Destiny, heritage, inheritance: powerful words that evoke a sense of tradition and continuity. Whether used in conversation or in writing, they should not be lightly applied. But in the case of Tim McKenzie, his company Mckenzie Penworks, and his dramatic, unique material—Diamond Cast—the words are appropriate.
McKenzie isn't joking when he describes himself as having grown up “hanging out in the backrooms of jewelry stores." His mother is a gemologist of more than 40 years, and spending time watching his parents work retail, he observed the marriage of luxury materials with genuine customer service.
After studying computer science and working in that field, McKenzie began to build custom drums to satisfy his musical urges. Not content with off-the-shelf options, he worked with a machinist and created the first magnesium alloy snare drum. Developing something unique from a new or previously unused material appealed to him.
McKenzie reflects on his first pens: “We built some drums from wood, so we had scraps lying around. It felt wasteful to throw those away, so I began pen turning.” He sold most of those pens and gave others to family and friends. While still working in IT, McKenzie decided to make pens more seriously and attend crafts shows.
McKenzie and his wife, Callie, formed McKenzie Penworks and sold at craft shows and on Etsy. Before long, he realized he wanted to create his own materials, hoping to make blanks unlike any others.
Denne historien er fra December 2021-utgaven av PEN WORLD.
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Denne historien er fra December 2021-utgaven av PEN WORLD.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Show Your Summer Style
The newest Visconti Homo Sapiens, Iris Garden, is a tribute to the beautiful irises that bloom each spring in Florence, Italy's Iris Garden.
Good Made Better Keeps Getting Better
SUZANNE C. LEE tests Dan Keller's wood and metal reading and writing accessories and finds her childhood dream desk come to fruition.
Layers of Talent: River City Pen Company
With his skills in design and eye for details, Rich Paul crafts pens that are as beautiful as they are functional.
Fathoming the Unfathomable
The new Kanilea Pen Co. Blue Moana fountain pen and Mau Loa cap band are inspired by the ocean's depths and universal interconnectivity.
Truphae: Flexibility Is Key
This young pen shop is writing a new chapter in retail pen sales by finding unique ways to foster community.
"Winter Counts:" Transforming Non-fiction into Fiction
Creative writing typically blends what we know and experience with what we invent and imagine.
Swivodex, Sailors, and the Plastic Revolution: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part V
The end of World War II ushered in a new era, with plastics technology opening the way to better and less costly products of all sorts.
The Mystery of the Purloined Parkers
What do G-men, mobsters, and tampons have in common? The two most epic fountain pen heists in history.
The Other Articles of Impeachment
\"Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! All persons are commanded to keep silent, on pain of imprisonment...\"
The Road to Recovery
A recent trip to Wajima, Japan, by TACCIA's Shu-Jen Lin shows tragedy in the present but hope for the future.