{"id":16573,"date":"2026-03-13T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-13T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=16573"},"modified":"2026-03-12T22:53:32","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T02:53:32","slug":"indie-maker-origin-stories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/indie-maker-origin-stories\/","title":{"rendered":"Indie Maker Origin Stories"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

For the past 7 shows \u2014 with one exception \u2014 I’ve shared one or more posts about my BWIPS experience<\/a>. This year, I decided to do something different. On Sunday, when the show was quiet, I talked to every small, independent pen maker I could, and followed up with the rest via Instagram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked each maker, “Would you mind sharing how you got into pen making?” The stories I was told were, of course, as unique as the makers themselves. And so, I present to you Indie Maker Origin Stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To the wonderful makers: if I missed or messed up part of your story, I’m sorry. Drop a comment below or send me a message on Instagram and I’ll fix it ASAP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The stories below are in the order that I passed tables as I walked through the show. For the couple of makers I was unable to talk to, I’ve included their name and web links. I hope I didn’t miss anyone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Magnolia Pen Co<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: T Lowry Wilson
magnoliapenco.com\/<\/a> | IG: magnoliapenco<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lowry’s introduction to pen making came at the hand of a friend who was a master woodworker. Getting bitten by the bug himself, he started with kit pens as an entry point to wood turning. However, it wasn’t long before he found himself bored by the monotony of kit pen making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lowry took a class by Jim Hinze, and something clicked; he’d found what he wanted to continue with. Fast-forward through the requisite practice making pens that will likely never be shared, and he’s now attending 8-10 pen shows a year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fantastic Pens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Makers: Mark and Johanna Storch
fantasticpens.com\/<\/a> | IG: fantasticpens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark started out as a pen user. Having a materials degree, that was what fascinated him. After amassing a collection of blanks, he decided to make himself his perfect collection. He cleaned out his basement to house his workshop and set about teaching himself to turn pens \u2014 with a healthy dose of support from fellow penmakers and YouTube tutorials. The openness found in the pen user community certainly extends to the pen maker community. Each pen was a chance to learn and improve, from turning to finishing and polishing. Johanna shared in the hobby, learning how to make blanks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GW Pens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: John Greco
gwpens.com\/<\/a> | IG: gwpens<\/a> | FB: GW Pens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

John planned to become a shop teacher, taking classes in woodwork, metalwork, and plastic work in college. Until it occurred to him how difficult it would be to manage a class of teens around dangerous equipment. He changed majors, but kept woodworking as a hobby. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fast-forward a bit and he found himself as a stay-at-home dad searching through toy recall lists far too often. Instead, he decided to make wood toys, a hobby that grew into a bustling side gig. But in 2008, new toy safety laws required too much testing to continue. So, John pivoted to weaving tools after a friend’s special request. Since he was unable to use the tools himself, he pivoted again, in 2010, to pens \u2014 also at a friend’s suggestion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new hobby became a business that slowly crept its way through the house, taking up more of the garage, then into the house itself for storage and photos. Around 2012, John found an industrial space, and around 2017, he moved to his current storefront. This location allows passing pedestrians to stop and watch the penmaking in a throwback to candy stores that used to make their products within view of shoppers passing by outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bonecrusher 7 Studios<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: James White
bonecrusher7studios.com\/<\/a> | IG: bonecrusher7studios<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

