Thread: olivewood blanks for charity

Thanks, Bob, you are a much better photographer than I am! Did you wet them with kero?

oh wow that nasty. They do make nice pens.
bye Toni
if interested in parting with a few blanks I may be tempted but $50 is way out at the moment

Thanks Toni, both for the beautiful photo and the feedback.

So far I have had only one taker, who seems to have also a connection with RC.

My guess at the moment is that nobody cares much about the charitable angle and, assuming that everybody is on the middle tax rate of 30%, a net cost of $35 for 14 blanks delivered, that is $2.50 a blank to your door, is still seen as too expensive. (Of course, if you turn pens as a a business the cost of materials is 100% deductible, but I did not think that this would be the norm; am I mistaken?)

Well, as I have said, I am happy to accommodate the size of the pieces, but given that I am not doing this for the money (actually, P&H is a net cost to me), but basically to atone for the sin of felling the trees, I don't want to depreciate the timber. What is a fair price?

Any suggestion from here, anybody? If you don't want risking to sound stingy or a wet blanket, please PM me to tell me what's wrong. All advice gratefully accepted.

Cheers
Frank


ETA: On the other hand, it's only one day.... maybe more time is needed to reach everybody. Let's hope so.

I think it's not so much being stingy, as poor timing. Lately there've been a few good deals through the forum and I think a few people are like me: their budgets are at full stretch.

budget full stretched....no mine went twangzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...lol
Toni

That's what happens when Novas enter the equation.

With BOW and JOW they are highly sought after by people that have a connection to the holy land. A good mate that lives in Webb, Alabama that both Toni and I call friend sells them. Jim deals with only BOW and each blank is 3/4x3/4x5 1/2 that is standard size you will not find pen blanks avaliable for slimlines unless people specifically cut them and sell on ebay or elsewhere. You have your 7/8x7/8x5 1/2 blanks and Jumbo blanks should be 1x1x 5 1/2 Bugets are tight, also you will find a lot of people have the wood expos coming up and will hold on to their readies for that. The price for them is a tad expensive, and people may have other charities to donate to. I have the Brissie show and I have timber there with my name on it there and at the end of May some big pen part orders. Frank I think if the size was 3/4 and similar colouration like clubbyr8 has shown then people would be interested I think. It is not good timing as I said with the wood shows coming up. Me personally I have SAOW - South Australian Olive Wood and slimlines would be only about 10% of sale if that. I look at Cigars, Sierras, Barons, JR Gents/Statesman/Emperors, Statesmans, Gents, Emperors, Lotus, Impreial, Majestic and soon Churchill kits all which use 3/4 blanks. I hope you get some takers, but you will have to have a good price, because you can get some good deals on ebay or from America. I think I saw a Cocobolo blank for $2.50, I am talking to a guy in the States at the moment to work something out but I can get a 3/4 blank landed here for $2.00 Aus plus freight. this is what you have to compete against. I think Froggie can back me on the cost of things from America can be decidedly cheaper than what we can buy them here. I wish you well.
Darren

Bob,
Don't think your'e that gullible it's true. I bought some jerusalem olive wood without knowing the difference, and e-mailed the guy to complain because it was so plain, and that same explanation was given to me and then confirmed by a friend later. There is a big difference between Jerusalem and Bethlahem olive wood. ~ Joe Pozzi

Thanks Joe

Another thing with the Olivewood is all the figure that everyone wants is in the heart of the wood. In fact the figuring is less then 1/4 of the log and even less in branches. Most of it is in the butt end of the trunk

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

That's what happens when Novas enter the equation.

nonono....she is the innocent..damn school books and term fees due. joys of kids. i apologise for lack of capitals. my keyboard shift key having a holiday
bye toni

Recently cut 40 or fifty trunks branches etc of 70 yr old trees the colour can be stronger in branches or near the outside in mine,my previous pics of olive were from branches but 9 years dry,one day I will take pics of some to illustrate my experience,certainly blanks are hard won and worth the money,wastage and cutting to get good colour that is swirls is enormous. A mate of mine uses some planted by Macarthur towards Sydney last century that has solid black as good as any Ebony I have seen in the centre of 300mm blocks.Go that good man who is willing to do the work for others as he said he stands the freight as well as the cutting,sorting,packing.I just finished full culling,sorting,packing around 1000 red mallee blanks for members and friends from my friend with no profit to me so I am experienced in pain.My burl mate also sells extensively in the USA and England,not as blanks,he wont do them any more because he can debark,pack and despatch at least a ton for export in the time it takes to cut etc pen blanks.I have two contacts for USA I will ask their permission to tell you who they are who retail my mates burl.The ones I had were more than two years dry as well.Go buy Burl with the bark on,do your sums when you cut it for pens,survive the stuff straight,cull the cracked ones,dry,sort,pack etc and true colour,let me know how you go.
We all love a bargain and seek to help one another,all the best Peter

Hello Frank, I am still going to keep my committment, haven't seen my neighbour yet but I will. As to your concerns about takers, you are probably correct about $2.50 per blank plus postage, I would venture to say that if you made them $2.00 per blank plus postage (minimum 10 Blanks) you would probably get heaps of takers, and if the blanks were a little larger it would help greatly with some of the kits. It is not that people are stingy, but more likely they are struggling to get $50 dollars, Also in making them cheaper you would be helping many who are struggling, and the benefit of seeing some beautiful blanks turned into gorgeous pens would be rewarding, in fact if they are affordable some will give them to others as gifts and make many other people happy, maybe some could even sell a pen and give the proceeds to the Red Cross. Only suggestions by the way, no need to take this on board if you don't feel it is right. Amos

Thanks Amos, your perception is illuminating. Tough luck for the RC, we'll find other ways to help them: the other perspectives that you have raised are worth the effect, I believe.

So, let's forget about the money altogether: I will be happy to send four full sized blanks to anybody who wants them, just on their word that they will use them to the best of their abilities. This also avoids the problem of feeling let down if the quality is not what was expected. It is a matter of individual taste anyway: for example, I prefer the delicate swirls of pic1 to the more "in your face" black contrast of pic2, which some suggested is "what everybody wants".

Cheers
Frank