Every so often our resident reviewer will review items to do with penturning which are both on and off the site.  He will provide an honest opinion about the product, and thats what it will be - his honest opnion.

We would welcome sugestions from you as to what you would like to see reviewed.

First let me introduce my self I known in the woodturning circles as woodyturner I have been turning and selling pens for 20 years  as well as general woodturning like Bowls, Platters, Vases and clocks to mention a few.
 
I am going to start by doing reviews on the Whiskey cask pen blanks beginning with the Laphroaig scotch whisky cask. 
 
 I was a bit sceptical at fist, old Oak hard not very impressive on a pen well I was soon going to find out different,  it started as soon as I opened the packet,  wow the AROMA  was fantastic. 
 
 I cut it as close to the inside of the cask as I could to retain the smell, the pen blank  drilled very easy, I stuck in the tubes and started to square up the ends expecting it to be like old Oak,  wrong again, it  trimmed as sweet as a nut on the lathe. 
 
I  sharpened my tools and away,  wow again (AROMA), the  shavings came flying of, it was  nothing like conversational Oak,  must be the whisky.
 
 I was a real treat to turn,  I didn't polish the wood after because I didn't want to lock the whisky smell in,  I just burnished it with some of the shavings and it came up really good with a bit of a shine. 
 
 I also saved all the shavings in a plastic zip bag so that the pen can be refreshed when needed.  
 
In all this is one experience I would recommend to all turners 
 
 
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