Walnut Burl Rollerball Pen

Handmade with precision and care in Reading, MA.  The perfect gift for one who appreciates natural beauty, craftsmanship, quality, and language.

Check out a video of how I make the Walnut Burl Rollerball pens here!

Walnut has always been a special wood to me. Growing up, I had a walnut tree in my backyard. Every autumn, heavy green walnuts would fall from the branches. For much of my childhood, the primary use of the tree was a source of ammunition for backyard walnut wars. It also served as a natural Green Monster in the Murphy Wiffle Ball Stadium, preventing many well-hit pitches from becoming home-runs. When I began woodworking as a hobby, I was pleased to discover the beauty hiding behind that bark all these years. The grain pattern bursts with tones of mocha, espresso, and vanilla. Best of all, walnut is a pleasure to work with. Durable, yet compliant.

A "burl" is a part of a tree that grows in a deformed manner. Think stumps, lumps, and other non-vertical growths. Burled wood makes up a tiny percentage of a tree’s mass. They are highly sought after in woodworking due to their dramatically figured grain pattern and relative scarcity.

I save my most promising pen blanks for the rollerball format. The large uninterrupted barrel allows each piece of wood to tell its story in full. The writing experience is superior to ballpoint pens, but that is almost besides the point. To me, this particular design feels like watching a movie in IMAX versus iPhone. 

Refill type: Rollerball

Standard ink type: black, fine