I collected the pinecone used in this cap on a hike at Lake Tahoe. The core was stabilized in cyanoacrylate (CA) and painstakingly turned a few shallow cuts at a time before adding another thin layer of CA. Between the drying time and shallow cuts it takes several days to complete the cap.
The lower barrel is made from two types of lichen pulled from the trunk of a dogwood tree on my property in Asheville. The lichen was dried in silica gel for three days and then cast in clear acrylic at Pen Studio. The cured blank was cut to size and drilled. The drilled hole was back painted black and allowed to dry 24 hours, then glued to a brass tube. Once the epoxy holding the tube in place cured, the acrylic was shaped with a carbide blade by slicing thin ribbons from the spinning blank. Once the acrylic was turned down to size it was wet sanded and sealed in CA. The CA was again wet sanded through 9-steps to 12,000 grit. Renaissance wax was applied and then the barrel was further polished with White Diamond compound on a jeweler’s buffing wheel.
This hand turned pen is mounted in a perfectly balanced chrome rollerball. Understated black accents and a postable cap complete the impeccable, classic styling.
This pen uses Schmidt 5888 rollerball refills.