Part of what I like about indie-made pens is finding models, materials, etc. that are unique to a maker. Obviously, I don’t know every maker. Nor do I even come close to purchasing from every maker I know of. However, I want to dedicate this post to pens I know of that are unique to their respective makers. I’m listing these alphabetically by maker.
18111 Pens
Yoshi turns his pens, then uses CNC — I think — to engrave them. He fills the engraved areas with resin of other colors to create gorgeous designs. On top of that, his 3D printed rollstops are amazing.
Country Made Pens – Engraved Sleeves
Troy’s engraved metal sleeves are amazing. Recently-ish, he’s started inlaying contrasting metals. Personally, I’m transfixed by his 3D engraved sleeve. It’s absolutely stunning.
Cypress – Western Motif Raden
Cypress — formerly known as Mr. Cypress — produces raden work with western motifs. I take some pride in knowing that the Día de Muertos pen I commissioned from them started them down this path. Since then, they’ve expanded into geometric, numeric, and holiday designs with insane amounts of detail.
Den’s Pens – Crystal Shaping
Dennis makes some unique and interestingly shaped pens, including the Thoth, Bast, and Zeus. I think my favorite, though, is his Baetylus model. It looks like a rough crystal, which is precisely why I custom ordered one in an amethyst-like material.
Desiderata Pen Co – Zebra G Flex Nib Option
Pierre offers Zebra G flex dip nibs as a standard option on their pens. If you like flex — true flex — nibs, the Zebra G is fantastic. It’s perfect for Spencerian writing, and i’s cool that you can get it on a fountain pen without jumping through hoops.
Hello Tello/Tesori – Italian Glass Finials
John adds Italian millefiori glass slices to his cap finials. While it’s a small “unique” thing, it’s still pretty neat.
Iron Feather Creative – Engraved Resin
While Brian’s rollstops are fabulous, too, they aren’t what’s utterly unique. It’s the engraving on the pen itself that’s almost his signature at this point. It’s no secret I love his work. I own five of Brian’s pens now. He finishes his designs with everything from cold enamel, to resin, to “color washes.” Buy a pen from Brian, the chance you’ll regret it is practically zero.
Loft Pens – Stacked Blanks
You’ve likely seen “stacked” blanks; several makers use them. But Sam makes them custom, like my Stacked Pride — AKA Jelly Beans. Sam slices blanks, stacks them, and re-casts them for his pens.
Mad Science Pen Co – Angled Sections & Caps
Jacob has a unique shape going on with his angled sections that give the feel of a hooded nib. They’re complemented by the angled caps. And, while not exactly unique, the crazy materials he uses really into the “mad science” in the name.
Ryan Krusac – Wood/Antler Scrimshaw
No one works with wood like Ryan does. Where others use wood in a pen, or even make an entire pen out of wood, Ryan turns it into a work of art. Between his patterns and scrimshaw designs, you can’t deny he makes works of art.
Stanford Pen Studio – Beaded, Wrapped, and Painted Pens
Di and Dave have some truly impressive beaded pens, and have had for a while. They are absolutely beautiful. Not too long ago, they started experimenting with silk thread-wrapped pens. I’m going to need one of those eventually. As if those aren’t fantastic enough, they’ve also been producing some hand-painted pens recently. Granted, hand painted pens aren’t technically unique, but the fact that they are collaborating with several local artists to produce these painted pens, is.
Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. How many of these pens did you know about? What unique, indie-made pens did I miss? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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