Pen Finishes

[lubbing5cherubs]

Hi I am a real new at this. I was wondering if anyone could share with me what is the best the way to finish wooden pens.
Toni

[DavidG]

Hi Toni
Welcome to the board.

There has been some discussion on this before. Check back through the threads.
I use Shell wax cream, others use cyano..???.<sp> (super glue).
Dave..

[bdar]

Hi Toni,

Welcome to the forum. Finishes come down to preference, you have people that use organoil as a finish. You have very good finishes in the U-Beaut range, eg EEE, Shellawax, Shellawax Cream, Shellawax Glow and their ####hot Waxstix. Some use spray lacquer, and an Enduro Poly finish. As mentioned before CA (super glue) can be used as well. You can also use a BLO/CA finish as well. As I said it is preference, some prefer a more natural feel to a pen so the patina can develope over time. I like the 2 using CA. Feel free to pm me or email me for more info.

Darren

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

You may just gather from the previous two posts that finishes are a matter of personal preference. I know some people who simply wax and let the pen develop a patina over time, and yet others who're dedicated cyanoacrylate (yes... superglue. ;) ) freaks.

Persdonally I prefer a Danish Oil... but I have a "display" stock of pens finished in a variety of methods. As I don't sell in bulk, only by specific order, I like to let the potential customer handle one or two and decide for themselves what finish they want.

Sadly, all too often it's a polyurethane based finish (commonly called a "2-pack") which makes me wonder... to me it looks & feels like plastic, which sorta minimises the effect of the pen being wood.

But I've found most people have no sense of taste. ;)

[Dean]

3 coats of shellawax with light sanding in between, then 3 coats of &&&&hot waxtik gives me a di\urable finish while still retaining natural look of timber.

[Ausworkshop]

Sadly, all too often it's a polyurethane based finish (commonly called a "2-pack") which makes me wonder... to me it looks & feels like plastic, which sorta minimises the effect of the pen being wood.

But I've found most people have no sense of taste. ;)


I find the same thing. What is it with people who want a real thick layer of plastic over the beautiful wood? And they go on about how smooth the surface is, Der!... so is a lump of araldyte if I leave it to dry hard on my work bench, wheres the skill in that though?
Might as well handle the product with rubber gloves on I rekon but hey, the customer is always right remember.
:eek:

[darley56]

OK you all finish of a pen is a personal objectif if you want to use wax or EEE or varnish or ect..... is your liking, but just remember if it happen to sell your pen(s) would you like to see a customer come back and telling you that the pen he brought from you is turn dull no more finish on it, as a Penturner I got a lot of competition like watterman, parker, Mont Blanc.ect... those company produce thousand pens per day and will never go dull people paid $ 70.00 to few thousthand of $ for a machined pen, now where is the CRAFT ?? for myself I use CA and CA/BLO for my finish ( 2 or 3 time follow with MM ( Micro mesh ) to 12000 ) , this type of finish last longer and don't look comercial, dbar can give you any info of it I show him at the Bundy show and I'm pretty sure he like it. Finish of a pen is really an individual liking, if you give them as a present your finish is fine but when you start to sell them just think about if it will be shinning next year, the best way to know make one for yourself and use it daily and you will know.

[bdar]

Darley is right, since I have started using CA or the CA/BLO finish I have sold more pens than I have with other products. My sanding technique is still the same before I apply either wax, oil or CA or CA/BLO finishes. Using CA is not just a process of just slapping it on, it does take a degree of ability to get it right everytime. You can apply it to thick, takes longer to dry, you my use an accelerator to dry it more quickly but you risk the CA going white. You then will have to remove it and start the process over again. The BLO acts as an accelerator for the CA when using the CA/BLO finish, but from trial an error if there is too much BLO on the timber some times you can get a clouded affect on your finish. So knowing the right amount of finish to use is a learning curve, one I have gladly taken. If a different finish will let me turn over $500 of pen inventory which it has, I will stick to the CA finishes. Customers tell me it is more durable. I would rather my personal writing accessories have an unique grain and feel like a Waterman. You can by 2 green Waterman pens anywhere in the world, my customer can by only one of my pens and know no one else will have the same pen, but it feels as good as your more expensive plastic pens.