NB Dane Elm and Chrome Fountain Pen
(A donation from the sale of this pen will be gifted to The Narrowboat Heritage Foundation, the Custodians of NB Dane)
EUROPEAN ELM - Ulmus procera
European Elm has is a light to medium brown, sometimes with a hint of red. With an oil finish, it can turn a beautiful golden brown colour. Unless, of course, it's been kept at the bottom of a canal for an awfully long time.
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.
Pen #588 was turned on 1st July 2016 at Chester Floating Market
It’s quite a long run from Middlewich to Chester and day one of our journey was called off due to weather of biblical proportions, definitely not cruising weather unless you absolutely have to. Tuesday was much brighter, the only downside is that everyone else had decided to leave at the same time and it appeared everyone was running low on water so big queues at the only water tap for a long time and also at every lock.
In previous, non trading, times this route would have taken at least a week for us. This time with more pens to make and postal deliveries to collect we managed this most scenic part of the Shropshire Union Canal in two days.
You can follow my pen making here on this blog and our travels on another blog here
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