Handmade pens from the EU on Etsy

[alexander_k]

 

Introduction

My father had only one fountain pen, which he retired when they switched to ballpoints at the office late in the 1960s. That became my first pen, too. Fast-forward to the 2020s and I have too many pens, quite a few inked, more resting and even more waiting to be repaired. Still, every now and then I become restless and look for something new.

 

The latest acquisitions come from a very 21^st century source, Etsy. Several handmade pens I’d seen there over the years had made an impression but I didn’t act on it until 2022, when I decided to explore what was on offer in continental Europe. In the US and the UK there’s more to be found but those sources have become less attractive since Brexit and the tightening of import controls that took place around the same time in the Netherlands. The import duty itself isn’t unreasonable or unjustified, unlike the additional processing fees, but my main peeve is the generally lengthy delay at customs. Thankfully, there are a few good penmakers active in the EU, who offer the kind of pens I prefer: large, with a stub nib (for flex I go vintage).

Gondor by Shizet pens (Kevin Hill, Augsburg)

The first Etsy-sourced pen to arrive in 2022 was a Gondor by Kevin Hill of Augsburg, Germany (https://www.etsy.com/shop/shizetpens). It is made out self-case polyurethane resin, mostly turquoise blue, with some shiny copper and a hint of magenta. It is a c/c filler with a Bock 250 1.1 steel nib. The clipless cap can be posted but this isn’t necessary for such a large pen. The pen is 147 mm long capped; 133 mm uncapped; 103 excluding the nib; and 191 mm posted.

I quite like the tricolour scheme both aesthetically and practically: it allows me to match the pen to a range of ink colours (matching of the two isn’t an obsession but a useful mnemonic to someone with a lot of pens and inks). In this case, the initial choice was easy: Pelikan 4001 Turquoise, a favourite ink I hadn’t used for some time.

Despite the known dryness of this ink, the pen dealt very well with it straight out of the box (or rather the nice soft sleeve it was shipped in). A minimal bit of time alignment was all it took to make the nib perfect for my writing habits. Having used the Gondor as my daily writer at home for several weeks, I’m perfectly happy with it in all respects. Flow is good, the pen starts immediately and sits comfortably in my hand for any length of time.

I rather surprised Kevin with my request for some details of his penmaking but he obliged with some lines after putting the kids to bed:

 

I have been making pens for about a year now. It started after getting really inspired by one of the Figboot on pens videos with Jonathan Brooks of Carolina Pen Company. I looked for the materials and tried epoxy thirst. That was a failure but I learned a lot using it. Then, after searching a lot for alumilite (which is what I use now, despite not being easy to find in Germany), I arrived at the perfect material for my pens. Everything I know was learned through trial and error, testing and just doing.

 

I enjoy the most the creativity in pen making (I came from an art background - drawing and painting are my thing): you can use and try colours, shapes, nibs. Thats what I love about it, to create something from nothing.

My plans and hopes are to try and use urushi and get even more creative. The challenges are always present, e.g. when you turn the pen and some breaks or chips occur, or when it is not working as planned but that is another thing I enjoy: solving problems and overcoming challenges.

… to be continued

In subsequent posts I’ll present the rest of my new, Etsy-sourced pens and conclude with a comparison.

 

[txomsy]

That tricolor pen is really enticing. Nice.

[Uncial]

Looking forward to the rest. There's a little saying here that buying from etsy quickly becomes regretsy. You might change my mind.

[amberleadavis]

Glad you are enjoying your pen.

[alexander_k]

11 hours ago, Uncial said:

Looking forward to the rest. There's a little saying here that buying from etsy quickly becomes regretsy. You might change my mind.

On the contrary, my personal experience with Etsy buys is positive. It depends, of course, on what you're looking for (small artisan products, in my case) and you have to spend some time separating the wheat from the chaff (as on any market). 

[Uncial]

I think that phrase came at a time when Etsy was still in its first flush of youth.

[alexander_k]

Gavia by Brumar72 (Marco Brunelli, Pavia)

The second pen from Etsy was a Gavia by Marco Brunelli of Pavia, Italy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Brumar72). It is again a multicolour design, with a barrel and cap made of padauk with a melamine satin finish, and a pearl blue kirinite section. The nib is a steel 1.1 Bock #6. The pen is 136 mm long capped; 132 mm uncapped; and 109 mm excluding the nib.

