I appreciate how you put the brands in alphabetical order. :) My London Pen Co grip is also matte! I wondered if it was standard... looks like it. I didn't remember it being stated, but it is very comfortable and gives the grip a different feel from the slippery body. As I understand from Mikayla, the slightly smaller step and larger grip on the newer Echo is now standard. My small maker pens are from: Bonecrusher, Lotus, Woodshed, River City, London Pen Co, Divine Pens Plus, and Abigail Markov. It sounds like your favorite small makers are Russ and Bonecrusher. I'm currently waiting on my birthday pen from Zodiac Pen Co - I was a bit surprised you didn't have anything from him!
Thanks, Amy! I put the pens in alphabetical order to make it easier for me to read the exact names from my spreadsheet. I knew I could not remember all of that info without it! - It's good to know that it's not just my London Pen Co pens that have the matte grips. If it's intentional, I'm okay with it! And, thanks for the info about Mikayla's pens. Love those! - Abigail Markov makes some beautiful pens - I need to add her to my list, and Lotus as well! I had a Divine Pens Plus pen in max yellow - I would like to get a similar one from them with a different grip section. The one I had was narrow at the top of the grip section and wide close to the nib - I never really got along with it. But otherwise the pen was wonderful, so I need to keep them on my list, too! - I follow Zodiac, just haven't seen the right thing at the right time, I guess. - And yes, I think making this video proved to me that Bonecrusher and Russ Pens are my favorite! I think Hogtown is making its way right up there, too! Thanks, Amy! I appreciate you! :)
I was just thinking I should log my handmade pens because after 5 years I am beginning to forget who made what and these pens aren’t branded as you know! Beautiful!
Yesss I have to keep track or I will totally forget! I don't know if I showed my spreadsheet in this video, but I keep a spreadsheet of every pen I buy with all of its details, the maker and retailer and price I paid. I'm so glad I started that spreadsheet fairly early in my pen journey. But sometimes I have to spend a little time on Etsy or Instagram messages figuring out who I bought from and when! Thank you!!
I absolutely enjoyed watching this! Thank you so much. You have so many beautiful and gorgeous pens. I love how each pen has its own little story. I was originally drawn to your channel because peaches are one of my favorite things to eat… then I stayed for the friendly tone in your videos. You’re doing a wonderful job supporting small makers, and helping the community know about them! Don’t forget 😊 I will happily buy your Unicorn Galaxy if you want to ever move it along :) It will fit nicely in one of the Galen Leather Cases I bought from you LOL.
Ahh thank you Charis! I appreciate your kind encouragement. 😊 This was a super fun video to make - I honestly didn’t know I had this many handmade pens until I put them all together! But I love to support small makers - whether by buying or by sending them customers! Don’t worry - I won’t forget about the Unicorn Galaxy. 😂 For now it’s inked and in my pen case!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful pens. These videos always inspire me to build my confidence to keep growing my collection. Also you always have your nails done and I really love this color. Love your videos and am excited to see anew pen match up soon if you are still doing them
Sorry for this very late reply… thank you for your kind words! I hope you will find some pens you love to add to your collection. And, I love this nail color, too! I might have to go back to it before summer is over. I’ve never been a regular at the nail salon until the last year, and it’s been so nice to have nails that are sturdy and not constantly splitting and hurting me! That’s the main reason I get them done. But it’s fun, too! And, I think a mystery match-up will be coming soon - I have two videos coming out in the next couple of days, and then I think the next one will be a mystery matchup! Thanks again!
I love your collection and enjoyed seeing all those handmade pens, they are so pretty. I loved the glitter and the diamond cast pens the most. I do not own any pens like that and haven't seen any of those kind of pens to buy. However, I did not see any Franklin-Christoph pens in your collection. They are based in Raleigh, NC, and the brand Franklin-Christoph produced its first product in 2001. I adore my FC pens (I have been following FC for a long time and they had been on my grail pen list for me since 2016). I finally was able to order 2 of them this year. My FC pens rank up there with my Lamy 2000, Pilot 823 Transparent, and my newly acquired Pelikan M600 back with green stripes (b-day gift from my husband last week). I own 2 Franklin-Christoph Model 46 pens. These are my only handmade pens. I have one pen in Antique Glass with a Nagahara Needlepoint nib and one pen in Cathedral (made with same blank as an Esterbrook Estie: Botanical Garden) with a EF S.I.G* nib. The S.I.G nibs I have have been ground by NibMeister Audrey Matteson (significant other of Mike Matteson of YT channel: "Inkdependance" I believe). FC recently announced that they are discontinuing several of their models this year, to make room for new upcoming pen Models FC uses #5 & #6 Jowo nibs with many specialty grinds... Some nibs you can purchase without purchasing a pen. I included their website here: www.franklin-christoph.com I enjoyed this video so much that I became a subscriber and I look forward to seeing more about your collections in the future. Thank you for your channel and useful content.
