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I'm Bill Hargis. After fifty years in the construction business,
and I had this nice shop left over where we did all our work, and all this equipment,
I looked around for something to do and my brother introduced me to pens. He made a couple
and showed me how to make them. I got started and it has ballooned from there.
I have all kinds of supplies, as you can see. I make several different kinds of pens. You
start out by cutting your wood in the right length and shape that you want. Then I drill
a hole in the center of that with my drill press. And in that I put a small tube that
I glue in with super glue, and that holds it all together. Then I put it on my lathe
over there, and I work it down to the size that I need. Then I polish it up and I wax
it, that's usually what I use. I have used everything but wax seems to be the best to
use on the pens. Then I bring them over here. I have a press that presses all the parts
together to make a pen. And when your finished you come up with something like this.
Now this is one of my newest ones. I make this with two, 308 spent military machine
gun shells. On it I put a clip that looks like a riffle. These are real nice and they
fill so good in the hand. My latest that I have made is with a bolt action. It's a thirty
caliper, comes in a kit. This is one with deer antler, I have several kinds. They are
beautiful, and this is one of my best sellers.
I use all kinds of exotic woods to make my pens. There are several places that you can
buy this. There is a company up on the other side of Knoxville that sales exotic wood.
I've got them separated and with the name on each one so that I can reach and get what
I want. I've got Bocote and Cocobolo, Bloodwood. There is just so many different kinds that
you can use. My favorite of all is Marble wood which is a very beautiful wood. Then
there is rosewood and tulip wood. There is just so many kinds of exotic woods you can
use. The best that I have and easiest to use Red Cedar which makes a very beautiful pen.
I have several pens over hear that I have made in different kinds of wood. My latest
is Texas Mesquite, and my it makes a beautiful pen. I can't keep them when I take them to
sell, everybody wants to buy them. This is Texas Mesquite right here which is very beautiful
and that's Texas Mesquite. It has a nice design in it.
Now here is one of the latest that I make. I am making this with a 308 shell and a spent
410 shotgun shell. I put the two of them together and it makes a nice pen and it has been very
popular. I've made over two thousand pens. I don't know why I got into it so big. It's
been a joy to do, it's something I can do with my hands which I have always used and
I can sit down.