The Pen Turner's Bible: The Art of Creating Custom Pens

A comprehensive reference that takes you from basic ballpoint pens all the way to complex fountain pens. Richard Kleinhenz packs over 25 projects into this full-color guide, with a strong focus on creative design and custom tooling.

Why Consider This One

Where the Pen Turner’s Workbook focuses on getting you started quickly, Kleinhenz’s book rewards those who want to push deeper into the craft. He covers spiraling jigs, fluted designs, faceted pens, and fountain pen mechanisms with the kind of detail that experienced turners appreciate. His original tool designs are included, giving you the ability to create effects that most pen turners never attempt.

Kleinhenz founded the Pen Makers Guild and organized the first Pen Turners Rendezvous, so the book reflects decades of community knowledge distilled into one volume. The progression from a simple ballpoint to an intricate fountain pen is well paced, with each chapter adding new skills and hardware.

This is not the best first book for a complete beginner, as Kleinhenz assumes some comfort with a lathe and basic turning tools. But for someone who has made a handful of pens and wants to understand what the craft can really become, this is the logical next step.

What to Expect

At 152 pages, the book covers both wood and metal lathes, which broadens the range of what you can create. The project section is substantial, with step-by-step photographs for each design. The final chapters encourage experimentation, pushing you to develop your own signature style rather than simply following templates.