Is Franklin-Christoph considered "hand made".? They feel mass produced to me...but I also don't own any of them. I'm hoping to get me a pen from Zodiac Pen Company, but want to wait until they actually have my zodiac sign
Thank you, Tina! It sounds like you have a couple of really beautiful F-C pens! I do own several F-C pens currently, and I've sold several more over the years. They are wonderful! I didn't include them in this video because I'm not sure how "hand-made" they are, and also because F-C is quite a large entity compared to most of these makers, who are usually running one-person shops, perhaps with the help of their spouse. That's also why I hesitated to include Karas Pen Co and Edison. It also would have made my video a fair bit longer to include the 8 or so F-C pens in my collection! I'm glad you mentioned them, though, for anyone who is looking in the comments for recommendations. I do love Franklin-Christoph, and I highly recommend them to anyone! They do great work - and they are coming out with some brand new models this year! They're one to keep an eye on!
@potsandpens I hesitated to call them "hand-made," too, though I don't think they're necessarily mass-produced. They are a relatively small company, but not in comparison to most of the makers I included here. Honestly, I don't have a lot of info about that! But I have several F-C pens, and with my hesitation, I decided not to include them to keep the video from being extra long and from having to have an entire F-C section of the video! I don't have a Zodiac pen, either. I don't really subscribe to zodiac sign-related things, so I wouldn't be waiting like you are, but they do make some pretty pens! Maybe one day!
When I tell you I clicked on this video SO FAST! 🌈🦄 Fantastic collection of handmade! You absolutely need to add some Oparex from River City Pens, or Wood Wonders of NC.
i love handmade fountain pens. I would recommend Rockster, Pens by Casey. I love walltown. I am getting my first Mayfair pen and the style may be up your alley.
Oh yes, I need to add Rockster and Pens by Casey to my list! I have tried a couple of the Mayfair pens with the interesting shapes, and unfortunately I end up gripping the section right on the sharp edge by the threads. I think it’s just because when I grip the pen in the curve of the section, it feels like I’m holding it too far back. So unfortunately they’re not for me! But they do make some traditional cigar-shaped pens, which I would probably enjoy!
I LOVED this video! I buy occasionally from brands, but most of my purchases in the last year or two have been in the small pen makers sector. Your earlier videos got me on the list for a candy nougat pen! That will be my first pen from Little Pen Design. I don't have nearly as many handmade pens as you do (about a third, I'd say), but you have one of my favorite makers listed - River City. The other one I love is Hardy Penwrights. But I generally tend more to darker blanks than the pastels and candy colors you favor. I do like one every now and then though! I can't buy from some of the small pen companies because I have absolutely tiny hands. Literally, my hands are smaller than my nine year old granddaughter's! So some of the grips you adore are just too large for me. My largest is probably my Walltown Watts Slim. I do adore that one! Now I'm off to drool over bone crusher studios again lol.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I hope you will love the candy nougat pen - it's such a fun material! River City does such great work, and I need to add Hardy Penwrights to my list. I love the diversity in our needs and preferences - it sometimes amazes me that the things I like, some people don't - and vice versa. Makes the world a much more interesting place!
this is such a helpful video! i don’t have any hand turned pens because i’m not really a fan of the swirly look, but this collection showed me that there are so many other options for hand turned pens than just those! thank you for sharing, you have a beautiful collection! ☺️
Oh thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Yes - there are so many wonderful materials. I am picky about the ones I like, too. I don’t like materials that look like they have “ribbons” inside them - they give me the “ick,” so to speak! I hope you will find something you love when the time is right!
Wow you do have a great selection!! Awesome. This is a big rabbit hole I am not ready to dive in fully but I have been dabbling a little. I have Darailpenz’s made with Maple Burl and a mini/baby pen that reminds me of the ocean like a couple of yours from Skogsy, a pen maker from San Diego and it was the fist pen show!! Awesome. I have the Double Mina from Edison and Brian changed both the housings after two years of having flow issues. What about John Twiss? Is he a custom pen maker? If so I have one from him which I had gotten from Sarj Minhas’ table at the one show in Chicago. Brilliant pen. Thanks for sharing your collection!