James found pen making during his days as a combat medic. A lathe and turning supplies were available on base, so he started making pens to pass extra time. His unit was supportive, going so far as to suggest an amalgamation of their call sign, Bonecrusher, and James’ number, 7, as a business name. His step-son, Talon, helps with some of the business side of things, and attends shows for, or alongside, James.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pamlico Pen Co<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Donnie Grady
pamlicopencompany.com\/<\/a> | IG: pamlicopencompany<\/a> | FB: Pamlico Pen Company<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Donnie’s path to penmaker started in high school, although he didn’t know it at the time. He received a nice pen, and didn’t really feel worthy of it. Over time, though, he learned to appreciate the stories created by giving or receiving nice pens. It was that aspect that led him to making them. What started as a hobby slowly grew into a business as more people asked to buy what he made.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tri Star Studio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Scott Lewis
tristarstudio.com\/<\/a> | tristarstudiotn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scott’s pen-making journey started with the slippery slope of “I can make that.” As anyone who has opened that<\/em> particular can of worms knows, he could \u2014 after buying tools and materials and a lot of practice \u2014 make it, but the resulting rabbit hole was much deeper than the one that came with simply buying the pen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What started out as a challenge became a hobby and then evolved into a business as friends and friends of friends asked to buy his creations. Now it’s as much a creative outlet as a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relic Pens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Patrick Ross
Etsy: relicpens<\/a> | IG: relicpens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patrick started pen making with kit pens around 25 years ago. He strove to differentiate his pens with the use of historical materials \u2014 hence the business name. For a while, he and his wife were full-time RVers, which seriously limited his space for a workshop. When COVID hit, they moved to Virginia, and he built up a shop. Once he brought in the right equipment, Patrick started making kitless pens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayfair Pens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Ben Stewart
mayfairpens.com\/<\/a> | IG: mayfairpens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ben’s maker journey began with YouTube and Instagram, where pen-making videos caught his attention, building on an interest in pocket notebooks and better-than-average ballpoint pens. He started out with a goal of making himself some nice pens, but that alone didn’t satisfy him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many, Ben’s first pen was a bit of a disappointment to him, to put it mildly. But he quickly worked his way up to playing with custom designs, developing a “wacky process” to make his signature “exposed section” models. This led to a never-ending desire to outdo himself, which was complemented by a fascination with combining materials to increase visual interest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Darail Penz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Adolphus Smith
darailpenz.com\/<\/a> | IG: darailpenz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lincoln’s Leathers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Makers: Jon and Mackenzie Lincoln
lincolnsleathers.com\/<\/a> | IG: lincolnsleathers<\/a> | FB: Lincoln’s Leathers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lincoln’s Leathers started as \u2014 shocker! \u2014 Jon’s leather business, with his daughter, Mackenzie, joining a few years later. But, after receiving a pen, they were determined to find a way to make stacked leather pens. They succeeded, of course. The Detroit Pen Show was their first real leap into the pen world, and that went well enough that they kept at it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Write Turnz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Jason M. Olson
writeturnz.com\/<\/a> | IG: writeturnz<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his past career, Jason liked having a nice pen with him during his frequent travels, and would usually pick up a new Retro 51 pen and pencil set every couple of trips. As seems to be a common penmaker theme, he discovered kit pens through a friend and decided to try making them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn’t take him long to get bored with kit pens due to the lack of customization opportunities. So, he stopped making kit pens, sold off his inventory, picked up the necessary tools, and made a bunch of pens to gain and improve his skills. Jason decided to focus on materials other makers don’t use as often \u2014 burls, fordite, surfite, etc. He also took up metalwork to make clips and bands and rings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No one ever truly<\/em> knows what the future holds, but Jason plans to continue refining and improving his skills, with engraving school in the \u2014 hopefully \u2014 near future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Little Hollow Customs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Makers: Logan and Em Merrill
littlehollowcustoms.com\/<\/a> | IG: littlehollowcustoms<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Logan got himself a wood lathe to make bowls as a hobby. It came with pen kits, which he had fun making, and the resulting pens were taken to craft fairs. After going to the Atlanta pen show in 2024, he fell in love and switched to making exclusively kitless fountain pens. His hobby has only grown since then, with Em picking up polishing as a way to share in the hobby and spend more time with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave Dollar Customs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: David Dollar
davedollarcustompens.com\/<\/a> | IG: davedollarcustompens<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dave’s pen-making began with an offer he couldn’t refuse: a lathe, 100 pen kits, and 200 blanks offered to him for a steal by a friend. He was already into woodworking, but he enjoyed being able to finish a product in a day. He made pens as presents and started going to craft fairs, which eventually led to him discovering kitless pens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, Dave took a class by Jim Hinze right before the world shut down. But, he put the extra time at home to good use, improving his shop and techniques throughout 2020 and 2021. He also started adding literal finial coins as a signature and nod to his name. His first show was Baltimore in 2022, where he learned about vintage pens. The new knowledge gave him the inspiration to start making vintage-sized pens, which are now a prominent part of his model lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

