# An Eagle first



## PR_Princess (Jun 30, 2009)

In May of last year, I had the privilege of participating in the Chicago pen show. And although we had talked on the phone often, this was to be the first and last time that I actually got to meet the legendary Eagle. Shortly thereafter, on July 4th Eagle died very unexpectedly. 

Besides being a good friend to myself and many others here,  Eagle was also perhaps one of the most talented pen makers ever to grace the IAP. I would guess that he was also one of the most influential. He often went out of his way to help others, and his designs often still serve as a source of awe and inspiration today.

On this, the first anniversary of his passing, I thought that it might be nice to give a little nod to his legacy. To acknowledge the man that did so much to to further the art of pen turning.

So if you have ever made anything “Eagle-ized “, ever been helped or inspired by the man or his art, or just have a story to tell; please post it below. Posts of pens are encouraged!!


One of Eagles famous "Feathers" pens from a blank that Eagle gave us and a pen that we made for that Chicago show...just to yank on Eagles chain a bit.


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## artme (Jun 30, 2009)

Dawn, sorry but I can't see the details on that pen at all. The photo is coming up very poorly.:frown:


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## PR_Princess (Jun 30, 2009)

Sorry artme, cameras are not my friend!!!:frown:  The pen has a very small though somewhat busy floral design. All of the silver colored areas have been carved away, leaving the black (floral) proud. I hope that helps!


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## skiprat (Jun 30, 2009)

Thanks for bring this up Dawn. Love him or hate him, Eagle was indeed a great influence on lots of people. Me included. As you know I was fortunate enough to meet him. You were very instrumental in setting up our meeting.
Eagle and I didn't see eye to eye in the beginning ( on the web), we were both set in our ways and both called a spade a spade. 
But we had a good respect for each other that eventually turned into a great friendship. 
Our meet up at Lou's home was a time I will always remember. Lou took us on a tour of Washington's famous sites and we rounded it off with a great burger meal:biggrin:
Lou, being the old man that he is, crashed out fairly early but Eagle and I talked crap well into the wee hours. We conjured up several ideas that we would eventually try out.  

His passing came as a massive shock as it was only about 12hrs since we had exchanged emails. He had just finished making a blank for me and I was trying to make a gadget for him. The gadget never got finished, but Lynn, Eagles wife, later sent me the blank. I don't have the heart to make it into a pen.

I have a few examples of Eagles work, some that I got directly from him or Lynn, but the one that intrigues me the most is one that a mysterious donor paid for. There was a recent sale of some of his pens and I booked a particular one. I didn't really have the cash at the time, but after some ribbing from fellow members, I paid up. :redface:
Soon afterwards I got a refund from Paypal and a note saying that the pen had been paid for by a 'friend'. I have tried and tried to find out who that was, but to no avail. So, mysterious person, thank you:biggrin:

I'll dig out a pic or two and post them when I get home.

Fly high Buddy, we're thinking about you and your family.........


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## artistwood (Jun 30, 2009)

seems eagle not only inspired pens, he inspired friendships as well. what a great legacy ......


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## wolftat (Jun 30, 2009)

skiprat said:


> I have a few examples of Eagles work, some that I got directly from him or Lynn, but the one that intrigues me the most is one that a mysterious donor paid for. There was a recent sale of some of his pens and I booked a particular one. I didn't really have the cash at the time, but after some ribbing from fellow members, I paid up. :redface:
> Soon afterwards I got a refund from Paypal and a note saying that the pen had been paid for by a 'friend'. I have tried and tried to find out who that was, but to no avail. So, mysterious person, thank you:biggrin:
> 
> ...


 Funny how that seems to happen around here.


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## OKLAHOMAN (Jun 30, 2009)

THANK YOU EAGLE
FOR THESE TWO

NO OTHER WORDS ARE NEEDED












​


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## workinforwood (Jun 30, 2009)

He made really great pens.  A true segmenting genius.  Thanks for sharing.


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## LEAP (Jun 30, 2009)

The first Eagle post I remember reading was him telling someone to try something first then ask questions after they got stuck. Fortunately I was not the recipient of that particular post but I took the advise to heart. That has lead to some of my most enjoyable time at the lathe. Now when ever I see a new method or style or design I follow Eagles advise. It has resulted in a lot of scrap wood but many wonderful hours discovering. I will be forever grateful for his inspiration.


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## BRobbins629 (Jun 30, 2009)

Met him at the DC pen show in 2007.  Had dinner with him on his way to meet with Skippy and Lou.  He made this blank for me - I still have it.