Ooh thank you for the recommendations!! It sounds like you have a wonderful collection. I understand the feeling of not wanting to dive down the rabbit hole - I went nearly 7 years of my fountain pen journey with only one or two handmade pens. The large majority of these have come in the last couple of years! (I did go a bit ham… but I’ve slowed down now!) It takes some time to know what you’re looking for. Don’t rush it - just enjoy as they come!
I’m trying so hard to get one, but I’m always too late! 😩😩😩 I have my IG notifications on, but I still miss out every time. I’m glad to know it’s worth the quest! Lol
I don't own any pens like this because the buying process confuses me. 😂I can't stay on top of all their listings, and I tried to order a custom pen but after a few months on the waitlist it was canceled. But I do love yours! Especially the little pink and blue Darail, the Karas rainbow tie-dye, and the Wood Wonders. I would definitely buy one if any of them were currently for sale from those makers!
Thank you! I started out just buying finished pens from Etsy or from the makers’ websites. If you’re on instagram, follow makers you like, and when they post pens that are available, you can just message them! Don’t be intimidated!
Wow!! So many pens, so many makers! I'm going to save this for future reference of who to add to my wishlists.
I was hoping this would be both fun and helpful! Thank you!
Lovely collection! Thank you for supporting the small makers! Let’s get a Zodiac Pen in this collection!!
Yesss I need one! You make beautiful pens!!
I appreciate how you put the brands in alphabetical order. :)
My London Pen Co grip is also matte! I wondered if it was standard... looks like it. I didn't remember it being stated, but it is very comfortable and gives the grip a different feel from the slippery body.
As I understand from Mikayla, the slightly smaller step and larger grip on the newer Echo is now standard.
My small maker pens are from: Bonecrusher, Lotus, Woodshed, River City, London Pen Co, Divine Pens Plus, and Abigail Markov.
It sounds like your favorite small makers are Russ and Bonecrusher.
I'm currently waiting on my birthday pen from Zodiac Pen Co - I was a bit surprised you didn't have anything from him!
Thanks, Amy! I put the pens in alphabetical order to make it easier for me to read the exact names from my spreadsheet. I knew I could not remember all of that info without it!
- It's good to know that it's not just my London Pen Co pens that have the matte grips. If it's intentional, I'm okay with it! And, thanks for the info about Mikayla's pens. Love those!
- Abigail Markov makes some beautiful pens - I need to add her to my list, and Lotus as well! I had a Divine Pens Plus pen in max yellow - I would like to get a similar one from them with a different grip section. The one I had was narrow at the top of the grip section and wide close to the nib - I never really got along with it. But otherwise the pen was wonderful, so I need to keep them on my list, too!
- I follow Zodiac, just haven't seen the right thing at the right time, I guess.
- And yes, I think making this video proved to me that Bonecrusher and Russ Pens are my favorite! I think Hogtown is making its way right up there, too!
Thanks, Amy! I appreciate you! :)
I was just thinking I should log my handmade pens because after 5 years I am beginning to forget who made what and these pens aren’t branded as you know! Beautiful!
Yesss I have to keep track or I will totally forget! I don't know if I showed my spreadsheet in this video, but I keep a spreadsheet of every pen I buy with all of its details, the maker and retailer and price I paid. I'm so glad I started that spreadsheet fairly early in my pen journey. But sometimes I have to spend a little time on Etsy or Instagram messages figuring out who I bought from and when! Thank you!!
What an awesome collection of small makers fountain pens. For what it's worth good pace of the overview for each pen.
-Jon
Thanks so much, Jon! This was a fun video to make. I love this collection! Thanks for making awesome stuff!!
Great collection! Favorite pen makers that you don't have are Rockster & Silverburl. 💜💜
Thanks! Adding them to my list!
I absolutely enjoyed watching this! Thank you so much. You have so many beautiful and gorgeous pens.
I love how each pen has its own little story. I was originally drawn to your channel because peaches are one of my favorite things to eat… then I stayed for the friendly tone in your videos. You’re doing a wonderful job supporting small makers, and helping the community know about them!
