# First pens



## Texatdurango (Oct 28, 2011)

After reading some comments in other threads where folks were displaying their first pens I thought it might be fun if everyone would post a photo of your first pen(s) just to let everyone know that we all started about the same and there is no need to be intimidated!

In the photo below is my very first pen on top and I'm pretty sure the bottom pen is my second or third.  I lost the center band so decided to go "wood on wood" and it actually turned out pretty good...... all things considered!  Excuse the grubbiness, they have been banging around my shop for 4 1/2 years now.







*So......... What does your first pen look like, Let's see it!*


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## azamiryou (Oct 28, 2011)

Here's my first two - diagonal cut oak on Sedonas. Not sure which is #1 and which is #2 though. This photo is from right after they were made (August 2009), I don't have them any more. One was a gift, the other... I don't know. Maybe my wife has it.


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## Brooks803 (Oct 28, 2011)

Here are my wife and my first pens. The two on the left are hers and the two on the right are mine. We did two turning classes back to back and did wooden pens the first day and acrylics the 2nd. My good friend Hans (Hewunch) taught the acrylics class (I learned ALOT that day). We still have them all and will keep them to look back on.


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## mredburn (Oct 28, 2011)

Boy what a difference. LOL:biggrin:
I have a couple of my firsts hanging around also





The first pens I did were basic walnut, no figure,(I didn't want to ruin good wood) slims with wax finish. Then i went to slightly fatter slims with Poly finish.
The first walnut with wax finish.





The next is Mesquite with Poly finish. The center band was added later. I made a walnut one but lost it or it got destroyed. I have washed this pen more than once.





This pen was my first step away from the kits. I hand cut the clip and top out of flat sterling silver sheet. Soldered it to a tube and glued it in. It was 14gauge if I remember right and silver was $3.50 an ounce. The fit is terrible. LOL The nose cone is 1/2 the size of a slim line. It has a 7/32 brass tube in the pen on that end and a 7mm in the other. I step drilled it and made the lower barrel longer. The tranny is pushed half way into the pen. I had to make my own mandrels to turn it. 








These pens were made in the late 90's I only made about 10 slim kit pens and a couple of the euros. Before I quit using kits altogether.
I quit making pens about the year 2000 up until I found and joined the IAP a couple years ago and started making pens again


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## hilltopper46 (Oct 28, 2011)

Here's the first three.

Some of us had / have further to go than others :redface:.


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## Dalecamino (Oct 28, 2011)

My first pen was sold along with the next 19 in a previously placed order. But, here is one that came shortly after.


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## mredburn (Oct 28, 2011)

HEHEH  some of us didnt have anyone to  show us how it was done. Some of us had to learn the hard way. I still pre drilled and tubed blanks from back then. I never finished them they are still sitting in a box.


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## Justturnin (Oct 28, 2011)

*Great idea for a post*

Top pen was my first. I did not clean the mandrel and it got Oil all over so I ended up disassembling it and redoing it but ended up losing the wood and trashing it. the bottom one is my second pen. My wife carries it now. It is black willow burl w/ a Friction polish finish.  I have only been turning pen for a couple of months but can easily see the differences in then and now pens.  I have taken apart many then pens and refinished and fitted them


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## Ruby pen turning (Oct 28, 2011)

I dont know if these are my VERY first but they are in the first 5 I believe. Made July 2010


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## AnachitlPut (Oct 28, 2011)

i will post mine soon got tomake it  fit on here


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## seamus7227 (Oct 28, 2011)

*My first five~!*

My first five pens below.All have a CA finish. From left to right, Curly Ash Euro, Mahogany Euro(forgot the CB),Texas Mesquite Euro, Bubinga Euro(lower portion of upper barrel turned smaller than the CB,and Curly Ash slimline. Originally, i sold my first pen in all of the excitement of having my first sale, and around a year later went back to that same customer and proposed a deal with her to make her any pen she liked (that i had made to that point) for the return of my first pen. She quickly agreed and went with a snakeskin bullet click. So I really got over cheap!~:biggrin: I just decided that eventually i would want to reflect back on my work and have it as a constant reminder of where i started.  Thanks for starting this thread George!

I also would like to add that "its_virgil" (Don Ward) was my teacher/mentor, now my friend, and played a pivotal part in my success! Thanks Don!!!


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## Bobalu (Oct 28, 2011)

I couldn't find a photo of my first pen, which I recall was a walnut slim, but the first photo is my second pen. The black palm slim would have been my forth pen. The cigar was my fifth pen and my first acrylic. After finding out how easy acrylics were to turn, I didn't turn another wooden pen for several weeks. The cigar was the first pen I sold.....well, I made it and the wife sold it.


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## crabcreekind (Oct 28, 2011)

Brooks803 said:


> Here are my wife and my first pens. The two on the left are hers and the two on the right are mine. We did two turning classes back to back and did wooden pens the first day and acrylics the 2nd. My good friend Hans (Hewunch) taught the acrylics class (I learned ALOT that day). We still have them all and will keep them to look back on.



Brooks what are those?? store bought acrylics? and wood?
well, guess they were better than my firsts.


