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Thread: Wooden pen recommendations?

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    Default Wooden pen recommendations?

    I might be retiring from teaching at the end of this year, and I am thinking that I might get myself an all-wood pen (section is wooden, also) to celebrate. I might even do a special order.

    I won't be able to spend more than 500USD.

    Any recommendations for a maker or brand? I really know nothing about this kind of thing, but I am very intrigued. I've already looked at Ryan Krusac's website....

    Thanks.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    The Nakaya Briar pens are right around your max budget: https://www.nakaya.org/en/gallery.aspx?body=Briar

    The briar pens are also sold under the Platinum badge for a little less, if you can find them.

    Wancher also have some interesting models for around the price of the Platinums: https://www.wancherpen.com/collections/unique-wood Some of those would age beautifully with use.

    GvFC make wooden pens, but they tend to have metal sections, which makes them look too much like kit pens for me, but you may disagree. Note that their cap seals are not the best.

    Good luck!
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    thx, silver

    yeah, no way on metal sections for me

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    First of all (missed this upon first read), congratulations on your retirement!

    I had a GvFC Intuition wood for about a year--I never reviewed it as there seemed to be good material existing on it already. It is a striking, girthy, weighty pen that demands to be used unposted (although it posts deeply the cap is simply too backheavy). The section is the barrel, and it is fluted and concave in a very comfortable way, at least for shorter writing sessions. And capped, it's not too long to carry around (although people seem to dislike the idea of carrying wood pens around). The one major issue I had is dry-out. After 3 or so days unused, the pen would hard start--it could be even worse with heavily saturated inks. Depending on your usage though, it may not be a dealbreaker. The nib was divine otherwise--at least for a modern pen (perfect wetness, shading, feedback, and response)

    image0.jpeg

    As for others, there may be custom makers doing great things, I'm not sure. OMAS did make an all-wood (including section), old-style Paragon-sized, piston filling series years back--you can probably find one in your range on eBay. Some are facetted and some are ogival, I think. I haven't held or used one, but given OMAS's brilliance in general, I think those are probably excellent.

    OMAS:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/26526556449...0AAOSw0iJhFbWk
    Last edited by fountainpenkid; September 29th, 2021 at 07:04 PM.
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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    some of the Wancher wooden pens look very cool

    oh...but they have metal sections???
    Last edited by TSherbs; September 29th, 2021 at 07:06 PM.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    thx, kid


    that ebay Omas is a pretty little wooden pen....
    Last edited by TSherbs; September 29th, 2021 at 07:19 PM.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Yes, its common with wooden pens, sadly. Makers worry that ink will stain the section. The Nakaya's solve the problem with urushi, but it pushes up the price.
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Quote Originally Posted by silverlifter View Post
    Yes, its common with wooden pens, sadly. Makers worry that ink will stain the section. The Nakaya's solve the problem with urushi, but it pushes up the price.
    Which wood Nakaya has a wooden section? I've never seen one.
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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Quote Originally Posted by fountainpenkid View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by silverlifter View Post
    Yes, its common with wooden pens, sadly. Makers worry that ink will stain the section. The Nakaya's solve the problem with urushi, but it pushes up the price.
    Which wood Nakaya has a wooden section? I've never seen one.
    I can't tell what those black sections on the Nakaya wood pens are made of. The Nakaya site doesn't say, either.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Quote Originally Posted by TSherbs View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by fountainpenkid View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by silverlifter View Post
    Yes, its common with wooden pens, sadly. Makers worry that ink will stain the section. The Nakaya's solve the problem with urushi, but it pushes up the price.
    Which wood Nakaya has a wooden section? I've never seen one.
    I can't tell what those black sections on the Nakaya wood pens are made of. The Nakaya site doesn't say, either.
    Ah--I had never considered that could be urushi-coated wood! An owner could probably answer.
    Will
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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Quote Originally Posted by TSherbs View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by fountainpenkid View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by silverlifter View Post
    Yes, its common with wooden pens, sadly. Makers worry that ink will stain the section. The Nakaya's solve the problem with urushi, but it pushes up the price.
    Which wood Nakaya has a wooden section? I've never seen one.
    I can't tell what those black sections on the Nakaya wood pens are made of. The Nakaya site doesn't say, either.
    You could always email and ask. Kono-san is extremely helpful.
    Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Another one I thought of...Waterman Le Mans 100. I used a resin Le Mans for a while a few years ago, and found it was solidly built and comfortable.
    Links:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/22379155716...EAAOSwcV5d8XUP
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/14400471902...QAAOSw7Kdgcvu7 <<olive wood! (my favorite wood for kitchen tools, at least)
    briarwood: https://www.ebay.com/itm/31353141695...torefresh=true