 We discussed how I was going to turn it into this. Said I hoped to complete it before last years DC pen show.  Had plans for dinner on his way up.  Never made it. 



His greatest gift to me was a trail of his friends, many of whom I met through his email list.  I stay in close contact with many.  I can only imagine how much grief he would have given me over my CNC.


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## alphageek (Jun 30, 2009)

artme said:


> Dawn, sorry but I can't see the details on that pen at all. The photo is coming up very poorly.:frown:



I've seen that pen in person!  Its amazing... Dawn, just send it to me and I'll find a way to get a better picture of it!  

Dean


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## Nickfff (Jun 30, 2009)

Dawn,
This is very nice thanks for doing this tribute. I met Eagle for the first time at this event as well. He said some hilarious things at the show and after. Remember the greek restaurant?

Nice to meet you as well there...

Nick


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## CSue (Jun 30, 2009)

LEAP said:


> The first Eagle post I remember reading was him telling someone to try something first then ask questions after they got stuck. Fortunately I was not the recipient of that particular post but I took the advise to heart. That has lead to some of my most enjoyable time at the lathe. Now when ever I see a new method or style or design I follow Eagles advise. It has resulted in a lot of scrap wood but many wonderful hours discovering. I will be forever grateful for his inspiration.



Yes, I remember hearing that same advice in person . . . at the Chicago Pen Show last year.  I also remember him telling me if I had problems with it or needed some help, don't hesitate to call him.  A very brilliant and kind gentleman.


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## mbroberg (Jun 30, 2009)

Unlike most, if not all of you posting to this thread, I never met or spoke with Eagle.  He passed before I became interested in penturning and found the IAP.  It didn't take long for me to become intreigued with who this man was that people held in such high esteem.  I started to do some research.  It didn't take long to find out that he was an unbelievable craftsman.  His pens are works of art.  It was also evident that while he was willing to help people he did so in such a way that people first had to reach beyond their limits.  A true mentor.  (Although I came upon a post on another forum where he was asking for help on a ceramic tile project he was working on.  I found that somewhat ironic given his reputation of encouraging people to figure it out for themselves.  http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/archive/index.php/t-6657.html)  Here is what strikes me the most about Eagle.  He obvioulsy lives through all the people he touched, at least the people on this forum.  He had alot of influance.  As a newcomer, I encourage you to keep Eagle's ideals alive.  Be there ready to help, but don't be a crutch for us newbes to lean on.  I never met him, or spoke with him but I suspect Eagle would like that.


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## Ligget (Jul 1, 2009)

Beautiful pens Dawn! 

Eagle certainly inspired a lot of people and his blanks were amazing, I liked the coloured cocktail sticks that he made into a pen blank best, even now when I go to my local Tesco supermarket I see coloured cocktail sticks in the craft section and I immediately think back to that blank and the amount of CA he must have gone through! 

He used to tell me not to be a sheep, as sheep all think similar and follow each other around he suggested I should `think outside of the box` and come up with my own penturning designs and ideas to be different from all we had seen before.


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## cnirenberg (Jul 1, 2009)

Ligget said:


> He used to tell me not to be a sheep, as sheep all think similar and follow each other around he suggested I should `think outside of the box` and come up with my own penturning designs and ideas to be different from all we had seen before.



Mark,
Well said.


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## Rollerbob (Jul 1, 2009)

Like MBROBERG, I came along to late to have any contact with Eagle. But from what I've seen of his work and reading some of your comments, I regret I missed out. As best I can tell he was my kinda of guy.......in your face, but full of grace!! What a legacy this man has left!!


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## cnirenberg (Jul 1, 2009)

He was definitely an inspiration.


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## PR_Princess (Jul 1, 2009)

Ligget said:


> I liked the coloured cocktail sticks that he made into a pen blank best.











"Litebrite II"


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## DCBluesman (Jul 1, 2009)

For those of you who may not know Eagle's work, here's a link to a photo album with many of his creations.  http://photos.eagleswoodworking.com/

Saturday it will be one year.  Keep flying.


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## devowoodworking (Jul 1, 2009)

artistwood said:


> seems eagle not only inspired pens, he inspired friendships as well. what a great legacy ......


 
So true!!


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## VisExp (Jul 1, 2009)

I never met Eagle.  I knew him for less than a year before he passed.  I spoke with him often on the phone and via e-mail.  That man could talk   I miss those calls.  I often think of him when I'm working in my shop.

I don't have any pens or blanks that he made.  I saw Gary's pen once and that was the only Eagle blank I've seen aside from pictures.  I've made a couple of pens in some of his designs, nothing close to what he did.  

