ABOUT MY BEAVER-CHEWED-STICK PENS:

Handmade pens are a commonplace item these days, but where else can you find a pen that's made by both the hands of a human and the teeth of a beaver?

My beaver-stick pens are made from genuine beaver-chewed sticks, collected from streams and ponds near my home in rural Maine. As you might imagine, finding sticks that are the right combination of a good diameter, straightness, and attractively beaver-chewed isn't easy.

The stick is made into a pen by drilling out the center and inserting a BiC Cristal™ pen refill. These refills are 5 inches long and hold enough ink to last most users months or longer. When the refill needs replacing, the old one can be pulled out of the pen (pliers or something similar may be needed to give you a better grip) and a new refill from a BiC Cristal pen inserted.

These pens are finished with multiple coats of polyurethane.

ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PEN:

This pen is 7 inches (180 mm) long and about 7/16 inch (11 mm) in diameter. The beaver has chomped off the end of the stick at an angle, leaving visible toothmarks, and also nipped off a sub-branch near the top. The beaver has also stripped the bark off of this stick (the bark of twigs is a favorite food of beavers), leaving behind faint tooth marks all along the length of the pen. In addition to its beaver enhancements, this pen has some nice "twiggy" character in its own right, adding to its visual appeal.

NOTE:

The gift box shown in some of the pictures is a selectable option.

Each pen ships with a "certificate of authenticity" printed on the back of one of my business cards. This describes the origin and making of the pen and explains how to replace the refill. If you're giving a beaver-stick pen as a gift, this will make a nice addition to the presentation.

I don't think you can beat a beaver-stick pen for its utter uniqueness, nor can I imagine a pen with a more endearing story behind it -- the story of one of nature's most charming creatures enjoying a nice snack. A beaver-stick pen is a fun conversation piece and is sure to bring joy to whoever uses it.