The Athlone (Prototype)

This pen is a prototype design, using the brass coupler that I’ve started making from scratch. My plans for the coupler are posted here.

The wood is initially turned and drilled, and then the brass coupler is epoxied in, taking care to match the grain across the barrel and cap.

The pen is initially turned on a wood lathe, and then filed and sanded by hand to achieve the desired curve in the barrel and cap. Finally, the ends are sanded on a rotary sander.

This one could not have been done without the help of my friend and sparring partner, acoustical engineer and knifemaker, Jens Rahbek. The methods I used to carve the shape of this pen are basically the same as those that he uses for carving knife handles. Some of his work can be found here.

C202004