Turning Physics Into Form
I didn’t start making pens because it was easy.
I started because I saw something I didn’t understand.
A fountain pen, both new (Pilot Metropolitan and a Lever Esterbrook) —with a nib that didn’t behave like anything I had used before. It smudged. It required intention. It forced me to slow down.
As someone drawn to technology and efficiency, it didn’t make sense.
Which is exactly why it mattered.
Because if everything in life becomes optimized and frictionless, we lose appreciation for the process. Fountain pens brought that back—variation, control, and interaction between tool, ink, and paper.
That curiosity led me to making.
From Making Pens to Creating Materials
I started with nothing but a drill press and a pen kit from Penn State Industries.
Early failures taught me what materials actually do under pressure, not what they’re supposed to do.
Wood became acrylic.
Acrylic became resin.
And eventually, I realized something important:
I wasn’t just interested in shaping materials.
I wanted to create them.
Gravity Over Control
Like most makers, I learned the standard methods—swirling colors, blending patterns, forcing motion into the material.
And like most makers, I realized:
Everyone was doing the same thing.
So I stopped.
Instead of mixing color, I began designing initial conditions:
- Multiple densities
- Controlled timing
- Strategic pour heights
And then I let physics take over.
F=mg
Gravity creates the motion.
The material responds.
The pattern forms naturally.
Every blank becomes a frozen moment of dynamic flow.
No two are ever the same.
Designed for Makers
My work is primarily focused on custom material creation—helping pen makers build pieces that strengthen their own identity.
From collaborative lines like “All About the Benji’s” with Dave Dollar
to themed work like the River Horse Company collaborations…
I create blanks that allow other makers to turn something truly their own.
Because the final piece isn’t just mine.
It’s ours.
A Philosophy of Respect and Originality
I don’t copy other makers.
Their work is their art.
There are only so many base colors—but there are infinite ways to interpret the natural world.
That’s where I work.
What You’re Really Buying
When you buy one of my blanks—or one of my pens—you’re not just buying an object.
You’re buying:
- A moment of analog interaction in a digital world
- A reflection of natural systems translated into material
- A piece that cannot be repeated exactly
And most importantly:
Something that makes you stop… and smile.