Category: Fountain Pens

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Ordering My First Fully Custom Fountain Pen

When I started the DWRDNET Stationery Feed, I didn’t realize that I was starting a new way of helping to decide future pen and stationery hobby purchases. As it worked out, I already owned items from many of my guests, and after the interviews, I found myself looking at the creations of the guests when preparing for the episodes, and that led to new items being added to my collection. When it came to interviewing Lisa Marie of Pourly Controlled, she just makes blanks, so if I wanted to have one of her blanks, I would need to get it made into a pen, so that is what started this path. Another previous guest of Nic Pasquale of Pens By Pasquale was going to end up being called into service to make my first custom pen order come to life.

I am very lucky to have local pen makers, so when I was thinking about a pen, I was at a Friday morning pen meetup that Butler Stationery hosts from time to time, and Nic was showing off his new faceted creation called the Cerberus. After seeing that pen, I knew that I wanted to own one eventually, but I was thinking of it as a longer term item. After talking to Lisa Marie, I knew that Nic had been an early adopter of using her materials, so the writing was on the wall. I reached out to Nic, and he already had 6 different materials from Lisa Marie in his shop, so that just left me to decide which one to go with, and then get on his commission list around the end of June 2025.

The selection of Pourly Controlled materials that Nic Pasquale had on hand when I reached out asking about a commission.

After going through the material options, I was able to quickly narrow it down between the lava and bourbon and smoke and then after some more time, bourbon and smoke seemed to be the verdict among a few people that I polled, so that helped to lock it in. I let Nic know, and then the wait began. I had no expectation of how long this process would take, and to be fair, I never asked. Having dealt with other commissioned items in the past, and having done commissioned work, I know that quality takes time, and while excited, I was not in any kind of timely need for a new pen, so I just settled in for the process to take whatever time was needed.

The first in process photo that I got from Nic in July.

I was able to go see Nic’s shop on July 4, and saw the blanks in person for the first time, and I could tell I made the correct material selection. A couple of weeks later, I got a teaser photo from Nic of the pen in process, and I for my first true look at what the pen would end up looking like. One thing that I have learned from talking to blank makers and seeing before and after comparisons is that the true material doesn’t show itself until it is turned down. Seeing the color variation inside of the blank and how it had a great natural flow, I could not wait to see the pen once it was fully polished.

I got a short video update a couple of weeks later where Nic ran into an issue and was having to do a little bit of a remake, so while I hate that it happened, I really appreciated the great communication from Nic during the process. I know that for many parts of the pen making, things are done in batches as it is easier in terms of what tools are used, dry time, and other factors, so I was glad to see that my pen was still in process. My next update was when the pen was mostly done aside from the finish work. Nic was asking about if we wanted to try going with alternating matte and polished facets, which sounded interesting, but it turned out that this material just performed better when polished.

The matte version where we decided that fully polished was going to be the best look for this material.

A few days later, I get a final text to confirm my nib size, and then with Nic being local, I happen to live between where he lives and works, so I got front door delivery service. Seeing this pen in the sunlight is just something else. The camera does not really capture the depth of this material, as the subtlety embedded shimmer just glows in the sun. The polishing is done to such a level that when I took my photo for the Youtube video, when editing it, I noticed my fingerprints were showing on the entire pen, so I had to wipe it down and then take a new photo. There is a reason why Nic is known for his polishing.

I have to say that this entire experience was a great experience, and has affirmed that while I know that I will continue to find pens from various makers that I will pick up, I am not going to be hesitant about doing the occasional full commission, as that lets me get the exact pen model that I want in my selected material, and that is just a great thing to think about to be able to find that level of customization in a hobby that I love.

Photos of the finished pen that Nic sent me after it was completed.
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The Evolution of the DWRDNET Stationery Feed

I recently wrapped up season 1 of the new video podcast that I started back in March, and in that final episode I took a little bit of a chance to look back at the show and I wanted to expand on that some here in addition to what I spoke about in the episode.

In the past, I was a photographer for many events and I was very good at not being in photos, and that is a hard mentality to break out of. So how does one go from that to hosting a weekly video podcast, well to be honest I am not really sure, but here is roughly how it happened for me. As a consumer of some stationery audio podcasts like The Pen Addict or the Well Appointed Desk Patron member podcast, I realized that for me, I like having the visuals to go along with some of what is being talked about. I would love to see the pen being held up or the facial expressions during discussions, so that kind of planted the idea in the back of my head to begin with.

Having discovered that I am very fortunate to have local stores and local makers, I thought it would be great if I could use the Youtube channel to help spread the word about these members of the community who are helping to make the community grow and prosper. This lead me down the path to start doing research on what would I need to do in addition to what I had been doing for Youtube videos and to try to plan out the entire process. If I was going to take on this venture, I wanted it to be repeatable and easy for any guest who I might be fortunate to interview. I tired out different software, settings in the software, advice on scripts, times to record and pretty much every aspect that I could think of. All of this started probably two months before the first episode was ever recorded.

