The Legacy Continues

[DCBluesman]

I met Eagle in 2004 through the IAP forum. Over the next nearly four years I don't believe more than a week ever passed when we didn't talk.  Most weeks we talked four or five times.  Most conversations lasted a good hour and some of them lasted several hours.  I think I have a handle on many of Eagle's thoughts, even when we disagreed.
 
When it came to Eagle's experiments, many of which failed, he never feared someone trying to duplicate his results.  He often encouraged me to work on blanks like he made.  My response was pretty much always the same.  "I'm not a woodworker.  I just make pretty wood pens."  Since he couldn't get me to try to improve on his techniques, he encouraged others.  Some took on the challenge and have succeeded.  Some have tried and given up.
 
I know that Eagle encourage many to push themselves, not just to meet his achievements, but to explore their own paths along the way.  He had a great appreciation for the accomplishments of other, Including Brian and Mark Gisi among others.  Of course, Eagle loved the attention of doing the "impossible", like "One For Giving" and "The Rugged Cross".  We often talked about who, if anyone, would have the patience to "paint with wood", my term for much of his work.
 
Eagle also enjoyed knowing that his designs were marketable.  Not being a great salesman, Eagle made blanks for many of us.  When we sold a pen made from an "Eagle-ized" blank, he was thrilled.
 
With this background, I feel that Eagle's legacy lives on in the extension of his creativity through the work of others.  I certainly encourage folks to continue down this path and keep his memory alive.  I am certain Eagle is waving his hands at me and agreeing.  I can picture him now.
 
As for turning your work into financial reward, Eagle was a capitalist, although not a particularly shrewd businessman.  He recognized and appreciate that our time and our effort should be rewarded.  He recognized that blank making, as a subset of pen making, is undervalued, but never stopped pushing to have the work appreciated and financially rewarded. 
 
In terms of providing a "royalty" of sorts to the family, Eagle could be too proud sometimes.  When I first sent a package of pen turning stuff to Eagle, he called and thanked me for the care package, expressing a bit of embarrassment that he could not truly afford the hobby.  I explained to him that care packages were charity and that my packages were not charity, but "I care" packages.  Several of you followed this path with Eagle.  He never made nor had much money.  He loved people and he loved life.  His estate consisted mainly of memories.  So if folks want to contribute a little something to the family, I think that is lovely...not necessary, but lovely.  I know that Lynn is working her way into a better financial situation, and we raised quite a bit of money to cover Eagle's final expenses, but a little help would always be appreciated.
 
So, for those who have read to the end of this epistle, I say go for it.  Push the limits.  Sell your works.  Contribute to the family if you wish.  No matter what, our friend is smiling down on us all.

[angboy]

I'm sorry I've been somewhat negligent in visiting. Eagle was definitely an inspiration and pushed me to figure out how to do things like his rope pen, on my own, after refusing to provide a tutorial. His pen balnks are distinctive and I still see pens posted at times and think, hey that's an Eagle blank! He sent me a package once, of sandpaper, and nestled inside was a pen blank, one of his cross pen blanks. I turned it into a gift for a friend's father who was a preacher, and he loved it! When I found out about Eagle passing away I wanted to get that pen back or tell the person how much they should value that pen, but I didn't, but I knew that the pen has brought him joy, and it was thanks to Eagle!

[Canuck]

Thanks to Lou, many of us who never knew Eagle can still feel his presence, his spirit truly lives on, thanks to many of his dear friends!