u/TroubadourPensmith

This has quickly become my most popular model! It's a real joy to make! Main body wood is Brazilian King Cocobolo and the shoulders are Wenge from Africa. The finish is Troubadour's "Heritage" finish - shellac and a carnauba/beeswax blend. All built on a raw, uncoated brass hardware set. Lines are burned in, as always, with a D'Addario Chrome wound "G" electric guitar string - same ones I use on my ES-335!

This has quickly become my most popular model! It's a real joy to make! Main body wood is Brazilian King Cocobolo and the shoulders are Wenge from Africa. The finish is Troubadour's "Heritage" finish - shellac and a carnauba/beeswax blend. All built on a raw, uncoated brass hardware set. Lines are burned in, as always, with a D'Addario Chrome wound "G" electric guitar string - same ones I use on my ES-335!

I made it this week for another lovely customer of mine! My workshop is really ramping up as of late with this becoming my most popular model! This particular Nocturne Slim is made from Katalox with Maple shoulders on top of raw brass hardware that I purchase and then custom-machine to suit my needs - in this case - grinding off the brass shoulders to slim the body down to a svelte 11mm OD. My six-line maker’s mark is burned in with a D’Addario Chrome wound G - the same strings I use on my ES-335. Finish is, as always, Troubadour’s Heritage Finish - Shellac with a carnauba/beeswax blend applied in several coats at high friction on the lathe. I already have another order for one of these in Cocobolo and Wenge due out next week. I’ll post when it’s done! May your chisels be sharp and your lathe spinning like the wind!

I made it this week for another lovely customer of mine! My workshop is really ramping up as of late with this becoming my most popular model! This particular Nocturne Slim is made from Katalox with Maple shoulders on top of raw brass hardware that I purchase and then custom-machine to suit my needs - in this case - grinding off the brass shoulders to slim the body down to a svelte 11mm OD. My six-line maker’s mark is burned in with a D’Addario Chrome wound G - the same strings I use on my ES-335. Finish is, as always, Troubadour’s Heritage Finish - Shellac with a carnauba/beeswax blend applied in several coats at high friction on the lathe. I already have another order for one of these in Cocobolo and Wenge due out next week. I’ll post when it’s done! May your chisels be sharp and your lathe spinning like the wind!

I built this Cadence for my sister-in-law. It is made from Satine (Bloodwood) with Hard Maple accents at the twist joint and finial with antique brass hardware. As with all my pens, it is finished with Shellac, and a carnauba/beeswax bland. No CA on my pens. This is an ancient finish used and trusted by artisans and craftsmen for centuries. You actually feel the wood and it warms to a gorgeous personal patina over time.

Craftsmanship. Quality. Compact. Good things DO come in small packages - The "Cadence"

Let me know what you think!

I built this Cadence for my sister-in-law. It is made from Satine (Bloodwood) with Hard Maple accents at the twist joint and finial with antique brass hardware. As with all my pens, it is finished with Shellac and a carnauba/beeswax blend. No CA on my pens. This is an ancient finish used and trusted by artisans and craftsmen for centuries. You actually feel the wood and it warms to a gorgeous personal patina over time.

Craftsmanship. Quality. Compact. Good things DO come in small packages - The "Cadence"

Let me know what you think!

I built this Cadence for my sister-in-law. It is made from Satine (Bloodwood) with Hard Maple accents at the twist joint and finial with antique brass hardware. As with all my pens, it is finished with Shellac, and a carnauba/beeswax bland. No CA on my pens. This is an ancient finish used and trusted by artisans and craftsmen for centuries. You actually feel the wood and it warms to a gorgeous personal patina over time.

Craftsmanship. Quality. Compact. Good things DO come in small packages - The "Cadence"

Let me know what you think!

Just finished and photographed this Nocturne Standard Model, custom built for a client. Wood is an exquisite piece of Gonçalo Alves with Raw Brass hardware. Nib is a Jinhao 82 extra fine with gold trim, sport-tuned by me to write as smooth as silk. Very proud of this new Troubadour! Just wanted to show it off!

"Nocturne" (NOCK-turn) - an artistic work that is inspired by, or evocative of the night

He was a lighthouse keeper on a small island off the coast of the mainland in the cold North Atlantic. A nocturnal life, was his; tending the light for so many years. There, he spent countless nights in darkness with only the faint glow from whale-oil lanterns to keep the shadows at bay whilst carrying out his nightly duties or making a hearty stew with a hot cup of tea to warm his belly while mighty storms raged just outside his door.

Though dismal it may seem, alone in the dark, night after night - He never minded the inky black solitude for he was never truly alone. This pen, issued to him on his first night as a young wickie, was his constant companion. This instrument of wood and heavy, raw brass, as rugged and beautiful as any nautical tool of the age, was with him through it all.

With it, he wrote in his logbook to document the workings of the lighthouse every night, without fail. With it, he wrote fantastical stories of the deep, black sea to keep his creative mind sharp and flowing. He also used it to write in his diary so that, maybe someday, others would know how much he loved his maritime life and how much the day his lighthouse was automated crushed his very soul.

But, he also used this very pen to write to you, to tell you how much he loved you and how much he hoped you would take his trusted companion and write your own story with it when he passed it on to you.

The howling wind.
The crashing waves.
The driving rain.
The lonely foghorn.

This is the sound of the sea.
This is the song of the night.
This is your Nocturne.

Thanks for reading!

This pen is made from Raw bass with Bethlehem Olive as the main body wood and Bloodwood accent shoulders.

See how I use a D’Addario Chrome guitar string to burn my six-string maker’s mark into the grip section of a pen!

Possibly the most important tool in my entire workshop…

The ability to mark accurately before cutting is essential when working with wood. I have used many pencils over the years, all with some sort of trade off or compromise between form and function, comfort and durability. And so, I set out to build the definitive carpenter's pencil for myself. I narrowed the requirements down to these four:

1. A lead that could withstand being pushed up against a piece of wood turning at 3000 RPM without breaking.
2. It had to have rugged brass hardware, inside and out to withstand being used all day, every day in demanding conditions.
3. It had to be comfortable in my hand as it is held off and on for hours at a time.
4. It had to be beautiful. I don't believe that you have to trade functionality for style...if you really set your mind to it.

And so, here it is - my own personal carpenter's pencil. I go nowhere without it.

It uses a thick 2mm lead. The eraser section pops off to hide a sharpener underneath to keep the point razor sharp when I need to make precise lines on a piece of wood. The solid brass hardware takes a beating not just on the outside, but the entire body of the pen is a strong brass tube underneath the wood. The grip, burned in by guitar strings, ensures that the pencil is comfortable to hold and won't slip out of my fingers whether I’m making marks on turning wood in my workshop or working a crossword puzzle by candlelight. And, as you can see from the pictures, the exotic King Cocobolo wood complements the antiqued brass hardware to make the one of the most handsome-looking writing implements in my collection.

Dings and dents, sawdust and scratches - I'd never trade my trusty carpenter's pencil for anything else. It's my solid workmate. My constant companion!

Just an ode to my favorite pencil!