#918 Now Sold

Silver Vintage Pen Rod and Gun Metal Premium Twist Pen

This unique material was sourced by two world renowned pen restorers back in the 1990's.

The rod was made in the Le Mans area in France around 80 - 90 years ago.  The material is Cellulose Acetate and can be seen on some of the finest vintage fountain pens of the world including Conway Stewart, Mabie Todd and Watermans, to name a few.  Modern plastics don't come anywhere near to the depth of colour and warm feel of this material.

Pen #918 was turned on 1st December 2017 at Berkhamsted on the Grand Union Canal

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

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

NB Dane Elm and Gun Metal Premium Twist 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 and a replaced side plank made of oak.

Pen #917 was turned on 1st December 2017 at Berkhamsted on the Grand Union Canal.

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

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

#916 Now Sold

NB Birchills Oak with Gun Metal 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 #916 was turned on 1st December 2017 at Berkhamsted on the Grand Union Canal.

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

oh and please like us on Facebook too here - 

https://www.facebook.com/ThePenMakersBoat

#912 Now Sold

NB Birchills Oak and Gun Metal Fountain 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 #912 was turned on 21st November 2017 at Seabrook on the Grand Union Canal.

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

oh and please like us on Facebook too here - 

https://www.facebook.com/ThePenMakersBoat

#908 Now Sold

Festival and Rhodium Plated Premium Twist Pen

MULTI-COLOURED FESTIVAL

This eye catching pen has made from multiple laminated layers of resin-impregnated dyed hardwood veneers. This was coloured and laminated in India.

Rhodium is one of the rarest and most valuable precious metals, it is silvery-white, hard and corrosion resistant. It is a member of the platinum group and was discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston.

Pen #908 was turned on 19th November 2017 at Seabrook on the Grand Union Canal.

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

oh and please like us on Facebook too here - 

https://www.facebook.com/ThePenMakersBoat

#907 Now Sold

Festival and Chrome Premium Twist Pen

MULTI-COLOURED FESTIVAL

This eye catching pen has made from multiple laminated layers of resin-impregnated dyed hardwood veneers. This was coloured and laminated in India.

Pen #907 was turned on 19th November 2017 at Seabrook on the Grand Union Canal.

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

oh and please like us on Facebook too here - 

https://www.facebook.com/ThePenMakersBoat

#905 Now Sold

NB Birchills Oak and Gun Metal Fountain 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 #905 was turned on 9th November 2017 at Linslade on the Grand Union Canal.

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

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

Y

#904 Now Sold

Bog Yew 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 yew and came from the Norfolk Fens, it is believed to be over 5,000 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 #904 was turned on 9th November 2017 at Linslade on the Grand Union Canal.

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

http://nb-lois-jane.blogspot.co.uk

oh and please like us on Facebook too here

https://www.facebook.com/ThePenMakersBoat