Care and Maintenance for Your Handcrafted Pen

As with any fine piece of furniture or instrument made from wood, some routine care must be taken to maintain the beauty and the structural integrity of your handcrafted writing instrument.  Here as some suggested Do’s and Dont’s to consider:

• • DO NOT leave your pen in the car. The temperature extremes experienced in a vehicle can damage or destroy your writing instrument. Treat it as you would any fine, delicate instrument. Although your pen can withstand a lifetime of use it will not tolerate abuse.
  • DO NOT use any cleaners with abrasives on any part of your new writing instrument. The fluids and/or abrasives will damage the fine finish and the metal plating. Also Do Not use car wax on your pen, as it contains abrasives.
  • DO keep your fine pen from extremes of heat and cold. Both are enemies of wood, and extreme climate changes will affect your pen. Some woods are very temperature sensitive and may split or develop cracks from extremes of heat and cold. Protect it and it will deliver years of writing pleasure for you.
  • If your pen is made of TruStone, Resins, or Acrylics, then to clean your pen (and remove any fine scratches) you only need to use a fine automotive or plastic polish. Rub a little on the pen, let it haze over and polish with a fine cloth. It’s that simple.
  • If your pen is made of wood and has a natural finish, then use a good quality wood furniture paste wax. This will keep the shine looking nice and remove fine scratches as well. Treat the pen like you would a piece of furniture, as it has the same type of finish, care and handling instructions.
  • If you wood pen has a clear topcoat (looks like the wood is under glass) from a cyanoacrylate (CA) finish, then you can use a fine plastic polish, or automotive polish or Renaissance Wax to keep it in good condition.
  • If your pen is made from M3 Metal then use a high quality metal polish from time to time.  These pens will never oxidize, rust or corrode, but note that note that a patina may build up over time which consider to add character to the pen, however it may be polished off. 
  • Please DO use your pen regularly. It is designed to bring you writing pleasure, and not to be placed in a drawer somewhere out of sight and be forgotten!  This is especially true for rollerball and fountain pens, whose ink will dry out over time if not used. By using your pen regularly, you will continue to enjoy years of use. Please note that fountain pens should generally not be shared with others, as the nib wears according to your personal pattern and style of writing.

And lastly, remember to write!