Turning Pens and Pencils

A classic introduction to pen and pencil turning from two authors with over forty years of combined experience. Kip Christensen and Rex Burningham cover the history, techniques, and projects that define the craft, with clear photography guiding every step.

Why Consider This One

This book has been a staple recommendation in the pen turning community since its original publication. Christensen and Burningham bring an educator’s patience to the subject, explaining not just how to turn a pen but why certain techniques produce better results. The historical context is a bonus that most pen turning books skip entirely, giving you a deeper appreciation for the craft.

The projects cover a solid range: twist pens, click pencils, European-style pens, Americana twist pens, and tapered rollerballs. Each project builds on the previous one, and the authors include variations so you can experiment once you have the basic technique down.

At 176 pages, it is more thorough than most introductory guides. The trade-off is that the book was first published in 1999, so the pen kit hardware shown is older. The turning techniques themselves remain exactly the same, but beginners may need to adapt some of the kit-specific instructions to match current products.

What to Expect

The book opens with background on the craft and a tour of essential tools. The project chapters follow a clear progression from simple to intermediate designs. Christensen and Burningham write with the assumption that you may have no prior lathe experience, making this accessible to true beginners despite its depth.