This started as a rough little block of dark chocolate black walnut.
Sharp edges. Square corners. Nothing special to look at. The kind of thing most people would walk right past.
I put it on the lathe anyway.
The gouge hit those corners and chunks started flying. Cross grain — going against the direction of the wood instead of with it. Which means it resisted at first. It chipped. It fought back a little.
And then the cylinder emerged. And the grain started to show itself. And the dark chocolate deepened. And the cross grain pattern caught the light in a way that straight grain never could.
That’s what happens when you go against the expected direction. You get something unexpected. Something more interesting. Something that catches the light differently every time you turn it.
This pen was sanded from 80 grit through to 400. Finished with Renaissance polish — a finishing wax named for rebirth — until it feels like silk against your fingers. The slimline design makes it light and balanced in your hand.
Black walnut. Cross grain. Renaissance finish.
Dark chocolate wood that became something beautiful on the lathe.
