Pen Turning Pictures: Click on any of the pictures to view a larger picture.

This is a new style for me, The pen kit I used is a Wall Street II in a Chrome and Satin finish. I like the style and look of this pen. The angle and the combination of the chrome and satin make the Kauri wood really stand out. This is a heavy pen it has a nice wide waist and a slender tip. The design of the wood turning section was inspised buy Paul Yates from the Wasatch Pen Turners Club. I saw a pen that he made with a torpedo shape and I immediately liked it. At one of our Pen Turning Club Meetings I told him I was imspired by him and I stole his design. He shrugged and said that was great. Thanks again Paul.

I purchased this ancient Kauri pen black from a local Wood Craft store. Here is the description of the wood and the story behind it being 50,000 years old.

Woodcraft took advantage of a rare opportunity to make a size able purchase of ancient kauri wood. The kauri forests originate in the northern island of New Zealand, and it has been scientifically proven that they were around before the Ice Age. According to one theory, they were knocked down by a giant tsunami and buried in peat bogs for over 50,000 years, where they were perfectly preserved from the elements that would otherwise have rotted them away. Today they are pulled out of the peat bogs through careful extraction, using heavy equipment for minimal impact on the environment. Although Kauri trees are said to live around 2,000 years, and kauri forests can still be found in New Zealand, they are protected and cannot be harvested. Originally used by European settlers to build tall masts for ships, this wood is used today in a variety of decorative applications. A trademark of the ancient Kauri: white bait. White bait refers to the deep, shimmering streaks of iridescence found in the wood. This particular grain is named after schools of New Zealand whitebait fish that emit a similar pattern when swimming in one direction. Kauri wood is suitable for furniture making, tables, musical instruments, turning and carving. It is kiln-dried and has the density of cherry with textures similar to basswood.

Turning this Kauri wood pen blanks was very interesting and fun. I felt like I was working on something very rare and special, like I would never have a chance to do this again. Thus I was very careful in all the steps. What I found it this wood is very soft. The 3/4 inch spindle gouge I tried to use was tearing the grain of the wood out, this was concerning me. I did not want to have tear out and I did not want to sand the blank to the final dimension. I had to use my 1 inch Skew Chisel.