How come wooden pens are not very popular?

[effika]

Some of my favorite knitting needles are wood, and it would be nice to have a matching fountain pen. I could use them as a set! :-)

 

I'd love to have a rosewood or ebony or bodark pen! Some of my favorite knitting needles are made with those materials, so I know they can be strong, pliable, and pretty.

[Paddler]

I don't have any wood pens, but it is not from lack of trying. Every time I have handled a wood pen, I have found it to be way too heavy. I don't intend to carry a sap in my shirt pocket. You didn't need a pocket protector for these pens; you needed a holster. The FPs have all had long metal sections that were much smaller in diameter than the wood barrels. The balance was always horrible and the proportions were not pleasing. Still, if I could find one made of sapient pearwood . . .

 

Paddler

 

[Vulcan1066]

I would love to have a pen made out of ironwood or bois d'arc Maybe even one made out of hickory.

[PigRatAndGoat]

I love wooden pens! I have the Faber Castel E-Motion in pearwood and it is beautiful. The very fact that it isn't plastic makes it feel more expensive! I also drool over the Graf von Faber Castel Pen of the Year 2007, and the Montblanc Patron of Art Humboldt limited to 4810. The only thing I worry about is how the wood will stand up to the ravages of time.

 

PRAG

[matthewst1]

The Graf von Faber Castel Pernambuco is one pen that I've always, always wanted. I will have it some day - its definitely one of my dream pens. Absolutely beautiful...

[jonro]

A lot of the wood pens that are sold are kit pens that have long, slender metal sections and nibs of unknown quality. While the body of the pen may look nice, I don't think those pens would make for a pleasant writing experience for me. As others have pointed out, the durability of a wood pen's finish is of some concern. On the other hand, if a polymer lacquer coating is used, the pen might last indefinitely. I think that one of the biggest reasons that wood pens aren't more popular is that wood was not a material used by the manufacturers of the vintage pens we admire the most. If Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, et. al. produced wood pens, they would probably be more popular today. Now, there were a few wood pens made back then, but not very many.

[skipwilliams]

There are a number of very nice wooden pens, but the biggest problems with wood are:

 

1. The material stains easily, so using it where it would be in contact with ink is a problem. This is why you don't see the Lamy 2000 made of wood, as it's a piston filler.

 

2. Wood doesn't want to behave as nicely as man-made materials. I reckon that many manufacturers just don't want to fool with the sample-to-sample variability.

 

That being said, I can think if a number of higher-end wooden fountain pens out there. I don't count the kit pens, which do not approach the following in quality or workmanship.

 

Waterman Serenitie in cocobolo

Sailor 80th anniversary in light or dark briar

Nakaya in briar

Hakuse

Faber Castell in pernambuco

 

Skip

 

 

[Frits B]

Sailor had a range of wood pens which is now limited to maki-e on ebony, like this:

 

 

I have one like this in plain rosewood, very dark. Don't know if they are still available somewhere. They weren't even that expensive (got mine from winedoc).

[Silvermink]

A lot of the wood pens that are sold are kit pens that have long, slender metal sections and nibs of unknown quality. While the body of the pen may look nice, I don't think those pens would make for a pleasant writing experience for me.

 

Yeah, this is a concern for me too. If I could be sure I was getting a good nib, I might go for it, but most of the kit pens have el-generico "IPG" nibs which probably wouldn't know Germany if it bit them in the ass.

[JHeels]

Graf von Faber Castell offers several lines of pens that come in ebony, pernambucco and pear wood. ...all of which I consider to be drool-worthy.

 

James

 

They make pens out of pernambucco?! That's what they make violin (and viola/cello/bass) bows out of. It's endangered - perhaps this is use of the left over pieces or otherwise reclaimed wood (I hope)...

 

http://www.loe.org/shows/shows.htm?program...00021#feature11

 

http://www.arcosbrasil.com/ArcosBrasil.html

 

http://www.drbows.com/Program_English.pdf

 

 

So THAT'S where I've seen that gorgeous coloration before. *sigh* It's just so pretty. But, it's endangered-ness is one of those reasons why I have such a hard time getting myself to purchase a pen made of pernambucco (or any other tropical wood), in addition to the prohibitive cost.

 

James

[rwilsonedn]

The situation in regard to wood pens is not simply a concern in regard to breakage. Depending on the hardness of the wood, they can also dent, and can discolor with use. Cleaning wood pens is also not simple. Wood pens over time require their finish being renewed. This is not a difficult thing to do, but it does require some work. Specifically they may need to be disassembled, cleaned, lightly sanded, have a new coat of finish applied, polished and be reassembled. I have a friend whom after using a wood pen for a few years found this was necessary.

That makes good sense. On the other hand, my only work pen for a couple of years was a wooden-barrel kit pen that I received as a gift (before I contracted the pen syndrome.) It went to work every day, rattled around in jacket pockets and brief cases, and finally expired because the feed plugged up and I didn't know how to clean it sufficiently. The wood and finish were still fine. (Granted I didn't drop it, but given my intimate association with Murphy's Law, I'm sure the nib would have absorbed the shock anyway.) One of these days I have to give it a proper cleaning and get it back into the rotation. It was a smoothy.

ron

[PatientType]

FritzB that is a beautiful pen. I find this to be an interesting thread. I'd wondered about the same thing before. I guess I'd assumed that the answer was tradition and customer expectation. There's no reason that pen companies can't make wooden pens. But plastics, resins and acrylics have been the way pens have been made. There are a number of metal pens but they constitute a small fraction of the pens sold.

 

I'm just ordering my first ebonite pen. But, I'd as soon buy a wooden pen if it was functional and pretty.

[HokieGeek]

I'd be worried about getting it stained with ink.

