Legacy Pens – Hand-crafted pens made from antique and historic wood dating back to the 1700s, connecting our past and our future
Contact me at hooleysteve@hotmail.com for details.
1776 Liberty Oak Pen
$60.00
The original section of the Quincy, Ohio schoolhouse was built in 1876. When the building was demolished in 2002, it had been the oldest schoolhouse in use in Ohio. Large white oak beams in the floor contained over 100 growth rings, meaning the trees were growing in 1776, the year of the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of liberty in the U.S.
The pens are white oak, finished with a “whiskey barrel” finish. Tannic acid and iron react in the wood to create a black surface, which is then sanded away in the middle of the barrel to reveal the grain. The whiskey barrel finish is covered with a super glue finish or buffed antique oil for protection.
1870 Clocktower Pine Pen
$60.00
In June of 2012, the Logan County, Ohio courthouse clocktower was damaged by a windstorm. Over the next three years the entire courthouse was renovated, and a new clocktower was installed on 11/10/15.
The structural frame of the original clock tower was made of white pine beams and was constructed in 1870. The new clocktower was made of stronger material.
The pen is made with pine from the original timbers, finished with milk paint and antique oil finish, then hand rubbed to a satin sheen. The pine grain is boring, but the black milk paint is “distressed” enough to give a peek at the antique pine.
1815 Left-behind Walnut Pen
$60.00
In the early 1950s, a Logan County, Ohio, farmer harvested a grove of large walnut trees for veneer. The logs were 11’-12’ long and 2′-3′ in diameter, but the veneer mill could only handle logs up to 8’. The small ends of the logs were cut and stored in an old wood shed. The farmer had the short logs cut up into 1” thick boards, but they sat unsold for thirty years.
In the early 1980s, the farmer learned of my interest in woodworking and invited me to take a look at his treasure trove of walnut. I didn’t have the space or the money, but I couldn’t resist seeing the wide boards he described. The shed looked like it was ready to fall down, but inside stacks of 24-36”-wide lumber, 3-4 feet long filled the space. I stood in awe and amazement. I had never seen such wide walnut boards. I could afford to buy only a couple of the stacks. I made a couple shelves and cabinets, then the remainder of the lumber was set in a corner to gather dust for another 40 years.
When I began working on the legacy pen series, I remembered the walnut hidden in the corner. The math for the average age of walnut trees with this width of boards worked out to 135 years, thus dating the trees at around 1815. It would have been older if I had been able to measure the butt end of the logs. The lumber had been left behind twice, once by the veneer buyer, and a second time by me. Thus, the name “Left behind,” and the two rings burned into the barrel.
The pen is sealed with antique oil , then finished with a high-gloss super glue finish.
Baseball Ash Pen
$60.00
North American Ash trees are disappearing. The culprit: the Emerald Ash Borer, EAB. The Emerald Ash Borer is a beetle that was first detected in Michigan and Ontario in 2002. As of 2018, it had spread to every eastern state except Mississippi and Florida. It is considered the most destructive forest pest ever seen in North America, and may well destroy every ash tree in North America.
Ash wood is a beautiful wheat-colored brown with open grain. It has been used to make a multitude of tools, furniture, and athletic equipment, including baseball bats. But that may be coming to an end. Ash lumber is still available, but may not be in the future.
Pens made from ash are not antique, but may be considered historic in the future, when it is no longer available.
These pens are grain-filled with bright red similar to baseball stitching, then covered with protective urethane similar to a baseball bat.
Grab a future legacy, and hang on to a link from the past.