 

I’ve always wanted a good wooden pen and this one fitted the bill. The bicolour scheme gave me the option to use either dark red / brown or blue ink and I opted for the former: Diamine Monaco Red. The combination worked well and continues to do so, making the Gavia one of the most-used pen at home in the recent weeks. Again there was minimal time and effort required to fine-tune the pen to my writing habits.

 

The reasons for choosing this model from what Marco had on offer were two: the contrast between the wood and the blue section, and the short cap. It’s an interesting alternative to the usually long caps both aesthetically and practically (requires less space on the writing surface when removed). The lightness of the pen also contributes to its good ergonomics.

 

Marco gave the following account of himself:

 

First of all, let me say that my main job is violin making. I’m a professional luthier based in Pavia, a small town close to Cremona, and I make violins, violas and cellos.

 

I started making pens during the lockdown. Since I usually sell my instruments abroad and mostly in the Far East (Japan, South Korea, etc), my violin-making job had slowed down due to the pandemic. So I decided to start a parallel small production activity to try to increase my income a bit and I focused on two things I love most: wood and writing.

 

Having in my workshop a wood lathe for making small violin parts like pegs, button, soundposts, etc, I decided to try to make some pens, too; and since I love wood I decided from the beginning to make wooden pens. As many of the pen makers I started with ballpoint, roller and fountain pens from commercial kits. I displayed my pens in my shop window and, since I got a positive feedback from people buying them, I quickly jumped on the bespoke pens to make a more personal and creative kind of writing instruments.

 

I regularly buy exotic wood blanks and stabilized local hardwood, Bock nibs, Schmidt converters for fountain pens and refills for the rollerball pens to create my writing instruments. I use acrylics, soft metals like aluminium and brass, and ebonite (with few exceptions) only for pen sections and finials or accent rings, as you can see on my production samples.

 

I work every piece of mines with the wood lathe, making all the parts by myself.

 

I make the thread for caps with a M13x0.8mm triple lead tap and die to allow a one and a half turn cap closure. This cap and barrel thread also allows me to get (imho) a nice pen size that houses a beautiful number 6 Bock nib.

 

If I'm not mistaken, Marco's violin-making site is http://www.marcobrunelli.com/index-eng.html. 

… to be continued

In subsequent posts I’ll present the rest of my new, Etsy-sourced pens and conclude with a comparison.

[amberleadavis]

Very cool

[Curator of Curiosities]

Hi @alexander_k, and thanks for the lovely photos and reviews! The one for the Gondor is especially helpful, as I was really attracted to the look of the pen on Etsy today and was hoping to find some sort of review. When I checked Kevin's page again tonight it said "only one left" so I jumped on it! Your photos really set it off well.

 

The Gavia is impressive too, and I'm so glad to have some info about each maker. I look forward to more tales of your Etsy adventures. 

 

 

[alexander_k]

On 7/16/2022 at 4:19 AM, Curator of Curiosities said:

Hi @alexander_k, and thanks for the lovely photos and reviews! The one for the Gondor is especially helpful, as I was really attracted to the look of the pen on Etsy today and was hoping to find some sort of review. When I checked Kevin's page again tonight it said "only one left" so I jumped on it! Your photos really set it off well.

 

 

Thanks for making me feel like an influencer (just joking - what a terrible thought!). Kevin's work certainly deserves attention and encouragement. 

[alexander_k]

Blue Ishime by Fortuna Pens (Emanuele Milan, Bagnarola)

Let’s move on to the third instalment of the story and a lovely big pen by Emanuele Milan of Bagnarola, Italy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/FortunaPens). In contrast to the previous two, it’s a monochrome pen but in a blue colour that’s one of my firm favourites. It’s made of ebonite coated with a technique called ishime-nuri, which produces a mottled, stone-like texture underneath a final, light blue urushi layer. The pen is a c/c filler and has a JoWo #6 steel 1.1 nib. Its length measures 149 mm capped, 137 mm uncapped, 112 mm excluding the nib and 195 mm posted (posting being possible but a bit uncertain and imo unnecessary).

 

I’ve always been a fan of ebonite pens (less so of urushi) and I simply had to have this colour. As soon as it arrived, I inked it with Diamine 1864 Blue-black (although I'd prefer something more on the indigo side for this pen) and started using it intensively. The nib is smooth and the flow excellent. It’s a big pen, slightly larger than a Montblac 149 and cylindrically shaped, so perfect for me. It’s also quite light and the ishime texture adds some welcome friction (metal sections and similar slippery materials being an anathema to me). In short, another permanent addition to the pen collection.

