These pictures are mostly for my own benefit, as a means of documenting what the various woods looked like (since I expect I'll be giving away most of the pens I make).

The cheapest place I've found for ordering pen kits is from a company called WoodTurningz, run by Ryan Polokoff. Ryan can be reached by email at or by phone at (888) 736-5487. Ryan also carries the full line from Penn State Industries. If you mention me, you'll get a discount for orders over $75.00.

These are the two pens that I made at the Lee Valley Seminar. The top one is made from Yellow Heart, and the bottom one is made from Red Heart. Bigger...

I got the pen blanks for these from Bruce Beckman, aka "The Woodman" on eBay. His eBay id is woodman2783. The mechanical pencil (top) is made from Zebrano, which came from Africa. This was a free sample that Bruce threw into my order. The Mont Blanc pen (bottom) is made from Cocobolo, which came from the west coast of South America. Bigger...

The pen blanks came from Lee Valley. The top one is Olympic Dymondwood, a laminate made up of colored hardwoods. You need to be real careful when drilling this stuff. If you don't clear the chips frequently, it WILL catch fire. Don't ask how I know :)

The middle pen is made from Canary Wood, and the bottom pen is made from Chechen. Bigger...

This Mont Blanc pen and pencil set was made from Zebra Wood, which came from Central Africa. I purchased the Zebra Wood from Windsor Plywood. Bigger...

This Mont Blanc pen and pencil set was made from French Walnut, which came from Eastern Canada. I bought the French Walnut from the "Woodman". Bigger...

This Mont Blanc pen and pencil set was made from Cocobolo, which came from the west coast of South Africa. I bought this Cocobolo from the "Woodman". Bigger...

This pen is made from Hawaiian Koa that I purchased from WoodTurningz. I like the satin finish. Bigger...

I think that the wood for this pen is Mahogany. The wood came from scraps that my Dad had lying outside. Bigger...

This pen and pencil set is made from Spanish Cedar which originated from Canada. I bought the Spanish Cedar from the "Woodman". Bigger...

This is the backside of the Spanish Cedar set. As you can see, there is quite a variety of colors present. Bigger...

This Mont Blanc pen and pencil set was made from Cocobolo which came from Mexico. I bought this Cocobolo wood from Lee Valley. Bigger...

As luck would have it, there was a knot running right through the middle of the piece I used for the pen. Here's a closeup of that section. Bigger...

This pen and pencil set was made from Eucalyptus Burl. I bought the Eucalyptus from the "Woodman". Bigger...

This pen and pencil set was made from Red Heart purchased from Lee Valley. Bigger...

This Mont Blanc pen and pencil set was made from Leopardwood, named because of the distinctive spots seen along the top edge. This style of Leopardwood originates from Central America. I bought the Leopardwood from the "Woodman". Bigger...

This pen and pencil set was made from Sapele, which originates from East Africa. I bought the Sapele from the "Woodman". Bigger...

This pen and pencil set was made from Rosewood. I bought the Rosewood from Lee Valley. Rosewood originates from Central and South America. Bigger...

Another pen made from French Walnut, which originates from Eastern Canada. The wood was bought from the "Woodman". Bigger...

Here's a fountain pen closed up. The wood is French Walnut. Bigger...

Here are the separate pieces. Bigger...

And finally with the top on for use. Bigger...

This Mont Blanc pen was made using Spalted Maple. The fittings are black titanium, which I thought contrasted nicely with the light wood. Bigger...

This Mont Blanc pen was made using Cottonwood Flame, with the black titanium fittings. Bigger...

A twist pen and pencil set made from Zebra Wood. Bigger...