Woodturning pen box supplier query

Wendle

Hi. Does anyone know where I would be able to find a supplier of pen boxes to present my wooden pens in? I have been looking for a supplier for a while now without success. Hope someone can help. Thank you. Wendle.

William Powell

First place I look is eBay. Is this any good? Its sold as a braclet presentation box but at 213x35x15mm it might be a bit long. If it might be OK ask the seller for a picture of one with a bic biro in it so you can see if the scale is OK. This eBay section is just for Jewelry Presentation cases, not much suitable but always worth asking any of the bigger sellers with shops if they have what you want.

Wendle

Thank you William. Some nice stuff there. Certainly worth a look. However I think I need ones that are a bit shorter. I got a bracelet box from a jeweller close to me but it did not do my pens justice - the box looked too long. Thanks again. May have to use some of these!

Alun

http://www.craft-supplies.co.uk/cgi-bin/psProdCat.cgi/Boxes,1,,,Pen===Making

Wendle

Thanks Alun, these look good. A bit expensive maybe but I always say that!!!! Thanks again.

Alun

There are some here too ...

http://www.axminster.co.uk/pen-and-pencil-kits-accessories-dept815208_pg1/#page=1&order=PRICE%20ASCENDING

The cheapest is only 39p sterling

William Powell

Wendle wrote: »

Thanks Alun, these look good. A bit expensive maybe but I always say that!!!! Thanks again.

I only have to see the name "Craft Supplies" to think "bit expensive

Again back to eBay I was thinking that you could probably find some very cheap fake brand name pens from China or Hong Kong that come in really nice presentation boxes, then throw the fake pen away and keep the box .

Then two other ideas spring to mind, one a round box, as in a tube with a screw thread - you do turn after all or perhaps go the other way and take unturned branch wood or scrap wood and bore it out so the pen fits inside. It may sound crap to put a good pen in a bit of old wood but if you get the contrast right it could make a feature of the presentation. I pick up lots of small potential box sized pieces of drift wood from the beach, one of these cut through length ways then routed out with a couple of small brass hinges and you have a box that won't get thrown out.

William Powell

Perhaps (another) daft idea, but maybe you should have gone to specsavers :pac:

Well, I just picked up my wifes specs case and a pen she had left on the kitchen table and the specsavers case was just the right size for the pen. Obvilously you'd need to make some sort of insert to cover up the specsaver logo and the hold the pen but worth looking into :eek: Only problem seems to be cost, eBay prices start at 4euro plus P&P

Wendle

Thanks William, those ideas sound great - I would love to make my own boxes but am so new to woodturning that I wouldn't know how to do it or where to start.
Thanks again. I will look into trying to make my own down the line.
Wendy

Setanta1974

Wendy,

I would only use Craft Supplies if I couldn't get what I wanted some where else. I have ordered off them twice and both times the were rediculously slow with shipment.

I would recommend Axminster or Turners Retreat. Both have a good range and excellent customer care.

HappyTurning.

aerosol

Agree with craft supplies being a tad pricey but I've always found them excellent to deal with.One of the directers even delivered stuff to me for free as he was coming over on the ferry:p

Alun

Setanta1974 wrote: »

I would only use Craft Supplies if I couldn't get what I wanted some where else. I have ordered off them twice and both times the were rediculously slow with shipment.

Yes, you're right, I should have mentioned that. I suspect that CS in the UK don't actually stock very much, and then have to fill orders from the US side of the operation.