Care for your Handcrafted Items

Your handcrafted item is just like any other quality instrument, it need occasional cleaning and maintenance. A pen can be even more unique, in that it gets handled daily, tossed, jostled and generally used on a regular basis. A seam ripper, and other handcrafted items, also can be handled on a regular basis, and will need care as well.

The oils from our hands eat the finishes on the pen body and hardware. Dirt and other abrasives come into contact with the pen, which can lightly scratch the surfaces of the pen. These fine scratches, dirt and oils are what causes a pen to become dull over time. Oils can also hide the fine details in the body of the pen. You can easily keep your pen looking and working like new.

Since a Handcrafted pen (or other item from my shop) is more delicate, it should be kept out of extreme environments. Do not leave your pen in the car during the summer when it can get very hot or in the winter when it can get very cold. These temperature changes can cause the ink to dry out prematurely, cause the wood, acrylic, or other body material to expand or shrink, and potentially cause finish problems. Some woods (Pink Ivory, Ebony, Snakewood and other exotic burls) are very susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity.  Please take care not to drop your Handcrafted item as the materials can chip or break.

Regular Use

Pens should be used, not stored away in a drawer. Enjoy and treasure your pen, but also please use your pen. Using your pen regularly will help you continue to enjoy it for years to come.

Cleaning

If your pen is made of 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), the you can use a fine plastic polish or automotive polish to keep it in good condition.

Refilling

Over time, your pen will run low or out of ink. Replacing the ink is straightforward. If it is a ballpoint pen, remove the old ballpoint cartridge and replace it with a new one. If it is a rollerball pen, then replace the ink cartridge. Fountain pens can either have a cartridge or can be manually refilled.

Taking care of your handmade pen is easy to do, and it will reward you with many years of enjoyment. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at stacey@inspiredturning.com.