To contrast this smooth industrial look I chose to turn the body of the pen from an eye-catching wood called Thuya Burl.

Thuya wood (pronounced two-ya) is from the Thuya tree (Tetraclinis articulate in Latin, and Araar in Moroccan). This biblical tree is a conifer from the cedar family, and is exclusively native to Morocco. This highly praised conifer grows only in the forests of the Atlas mountains east of Essaouira, the beautiful coastal town famous for its ancient and contemporary history, museums, art galleries, world music festival, and above all for its Thuya wood craftsmanship. Thuya wood was highly praised by Romans and Greeks, and its oils were used in religious rituals and ceremonies. Thuya trees reach maturity over many decades. Still the praised part of this tree is not the trunk, but the burl buried in the ground. The burl has a deeper colour, a more concentrated aroma, and a fascinating grain. Today these burls are very scarce and hard to locate, extract, and transport. High demand over the centuries has greatly reduced the Thuya forests, and looking for underground burls is something like sifting through sand for grains of gold. Moreover, most of these burls are very small, therefore the fact that most of the items made from this luxurious wood are of a small nature. Another hindrance is that burls generally have large splits and defects that need to be cut out. When luck strikes and a large solid burl is found, it is bid on by artisans, and is sold to the highest bidder. Burls are moved from mountainous areas on mules and donkeys as they are the only form of transportation suited to the task. All that having been said, the real value of the Thuya handcrafted goods is in the highly skilled artists who intricately design Thuya burls into breathtaking masterpieces.

The pen is supplied with a standard ink cartridge and a refillable reservoir for using bottled inks

Handmade Pencil Product Details

What’s Included with your  Pencil Purchase

• Includes the handcrafted pen in the pictures shown above
• Includes velvet protective pen sleeve
• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens & Pencils

With superb balance, superior writing characteristics and an overall stylish, polished & elegant appearance it will be a treasured addition to anyone’s desk.

Inspiration for this design came from 1930/40’s movies. The design is big, bold & very eye-catching.

The body is made from Staffordshire grown Cherry Laurel. The accent rings and banding are from cast metal which has then been plated with hard wearing black titanium.

The nib is made from 14ct Gold with engraved decoration whilst the rhodium-plated clip includes a sparkling Swarovski clear crystal again adding to the opulent appearance of this writing instrument

The pen begins life as a Laurel blank which I hand-turn on my wood lathe. Once the correct dimensions are achieved the blanks are sanded up to 7 times with ever decreasing grades of abrasive until the surface is mirror smooth.

Next several coats of polish are applied each being allowed to dry before sanding smooth.

Finally, a coat of Carnuba wax is used to achieve the final gloss shine to enhance the regal appearance of the Cherry Laurel timber.

Each pen is individually hand assembled taking care to align the gain and that every component fits correctly.

One of my favourite pens, its big brash and makes a statement!

The pen in the picture is the one you will receive.

If you are interested in multiple pens, please contact us.

Since each pen is a unique work of art, exact duplicates are not possible but we will do our best to create duplicates of the pen, using the same wood and finish.

You’ll also receive a Certificate of Authenticity with each pen ordered.

Product dimensions are the size of the pen inside its box.

Handmade Pen Product Details

What’s Included with your Ballpoint Pen Purchase

• Includes the handcrafted pen in the pictures hown above
• Includes ink cartridge – ready to use
• Includes velvet protective pen sleeve
• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens

Inspiration for this design came from 1930/40’s movies. The design is big, bold & very eye-catching a real statement maker!

The body is made from Staffordshire grown Lilac from a tree in my garden. The accent rings and banding on the pen are from cast metal which has then been plated with hard wearing black titanium.

The nib is made from 14ct Gold with engraved decoration whilst the rhodium-plated clip includes a sparkling Swarovski clear crystal again adding to the opulent appearance of this writing instrument

Lilacs have a deep-rooted history originating in ancient Greek mythology. It was said that Pan, the god of forests and fields was hopelessly in love with a nymph named Syringa. One day he was pursuing her through a forest and, afraid of his advances, she turned herself into a lilac shrub to disguise herself. To Pan’s surprise, he could not find Syringa, but he did find the shrub. Because a lilac shrub consists of hollow reeds, he cut the reeds and created the first pan pipe. The scientific name for lilac is Syringa vulgaris, and the name is derived from the Greek word “syrinks” which means pipe.

The common name, lilac, was borrowed from the French and Spanish word of the same name. Similarly, the Arabic word for this flower is “lilak”. The word lilac refers to the light purple colour of its flowers.

