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| Calender & Information About Us |
About My Pens
24kt Gold - The basic Gold plating, fairly durable but will eventually wear. Cobalt Gold - A much more durable Gold plating, much more durable than 24kt Gold. 10kt Gold - More durable than 24kt or Cobalt Gold since it is mixed with other alloys to make it harder. Titanium Gold - The most durable Gold plating; will get shinier over time. Black Titanium - A very hard, Extremely durable plating - changes color depending on how the light reflects off the surface. Limited availability but probably the most wear resistant Polished Chrome - Very shiny, very durable (look at your car bumper) - This is the best plating for key rings. Satin or Brushed Chrome - A dull chrome finish, not quite as durable as polished chrome. Platinum or Rhodium - Used on jewelry, very shiny chrome-like appearance. Very durable but can be expensive. Gun Metal - A moderately durable plating - appearance very similar to Black Titanium. Swiss Rose Gold, Sterling Silver - The most elegant and expensive platings - Very limited availability. There are other platings available but on a special order basis.
The wood from Maryland's Wye Oak Tree is my special wood. I currently work with about 70 species of wood and am always on the lookout for more, especially something out of the ordinary. Among the woods I use are some very rare species which are in very limited supply and I also use some burls and dyed woods - such as maple and boxelder burls, - dymondwood, colorply, and colorgrain (which are dyed maple, birch, or poplar veneers glued together). I also use man-made products such as acrylics, polyester and epoxy resins, and solid surface (Corian, etc.). If you want a certain wood, I may be able to get it for you. I can even make pens, etc. from a special piece of wood, or even antler, that you may have. Refills
supply stores to the big box stores or on the internet. The ballpoint pens use either a "Cross" or "Parker" style refill. The fountain pens use either bottled ink or the small about 1-1/4" long cartridges. Rollerball pens use a standard rollerball refill - most use a Cross selectip or Waterman but also a Pilot G-2 will work. The mini-pens use the refills that are used in the 3-color pens. Each style pencil uses a different lead -.5mm; .7mm; .9mm, 2mm drafting lead, or a 5.6mm sketching lead.
I use either a lacquer based finish, a 'French-Polish', or an oil based finish on my products followed by a wax coating. Care for these products as you would a fine piece of furniture - a microfiber cloth works best for cleaning and a coat of paste wax is sufficient for protection. DO NOT USE automotive waxes or solvents or silicone based waxes as these contain products that are detrimental to th finishes and woods. Most woods will darken with age and use, this is common - look at antiques. After repeated use the wood will develop a 'patina'. Even as small and thin as the wood is in these items, there is still some slight movement caused by the weather or conditions present. About Myself
woodworking. I have worked in multi-million dollar custom homes and historic homes and have earned respect and an excellent reputation from the people I have known and met. I started turning pens and pencils in the early part of the year 2000 as a way to use some of the scrap material my job produces and relax from the pressures of my job. Also, I now have a chance to use some of the most expensive, exotic, and rare woods without "breaking the bank", which I have wanted to use since my childhood. Although I am mostly "self - taught", I learned some of my skills from my family backgrounds and from some of the best professionals in my area, most who have either passed away or moved away from my hometown. I started this company as part time home based business in January of 2002 so I could sell my merchandise at artisan and craft shows, which I now do 20+ of per year. Since I work full time as a cabinetmaker / millwork specialist , this is still a part time business. I do not have a storefront but work out of a small shop by my home. My business name is Olde Wye Pen Company, but I am more known as "da 'PEN' man" at the shows I attend and by my customers, hence the name of my website. I currently travel throughout Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia to different artisan and craft shows, which I will list on this site. At some of these shows, I bring my lathe and turn the pens "right in front of your eyes". I also do demonstrations at some woodworking, craft, and art shows throughout Maryland. |
Upcoming Shows / News
| Olde Wye Pen Company |
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| I am in the Amish Country Easton, Md. 101 Marlboro Avenue Open Thursday 9 - 6 Friday 9 - 7 Saturday 9 - 3 amishcountryfarmersmarket.com |
| FYI: I am now doing Gift Cards. These will be processed by SQUARE, INC. |
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| I AM STILL RECOVERING FROM A MAJOR STROKE AND AM IMPROVING EVERY DAY. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THIS MAY TAKE YEARS I UNFORTUNATELY I HAVE LIMITED USE OF MY RIGHT ARM SO I WILL NOT BE MAKING SOME THINGS BUT I AM MAKING SOME ITEMS NOW. I HAVE LIMITED STOCK AND MAY BE OUT OF SOME ITEMS. PLEASE BEAR WITH ME AS I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO YOU RIGHT AWAY. THANK YOU October 22,2018 |
| I am now doing limited laser engraving on pens. Email or Text me for info. |
