Start out by squaring your pen blanks, especially the ends since the blank will be rotated and the centerline of the blank must be at the same location on all four sides for the knots "X's" to intersect properly. I use a sled because it allows me to clamp the blanks and keep my fingers well away from the blade. The zero clearance between the sled and the blade also prevents the small wafer thin segments from being sucked down under the table or being grabbed by the blade and thrown around the shop. Look at your blank and mark the sides A-D. The knot rings overlapping pattern is determined by which order you make your cuts. Cutting side A, then B, then C, then D will result in a different pattern than cutting sides A,C,B,D. The most important thing to remember when making a knot design is that the centerline of the blank must be at the same position on every side. If it varies even by a few thousandths, the knot intersections will not align. When making measurements, measure to the center of the blank, not to one of the edges. Take note of the stop block at the bottom of the blank. This block assures that the centerline will remain constant as long as the block is not moved and the blank is square, especially at the ends. Here, the blank is positioned against the stop block and the first cut is made. This cut is 45 degrees but you can use whatever angle you like. The higher the angle, the wider the knot pattern will be. Also, the narrower the saw blade, the thinner the lines in the knot will be. The inlay piece should be the same thickness as the saw kerf so when you rotate the blank around, the intersection where the centerline of the blank and the centerline of the blade meet remains the same Here I clamp a piece and saw off the small segment pieces. I put a stop block at the bottom of my sled to ensure the segment piece will be the same width as my blade. You might note that I am using a thin kerf 7 1/2" blade in my table saw to give me the thin cut I want. Also, notice the stop block is away from the blade. I set the blank, clamp it down then move up to make the cut. I prefer this method over putting the stop block parallel to the blade causing friction when the cut is made and the piece is caught between the blade and the block. It is the same principal as not using a miter fence and a rip fence at the same time. Here are two blanks cut and ready to glue up the first segments. I place wax paper under the blank and place a small square on one side when gluing the parts to insure the bottom and edge remain straight. I use medium CA and do one surface at a time using only finger pressure to hold the parts when the glue is setting. After the glue has set, I trim and lightly sand the sides to keep the blank square and straight. Rotate the blank and align it back to the stop block then make your second cut. Follow the same procedure as above until all four sides are completed. A little planning will save some time if you are making more than one pen. Here I used both ends of two blanks which resulted in four blanks, in this case, for the Sierra pen. At this point I apply a generous amount of thin CA to make sure all gaps and crevices are bonded then I sand the sides smooth. Here are the two blanks cut in half, ready to drill and put on the lathe. I sand the sides smooth to make sure I am not resting on a glob of glue when I put the blank in the pen vice and get the hole slightly off center. Centering the hole is much more critical than just any old blank because you want the knot centered on the pen. Here are two of the pens used in this tutorial. The old saying goes... "There are more ways than one of doing anything", this is a way I found that works for me and I'm quite sure there are some better ways out there but this suites me... until I think of a better way! Hope this has helped a little to take the mystery out of making a knotted pen.