    also Stipula da Vinci: https://www.ebay.com/itm/14414888587...sAAOSwkPZhEtdP
    Will
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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Here is another one: but the section is metal:
    https://michaelfinkelsteinwoodturner...struments.html

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Quote Originally Posted by fountainpenkid View Post
    Another one I thought of...Waterman Le Mans 100. I used a resin Le Mans for a while a few years ago, and found it was solidly built and comfortable.
    Links:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/22379155716...EAAOSwcV5d8XUP
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/14400471902...QAAOSw7Kdgcvu7 <<olive wood! (my favorite wood for kitchen tools, at least)
    briarwood: https://www.ebay.com/itm/31353141695...torefresh=true

    also Stipula da Vinci: https://www.ebay.com/itm/14414888587...sAAOSwkPZhEtdP
    The Stipula is weird. The Waterman in Briarwood is pretty.

    Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Boy, asking for a wooden section is a tough call, if only that I'm not certain I've ever seen it. You mention already having looked at Ryan's work. For a number of years a small maker from Japan, Stylo Art Karuizawa, has been exhibiting at the SF and LA shows. Very small maker, lovely people, and likely difficult to source the pens if only that the website is difficult to negotiate (it might be easier of you knew someone fluent in Japanese).

    Anyway, if you at least want to get a look at the beautiful work they do with just plain wood (though they do urushi/raden work, as well), they have an Instagram page. AFAIK, still plastic sections. If you want to try figuring out stuff on their site after looking at the pens, the English pages are here.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Quote Originally Posted by TSherbs View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by fountainpenkid View Post
    Another one I thought of...Waterman Le Mans 100. I used a resin Le Mans for a while a few years ago, and found it was solidly built and comfortable.
    Links:
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/22379155716...EAAOSwcV5d8XUP
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/14400471902...QAAOSw7Kdgcvu7 <<olive wood! (my favorite wood for kitchen tools, at least)
    briarwood: https://www.ebay.com/itm/31353141695...torefresh=true

    also Stipula da Vinci: https://www.ebay.com/itm/14414888587...sAAOSwkPZhEtdP
    The Stipula is weird. The Waterman in Briarwood is pretty.

    Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk
    Yeah that Sipula is strange...but if someone just had to have a concave wood section, there ya have it!
    The Watermans are very pretty in those woods; in the black resin I had it in, it felt a little too " '80s stodgy businessman " for my taste. My personal choice for a useable all-wood pen without firsthand experience, if you really want to go down this extreme niche (as Jon's lack of awareness attests ), would be the OMAS. No metal at the nib to corrode and lose plating and look ugly, and it probably doesn't dry out like the GvFC does. And of course the section and barrel are lined with plastic.
    Last edited by fountainpenkid; September 29th, 2021 at 09:19 PM.
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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    I found a couple of photos I took of Stylo-Art pens when at the 2016 LA Pen Show. Gives an idea of the range of woods. I've linked to fairly hi-res pics so you can open image in another tab/window and zoom in if you want to see info or wood grain.


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    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    I find Hakase pens in African Ebony very tempting:

    https://fp-hakase.com/en/works/gw15f/

    But I don't know if it's in your price range. ...looks quite expensive.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    If you are prepared to buy from Europe, you could look at

    https://www.leonardslattery.ie/scriobh-pens in Ireland

    or on Etsy, RueDuStylo in France have some amazing wooden pens, with and withour urushi lacquer.

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    Default Re: Wooden pen recommendations?

    Also Pilote made several very nice wooden pens:

    - Custom
    - Custom Kaede
    - Custom Grandee
    -...and there are even models of the capless in different woods!

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