On Mon, 05 Dec 2005 11:48:32 -0500, Brad Curfman wrote:

I live near Atlanta Wood Products which carries many varieties of exotic
woods. I have gotten a bandsaw recently and plan on making my own blanks
as it is much cheaper than buying blanks from woodworking stores which
usually charge $1 per blank for the low end species.

I cut pen blanks for a second income. Starting from a rough-sawn (or even
'bark on') piece and taking it down to smoothed 3/4 x 3/4 x 6" in a dried
state is certainly worth at least a buck a piece even for pine. For more
desirable species, it is entirely reasonable to pay $1.50 and up per stick.

I pitch about 5-10% of my pieces as being unfit for use and retain another
10% or so as being good enough for my own use but of lower quality than I
am willing to sell. I do not ship obvious defects even if I know from
experience that they will not exist in the finished pen.

So I am assuming all the risk. I lug the wood, I breathe the dust, I use
the saw, I place the ads (and have to pay whether I sell or not), I
closely inspect the finished product and then I absorb the scrap and
'seconds'.

If you cut your own blanks, you get to do all of the above.

Search "goncalo alves pen blanks" on eBay today ... there are five
10-packs with identical pictures. That's me. I should have some slippery
elm heartwood available next week. IMHO, it's prettier than the goncalo alves.

Bill