Writing Instruments

Price: $30 – $100+

While I will usually keep a few different pens for sale on my online store, the options available for an even more customized product are nearly limitless. There are many different pen hardware styles and themes that I am able to obtain. Within those, are an assortment of different hardware plating options. Additionally, the body of the pen can be made from almost any wood species, domestic or exotic, as well as an array of acrylic styles and colors. There are even cast acrylic/wood mixes that can be used, so take a look at the pictures and descriptions below (click picture for more information), use your imagination, and contact me to get started!
(More Information About Ordering Below Pictures.)

Nautical Themed Twist Pen with Antique Brass plating and Spalted Maple Body
Nautical Themed Twist Pen with Antique Brass plating and Spalted Maple Body
Nautical Themed Twist Pen with Antique Pewter plating and “Frostbite” Acrylic Body
Nautical Themed Twist Pen with Antique Pewter plating and “Frostbite” Acrylic Body
“Jr George” Rollerball with Antique Brass plating and Mopani Body
“Jr George” Rollerball with Antique Brass plating and Walnut Body
“Long Clicker” Ballpoint Pen with Black Titanium plating and Mopani body.
“Long Clicker” Ballpoint Pen with Black Titanium plating and Mopani body.
Music-Themed Twist Pen with Antique Pewter Plating and “Blue Steel” & Black Acrylic Body
Music-Themed Twist Pen with Antique Pewter Plating and “Blue Steel” & Black Acrylic Body
An Assortment of Golf-Themed Ballpoint Pens with 24kt Gold Plating and mostly Green Acrylic bodies.
This one was made using green-dyed maple burl.
A Mini Version of the “Bolt-Action” Ballpoint Pen with Gunmetal Plating and a Woodland Camouflage Acrylic Body
A Mini Version of the “Bolt-Action” Ballpoint Pen with Gunmetal Plating and a Woodland Camouflage Acrylic Body

Timelines:
Lead times on a special order or custom pen will typically be 3-5 weeks depending on several different factors including the availability of the hardware as well as sourcing exotic lumbers. If you are local, I have the pen style, correct plating, and body material that you are looking for, the turnaround could be just a couple days.

Platings:
I typically recommend against softer plating options such as 24kt gold, simply because a high-wear item such as a pen will start to show its age much quicker. For many pens, 10kt gold or a gold titanium nitrate will look the same but offer much better wear protection. This also applies to gunmetal plating, where black titanium plating, if available, looks almost the same but wears much more gracefully.

Body Materials:
Standard domestic hardwoods (walnut, oak, cherry, maple) and common exotics (mahogany, teak) will always be the easiest to source and at the lowest prices. Beyond that, in the wood category, are a number of popular exotics (bubinga, paduak, olivewood, zebrawood, purpleheart, etc.) There are also variations of domestic lumbers such as spalts, burls, curls, and dyes.
There is no end to the variety of cast-acrylic options. Acrylics can come in every style and color imaginable. Also, almost any item can be cast in acrylic. Do a search for “sweet gum pod pen,” and you will see what I mean.

Ink Refills:
Most larger twist pens take Parker-style refills with “dry” ballpoint ink, while rollerballs and fountain pens take a “wet” ink, which is why they require caps.
For pens that require a Parker-style refill, my standard is a Schmidt EasyFlow 9000. This is regarded as the best ballpoint available and the closest writing experience to a rollerball as is possible with a ballpoint.
For rollerball pens, I go with a Schmidt 888 Fine Point, ceramic rollerball refill.