 

Emanuele had the following to tell about himself:

I've been using fountain pens for a while. Just over three years ago, I discovered that there were people making handmade fountain pens and I fell in love with the idea. I thought "I can make that". From the start I made mostly pens to my own liking, with the specs that I like in a pen, and this influenced heavily in the type of pens that I make. For example, I like pens that are a bit larger in diameter.

 

As for materials, I mainly use acrylics or ebonite, mostly as a base for urushi. I also pour my own resin as it gives me more freedom for colour combinations. I did my first experiments with urushi two years ago but it wasn't until last year that I started to work with it more seriously.

 

Being still at university, there are times that I don't have much time left for making pens but in the future I'd like to increase production in some way. Urushi is still a big interest, so I think I'll focus more on that in the near future.

… to be continued

In subsequent posts I’ll present the rest of my new, Etsy-sourced pens and conclude with a comparison.

[txomsy]

Wow, that's a beauty!

[dms525]

I very much appreciate your review of these pens from European artisans. I have many pens from American artisanal pen makers and, as you do, I enjoy the personal interaction with the person making my pens. The autobiographical sketches you include are a lovely feature.

 

On this forum, there are some who could be called "influencers," but most of us qualify as "enablers," a term taken from the field of substance abuse/addiction. Welcome to the club! 

 

Thanks!

 

And Happy Writing!

 

David

[Curator of Curiosities]

HA!! @dms525, @alexander_k is certainly enabling my addiction! It's all his fault that I ordered that first pen from the German guy.

 

I continue to enjoy these photos, reviews, and little bio sketches ... thanks!

 

Dell

[senzen]

Thanks for this, very intersting; I particularly like the Gavia.

[alexander_k]

Blue pen by Gutovschi Pen Studio (Horatiu Gutovschi, Timișoara, Romania)

The penultimate pen of the Etsy batch took some time to arrive, so I had to delay this instalment until I had become well acquainted with it. The pen was made by Hotatiu Gutovschi (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Gutovschipenstudio80) from a dark blue Italian acrylic blank with some eye-catching highlights. It is a c/c filler with a JoWo #6 1.1 steel nib but, according to Horatiu, it can also be used as an eyedropper. It is slightly smaller than the other pens but still comfortably long for relaxed writing sessions: 144 mm long capped, 130 mm uncapped, 106 mm excluding the nib and 175 mm posted (it posts beautifully).

 

I inked it again with Diamine 1864 Blue-black and it required practically no fine-tuning. It has good, steady flow and a nice balance in the hand, both uncapped and posted. Posting is not necessary but I tried it just for the experience. I’m particularly taken with the colour, which never fails to give me a feeling of calmness and brightness – like a summer sea under the sun.

 

Horatiu jumped at the opportunity to tell a few things about himself:

I was born "a long time ago" (like Star Wars saga begins) in July 6 ,1975. I'm a husband and a father. I consider myself a lucky man because my wife understands my passion and encourages me. Professionally I am an agricultural engineer with a passion for working with wood. A few years ago, I gifted a fountain pen to my wife. It was made out of metal, quite small and heavy. I searched on the internet to see if it's possible to use wood and how to make a pen. The World Wide Web showed to me that the wood pens did exist! So in 2019 I bought myself a wood lathe. The rest it's history!

 

For my creations to come alive, I use chisels for wood turning, taps and dyes, drills, etc. My materials are stabilized wood, acrylics, ebonite, brass and silver. I know that I'm just a beginner and it is so much more to learn, but I've made already few people around the world happy. My goal is to set up a small business out of my passion to support my family. If I don't succeed, I'll still make some pens in the future!

 

Horatiu also sent a picture of a few of his tools:

 

… to be continued

With the final pen and a few concluding remarks.

[alexander_k]

Hornbeam pen by Atelier Valleray (Nicolas Polack, Élancourt, France)

The final instalment of my adventures on Etsy is fittingly the one that sparked my buying. Back in 2021, I’d seen a simple and inexpensive pen by Nicolas Polack (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/AtelierValleray?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=597999221) and bought it on impulse. It was an immediate hit, especially after I replaced the original steel medium nib with a 14k broad I had from some Visconti Rembrandt parts that’d come my way long ago. Rohrer & Klingner Sepia was a perfect fit for the brown-beige acrylic of the pen and a good match for the nib. In the aftermath, I corresponded with Nicolas, which finally led to two things: a wider search for European pen makers on Etsy and an order for a wooden pen covered with urushi. This is the pen that arrive last in this Etsy-buying round.