Lilac meanings vary throughout different cultures and time periods.

• The Celtics regarded the lilac as “magical” due to their incredibly intoxicating fragrance.
• During the Victorian Age, the giving of a lilac was meant to be a reminder of an old love. In fact, widows were often seen wearing lilacs during this period.
• In Russia, holding a sprig of lilac over the new born would bring wisdom.
• In the United States, the lilac is the official state flower of New Hampshire and represents the ‘hardy’ nature of its people.

Because lilacs have one of the earliest bloom times, they symbolise spring and renewal. Lilacs also symbolise confidence, which makes them a traditionally popular gift for graduates. There are many meanings that lilacs have that can best be classified by colour.

• White lilacs symbolize purity and innocence.
• Violet lilacs symbolise spirituality.
• Blue lilacs symbolize happiness and tranquillity.
• Magenta lilacs symbolise love and passion. (see photo of my tree below)
• Lilac, the colour for which this flower is named, is a light purple that symbolizes a first love.

Although various colours of lilacs have different meanings, the lilac has always had a strong association with love and romance throughout history.

The pen began life as a Lilac blank which I hand-turned on my wood lathe. Once the correct dimensions have been achieved the blanks were sanded up to 7 times with ever decreasing grades of abrasive until the surface was mirror smooth. Two coats of sanding sealer were applied, each being carefully flatted down with 1600 grit to achieve a perfect smooth surface. A water slide transfer was then created with the names and dates on it.  This in turn was applied to the sealed wood body. After allowing the pen body to dry overnight a coat of clear lacquer was applied carefully and then left to thoroughly dry. This process was repeated seven times, each coat being carefully flatted until a high gloss shine was achieved with the final coat and the transfer securely embedded.

Once the body was completed the various metal fittings were assembled to create the complete pen.

The cap is removed by unscrewing from the body of the pen. To refill the ink the nib unit is also removed by unscrewing from the main body.

If you are interested in a similar design of pen, please contact us. Since each pen is a unique work of art, exact duplicates are not possible.

Handmade Pen Product Details

Made in Tamworth UK by Mike Topp
Hand turned from home grown Lilac wood / Highly polished Chrome metal finish with black titanium detailing
Attractive highly coloured body – impress your friends!
Easy to replace ink cartridges or suction pump included

What’s Included with your Ballpoint Pen Purchase

Includes the handcrafted pen in the pictures shown above
Includes ink suction reservoir – ready to use
Includes velvet protective pen sleeve
Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens

All the pens on The Forest At Your Fingertips website are handmade and handcrafted on a lathe in my workshop
Each picture of a pen is the actual pen that you will receive
Most products will ship within 48 hours
Each pen is unique, no two will ever be alike since they are handcrafted works of art
All pens are shipped in boxes, and packed carefully

The pen had been made from Zircote (pronounced  zi·ri·co·te  \ ˌzirəˈkōtā \) which has a very unique appearance, sometimes referred to as “spider-webbing” or “landscape” grain figure.  The grain is straight to slightly interlocked with a medium to fine texture and a beautiful natural luster. It is quite a rare timber being found only in southern Mexico, Guatemala and Belize.Common uses for Zircote are:  Furniture, veneer, cabinetry, gun-stocks, musical instruments (usually acoustic and electric guitars), and other small turned objects. Once the body was turned to size the surface was finished with several grades of abrasive finally using 1600grit. A coat of clear lacquer was then applied, allowed to dry and then de-nibbed with more 1600 grit. This process was repeated eight more times before the final coat was buffed with a micro-fibre cloth.

The thought process I had when designing the pen was that the wooden portion should represent Ruggero’s love of high quality furniture, whilst the highly polished chrome plate hexagonal components hinted at the engineering incorporated in the race cars and karts he so successfully competed in. The black & white chequered band was an obvious hint at his kart and car racing life.

As can be seen in the photographs, the hexagonal knib unit un-screws to reveal a screw suction pump to fill the ink reservoir. This reservoir assembly can be pulled away from the knib and replaced with a standard international type ink cartridge of any chosen colour ink.

Another unique design feature is that the pen top with its clip is removed simply by pulling away from the main body. It is held in place with a rare earth magnet so should not accidentaly come apart in normal use.

Handmade Pen Product Details

What’s Included with your Pen Purchase

• Includes the handcrafted fountain pen in the pictures shown above
• Includes ink reservoir – ready to use
• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens

The design criteria was for an eye catching  fountain pen using purple materials as this is her favourite colour.

