The atelier
A single bench, a manual lathe, and no hurry.
The studio in Salt Lake City is small on purpose. One lathe, one maker, one pen on the bench at a time. Below is what happens there and what it is made from.
The process
Six steps, in order, for every pen.
- I
Conversation
Who the pen is for, what they do with their days, and how they write. Hand size, grip, and pressure decide the pen before any material does.
- II
Material
Ebonite rod, hand-poured resin, urushi, stabilized wood, or bar titanium. Chosen for the hand first and the eye second.
- III
Turning
Barrel, cap, and section are turned on a manual lathe. Proportions are checked against the hand, not a drawing.
- IV
Threading and fitting
Threads are cut, not moulded, so the cap seats with a single soft turn and stays seated.
- V
Nib tuning
Every nib is aligned, smoothed, and flow-adjusted on paper. It leaves the bench writing the way you asked for it to write.
- VI
Finishing and sign-off
Polished in stages, numbered, signed, and written with before it ships. If it is not right, it does not leave.
Materials
What a Morrow pen is made from.
Shown: Meridian
Ebonite
Hard rubber, warm to the touch, with a depth of colour no plastic matches. Ages gracefully and can always be repolished.
Shown: Solstice
Cast resin
Poured in the studio in small batches. Translucent, marbled, or shot through with leaf. The pattern is unrepeatable.
Shown: Nocturne
Urushi
Natural lacquer built up in dozens of coats over months. The deepest black there is, and the most patient.
Shown: Ember
Stabilized wood
Figured hardwoods impregnated with resin under vacuum so they ignore humidity, then oil-finished so the grain stays in the hand.
Shown: Basalt
Titanium and bronze
Machined from bar. Titanium for pens that travel; bronze for pens that are meant to change colour with their owner.
Care and service
For the life of the pen.
Lifetime service
Every Morrow pen is serviced for the life of the pen by the maker. Nib tuning, repolishing, and seals are provided whenever the pen needs them.
Ink and paper
Any fountain-pen ink is fine. Pigmented and iron-gall inks are fine too, if the pen is flushed monthly. Avoid India ink and anything for dip pens.
Ebonite and urushi
Keep them out of long direct sun. Ebonite can be brought back with a polish; urushi should never be polished with abrasives. Wipe with a soft cloth and leave the rest alone.
Wood and bronze
Oil-finished wood likes to be handled and dislikes being left wet. Bronze will darken with use; that is the point. A cloth brings it back if you prefer it bright.