Bocote

(Cordia spp.) Spectacular background colors of dark brown to red with multicolored strips that vary from yellow to orange and green to dark brown. Machines well, excellent turning stock. Somewhat hard to find material from Mexico and Central America.
                A buddy of mine came over with this wood, as I was looking at it, I thought about cutting across the grain? And speaking of my buddy. . . He just started turning pens, like a week ago. And now that’s all you get out of him is turning pens. He’s really done a good job for being new. He came over to cut and drill his blanks, he don’t have them machines yet. I like Leon he’s a great guy with a lot on his shoulders. I meet him on a motorcycle ride. He too is a Plumber and now pen turner, you can’t get him off his lathe! LOL!!!!!!!!  It’s going into winter and time to make enough pens to last through the summer. . .this is because I will be on my Motorcycle riding with the cops!

                I’m going to make me a pen out of this Cocote Wood today, I think I can put a nice finish on it. I don’t have a pen I like, I have one that I made for kicks out of Cocobolo wood, but I don’t like it. I made this one for me, but I don’t like it, so I will find a home for it?  I have found out that I can adjust the pen tube anywhere on the Blank to get the most out of the grain of the wood with all the many swirls anywhere on the pen like I did this one, but I don’t like it! 

           Here’s vintage Pens that Opie wrote with when he was in School. http://www.squidoo.com/vintagefountainpens