| Cleaning of Fountain Pens Fountain pens are finicky - they must be used frequently (if there is ink in them) or there may be problems, mostly with the pen skipping or not writing properly. Here is a cleaning method to help: Since ink is thinner than water cleaning with water can cause problems. Dilute a cleaning product such as Fantastic or 409 at least 50% with alcohol and force it thru the tip with the pump, while keeping the tip/nib completely submerged in the solution. Do this until the liquid is clear. After this is done do the same thing “rinse” the tip/nib with plain alcohol. This should eliminate any dried ink which is the main cause of the pen not working properly. If you are going to store these pens, please use the above procedure to clean the pen(s) and keep the cap in place on the pen. HOW TO REFILL Use ink made for Fountain Pens only! Do Not use India Ink - It can destroy the nib. To Refill using cartridges: Unscrew nib & remove from the barrel; Pull off spent cartridge, push on new cartridge. Put assembly back in barrel and screw on nib. Prime pen by snapping the tip downward with your hand to start ink flow. You can also prime the pen by squeezing the cartridge before you reassemble the pen. To fill, using the pump: Use only ink made for Fountain Pens. Any other type of ink (i.e. India Ink) will cause problems and premature wear of the pen nib. Unscrew the nib/pump assembly and remove it from the body barrel. (Do not separate the pump from the nib.) Turn the black handle on the pump counter- clockwise until the piston is at its limit. Insert the nib (the entire metal portion) into the ink. Turn the handle clockwise, drawing ink into the cylinder. Repeat once or twice for maximum fill. Wipe the nib with tissue to remove excess ink. You will get ink on you during filling, everyone does. Ink comes out of cloth if you soak the cloth in whole white milk soon after staining. (Most ink is water- based.) (Caution: drastic atmospheric pressure changes [i.e. airplane cabins] may cause fountain pens to leak.) The pen is primed and ready to be used. |
| USING A FOUNTAIN PEN Unlike ballpoint pens you must learn to properly use and maintain a fountain pen. A good way to begin is to establish a general understanding of how fountain pens work. In the simplest of term ink travels from a sealed container (cartridge or converter pump) through a hole and then into the feed. The feed has a thin groove on top which carries the ink to the feed fins and then to the tip of the nib. When the nib touches the paper the ink is drawn to the paper by capillary action and flows from the feed fins which are replenished from the feed groove which is replenished from the sealed ink container. As more ink is used a vacuum is created in the sealed in container which is relieved by ‘gulping’ an air bubble from the hole in the nib. The ink in the feed wings and under the nib are held in place by a combination of water surface tension and molecular attraction and the vacuum in the sealed in container. PREPARING AND USING A NEW FOUNTAIN PEN Whether you are using an ink cartridge or the converter pump the fountain pen must first be primed with ink. Ink must be in the feed groove, in the feed wings, and under the nib before the pen will write properly and continuously Cartridge: Insert the open end of the cartridge firmly onto the nipple inside the back of the nib section. Now you must prime the pen. There are two methods. The first is to squeeze the cartridge so ink comes out of the tip of the nib. Clean the nib and under the feed with a tissue; write a few words to test the pen. It should write. If it doesn’t squeeze the cartridge again but harder. The second method is to screw the pen together with the cartridge attached and quickly snap the pen down hard so ink comes out the front of the nib. Clean the ink from the nib and under the feed with a tissue. Test and repeat if the pen does not write. Converter Pump: Insert the open end of the pump firmly onto the nipple inside the back of the nib section. Turn the black ridged piston handle gently counter clockwise until the piston is at the bottom of the pump. Dip the nib entirely into your ink bottle and then turn the handle clockwise to draw the ink up into the pump. Clean the nib and the bottom of the feed with tissue paper. The pen is now automatically primed. USING AND MAINTAINING A FOUNTAIN PEN OVER TIME Many years ago before ballpoint pens people would purchase and use the same fountain pen for many years. The more you use a fountain pen the more it becomes ‘your’ pen. The nib breaks in according to the way you hold and write with it. If you used another person’s fountain pen, it just would not feel right. Your fountain pen will occasionally need minor maintenance. If you don’t write with it for a few days the ink may dry in the nib tip. The symptom is the pen will skip or not write. To remedy this run a small warm stream of water OVER the tip of the nib for a second or two; the pen should write. If this does not work after a couple of tries you may need to thoroughly clean the pen using the method on the other side of this paper. You will probably have to do this if you have not used your pen for a couple of months. When not in use the best way to store your pen is horizontal TROUBLESHOOTING Pen will not write, skips, or writes a few lines and stops. If this is the first time the pen is used and you are using the cartridge then the pen has not been primed properly. Prime the pen again by squeezing the cartridge, you need to see a lot of ink come out. If the pen has not been in use for a while and has written well in the past, first run a small stream of warm water over the tip of the nib. If this does not work try priming the pen again. If this does not work you may have to clean the pen. Pen ‘Globs’ ink while writing or a large amount of ink flows onto he paper. This means the ink holder has lost vacuum. When using a cartridge this can occur when the ink supply is very low. Change the cartridge when the ink gets low - do not wait until the pen stops writing. If this happens with the converter pump then the pump is bad, obtain a replacement. Another cause of this is a small hair or paper fiber can get caught in the nib slit - inspect the nib and remove the hair or fiber very carefully with a pair of tweezers. If you press down on the pen too hard while you are writing you may spread the nib - this can cause the ink to ‘glob’; if done often you will destroy the nib. A problem that occurs occasionally is the paper itself leads to the pen skipping - I have found this problem with all types of pens. |