Pen or Pencil?

When looking for that certain gift, sometimes a gift giver finds themselves in a conundrum. Do I buy a handcrafted pen or pencil? Pens are made for writing large volumes of work, everyday writing, journal entries and the like. Pencils are made for jotting down ideas, scientific calculations or simple arithmetic. Pencil leads in handcrafted pens generally are either 5mm or 7mm in size. They are much thinner and more fragile than a traditional pencil. Our handcrafted pencils are produced in either a twist or click mechanism, with the click mechanism being by far the most popular.



Although not as popular as pens, handcrafted pencils have very beautiful grain and coloration that you just don’t find in mass produced store bought pens. At Witmer Enterprises (www.witmerenterprises.com), we use many different types of hardwoods to let our pencils shine. Highly grained, brilliantly colored, they are treasured and can be passed down from generation to generation. Besides using hardwoods, we use highly colorful and vibrant acrylic and poly resin banks to add extra texture to the pencil. They are stable in all environments and retain their color and patterns while some hardwoods darken with age.



A matched pen and pencil set makes the perfect gift as the user will have the choice of using either pen or pencil. We manufacture matched sets in our entire line and offer double hardwood wooden boxes to compliment the set. Check out www.witmerenterprises.com for our large selection of hardwood and acrylic combinations. Our best selling sets are the slim line pen and pencil sets and the Executive line pen and pencil sets.



Fine stationery stores will carry the large manufacturer’s best designs, and they are well made but mass produced. To give a unique gift, look for a wood turner or wood worker that specializes in pens and pencils. You can be assured you will not see what they offer elsewhere. Wood workers also generally choose their own hardwoods to work with while the mass producers buy in bulk and rely on a certain percentage of rejects.



We choose each and every piece of hardwood we use and know how each writing instrument will turn out. We also go out on "wood hunts" after major windstorms to see what Mother Nature has provided. We also reclaim hardwoods that may have been flooring, siding, underlayment for roofs, barns, etc. and clean them up and turn beautiful pens and pencils out of them. A good example can be seen on our website. Look at our slim line category and find the black walnut photo. The final product looks nothing like the wood.



So, for that perfect gift, look no further than your local wood worker. Browse though our catalog at www.witmerenterprises.com to get ideas. We can always be contacted to help find that perfect pen and/or pencil combination you’re looking for or to offer advice for a complete desk set. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and when you see some of our offerings, you will be truly satisfied.



© Witmer Enterprises 2010