My goal is to create handcrafted wood pens that are durable and different, for someone who wants a one-of-a-kind pen. I like to work in wood and I love making pens and travelling around the country selling them.  These are frequently asked questions about my pens and how they are made.

• What kind of wood are they made of?  All of my wood pens are made of dyed laminated Baltic Birch, except for the occasional exotic hardwood from Africa, Buckeye Burl, Italian Resin, or Truestone.  No South American tropical hardwoods are used. Birch is an abundant wood from Canada.
• Who makes your pens? I make all of them. 
• Where are the pens made? In my studio in Sebastopol,  California. 
• How long does it take to make a pen? I make a batch of 25 or 50 at a time, so I don't know exactly how long it takes to make just one. Somewhere between 30 minutes and 2 hours for each one.
• Is the gold going to fade? No. The metal parts of all of my gold pens are Titanium Gold, a vapor deposit of gold mixed with Titanium. It will not fade.
• Where does one get refills? Office Depot, Office Max, Staples, any stationery store, pencity.com, or here, on my website. 
• Do you have Roller balls? Yes, but my Parker Gel pens write just as nice, are easier to get refills for, and the refills are less expensive than Mont blanc.
• What nib does your fountain pen use? They have an iridium tip on a gold-coated steel nib made in Germany.
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• Are fountain pens coming back? They never left. They fell out of favor in the US in the Fifties when ball point pens were mass produced, but most of the rest of the world kept on making, using, and improving them, especially in Germany, Italy, and Japan..
• What is a space pen refill? It is a pressurized cartridge developed to write upside down, under water, and on most surfaces. 
• Which is better, Cross or Parker refills? I think they are both good. Similar to Ford and Chevy.  Each has devotees. The Parker refill is a little thicker, requiring a slightly thicker pen. 
• How many shows do you do in a year? About 20, down from 40 a few years ago.
• Do you drive or fly to shows? I drive to shows when I can get to them in a few days or line up a few in a row. Otherwise I fly.
• Do you have any pens that write in blue or in fine point? When you buy a refill at the stationery store, you can get black, blue, green, or red, with fine, medium or broad tips.
• How strong are your clips?  The Parker-style clips are very strong.  II have only had about 1 in 500 break. I will replace any broken clip at no charge.
• Where is Sebastopol? Sebastopol is 8 miles west of Santa Rosa, which is 50 miles north of San Francisco.
• What kind of lathe do you use? Most of my pens are made on a 1/2-horse Jet  lathe.
• Do you have any calligraphy pens? No.  There are some nice calligraphy pens at woodbyc.com 
• Can you make a pen from an exotic wood that I give you? No. My shop is set up to work with laminated Birch, Resin, and Truestone, which requires special tools. I don't have enough time to stop to retool and do special orders. 
• Is there a quantity discount? You can get 10% discount on 5 or more pens.
• Do the pens come in a gift box? Yes, they come in a cotton-filled gift box with a card that explains how to refill the pen and includes the guarantee information.
• Why do some of your pens feel heavy? Some of my pens are designed for big hands, like the Cigar pen. I also make most of my pens slightly thicker than other pen makers so the wood doesn't crack. The Cross-style pen is my lightest pen.
• Do you have any pens for people with arthritis? I used to make a thicker pen, but it was too heavy for people with arthritis to use.  My ergonomic pens on the buy it now page are easier to hold.
• Is my credit card information safe? It is as safe to email it to me as to give it to me in my booth at a show or over the phone. Maybe safer. No one has access to my email but me. If you are overly concerned, send the first eight numbers of your credit card with your order, and the second eight by email. Or, buy a pen on my buy it now page with PayPal.
• Are your pens in any stores? Yes, they are in 27 craft galleries around the country.
• What pen do you recommend for a man? Men have bought all of my pen styles for themselves. If you want my best all-around pen, I recommend the Fisher Space pen, simply because it is mid-weight, very durable chrome, and writes on anything and at any angle. It also has 5 times as much ink as my other pens. The Gel pen writes very smooth, and is recommended by banks because the gel ink is absorbed into the check surface which makes alteration of the check difficult.
• What pen do you recommend for a women? Women buy all of my pen styles, but in general they buy the smaller and more colorful pens when getting a pen for themselves. The Cross-style twist pen in purples and rainbow colors are very popular with women. They also like the smooth Parker Gel pens.
• Can I get a space pen refill for the Cross pen? Yes, they are available directly  from the Fisher pen company in Boulder City, Nevada.  
• Why is there no phone number on your web site?  I get pretty involved in making my pens, as you can probably tell.  If I get a phone call, it disrupts the process.  Also, I am on the road doing shows much of the time, and I don't want to miss your order.  When you use my order form, then I get the address right the first time.
• There are some pens I saw at the show that are not on your site. Yes, there are many pens that I make that are unique and sell before they even get on this site. You need to buy those at the show. I really enjoy selling my pens directly to the people who appreciate them. You might find them on the Buy it now page.