By the time March rolled around, I was ready to do a tech test with a future guest Lisa of OliveOctopus Ink. With her already being someone who does a Twitch stream, I figured she would be great to help do a proof of concept on the setup and the process. We were able to do a test shortly before the Arkansas Pen Show, so then it came down to me to find guests and get them scheduled. I wasn’t sure how to really approach guests to be on a new show, so I needed to make a pilot episode. Luckily, I was able to reach out to one of my best friends who was a new fountain pen user, but understands the tech side to do a pilot episode 1 of the show. I got stuff scheduled, sent the FAQ document and questions that I had prepared and I didn’t realize at the time where exactly this would go.

After recording that episode, I had to figure out how to edit the show, which needs a different approach than a normal video. There isn’t really an option to do retakes or anything like that, so after a few days, I got a version uploaded, got some feedback, changed some things and then uploaded the video for real. During this editing time, I was already reaching out to potential guests to try to schedule the next episodes, and luckily things just started falling into place to get people scheduled to record.

Scheduling guests, while a very daunting task, ended up not being as bad as I thought that it might. I was able to get some help making introductions to people via past guests, and that honestly was a huge help. Many people in the stationery world use things like Instagram as their main method of sharing their work, and due to all of the spam prevention tools necessary in the world today, sending a message normally would go into the abyss and never be received. Once I actually found a way to get in contact with people, I was very encouraged that people were glad to record an episode. Being new to the creator space of a hobby can be daunting, but luckily the stationery hobby is one where people are supportive of other members and creators, which I am sure is not the case in other hobby communities. I was even able to get a couple of guests at the last minute, as someone had to reschedule for a later date, so I was able to maintain that 19 week stretch. Somehow I did manage to take a week long vacation during this time and not miss an episode, but I knew that was really luck when looking back at things.

One thing that never even crossed my mind with starting a new show, is that eventually I would need to be able to take time off, as going on every week forever as a host, editor, producer was not very sustainable. I wasn’t really sure how to do this, in mid stream, so happenstance of a guest who needed to cancel to help a family member with a medical issue happened at such a time as to ned season 1 on Episode 20. I took this as a bit of a sign that this was the perfect time to look back at the show and take. a little time to regroup and prepare to make season 2 and beyond even better.

Overall, I think this entire venture has been a great success. I have been able to talk to a variety of people in the stationery hobby and community and help to share some of their stories to audiences that might not have ever had that exposure otherwise. If you came to watching the show later on in its season 1 run, I would encourage you to go back and watch some of the earlier episodes. They might be a tad less polished from a technology standpoint, but the great conversations are the part to not be missed.

While I don’t have a set date to start season 2 yet, I do plan to spruce up the show production some and try to do a better and more consistent presentation of what guests will be coming up later on the season, so be sure to make sure you are subscribed to the Youtube channel, or if you are doing audio only, follow the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts so you won’t miss out on the next season of exciting guests.

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A Titanium Fountain Pen Got Me Again: Gravitas Sentry

If you know me in real life, or you have followed my videos for a while, it is well known that when it comes to items made out of titanium, I have a weakness. I love titanium, and whenever I come across something made from it in one of my hobbies, something inside my head says, you need to get that asap.

I was on Youtube the other day, and I saw a video from Drew Brown on the Fahrney’s Channel, and it was all about how Fahrney’s is now the US distributor for Gravitas pens, and that peeked my interest. I have seen other videos about the Gravitas pens, especially the one made from titanium, but I didn’t want to go through the international ordering and shipping hassle, so I had been holding out. While watching this video, I of course went to the website to look, and low and behold before I knew it, I had a Sentry in my cart and the order was placed.

Gravitas makes some other models in titanium like the Dinkey, Quark and Pocket, but there was just something about the Sentry that drew me in. I carried my Namisu Orion for a few years as I never had to worry about the pen being in my pocket, but I didn’t really have any other fountain pens that I really enjoy writing with that also don’t make me worry if just throwing it in a pocket with a knife or keys, and now the Sentry will be able to allow me to vary what pens I carry with me.

First page of real writing that was not random work notes related.

As I was making the video, I had to decide what ink that I wanted to use, and this can be challenging when not trying to match a material, so I wanted to select something that I had not used in a while, so I went with the Montblanc William Shakespeare Velvet Red. I think this was a great choice, as I forgot how much I enjoy this color, and in my experience, Montblanc ink always performs well.

I ordered the EF nib for this pen, and for being a Jowo #6 compatible housing, the Gravitas nib that I received writes wonderful. The addition of the laser etched logo on the nib adds a nice touch as well. I don’t have an immediate plan to swap this nib out anytime soon, but being able to add a ground nib to this in the future is very appealing.

The fit and finish of this pen I second to none, and while I understand that Gravitas might have had some customer service issues for some people in the past, I think that handing that off to Fahrney’s to handle is a way of them hearing that there were issues and trying to make it a better experience for customers. This was my first order from Fahrney’s, and it definitely won’t be my last.

