Worth the Wait: Bamboo Style Pen by Ken Cavers

Ken’s Bamboo Style Pen in Cumberland Ebonite

Back in the winter, I was browsing through the pens on Ken Cavers’ site and grew more and more intrigued by his Bamboo style pens. The shape is just so cool and unlike any other pen I own. And the materials? Wow. But I held off for a bit, having just come off of the Christmas spending season.

THIS entry, though, did me in. We were traveling home from a Valentine’s dinner with friends, I checked my phone, read Ken’s post, and emailed him immediately. From the car. I needed a Bamboo pen, STAT. In Cumberland Ebonite, please.

While Ken’s a talented pen-maker, he’s also a doctor, up to his eyeballs in busy-ness. And his pens have become very popular, so Ken let me know that there’d be a bit of a wait. No problem. It just felt good to be on the list.

My pen arrived in late May, and was well worth the wait. I own one of Ken’s Tiger Stripey pens, so I knew what to expect…gorgeous materials expertly crafted into a stunning pen. And that’s exactly what I received.

The Cumberland Ebonite smells a touch odd (a little “eggy”), but more than makes up for that in looks. There’s a bit of a wood-grain pattern that suits the bamboo shape perfectly. The black-cherry color is rich and warm and interestingly subtle.

I ordered a fine nib (no surprise there), and loaded the included converter with my new favorite black ink, Monteverde’s Black. The nib lays down a line that is nicely wet and smooth; so smooth that words flow effortlessly from my head, through the pen, and onto the page.

Bamboo Style vs. TWSBI Micarta

At a capped length of 6″, uncapped length of 5.5″, and a diameter of approximately 5/8″, this is a good-sized pen. The section is nicely contoured, measures about 3/8″ in diameter, and is very comfortable to hold. Despite its size, the pen isn’t heavy, yet feels substantial. The ebonite is warm to the touch and glassy-smooth. I like everything about the look and feel of Ken’s handiwork.

Bamboo vs. Kaweco Sport

So this is my second pen from Ken, but my first Bamboo style as well as my first ebonite pen. Something tells me I’ll be going back for more.

I mean, check out this pocket pen. Oh, my.

Dr. Ken, I’ll kill time in your waiting room any day.

Channeling Your Inner Tigger: The Tiger Stripey Pen by Ken Cavers

Grrrrrr

Even if you’re fundamentally an Eeyore (me!), there are some things that can bring out your inner Tigger; some things that can make you bounce with excitement and utter that Tigger-esque WOOHOOHOOHOO! My Tiger Stripey pen is one of those things. Made by Ken Cavers, a physician in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the Tiger Stripey is a complete package of fountain pen goodness.

Tigger with Tiger Stripey

My Twitter feed is full of interesting pen and ink enthusiasts. We trade opinions of pens and paper and ink, and share photos of our pen-related loot. Ken’s photos of his handmade pens immediately caught my eye, especially the Tiger Stripey pen that he’d recently finished and shared. This thing looked HOT. After a short stint on my wishlist, I contacted Ken to get my very own. The cool thing about Twitter (and Ken) is that I was able to see my pen progress from a rectangular block of acrylic to the finished pen in just a couple of days. Two weeks later (agonizing wait for the mail!), I had the Tiger Stripey in hand.

I chose the clipless model, preferring, in this case, to have nothing draw the eye away from the wonderfully swirled orange and black acrylic. The goldy-orangey swirls, in particular, shimmer and shine, and are almost like looking into a hologram. You can see into the depths of the acrylic. Very cool. HOT and cool.

Pretty eye catching, eh?

The two-tone German nib (a medium) is crazy smooth. Ken’s note said that this particular nib had been very good to start with, but that he’d also done a bit of smoothing to make it absolutely perfect. It really IS luscious (and I don’t throw that word around lightly…or at all). Filled with Montblanc’s Mystery Black, this is a dream pen. Simply great. And handmade. Which seems like a little miracle to me.

Sehr gut! (High school German for “very good.”)

So when I’m using the Tiger Stripey, my Eeyoreish tendencies evaporate, and I’m full of Tigger-like enthusiasm. Though my bouncing days are over, I’m bouncing on the INSIDE.

Tigger agrees.

So in conclusion…WOOHOOHOOHOO!