The purpose of this page is to provide links to various pen making resources on the web. It's hard to say which is better than another. After a while, you'll notice that they all carry pretty much the same things. Shop around, check the prices, and chose according to whatever formula you devise.
TURNING SUPPLIES
Craft Supplies, USA - (aka The Woodturners Catalog). I can't explain why they have 2 names. Craft Supplies is a great resource for turning supplies. They're reasonably priced, but unfortunately, located in Provo, Utah. Not a problem, you say - you can order off the internet and have them ship your supplies? True. However, when you're in the middle of a project and need a simple item, having to wait 6 days, and pay nearly $7.00 in shipping gets old really fast. But if time and shipping costs isn't an issue, Craft Supplies is a great place to shop. http:www.woodturnerscatalog.com, 1-800-551-8876
Penn State Industries - Located in Philadelphia, Pa, this store is just a hop, skip, and a jump (and an hour plus drive) away. Their inventory isn't as extensive as Craft Supplies', but they're sure a lot closer. I've actually received things the day after I ordered them. http://www.pennstateind.com, 1-800-377-7297
Packard Woodworks, Inc - Packard is located in North Carolina - not as far away as Utah, but not exactly around the corner, either. http://www.packardwoodworks.com, 1-800-683-8876
Woodcraft - This is a big chain. They have around 50 stores, scattered all over the US (even Utah!). They're a general woodworker's supply store, so they have more than just wood turning supplies. In exchange, their turning supplies are a little limited. The closest stores to me are in Pennsylvania and Delaware. None in New Jersey, unfortunately. A big plus to Woodcraft is, they have classrooms where they offer very affordable classes on any kind of woodworking you can imagine. So, if you want to take a class or two, here's a great place to start. http://www.woodcraft.com, 1-800-225-1153.
Hut Products - I'm not crazy about this place; it has nothing to do with the store or it's product selections; it's more because they're still old fashioned. You can't order things online very easily, and that bothers me. I love Penn St Industries for that; they're very modern, and their shopping cart works very well. If you don't mind ordering over the phone, then by all means give Hut a try. http://www.hutproducts.com, 1-800-547-5461
TURNING CLASSES
I'm not aware of anything local to where I live. The closest places are in Delaware or Pennsylvania, which isn't right around the corner, but still not to bad.
Woodcraft - I mentioned this up above, but I'll list it here again. Woodcraft has classes all the time, on all types of woodworking, including turning. The classes are relatively inexpensive, and focus on very specific tasks; ie, turning bowls, making pens, even Christmas Ornaments. http://www.woodcraft.com, 1-800-225-1153.
The David Ellsworth School of Woodturning - I had the great pleasure of attending David's school, in May, 2007. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life! Go to the website and read about it. You, too, will join me in wanting to take this class. David Ellsworth is one of the premier names in wood turning. He's written books, produced DVDs and Videos on woodturning, sells his own line of turning tools, and is just an all-around great resource for anything related to turning. Located in Quakertown, Pa., he's very close to home (for me at least), and for around $600, his 3 day class has got to be one of the best deals going for learning how to turn wood. Check it out. I guarantee you'll put it on your Christmas list this year! http://www.ellsworthstudios.com/david/schoolwood.html, 215-536-5298
TURNING CLUBS
I strongly recommend joining a club. If for no other reason, it's one of the few places where you'll be able to find other people who are interested in turning. It's so great to sit in a room and talk about turning, and have people who actually understand what you're talking about! It's also a great place to learn new tricks, get solutions to your problems, and best yet, show off your work to others.
The American Association of Woodworking - The mother of all woodturner groups, the AAW is a terrific place to start when looking for anything related to woodturning. At the least, follow the link to the local chapters, and find one near you.
Atlantic Shore Woodturners Club - This is the turners club I belong to (I am the club's vice-president). This is a relatively small club that meets in Lakewood, NJ on the second Tuesday of every month.
New Jersey Woodturners - Here's another club located in central Jersey. They meet in North Plainfield, NJ on the 4th monday of each month (except Dec).