I used to send him pictures of the pens I'd made and he would give me his comments and critiques.  Most of the time he was positively glowing with praise, encouragement and hints to improve.

My all time favorite critique was when I sent him a picture of this pen.  It was one of my first attempts at his "Double Wave".   He replied back with a one line email.

"You missed the boat with the roller ball".

The pen has been my shop pen for a long time know.  It's even more beat up than when I first made it.  I often look at it, when I'm trying to figure something out, and can almost hear him saying "You missed the boat on the roller ball" :biggrin:


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## skiprat (Jul 1, 2009)

Here are two more that I proudly own:biggrin:
First is what Eagle called 'Stirred not Shaken'. ( thanks for the pic, you know who:winkThis is the 'Mysterious' one :biggrin: 
Next is a Black Ti Baron I turned with the blank he gave me when I met him.
(Bruce, I wish I knew you then as it would have been a privelage to meet you too. I misunderstood Lou and asked for just a quiet get together)

I'll try and find the pic of the Rainbow blank that Lynn sent, but I think it's on my PC at home.
I'm not sure if Eagle taught me anything about intricate blank making as I prefer to mess about with the hardware, but there is definately one even more valuable thing that I did learn from him!!!! I'm not really sure of the word I'm looking for at the moment ( maybe someone can help me out :redface
Anyway, anyone that knows me, knows that I can't stand lurkers or people that post once a blue moon just to get info for free. Well Eagle taught me that if someone showed that they had at least tried, then he would bend over backwards to help out. I've tried to follow his lead since then. 

I suppose that there is one big thing about Eagle - William Prisavage, that I miss the most, and I most admired him for. That was his utter honesty.
I really don't think he ever commented on someones work as 'Awesome' and if you were lucky you got a 'Mmmm not bad, but maybe if...':biggrin:
There was nothing pc about Eagle, that's for sure!!!! If he thought you were talking BS, then he'd let you know about it DAMHIKT

I wish the old bugger was here today as I really would like to ask him a question or two. Nothing about pens though. But sometimes I'm glad that I won't ever get the chance to ask him those questions as it might have broken his heart. But I sure could use some of that honesty these days.....

I miss you my friend.............


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## gerryr (Jul 1, 2009)

I found the IAP in the fall of 2005.  I don't recall what prompted it but I remember getting an email through the forum from Eagle wanting my phone number, not asking for my phone number, just "Send me your phone number."  I did and we ended up running down the battery in my cell phone.  We had a falling out that lasted for several months and then became friends again.  We talked on a semi-regular basis and didn't always agree.  We had some heated discussions but we remained friends.  He sent me the blank for this pen with orders to make it and sell it because he was going to make a better one.  Unfortunately he never got around to it and I sold it at the second show where I displayed it.


He started making these cross blanks and I bought over 2 dozen of them, mostly for the same customer who was giving them to priests in North Dakota.


He had a knack for knowing when I was at the barn feeding the horses and that's when he would often call.  It isn't easy trying to talk on a cell phone and wrestle hay bails around.


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## PR_Princess (Jul 2, 2009)

Sent to me from Scott Hettel 








This pen  was inspired from one of our many conversations (with Eagle) about laminating and I learned a  lot from it. The pen was actually made on a "bet". 

Eagle was not a proponent of  the bandsaw for accurate work and could not believe that mine was "tuned to  resaw accurately" the strips were cut and lightly sanded to make the lamination  for this pen. Then the blanks were cut and converted to "triangles" to be  reglued. All of the cutting for this pen was done on the bandsaw and sanding was  minimal. (just enough to remove the very light ridges left by the bandsaw). This  is where his statement that a blank needed to be made from the "inside out"  really made sense to me because I had a lot of troubles getting this one to  "line up" and it still did not come out to meet my standards. After Eagle saw it  he gave me some "tips" that he thought might "improve" on the outcome and I used  them to make several that have sold for a very nice price.
 
 
 Scott


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## PR_Princess (Jul 2, 2009)

Also from Scott.









The denim pen  has a funny story associated with it.

 When Eagle  first made a denim pen he actually wrote a "quasi tutorial" for it. He sent it  to me and I tried to make a pen using his instructions. Unfortunately I did not  "read" his instructions correctly and only used a couple "wraps" of denim and  the rest is CA. I believe we discussed that we could "turn a f**t" if we had  enough CA and the phrase was born -  "I think" as I never heard the phrase until  that night and a couple months later he posted it on the  IAP.


