Hello from rainy Scotland, I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas, I did eat too much chocolate as usual though!

My name is Mark Ligget, I have been making pens for approx 3 years and love it, I have back problems following an accident so I cannot spend as much time at my lovely Nova DVR xp lathe as I would like, so a hobby it will always be.

I broke my back in an accident at work at the same time I wedged three vertibrae, so I am now classed as a chronic pain sufferer with very limited mobility, but my hobby keeps my brain active and I love the buzz when I finish a pen, I don`t feel so useless!

I am looking to be an active member of this forum as I am pretty active in the IAP (International Association of Penturners).

Married for 17 happy years to my wife Pamela, two lovely daughters Jade (14) and Kerrie (10), and my best friend Sasha (7) our Collie cross dog who loves to be with me in my workshop.

Well enough rambling on about me, thanks for listening.

Cheers
Mark

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the site, sure you will find much of interest including the pen making forum, which is still pretty new. Quite a few UK members including a few from north of the border who will no doubt make themselves known.

Apart from making pens (some pictures would be interesting) do you collect any others or just the ones you make?

Andy

Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear about your back condition - that is unfortunate, but it's good you can still do some work at your lathe. I hope to someday have the time to do some playing with a lathe. A good hobby lathe looks to be the next step for pen repairs for me, but it's a big step right now.

Have fun on the forum.

Welcome to FPN!

Welcome my friend and its rare to say that to someone more North than me down here in sunny Manchester!!

You should be getting ready for the Hogmany now shouldnt you? Its something I have heard a lot about but never been involved with myself...maybe one day and with a surname like Robertson its about time I did eh

Loads of info and great bunch on here...Welcome again

Welcome from the South of the UK.

Please feel free to tell me that I do not need a lathe.

Leaves thread to search e-bay for lathes...

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Andy (andyk) I do not collect pens as such, just falling over the ones I make and am very reluctant to sell on, I turn more for therapy than profit. Pics soon!

"Pen Nut" you are correct, most Scottish people have big party at New Years eve (Hogmany), any excuse to have a party with lots of whisky flowing etc.. I stopped drinking a few years back as I am a big enough idiot without it, and my tablets do not mix with it very well.

"I am not a newbe".., you do not need a lathe! LOL

Cheers
Mark

NAN, you don't need a lathe -- you can make one of those yourself.

Ligget, welcome! Sorry to hear about all the back issues, but glad you found a creative outlet despite them.

Hi Mark!

A pity about your back-pain. What was the accident, if you don't mind my asking? And as a fellow (perhaps?) chocoholic, let me assure you there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG and NO SUCH THING as "eating too much chocolate".

Welcome to the forums!!

Hi, I was working as a restoration technician drying out water damaged properties, I was working alone in a building where the floor was removed in certain areas to enable the drying of the timber beams/joists that hold the floor up.

Silly me stepped back forgetting there was a hole behind me, I put one leg through and fell landing on my shoulders!

I heard a crack when I landed, but as I was on my own I got up (in pain) and drove my van to hospital, the rest is history.

That was in February 2001.

Sorry to hear about that terrible accident & the resulting back pain. However, WELCOME TO FPN!

Ooh!! Sounds painful. I once did the same when clearing a drain. Forgot where it was and one leg went down it. The pride hurt the most though!

Welcome along.

Mark,

Welcome to the FPN. As already mentioned you'll want to browse the Pen Turning Forum, and in particular meet Ruaidhri and Old Griz (Tom Mullane). Both turners, both pen nuts... I'm sure you'll all get along famously...

I share the back issue with you, although I don't believe that mine is nearly as painful - I still really understand. Did myself in on a horse trying to keep up with my daughter (bad idea - she rides competitively - I ride in spite of a total lack of either knkowledge or ability). Anyway the male pride got the best of me, and pretty soon the horse and I were completely out of phase with me coming down when he was going up etc... Just at the point when I was thinking it might be a good idea to stop before something serious happened, I heard this 'pop' from back there, and things got worse fast.

Thought I'd do better standing so I dismounted... After a moment, I thought I'd do better sitting.... a moment later it was apparent I'd do better lying down... which is where I was rescued from a few minutes later...

Not having any real emergency equipment available, I was loaded onto one of the truck stake signs the owner had available, and shoved into the van... [I have absolutely no idea how you made it to the hospital on your own... the pain is indescribable...].

The Dr. and Nurses all had a good guffaw when I was unloaded from a sign stating - Happy Trails Riding Stables - one wag thought it was pretty funny this guy was sending patients in complete with advertizing...

They couldn't find anything wrong, so they sent me home to recuperate from soft tissue damage... Had to crawl into the house on my hands and knees....

Some 5 years later during a routine x-ray the technician sort of obscurely asked if I knew I had a collapsed vertabrae. I said no, but I sure knew when I got it... [wry smile...].

So far, I've not had to do anything surgically, but it's always there, and I overtire easily.

To all you others out there - I'll repeat the message I heard so often but didn't pay any particular attention to: Take good care of your back. You will never appreciate it more than after you hurt it - and most of the time you don't ever get it back to where you were before the injury...

Sorry for the lengthy welcome Mark. Didn't intend to run off at the mouth, but it seems we share fair amount of experience.

I love the chocolate therapy that has been recommended. I'll give it a try myself...

Warm regards,

Gerry

Hi Gerry

Thanks for your post, I know many of the pen turners in here from the IAP forum including Tom (Old Griz).

Sorry to hear of your back problems, it really is a major setback for everything you try to do, but you have to grin and bare it to get on with your life.

Anyway back to the chocolate!

Cheers
Mark

Welcome to FPN, Mark!

Sorry to hear about your back. I have to be careful with mine too. I'm perfectly fine unless I do the wrong thing and set it off. If that happens, sitting and not moving is about all I can manage.

You'll find plenty of interest here I'm sure.

Have fun!

Phil

Welcome to FPN. I enjoyed looking at your pens on the website... beautiful! Will keep an eye out for pens listed for sale.

I have family roots in Scotland way back and would love to tour there one day. I get my regular fix of highland beauty, however, through The Monarch of the Glen.

Hi Mark and welcome! I also love chocolate!

Greetings Mark,

I took a wander over to your web site. You do some very nice work. The cob pens are unreal. Who would have thought such beautiful pens could be made from corn cob. Have you ever done any pens using red stag horn? I've done some stag handled knives. I cannot help but wonder how stag would work for a nice fountain pen.