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## crabcreekind (Oct 28, 2011)

here are my 1st 4... actually number 1 is.. actually #3.. my first 2 were a cocobolo pen and pencil


lacewood,holly,osage orange,pink ivory


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## GoodTurns (Oct 28, 2011)

*pic as bad as the pen!*

camera pic....some kind of wood on a slim kit!


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## Texatdurango (Oct 28, 2011)

Looks like I'm not the only one to "follow the rules" making the first pen (straight, bushing to bushing) THEN got really creative on the next few with the curves and bulges! :biggrin:


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## its_virgil (Oct 28, 2011)

George,
Prior to you going kitless I really liked your segmenting/laminating skills along with your CA finish. Thanks for starting this thread. I am currently in Oregon steelhead fishing but will try to remember to post my first pen when I get home later in the weekend.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



Texatdurango said:


> Looks like I'm not the only one to "follow the rules" making the first pen (straight, bushing to bushing) THEN got really creative on the next few with the curves and bulges! :biggrin:


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## Timebandit (Oct 28, 2011)

I will show mine tomorrow!:biggrin: Great looking first pens though guys!!:wink:


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## JF36 (Oct 28, 2011)

This is my first pen. Some kind of rosewood on a slimline kit.


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## its_virgil (Oct 28, 2011)

I remember you getting that first pen back. I also remember how you regretted selling it afterwards.  For the help you are welcome. You have been an excellent student and friend. It is nice to have another pen maker close.
Do a good turn daily!
Don



seamus7227 said:


> Originally, i sold my first pen in all of the excitement of having my first sale, and around a year later went back to that same customer and proposed a deal with her to make her any pen she liked (that i had made to that point) for the return of my first pen. She quickly agreed and went with a snakeskin bullet click.
> 
> I also would like to add that "its_virgil" (Don Ward) was my teacher/mentor, now my friend, and played a pivotal part in my success! Thanks Don!!!


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## JDennis (Oct 28, 2011)

*My first pen*

I am unsure what type of wood this is.  first thing I turned on  a lathe.


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## Displaced Canadian (Oct 28, 2011)

This is my first pen and I still use it most every day. It is not the first thing I turned on a lathe because when I made it and pen #2 for that matter I didn't own a lathe. Bought the kit and the predrilled tubes (no drill press) and the kit at Rockler, chucked the mandrel in a 1/2" drill clamped it to the bench and went to work with a utility knife then turned on the drill sanded and finished it with wax. The wood is bubinga. DISCLAIMER, I do not advise this method for turning pens.


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## turbowagon (Oct 28, 2011)

Mine was a box elder burl Euro in satin nickel:


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## G1Pens (Oct 28, 2011)

*Almost 1 Year Ago*

Made my first pen not quite a year ago. Posted this picture  of pens #1 & 2 on 11/19/10. Not sure what kind of wood it is, something I got cheap. This was the first thing I ever turned on a lathe. I am quickly approaching pen number 150, plus some keychains, bottlestoppers, and some other odds and ends. I'm having a blast !!


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## boxerman (Oct 28, 2011)

Here is my first pens.


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## Buzzzz4 (Oct 28, 2011)

These were some of my firsts in 2008. I lost my first pen and was quite bummed. I think it was a walnut with friction finish, but here are some that came shortly after.


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## OLDMAN5050 (Oct 29, 2011)

I can see there is no way I will post my first.......................


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## Smitty37 (Oct 29, 2011)

*close*

This would be a pen made in the first couple of weeks.  I started making pen/pencil sets for all of my kids and their spouses and my surviving siblings and their spouses along with a couple of my neices and nephews.  The first 50 or so went fast but it is possible that I still have the first here somewhere.


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## hunter-27 (Oct 29, 2011)

Here is my 1st wood(purpleheart) and my 1st non wood(corn cob) from back in 2007.  Thank God I have gotten better(I think).


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## NC Wood Art (Oct 29, 2011)

My wife still has my first pen, I figured if she allowed me to make them she should get the first one. It was a piece of Flame Maple Slimline twist.


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## renowb (Oct 29, 2011)

I made my first slimline from a PSI starter kit. It was Padauk wood predrilled. I was hard up for money and sold it! Unfortunately, the picture of it was on an old computer that crashed. Probably could still get the pic if I really wanted too.


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## Lenny (Oct 29, 2011)

I wish I could make a pen NOW as nice as some of "youz guzs" first ones! 

I made the mistake of giving away my first one but these were from the first few. :redface:


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## OKLAHOMAN (Oct 29, 2011)

Sorry I read just the heading, thought you wanted my first pen:biggrin:


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## rd_ab_penman (Oct 29, 2011)

This Slim Laminated Corian was one of the first pens I turned.

Les


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## ghostrider (Oct 29, 2011)

My first pen was done at Turn For Troops at Woodcraft, and I had help turning that one. 

These two are the first ones I did myself, and they were done on my drill press  because I didn't have a late at the time. The blond is Australian Cypress, and the brown is Wenge.


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## Jim15 (Oct 29, 2011)

*1st*

This is the first pen I made. Made it during a pen making class at Woodcraft.