River City Pen Co<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Rich Paul
rivercitypencompany.com\/<\/a> | IG: rivercitypencompany<\/a> | FB: River City Pen Company<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rich followed a very reluctant road to penmaking. He started with flat carpentry, taking his products to craft fairs. A friend of his tried to entice him into pen making, but Rich rebuffed all attempts. That is, until his friend brought over his lathe and effectively made<\/em> Rich turn a pen. And guess what; he was blown away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then it was a matter of making up for lost time. He bought a lathe, made kit pens, and went to art shows. Around 2018 he transitioned to making kitless pens with help from Jim Hinze and Jason Olson. Rich’s first show would have been the 2020 Triangle Pen Show, which was canceled. So, he took to Instagram to sell his pens until the world opened back up. After a while, he added dip nib holders to make his work more accessible to entry-level penthusiasts and tap into the growing dip nib market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zodiac Pens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Bart Conner
logstotreasures.com\/<\/a> | IG: zodiacpencompany<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carolina Pen Co<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Jonathon Brooks
carolinapencompany.com\/<\/a> | IG: carolinapencompany<\/a> | YT: Carolina Pen Company<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jonathon grew up around his woodworker grandfather. While his grandfather sadly passed when Jonathon was just 10, the woodworking bug never left. In his late 20s, Jonathon decided to get into lathe work. He wanted to make bowls, but was advised he should start with pen making instead. So he made it a date night and had fun. He bought a lathe and started making pens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2010, he discovered Japanese pens and became interested in fountain pens. What do penmakers do when they get interested in new pens? They make them. He jumped into the fountain pen rabbit hole and taught himself how to make them. He didn’t originally enjoy making acrylic pens; the blanks were too similar. He worked with wood because it was where he had started, and it was different. But, at the time, wood wasn’t the best material to work with, so he taught himself to make resin blanks so he would have fun, pretty materials to work with. And we all know how that has exploded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fountain Telling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maker: Kristen
IG: fountaintelling<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristen started out helping their dad, Jonathon Brooks, with completing orders. They fell in love with making blanks and then watching them become finished pens. With a dad like Jonathon, it was probably only a matter of time before Kristen started creating their own materials. Their first custom pen design, the Willow, debuted at Baltimore this year. Kristen has been working on building up inventory for the past three-ish years, and 2026 marks their official business launch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

How many of these makers did you already know? How many have works in your pen collection? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. Make sure to subscribe to my blog<\/a> or follow me on Instagram<\/a> so you don\u2019t miss any posts. I generally post at least once a week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I’ve got a completely new type of post-pen-show blog post for you this year. I talked to the indie makers at the 2026 Baltimore Pen Show, and here are their stories.<\/p>\n

Keep ReadingIndie Maker Origin Stories<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16577,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,1],"tags":[471,221,475,478,469,480,470,371,390,477,468,344,472,474,308,473,476,479],"class_list":["post-16573","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fountain-pens","category-uncategorized","tag-bonecrusher-7-studios","tag-carolina-pen-co","tag-darail-penz","tag-dave-dollar-customs","tag-fantastic-pens","tag-fountain-telling","tag-gw-pens","tag-indie-makers","tag-lincolns-leathers","tag-little-hollow-customs","tag-magnolia-pen-co","tag-mayfair-pens","tag-pamlico-pen-co","tag-relic-pens","tag-river-city-pen-co","tag-tri-star-studio","tag-write-turnz","tag-zodiac-pens","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/indieMakerOrigins-Featured.jpg?fit=288%2C288&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Z77k-4jj","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":16038,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/indie-makers-6\/","url_meta":{"origin":16573,"position":0},"title":"Even More Indie Makers","author":"Rachel","date":"November 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I've come across even more indie makers since my post last year. 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