Don’t forget 😊 I will happily buy your Unicorn Galaxy if you want to ever move it along :) It will fit nicely in one of the Galen Leather Cases I bought from you LOL.
Ahh thank you Charis! I appreciate your kind encouragement. 😊 This was a super fun video to make - I honestly didn’t know I had this many handmade pens until I put them all together! But I love to support small makers - whether by buying or by sending them customers!
Don’t worry - I won’t forget about the Unicorn Galaxy. 😂 For now it’s inked and in my pen case!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful pens. These videos always inspire me to build my confidence to keep growing my collection.
Also you always have your nails done and I really love this color. Love your videos and am excited to see anew pen match up soon if you are still doing them
Sorry for this very late reply… thank you for your kind words! I hope you will find some pens you love to add to your collection. And, I love this nail color, too! I might have to go back to it before summer is over. I’ve never been a regular at the nail salon until the last year, and it’s been so nice to have nails that are sturdy and not constantly splitting and hurting me! That’s the main reason I get them done. But it’s fun, too! And, I think a mystery match-up will be coming soon - I have two videos coming out in the next couple of days, and then I think the next one will be a mystery matchup! Thanks again!
I love your collection and enjoyed seeing all those handmade pens, they are so pretty. I loved the glitter and the diamond cast pens the most. I do not own any pens like that and haven't seen any of those kind of pens to buy.
However, I did not see any Franklin-Christoph pens in your collection. They are based in Raleigh, NC, and the brand Franklin-Christoph produced its first product in 2001.
I adore my FC pens (I have been following FC for a long time and they had been on my grail pen list for me since 2016). I finally was able to order 2 of them this year. My FC pens rank up there with my Lamy 2000, Pilot 823 Transparent, and my newly acquired Pelikan M600 back with green stripes (b-day gift from my husband last week).
I own 2 Franklin-Christoph Model 46 pens. These are my only handmade pens. I have one pen in Antique Glass with a Nagahara Needlepoint nib and one pen in Cathedral (made with same blank as an Esterbrook Estie: Botanical Garden) with a EF S.I.G* nib. The S.I.G nibs I have have been ground by NibMeister Audrey Matteson (significant other of Mike Matteson of YT channel: "Inkdependance" I believe).
FC recently announced that they are discontinuing several of their models this year, to make room for new upcoming pen Models
FC uses #5 & #6 Jowo nibs with many specialty grinds... Some nibs you can purchase without purchasing a pen.
I included their website here: www.franklin-christoph.com
I enjoyed this video so much that I became a subscriber and I look forward to seeing more about your collections in the future.
Thank you for your channel and useful content.
Is Franklin-Christoph considered "hand made".? They feel mass produced to me...but I also don't own any of them. I'm hoping to get me a pen from Zodiac Pen Company, but want to wait until they actually have my zodiac sign
Thank you, Tina! It sounds like you have a couple of really beautiful F-C pens! I do own several F-C pens currently, and I've sold several more over the years. They are wonderful! I didn't include them in this video because I'm not sure how "hand-made" they are, and also because F-C is quite a large entity compared to most of these makers, who are usually running one-person shops, perhaps with the help of their spouse. That's also why I hesitated to include Karas Pen Co and Edison. It also would have made my video a fair bit longer to include the 8 or so F-C pens in my collection! I'm glad you mentioned them, though, for anyone who is looking in the comments for recommendations. I do love Franklin-Christoph, and I highly recommend them to anyone! They do great work - and they are coming out with some brand new models this year! They're one to keep an eye on!
@potsandpens I hesitated to call them "hand-made," too, though I don't think they're necessarily mass-produced. They are a relatively small company, but not in comparison to most of the makers I included here. Honestly, I don't have a lot of info about that! But I have several F-C pens, and with my hesitation, I decided not to include them to keep the video from being extra long and from having to have an entire F-C section of the video! I don't have a Zodiac pen, either. I don't really subscribe to zodiac sign-related things, so I wouldn't be waiting like you are, but they do make some pretty pens! Maybe one day!
When I tell you I clicked on this video SO FAST! 🌈🦄 Fantastic collection of handmade! You absolutely need to add some Oparex from River City Pens, or Wood Wonders of NC.
You are so right - I need to save up for an Oparex pen. It would fit so well into my collection! Thank you so much!! 🥰
i love handmade fountain pens. I would recommend Rockster, Pens by Casey. I love walltown. I am getting my first Mayfair pen and the style may be up your alley.
