"errfrsdaf" wrote in message
...
I don't mean to offend anyone by this post but I'm not sure
I understand the driving force behind pen making. The reason
I am posting is that I was given an old lathe a month or so
ago and I've about got it ready to run again. I was wanted
to make a simple gift for the person who gave me the lathe.
I was ordering some centers and noticed a pen making kit.
I ordered the kit but I question the value of the gift.
(only as a craftsman looking at my own work not the monetary
value) To me it seems that anyone who gets this kit is
going to end up with the same pen (assuming an equal skill
level). There are only so many ways you can shape it and
make it feel good in the hand. You basically finish them
all the same way. The blanks are what you get. The only
variable I see it the wood or plastic you choose for the
blank, then after that, a machine could have done it. So
why do you guys make pens? Am I missing something?
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

I've turned a few dozen pens and came to the same basic conclusions you did.
I found it no challenge at all, almost all the turning just involved
roughing from square to round. You can play around a little with the shape,
but as you point out, it's limited. I've done very little production work,
but I imagine those that make money from it are among the few for whom pen
turning holds an interest. Most others, I would think, would become as bored
as you and I after the first few.

Buddy