Scott


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## Paul in OKC (Jul 2, 2009)

Though I never met Eagle in person, we conversed many times over the phone and through emails. He was definately one of a kind, and I considered him a great friend. I am blessed to have a few of his creations, and will stick a pic up when I take some, but I have not turned one of them yet. I think he would rather I did than they sit in a box somewhere, but......Hard to believe it has been a year already.


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## fiferb (Jul 2, 2009)

Eagle made this pen for me in honor of my son. He personally delivered this to my house to give it to me. He stayed much longer than he should and got home much later than he planned but I'm glad he did. Thanks again Eagle, you are missed.


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## GaryMGg (Jul 2, 2009)

I remember the first time I met Eagle at a Woodworker's BBQ in Orlando. We became friends thru the IAP and met again at another Woodworker's BBQ in Lake Wales. On his way back to South Carolina, Eagle stopped at my place where I loaded him up with hard maple, some cherry, and black walnut. Before he left that day, I acquired several of his wonderful Inlay cross blanks, one of which became a gift for the pastor who presided at my daughter and son-in-law's wedding.





In another thread, I wrote about Eagle's desire to encourage folks in his own way; we stayed on the phone for hours one Saturday morning while I worked on my first truly custom pen blank. The result was a Maple/Ebony Inlay Yin Yang in a curly bubinga pen:




My most elaborate Eagle pen is the blank he sent me as a gift -- one of his Woven Wood designs, which I'll not part with:





The greatest tribute I can think of though is that none of Eagle's friends have lost any of their memories or warm feelings toward him and his effect upon us.

Fly high my friend,
G


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## ed4copies (Jul 3, 2009)

*Too little time*

This is one of my favorite Eagle blanks.  I was fortunate to do several pens as he would try different ideas.  I always told him, if there is metal in it, SEND it to Lou, let HIM blow it up!!

But, Dawn bought a group of his blanks and this was one:
(When I did blow up his prototype Polyresin with a cross, he simply said, "Big f****** deal, I can make another half dozen - see if you can get ONE out!")
No blood, no foul!!  Aluminum "Sam's pop cans" and ebony.


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## B727phixer (Jul 3, 2009)

Your pens look great!


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## brokenbit (Jul 3, 2009)

It's hard to think he's gone, 2 pens he made for me

Thanks Dawn

Bernie


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## brokenbit (Jul 3, 2009)

His hat in a pen

Bernie


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## GaryMGg (Jul 4, 2009)

Hey Bernie,
Glad to see you got the picture posting figured out.
Are you saying the pen is this hat?


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## artme (Jul 4, 2009)

Eagle was certainly a creative character. Thank you all for posting the pics.

Thank you Dawn. I have been able to get a better look at your pens today.


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## brokenbit (Jul 5, 2009)

That's it Gary Did you every see him without his Hat  

Thanks Dawn for posting this


Bernie


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## skiprat (Jul 5, 2009)

I just posted this in SOYP too, but probably should have just put it here. ( so no NPGJ's please :wink
Eagle and I talked about making a blank where the feathers would look gold from one side and silver from the opposite direction. I still haven't perfected that idea yet but this is the closest I've got so far. 
I reckon we would have done it by now if he was still around:biggrin:


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## OKLAHOMAN (Jul 5, 2009)

NOW  YOU TELL ME!:at-wits-end:​ 



skiprat said:


> I just posted this in SOYP too, but probably should have just put it here. ( so no NPGJ's please :wink
> Eagle and I talked about making a blank where the feathers would look gold from one side and silver from the opposite direction. I still haven't perfected that idea yet but this is the closest I've got so far.
> I reckon we would have done it by now if he was still around:biggrin:


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## skiprat (Jul 5, 2009)

OKLAHOMAN said:


> NOW  YOU TELL ME!:at-wits-end:​



LOL Roy,You are a sick old man:biggrin:


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## Dalecamino (Jul 6, 2009)

Thanks to Dawn for starting this thread , and to everyone who posted other photos of Eagles works . Amazing !


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## BRobbins629 (Jul 6, 2009)

Almost forgot about this one. My attempt at a hand dyed all veneer pen. In many of his pens, Eagle used the edge of the veneer rather than the normal flat side. The stripes reflect that the dye did not penetrate competely which was an unexpected visual benefit of experimentation. Not my best, but a technique that I hope to get back to.


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## alamocdc (Jul 7, 2009)

Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I was blessed to have the opportunity to talk to him from time to time.  Here are a few I made from piecing together portions of our conversations.  He never was one for outright telling you how he did something... but if you listened and paid attention...

Red and Blue denim




I call this one "Convoluted Eagle Feathers"


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