 

(left: the hornbeam pen; right: the 2021 acrylic purschase)

 

The pen is a c/c filler made of hornbeam wood (in French charmingly called charme) in a cigar shape. It was covered by a sequence of blue urushi layers, which finally gave it a teal look, with subtle glimpses of the wood texture. The nib is obviously a 1.1 steel nib by JoWo. It’s a long pen, measuring 161 mm capped, 140 mm uncapped and 121 mm excluding the nib. The cap doesn’t post. At my request, Nicolas added a discrete rollstop on the cap.

 

The ink of choice for this pen was KWZ Green Gold. As with the other pens, there was little if any need for fine-tuning and, although the hot weather keeps me away from my desk in recent weeks, I’ve don a fair bit of writing with it to pronounce it a success. The balance in my hand is excellent and I love catching glimpses of the wood texture through the urushi as I write.

 

Nicolas typically focused on the process when I asked him for details of his pen-making:

I started making pens about 7 years ago. I have always been attracted to wood working. Making pen doesn't need a lot of tools and time at the beginning and I could work with many wood timbers and try several forms and mechanisms. I'm always happy to try to do something I’ve never done before. No limit on imagination and only a wood lathe, that's why I started pen making. After two years, I began to sell pens on the Internet but after all, what I love is to build something not selling. So today I sell only on order. Three or four years ago I discovered urushi lacquer. I'm fascinated by the finish it can give to wood and it's 100% natural.

For your pen, I was excited to try colouring urushi, which is not easy and blue is the only colour that you can't find in nature in any wood timber. A blue-coloured urushi pen is very hard to find. I love the challenge.

As for the process, I first thread the mechanisms in brass tubes on the wood lathe. Then I drill the three wood parts. I glue the mechanisms and form the pen on the lathe with hand tools. This part concludes with very fine sanding (grit 180 to 1000).

Then the urushi part starts:

·       2 layers of raw Kijomi urushi lacquer to seal the wood

·       2 layers of pigmented urushi (mix of Kijomi and blue special pigments)

·       very fine sanding (grit 3600)

·       2 layers of urushi to make it shine

·       Very, very fine sanding and polishing

At this step I was in doubt about by the colour and I contacted you. Then I added:

·       1 layer of very pigmented urushi

·       only 1 layer to protect the wood while keeping the colour of the pigment.

Each layer takes 24 hours to dry.

[alexander_k]

Some final thoughts

All the pens I bought from continental European pen makers on Etsy were worth the time and the money. In terms of pen technology, they are nothing special, just simple c/c fillers with decent German nibs. The 1.1 stubs were a good, safe choice for my tastes. The designs (except for the Gavia) are variations of familiar types but well proportioned and executed. And that’s the main point: in contrast to mass-produced pens, in this artisan, cottage industry, you can expect to find people who pay attention to detail and material. They clearly connect to what they’re making on a number of levels, which returns interesting results of rather high production quality. Making something by hand calls for attention to small and big decisions and operations, and an altogether more sensitive processing of materials, including bought items like nibs, especially if the pen makers also write with fountain pens. Finally, an added bonus is that, arguably due to the limitations of hand tools, these pens tend to be on the larger side, which makes for more relaxed writing in people with larger hands, like me.

The only real downside is that handmade pens are more expensive than mass-produced ones, at least at the lower end of the market. In price, they’re comparable to the midrange spectrum, where you can also find other filling options, and to my personal favourites, a class of pens from the 1950s and 1960s with the greatest nibs of all times. As usually, you get what you pay for. Globalization of commerce and information means that there are too few bargains to be found today, even in comparison to ten years ago.

So, would I buy again from Etsy? That I’d certainly do unhesitatingly from any of the pen makers included in this round. They were all friendly, accommodating, efficient and knowledgeable, and their pens fully satisfactory. Such people deserve our custom. Moreover, I think they’re typical of many artisans who use Etsy to find a market, so if you want something special, it may be worth your time to look there, regardless of any misgivings you may have for such platforms, social media and the like. I have quite a lot of these but how else would I have made the acquaintance of Kevin, Marco, Emanuele, Horatiu, Nicolas and their work? They weren’t at any pen show or market I’ve visited in the past.