The inspiration of the name “Elder Pens”, Box Elder is amongst the most famous and sought-after woods for pen turning. While most Box Elder wood is a dull white color, with incredibly straight and uninteresting grain, the knotted burl sections are magnificently complex. Whether harvested by me personally, or purchased from suppliers, Box Elder wood requires a process called “stabilization” to harden the wood enough to be carved. During the stabilization process, wood turners sometimes inject colorful dyes into the wood, resulting in magnificent and contrasting areas of color.
Model: Premium Click Pen
Pen Type: Ballpoint
Ink Color: Black
Wood: Box Elder Burl Wood
Fixtures: Chrome, Titanium
Refillable? Yes
Finish: Gloss – The crystal-clear gloss finish holds several distinct advantages over the satin finish. It is much more durable, and will never need refinishing. It provides a clearer, better lens for light-colored woods and layered woods of contrasting colors. For intricate designs with inlay or small pieces, the gloss coating acts as a barrier to prevent small parts from separating. The “smooth” option guarantees an ultra smooth finish, achieved by a two-stage finishing process with cyanoacrylate, sanded to 12,000 grit, then waxed and polished.
Engraving Options
I’m proud to offer custom laser engraving as an option for this pen. Engraving costs an addition $5 per item, and may delay shipping by a single day.
Laser engraving involves burning an image or text into the wood body of the pen. This process produces a black engraving. Naturally, a black engraving appears differently on light versus dark colored woods. As a general rule, lighter woods produce more brilliant and contrasting engravings than darker ones. Red, orange, yellow, white and light brown woods all engrave very clearly. Purple, dark brown, and black woods tend not to produce clear engravings, therefore I usually discourage the purchase of engraving for such woods.