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## 76winger (Oct 29, 2011)

OKLAHOMAN said:


> Sorry I read just the heading, thought you wanted my first pen:biggrin:



Wow Roy, I think that one's dating you. But is that the first one you made, or the first one you used? :biggrin:


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## 76winger (Oct 29, 2011)

OK, I got an updated picture of my Pen #1 so I could do a comparison. The pen looked nicer back then (it shows it's signs of wear on the edges now), but thankfully the photos have improved since then. 

The top is the original taken in Oct. 2008 and the bottom was taken today, 10/29/2011. Just a little over three years later.


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## D.Oliver (Nov 1, 2011)

Dave, did the wood on that pen darken that much in three years or is that a differnce in exposure, lighting or some other camera effect?


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## bitshird (Nov 1, 2011)

*Still not a lot better*

This is actually the first Wood pen I turned, it's a piece of Andiroba on a satin pearl slim line, it was done on an old 15 in Clausing metal lathe, my first pen, was an aluminum pen the one shown in the second picture, as you can see, my skill level is still about the same. the nice feature of the aluminum pen is there were no brass tubes used.


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## wiset1 (Nov 1, 2011)

Just over a year ago I made my first pens as shown below.  I researched this for months before spending the money on everything and one long weekend resulted in a hobby that has stuck like CA glue.







The first 5


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## bluwolf (Nov 1, 2011)

I didn't have a digital camera when I made my first ones. My first one was a walnut slimline that looked just like Mike Redburn's. I still have it. Then came a couple others. Then I made my first aluminum slimline that looked like Ken Farrell's. I still have that one too.

After that was a few aluminum ones that kind of fall into the semi kitless category of ballpoints that I like but as I've said before, back then no one liked aluminum. I had considered reposting them to see if tastes have changed or if they were just crappy to begin with:biggrin:


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## DavidWayne1971 (Nov 1, 2011)

my father showed me everything needed and I believe my first was a very bad looking slimline.... my 2nd however, was a gift for my now ex... she still has the pen years later and just recently sent me pics when I asked about it.


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## D.Oliver (Nov 1, 2011)

Texatdurango said:


> After reading some comments in other threads where folks were displaying their first pens I thought it might be fun if everyone would post a photo of your first pen(s) just to let everyone know that *we all started about the same* and there is no need to be intimidated!


 


wiset1 said:


> Just over a year ago I made my first pens as shown below. I researched this for months before spending the money on everything and one long weekend resulted in a hobby that has stuck like CA glue.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
I think Tim just shot that theory all to peices!  I'm going to have to turn for at least 10 more years just to get to where Tim started.


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## bitshird (Nov 1, 2011)

bluwolf said:


> I didn't have a digital camera when I made my first ones. My first one was a walnut slimline that looked just like Mike Redburn's. I still have it. Then came a couple others. Then I made my first aluminum slimline that looked like Ken Farrell's. I still have that one too.
> 
> After that was a few aluminum ones that kind of fall into the semi kitless category of ballpoints that I like but as I've said before, back then no one liked aluminum. I had considered reposting them to see if tastes have changed or if they were just crappy to begin with:biggrin:



Johnnycnc has blanks already drilled and reamed so you don't need tubes, I didn't realize it at the time, actually until you just mentioned it, but I guess my first pen was semi kitless.
 See what happened, I had all my students make pens out of aluminum, and I had all those silly brass tubes left, so I got some wood, and after school I'd drill and tube them, go in early and make a few pens, none of the students liked the Clausing since the threading split nuts were missing, so it was my first wood lathe, 15 inch chuck, 60 inch long bed, and about 3500 pounds of cast iron


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## wiset1 (Nov 1, 2011)

D.Oliver said:


> Texatdurango said:
> 
> 
> > After reading some comments in other threads where folks were displaying their first pens I thought it might be fun if everyone would post a photo of your first pen(s) just to let everyone know that *we all started about the same* and there is no need to be intimidated!
> ...


 
Funny...Thanks for the ego boost!  If you had a close inspection of these you would see issues across the board.  I learned a lot that weekend and even did a CA finish on all of them, but the truth is...there was a LOT of video watching and the Barry Gross Acrylic video is what made it all fall in place for me.


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## Whaler (Nov 3, 2011)

I started turning somewhere around 1995 and these are some of my first attempts. Boy have I learned a lot over the years from this and other forums and lots of mistakes.


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## seamus7227 (Nov 3, 2011)

Those look really nice Dick! Its really interesting how many of us started with slim lines.


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## MarkD (Nov 3, 2011)

Almost a year ago now I ordered a few slimline kits and some predrilled rosewood blanks. I watch the PSI DVD on pen turning and headed to the shop in an attempt to make some pens for Christmas presents. These are some of the first I made along with the original photograph.


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## MartinPens (Nov 3, 2011)

Here is my first pen. I went to visit my brother on Thanksgiving several years ago and I was hooked!!
Martin
P.S. this is the first time using my 0phone to add an attachment. If its terrible, I will try to replace it.


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## MartinPens (Nov 3, 2011)

I guess I should have mentioned that the wood is lacewood. I think the kit is the European?


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