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Interviewing The Gentleman Stationer

So when I decided to start doing interviews on the Youtube channel, I was lucky to have quite a few local people who I was able to get on the list, and as it would have it, it took a bit for our schedules to align, but Joe and I finally got a chance to record an episode. I go to the Gentleman Stationer shop an on almost weekly cadence, but it is different to be in looking around vs getting a chance to talk about some of the stationery between other customers etc.

Getting a chance to sit down and ask questions and learn the history of a website and now store that I visit all of the time was great. I love hearing how these people get started and how they have been able to grow their passion for the hobby into a thriving online store, and in this case, actually be able to open up a new physical store. Nashville has needed this type of store, and Joe talks about in the video about he saw that and decided why not me?

It was great to see a hinted new collaboration item that is in the works as well, but it was just a visual hint in the video, so I can’t really give more details here, so definitely watch to see that tease, as I have a feeling that product will sell quite well. So I do hope you enjoy watching this one as well as all of the other episodes, as I really enjoy getting a chance to showcase all of these staples in the stationery hobby.

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This Australian Burl Just Had to Follow Me Home

So lately I have run into a trend of if I haven’t purchased an item from someone that I have interviewed, I end up with something shortly thereafter. That is exactly what happened with my first pen that I picked up from Tristar Studio.

Butler Stationery has started a Friday morning pen meetup of sorts, so for the last few weeks, I have been going out there and have been able to meet up with some of the pen people who are local to Columbia, TN. One of these people is Scott Lewis from Tristar, and the day after his interview released on Youtube, he had just done one of his first matte finish pens, and the very first pen that he had burned his logo in on the barrel of the pen with his laser. I don’t think he planned on selling that pen that morning, but when I saw it, I knew that was the pen that needed to come home with me.

Don’t get me wrong, polished pens look great, but there is something about matte finishes that I seem to prefer in many cases. This Australian burl wood is just gorgeous, and the Turnt Pen Company Carson IV section material was a perfect combination with the wood. Scott uses Bock #6 nibs, and thanks to some of his other pens being on sale at Butler Stationery, we were able to do musical nibs to get an EF nib put into this pen. Since then, Scott did give me an EF nib with the Tristar Studio logo engraved on it, which is now what is in this pen.

He brought the pen that morning in a great sleeve made by Rachel of Third Bungalow Crafts, and just adds to the look of this pen. The topographic pattern just has a cool look, and seeing as I have a topographic sticker on my laptop, it was a natural fit.

Be sure to go and take a look at Scott’s website, as he has been posting new pens every few days that are all stunning, and I know that some of them only lasted on the website for a few days, as I had a friend pick one of them up recently as well.

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A Different Kind of HandCrafted Pen

When I was at the Arkansas Pen Show for 2025, I hadn’t ‘t been to a pen show in a few years, so I went in expecting to see some people I knew from the past and while that was great, I didn’t realize that I was in a way short changing myself of the chance to explore and meet new makers and products that I hadn’t ever seen before. One of my local pen club friends who was at the Arkansas show as well had this very unique pen, and it was so different, I had to know more.

I had already purchased more than expected on the first day of the show, but I did make sure to go back and see the D² Arts Table and briefly got to get a card from Darrell Davis and told him that I would love to try to do an interview with him for my soon to launch interview series and he said that would be great and to reach out when I was ready. I was able to do that, and the interview with Darrell went great, and after talking to him, I realized that I need to own one of his pens.

I took at look at his website, and this pen jumped out to me immediately, and I decided that it was the one that I needed to order. The website showed the cool white material with hints of bluish grey in it, and I could see some of the carved marks on the sides, but the photos only showed me half of the story. When the pen arrived, the body was actually squared, and the carving added ridges to take off any sharp corners. Darrell had included a note thanking me for doing the interview and filled in the story on this pen.

The inspiration for this one of a kind creation came after his father had passed away, and he was making a pen to help process that experience. This pen was inspired by his father’s screwdriver handle. As soon as I read that I immediately knew what he was describing. I remember my grandfather had that same exact type of screwdriver. I found an eBay listing with what I am talking about and I will put that photo here.

Darrell also said in his note that this is probably a one of kind creation from him, and he would probably not be making any more in this particular style, so to be, it is an honor to own such a functional piece of art. I put a 14K EF SIG grind on it done by Audrey Matteson of Franklin Cristoph, and I could not be happier with this combination. It is simply a pleasure to write with, and just holding this pen in your hands, you can’t help but fidget with it. Darrell said in the interview that is really what he loves about making pens. He wants the art to be held and experienced, not just looked at.

While I know that this will not be my last pen from Darrell at D² Arts, this one is always going to hold a special place in my pen connection for sure.

If you haven’t seen the interview with Darrell, be sure to watch it. His approach and story of how he got into making pens is a great one.