Then the final grades of sanding and polishing start to reveal something special and I really like acrylic again... until the next time.

Pen #929 was turned on 22nd March 2018 near Braunston on the Oxford Canal.







You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here


oh and please like us on Facebook too here
https://www.facebook.com/ThePenMakersBoat
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#957 Available

Bog Oak and Gun Metal Premium Twist Pen

Price ~ £32.50



BOG-WOOD
Is a material from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water. Bog-wood represents the early stages in the fossilisation of wood with further stages ultimately forming jet, lignite and coal over a period of many millions of years. Bog-wood may come from any tree species naturally growing near or in bogs, including oak, pine and yew. It is a rare form of timber that is claimed to be comparable to some of the world's most expensive tropical hardwoods.


This particular bog-wood is oak and came from the Norfolk Fens, it has been carbon dated at 4280 years old.

Many thousands of years ago East Anglia was densely forested by gigantic trees. Approximately 7,000 years ago a rise in the sea level caused the rivers to back up and flood the fens, consequently the trees died standing and then fell into the silt of the forest floor. Due to cultivation of this productive land these trees have come to the surface.

Pen #957 was turned on 9th April 2018 near Kingsbury Water Park on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.








You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog
https://thepenmakersjourney.blogspot.com/


oh and please like us on Facebook too here
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#956 Now Sold

Bog Oak and Chrome Premium Twist Pen



BOG-WOOD
Is a material from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water. Bog-wood represents the early stages in the fossilisation of wood with further stages ultimately forming jet, lignite and coal over a period of many millions of years. Bog-wood may come from any tree species naturally growing near or in bogs, including oak, pine and yew. It is a rare form of timber that is claimed to be comparable to some of the world's most expensive tropical hardwoods.


This particular bog-wood is oak and came from the Norfolk Fens, it has been carbon dated at 4280 years old.

Many thousands of years ago East Anglia was densely forested by gigantic trees. Approximately 7,000 years ago a rise in the sea level caused the rivers to back up and flood the fens, consequently the trees died standing and then fell into the silt of the forest floor. Due to cultivation of this productive land these trees have come to the surface.

Pen #956 was turned on 9th April 2018 near Kingsbury Water Park on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.








You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here


oh and please like us on Facebook too here
No comments:

#955 Now Sold

Bog Oak and Gun Metal Premium Twist Pen



BOG-WOOD
Is a material from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water. Bog-wood represents the early stages in the fossilisation of wood with further stages ultimately forming jet, lignite and coal over a period of many millions of years. Bog-wood may come from any tree species naturally growing near or in bogs, including oak, pine and yew. It is a rare form of timber that is claimed to be comparable to some of the world's most expensive tropical hardwoods.


This particular bog-wood is oak and came from the Norfolk Fens, it has been carbon dated at 4280 years old.

Many thousands of years ago East Anglia was densely forested by gigantic trees. Approximately 7,000 years ago a rise in the sea level caused the rivers to back up and flood the fens, consequently the trees died standing and then fell into the silt of the forest floor. Due to cultivation of this productive land these trees have come to the surface.

Pen #955 was turned on 9th April 2018 near Kingsbury Water Park on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.








You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here


oh and please like us on Facebook too here
No comments:

#954 Now Sold

Bog Oak and Gun Metal Fountain Pen



BOG-WOOD
Is a material from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, sometimes for hundreds or even thousands of years. The wood is usually stained brown by tannins dissolved in the acidic water. Bog-wood represents the early stages in the fossilisation of wood with further stages ultimately forming jet, lignite and coal over a period of many millions of years. Bog-wood may come from any tree species naturally growing near or in bogs, including oak, pine and yew. It is a rare form of timber that is claimed to be comparable to some of the world's most expensive tropical hardwoods.


This particular bog-wood is oak and came from the Norfolk Fens, it has been carbon dated at 4280 years old.

Many thousands of years ago East Anglia was densely forested by gigantic trees. Approximately 7,000 years ago a rise in the sea level caused the rivers to back up and flood the fens, consequently the trees died standing and then fell into the silt of the forest floor. Due to cultivation of this productive land these trees have come to the surface.

Pen #954 was turned on 9th April 2018 near Kingsbury Water Park on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.









You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here


oh and please like us on Facebook too here
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#953 Now Sold

NB Birchills Oak and 24ct Gold Plated Premium Twist Pen

(A donation from the sale of this pen will be gifted to The Black Country Living Museum, the Custodians of NB Birchills)



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 gunwales and roof hatch of Narrowboat Birchills. I was given a few off cuts by the superb craftsmen who were carrying out a little light refurbishment to this historic boat, in fact the guys had cut the whole back cabin off!

Birchills is an historic, ‘Joey’ boat with a small day cabin, built in 1953 by Ernest Thomas of Walsall, ‘Birchills’ it is one of the last wooden day boats made and was used to carry coal to Wolverhampton Power Station. This boat is double-ended and the mast and rudder could be changed from one end to the other. This enabled its use in narrow canals or basins where there was no room to turn the boat around.

The rotten parts of these rebuilt boats are usually used to stoke the fires that steam the new planks for bending to the hulls shape so half a day later this flaky gunwale would have been burned. 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.

That old flaky gunwale went on to make a few very nice pens and I was lucky enough to be given some more wood by Ade at A P Boat Building in Alvecote. This time a piece that appears to be from the old red cabin hatch surround.




Pen #953 was turned on 9th April 2018 near Kingsbury Water Park on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.








You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here


oh and please like us on Facebook too here
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