This magnificent Fountain Pen will exceed even the most discriminating collector’s expectations

With superb balance, superior writing characteristics and an overall stylish, polished & elegant appearance it will be a treasured addition to anyone’s desk.

Inspiration for this design came from 1930/40’s movies. The design is big, bold & very eye-catching.

The body is made from a purple swirl pattern acrylic blank. The accent rings and banding are from cast metal which has then been plated with hard wearing black titanium.

The two-tone nib is made from 14ct Gold with engraved decoration made in Germany by Schmidt Technology (a world leading nib manufacturer),whilst the rhodium-plated clip includes a sparkling Swarovski clear crystal again adding to the opulent appearance of this writing instrument

The pen begins life as an acrylic blank which I hand-turn on my wood lathe. Once the correct dimensions are achieved the blanks are sanded up to 7 times with ever decreasing grades of abrasive until the surface is mirror smooth.

Next a burnishing compound is applied to the surface and buffed to the ultimate finish

Each pen is individually hand assembled taking care to ensure that every component fits correctly.

One of my favourite pens, its big brash and makes a statement!

Handmade Pen Product Details

What’s Included with your Ballpoint Pen Purchase

• Includes the handcrafted pen in the pictures shown above
• Includes ink cartridge – ready to use
• Ink reservoir to allow use of bottled ink.
• Includes velvet protective pen sleeve
• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens

The high quality nib is made from Iridium tipped two tone stainless steel with a medium-fine width.

The pen is supplied with a standard international size cartridge and also a cartridge converter to allow the use of bottled ink.

If you are interested in a similar design of pen, please contact us. Since each pen is a unique work of art, exact duplicates are not possible.

Handmade Pen Product Details

What’s Included with your Ballpoint Pen Purchase

• Includes the handcrafted pen in the pictures hown above
• Includes ink cartridge – ready to use
• Cartridge converter
• Includes velvet protective pen sleeve
• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens

This fountain pen was inspired by using a combination of a shotgun cartridge for the top cap and a 30 cal bullet for the main body of the pen. Its unique design makes it the ideal gift of anyone interested in shooting, be it game, clays or targets.

This particular pen has been made using the dark African Cocobola wood to replicate the cartridge complete with its engraved 22ct plated cartridge cap. A detailed miniature shotgun is used to create the clip.

The main body of the pen is from a piece of Irish Burr Elm to give a contrast to the cap section. Replica 30cal bullet is used to create the writing tip, whilst the 30cal case and replica primer is used to to close the top of the pen.

All metalwork is 22ct gold plated to enhance the appearance.

The nib is  high quality of German manufacture using a Gold / Iridium alloy.

This pen uses either the international type of ink cartridge or you can use the supplied refillable reservoir for specialist inks.

As you will see, this is a  really unusual pen and will look stunning on anyone’s desk. If you are looking for that unusual gift, then look no further…… here it it!!

Handmade Pen Product Details

What’s Included with your Fountain Pen Purchase

• Includes the handcrafted pen in the pictures shown above
• Includes ink cartridge – ready to use
• Includes velvet protective pen sleeve
• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens

Inspiration for this design came from 1930/40’s movies. The design is big, bold & very eye-catching.

The body is made from rare Central American Cocobolo wood which is very dense. The accent rings and banding are from cast metal which has then been plated with hard wearing black titanium.

The nib is made from 14ct Gold with engraved decoration whilst the rhodium-plated clip includes a sparkling Swarovski clear crystal again adding to the opulent appearance of this writing instrument

The pen begins live as a Cocobolo blank which I hand-turn on my wood lathe. Once the correct dimensions are achieved the blanks are sanded up to 7 times with ever decreasing grades of abrasive until the surface is mirror smooth. Next several coats of polish are applied each being allowed to dry before sanding smooth. Finally, a coat of Carnuba wax is used to achieve the final gloss shine to enhance the regal appearance of the Cocobolo timber.

Each pen is individually hand assembled taking care to align the gain and that every component fits correctly.

One of my favourite pens, its big brash and makes a statement!

The pen in the picture is the one you will receive.

If you are interested in multiple pens, please contact us.

Since each pen is a unique work of art, exact duplicates are not possible but we will do our best to create duplicates of the pen, using the same wood and finish.

You’ll also receive a Certificate of Authenticity with each pen ordered.

Product dimensions are the size of the pen inside its box.

Handmade Pen Product Details

What’s Included with your Ballpoint Pen Purchase

• Includes the handcrafted pen in the pictures hown above
• Includes ink cartridge – ready to use
• Includes velvet protective pen sleeve
• Includes Certificate of Authenticity

Additional Information on Handcrafted Pens