 

I'll tell you from experience: yes. I had just recently made an awesome woodcraft slimline with gorgeous olive wood and had it on the same table as a fountain pen I was filling. i got two spots of ink on the pen that are glaring blemishes. I suspect a wooden FP would have this issue

[Saturninus]

OMG - I know I should have not asked this question. Every time I ask a question like this, my list of pens that I must have one day doubles in length.

 

Some beautiful beautiful pens discussed here!!

[Silvermink]

Lacquered wood would probably be optimal as far as not staining, but equally you wouldn't really get the "wood" feel unless it was a very thin coat.

[Frits B]

FritzB that is a beautiful pen. I find this to be an interesting thread. I'd wondered about the same thing before. I guess I'd assumed that the answer was tradition and customer expectation. There's no reason that pen companies can't make wooden pens. But plastics, resins and acrylics have been the way pens have been made. There are a number of metal pens but they constitute a small fraction of the pens sold.

 

I'm just ordering my first ebonite pen. But, I'd as soon buy a wooden pen if it was functional and pretty.

I just Googled a bit for "Sailor Precious Wood" and found this site: http://www.redfingerprint.com/Sailor/Sailo...us_Wood/11-3003

They give this explanation:

"Each instrument in Sailor’s Precious Wood Collection is delicately handcrafted using only the finest, fully seasoned natural woods. The surface of each piece is preserved under eight layers of hand-applied lacquer. This extensive lacquer application, unique to Sailor, provides long lasting protection from the natural absorption properties of the precious wood

Each piece of fountain pen comes with a unique wood grain and you can never find another with the same pattern

System: Fountain Pen uses cartridge or converter refill system

Nib type: Handcrafted finely engraved 18k gold nib"

 

The lacquer may be there but it certainly doesn't seem to be. But yes, the pen doesn't stain. And the - long - section is black plastic.

The pic these people provide is this:

 

 

Price is a reasonable USD 336. I paid something like 150 dollars.

 

[rwilsonedn]

FritzB that is a beautiful pen. I find this to be an interesting thread. I'd wondered about the same thing before. I guess I'd assumed that the answer was tradition and customer expectation. There's no reason that pen companies can't make wooden pens. But plastics, resins and acrylics have been the way pens have been made. There are a number of metal pens but they constitute a small fraction of the pens sold.

 

I'm just ordering my first ebonite pen. But, I'd as soon buy a wooden pen if it was functional and pretty.

Now that's an interesting point. A lot of (particularly low-end) pen-holders in the dip days were wooden. But I suspect the first fountain pens had to be some other material because they were eye-droppers, and the ink was in direct contact with the barrel. There might be similar issues with rubber sacs, but I don't know for sure. In any case, by the time filler mechanisms evolved to the point where wood could be used in the barrel again without a liner, a wooden fountain pen must have seemed like a mixed metaphor. So maybe it is an evolutionary thing.

ron

[bgray]

One thing that no one has mentioned comes from a machinist's standpoint.

 

Most pen manufacturers are making pens on CNC metal lathes. These machines are not intended to work wood.

 

The dust gets into bearings, gears, and it sucks up oil and coolant, fouling the machine.

 

If I had a $100k CNC lathe, there would be no way ever that wood dust would get near it, let alone INTO it.

 

Heck, I won't put wood on my manual metal lathe. When my woodworking tools are running, my metal tools get covered up.

 

Another issue. I cut 36 tpi threads into my pens. The coarsest pen threads are typically 30 tpi, maybe a little less.

 

These are pretty fine threads, and not even a super-dense wood could possibly stand up to this without chipping over time (at least I would never guarantee it)

 

You'll notice that most wood pens have a metal or plastic transition to the threads. This is why.

 

There is a guy who is doing some pretty unique stuff, though.

 

Dan Symonds with Art Carved Pens has engineered a fantastic thread design that is like no other pen company has ever manufactured. Visconti has something similar, but not nearly the same.

 

They are very coarse, and taper to "lock" at the perfect point at the end of the thread travel. These threads are unique not only in design, but also in that wood becomes a viable material.

 

http://www.artcarvedpens.com/

 

(great pens, and he's a pretty cool guy, too)

Edited June 25, 2009 by bgray

[Frits B]

One thing that no one has mentioned comes from a machinist's standpoint.

Most pen manufacturers are making pens on CNC metal lathes. These machines are not intended to work wood.

The dust gets into bearings, gears, and it sucks up oil and coolant, fouling the machine.

If I had a $100k CNC lathe, there would be no way ever that wood dust would get near it, let alone INTO it.

Heck, I won't put wood on my manual metal lathe. When my woodworking tools are running, my metal tools get covered up.

Another issue. I cut 36 tpi threads into my pens. The coarsest pen threads are typically 30 tpi, maybe a little less.

These are pretty fine threads, and not even a super-dense wood could possibly stand up to this without chipping over time (at least I would never guarantee it)

You'll notice that most wood pens have a metal or plastic transition to the threads. This is why.

Sounds very logical. I just remembered that I also have a Cartier Diabolo with Damascus steel cap and section, and an ebony barrel. The cap is a screw type that screws onto the barrel. The barrel has rather coarse threads on the outside but that is not unusual. It also has threads on the inside to fit onto the section and although I can't see or feel it, I suspect that the inside threads are plastic (they are shiny). They are narrower than on the outside.

[mainelypens]

I have quite a few OMAS wood pens including the entire precious wood collection (15 pens) from 1995-1997. I just picked up an Omas cocobolo to use as I will keep my set uninked.

 

I also have the Columbo II, AM 87 Tuscan Rust, Amerigo Vespucci, 360 Snakewood and briar MOMA.

 

I think these are the best (and maybe most expensive!) wood pens out there.