Thursday 7 January 2016

A chip off the old block

My new pen
January 2016

Way back in June we attended the Middlewich FAB Festival along with several other floating traders which included James and Debbie on nb Lois Jane, perhaps better known as The Pen makers Boat.



They make all their pens aboard and if the weather is kind James sets up his lathe on the back deck and you can see him turning the pens ready for sale.

I was very taken with the pens and particularly liked the fact that a series of the pens had been made from wood salvaged from the recent repairs to Birchills, the last wooden day boat built by Ernest Thomas in 1953.

Each pen has its own page on the Pen Makers website explaining when it was made and where the wood came from - all very lovely and personal.

I was busy enthusing and Helen, never one to miss a gift opportunity swooped in and bought the pen I was drooling over for a Christmas present. 

On the 25th of December I opened my gifts and had completely forgotten about the pen - a delightful surprise.

Thanks Helen!


2 comments:

nb AmyJo said...

I'm too am lucky to have one of Jame's pens. Such a lovely piece of work and a delight to use too.
regards
Steve

James said...

Cheers Andy, great little write up. I was even lucky enough to have a pen bought for me by a friend. I was telling her that it would be one of the few that I would regret selling (made from a genuine piece of master grade Hawaiian Koa from a luthier/repairer I know) and she bought it and gave it back to me as a Christmas pressie!