Oh yes, I need to add Rockster and Pens by Casey to my list! I have tried a couple of the Mayfair pens with the interesting shapes, and unfortunately I end up gripping the section right on the sharp edge by the threads. I think it’s just because when I grip the pen in the curve of the section, it feels like I’m holding it too far back. So unfortunately they’re not for me! But they do make some traditional cigar-shaped pens, which I would probably enjoy!
I LOVED this video! I buy occasionally from brands, but most of my purchases in the last year or two have been in the small pen makers sector. Your earlier videos got me on the list for a candy nougat pen! That will be my first pen from Little Pen Design. I don't have nearly as many handmade pens as you do (about a third, I'd say), but you have one of my favorite makers listed - River City. The other one I love is Hardy Penwrights. But I generally tend more to darker blanks than the pastels and candy colors you favor. I do like one every now and then though! I can't buy from some of the small pen companies because I have absolutely tiny hands. Literally, my hands are smaller than my nine year old granddaughter's! So some of the grips you adore are just too large for me. My largest is probably my Walltown Watts Slim. I do adore that one! Now I'm off to drool over bone crusher studios again lol.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! I hope you will love the candy nougat pen - it's such a fun material! River City does such great work, and I need to add Hardy Penwrights to my list. I love the diversity in our needs and preferences - it sometimes amazes me that the things I like, some people don't - and vice versa. Makes the world a much more interesting place!
this is such a helpful video! i don’t have any hand turned pens because i’m not really a fan of the swirly look, but this collection showed me that there are so many other options for hand turned pens than just those! thank you for sharing, you have a beautiful collection! ☺️
Oh thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Yes - there are so many wonderful materials. I am picky about the ones I like, too. I don’t like materials that look like they have “ribbons” inside them - they give me the “ick,” so to speak! I hope you will find something you love when the time is right!
Wow you do have a great selection!! Awesome. This is a big rabbit hole I am not ready to dive in fully but I have been dabbling a little. I have Darailpenz’s made with Maple Burl and a mini/baby pen that reminds me of the ocean like a couple of yours from Skogsy, a pen maker from San Diego and it was the fist pen show!! Awesome. I have the Double Mina from Edison and Brian changed both the housings after two years of having flow issues. What about John Twiss? Is he a custom pen maker? If so I have one from him which I had gotten from Sarj Minhas’ table at the one show in Chicago. Brilliant pen.
Thanks for sharing your collection!
Ooh thank you for the recommendations!! It sounds like you have a wonderful collection. I understand the feeling of not wanting to dive down the rabbit hole - I went nearly 7 years of my fountain pen journey with only one or two handmade pens. The large majority of these have come in the last couple of years! (I did go a bit ham… but I’ve slowed down now!) It takes some time to know what you’re looking for. Don’t rush it - just enjoy as they come!
Wow; that's quite a collection!! 😮
The Burl and Teal really reminded me of scooby doo when capped
You’re so right! I hadn’t thought of that! Lol
Amazing video! My favorite maker you don’t have and really my fav overall is Eric Sands of Atelier Lusso. His pens are just so dreamy.
I’m trying so hard to get one, but I’m always too late! 😩😩😩 I have my IG notifications on, but I still miss out every time. I’m glad to know it’s worth the quest! Lol
It will be so worth it when you catch one. I know the first one I got was like a race to checkout 😂
I will have my checkout fingers ready, haha
I don't own any pens like this because the buying process confuses me. 😂I can't stay on top of all their listings, and I tried to order a custom pen but after a few months on the waitlist it was canceled. But I do love yours! Especially the little pink and blue Darail, the Karas rainbow tie-dye, and the Wood Wonders. I would definitely buy one if any of them were currently for sale from those makers!
Thank you! I started out just buying finished pens from Etsy or from the makers’ websites. If you’re on instagram, follow makers you like, and when they post pens that are available, you can just message them! Don’t be intimidated!
The only bespoke pen I have is a Russ Fairy Stick (not as long as yours and a different color) I got it after watching your video
Ooh I hope you love it! They are so magical!
oh my word, can't wait to watch, but..... I must get the coffee going !!!
Make sure you bring a snack, too! lol
Wow.
😊
It would be better to have links next to the pen names instead of it just typed out
Thanks for the suggestion! Unfortunately there aren’t links to these exact pens. But I wanted to spell out the names so you could search for them!