Pen Finishes

The pen finish refers to the “topcoat” or material applied to the barrel
of the pen. Some finishes are more durable or low maintenance than
others. Some are shinier than others. And still others have a different
feel in the hand. The finish you should select boils down to your
preference and how you think you are going to be using your pen! We
finish all pens that we offer for sale - no naked wood here! We want
your pen to bring you joy for a long time!

A handmade blue and gold resin and aluminum fountain pen rests on a black stand. The plating is chrome and it features a German Iridium nib.

High Gloss

The standard finish for our resin pens, high gloss refers to the polishing process for the resin pens. By going through a multi-step sanding, wet sanding, and polishing process, a very high shine is achieved on resin pens. Resin pens with high gloss finish are very durable and will do just fine tucked into a bag, backpack, or purse.

handmade wood click pen with gun metal plating on a black stand

Cyanoacrylate (CA)

Cyanoacrylate (CA) acts as a very tough, durable, topcoat for wood and hybrid pens. It polishes similar to resin and offers very tough protection. It sits on top of the pen body as a sort of “candy-coat.” It feels smooth in the hand.

Cyanoacrylate finishes can be high gloss or matte (less shiny), depending on the final result desired. Some of our wooden pens have a protective CA finish that has been polished to be matte, so they don't appear to have the "candy-coat" look.

CA finishes are quite durable and tough.

A handmade Buckeye Burl wood rollerball pen on a black stand

Wax

A minimal finish, wax goes on top of wood to protect the wood and ward off fingerprints. While not a long-term finish, it can be refreshed with minimal effort if needed or desired. It preserves the all-natural look and feel of wood. Wax can be added in combination with other, more durable finishes.

Wax is not an exceptionally strong or durable finish, and will need to be maintained as the pen is used.

a handmade australian mallee burl wood pen with gun metal plating on a black stand

Boiled Linseed Oil

Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) is an oil finish used only on wooden or hybrid pens. It saturates into the wood and offers protection against moisture while darkening the wood and enhancing its grain. BLO dries hard, so the pen will not feel oily in your hand. We normally put wax on top of pens treated with BLO for further protection.

BLO can also be combined with a CA finish to enhance the grain and then protect the wood. BLO by itself is not an exceptionally durable finish and may need maintenance as the pen is used.