Honest answers only!!

[flexi]

Well, I was asked to do an emblem pen as below. Scott Walker ( Mr Resin....Sawes) cast a few for me. Now my dilemma..... If I use a white blank for the bottom will it look wrong/ cheap/ tacky. I have used a piece of maple and TBH really like it. ( No wrong answers, just opinions)

 

[geordie0928]

It looks fine the way it is, but maybe next time use a dark wood or maybe a dyed blue wood with it being a Royal Navy crest.

But still nice.

 

[Themackay]

I quite like it the way it is

 

[Tony]

I would echo the views above, Mark - I like it as it is. I suspect your audience will too - the maple does feel quite nautical to me.

If you are looking for alternative ideas (to what is already a nice pen). I might consider segmenting the bottom using both white blank and maple to get the best of both worlds and break the lines up.

 

[angelo49]

I agree with 'geordie'
I would use a darker wood next time.
Otherwise, nicely done

 

[Bill Mooney]

As it’s Navy use teak, it’s what the deckind was made of in warships.

 

[PetrolP]

Look really good!

Definitely wood, I agree with Geordie and Angelo and try something dark.
Would set the cap off well!

Peter

 

[Penpal]

Mark your pic may be not able to convey the true colour of the pen body or the cast section. To confirm this and future questions like this a known sources or sources ie coloured could be included in the picture as a reference.

from what I can see from here you have used a suitable timber IMHO ask this question and you could get many different observations any time on any subject.

What I see is an honest blending using Maple ,I believe it is around a natural ships timber colour and neutral in grain but pleasing placing the emphasis on the Sawes made blank.Let the customer observe and report after all it is really between the customer and the custom made penmaker that pays the rent.

Kind regards mate.

Peter.

 

[Neil]

As it’s Navy use teak, it’s what the deckind was made of in warships.

Bill, elm for the keel, lignum for the thrust block or belaying pins, spruce for the mast? No forget the mast!

 

[fortress]

I think generally the pen looks fine, IMHO the lower half needs some colouring as mentioned.

 

[wm460]

Looks good Mark, but would be interesting to see one in dark wood to see the difference.

 

[Les ELm]

IMHO, I would have used a darker wood and plating.

Les

 

[Bucks]

I quite think it would look pretty good in white resin, if the white matched the white on the cap!
Trust me to be different to everyone else, but you did ask for honest answers

 

[AllenN]

Personally I prefer wood. To my eye resin on a pen like this makes it look too mass produced.

 

[alan morrison]

My wife's designers eye would say to pick one of the colours in the top and use it in the nib section, which would mean resin or dyed wood.
I don't have the same eye as my wife, but would think that a nice light piece of holly would tie in with the white in the top, but what do I know.
Alan

 

[alan morrison]

Or a bit of box to match the yellow?

 

[Paul hd]

Hi Mark,

I like wood pens, I like resin pens and the mixed resin and wood style blanks.

But in this case I feel the body of the pen should be the same material of the cap.

Nice turning.

 

[Pierre]

I'm incline to agree with Paul HD. I have found that none of my experiments in mixed acrylic/wood sold or were even liked unless it was a nice burl blended into acrylic. Acrylic upper with a wood lower or vice versa never worked for me. BUT if your client is a person who likes it then ignore all of us and go for it; after all the customer is King.

In all honesty I dont like the end result even though you have obviously worked hard and have made a great effort in the finishing, and I'm not too sure that changing the lower wood colour would be constructive, the acrylic design is too pale to call for a massive contrast. It would work better if the top design continued below with perhaps an undersea theme.

You did ask

 

[Bill Mooney]

Bill, elm for the keel, lignum for the thrust block or belaying pins, spruce for the mast? No forget the mast!

Now that give him a wide range of choices Nel.

 

[Mark James]

I think it looks great. More grain/darker color - thats fine also.