(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)
One pen maker I’ve not had the pleasure of purchasing from is Ryan Krusac. Ryan is well known for his beautiful wooden pens. He also creates pens from antler, metal, stone and even hand paints or engraves art on his pens.
A few weeks ago Ryan offered a bunch of pens for sale in an effort to help fellow pen maker, Jonathan Brooks, with medical expenses. I was very excited about this sale because I’ve wanted to buy a Ryan Krusac pen for some time. This seemed like the perfect opportunity. I watched his live Instagram feed and was instantly drawn to a pen made of Japanese Elm. Unfortunately, I was too slow making a decision, and someone else nabbed that beautiful pen. Although the last thing I needed was another black pen, I love the look of Ryan’s ebony wood pens with abalone or turquoise finials. So, before I lost another pen to someone quicker than me, I clicked “buy” and landed a Legend L-15 with abalone finials.
The pen arrived within a few days of purchase. It was enclosed in a silky black kimono.
The Legend L-15 is the second largest version in the Legend collection with a 15mm barrel. The entire pen barrel and cap is made of ebony wood, which is not lacquered. The color isn’t really a black black but rather a dark brown.
Up close, you can see the wood grain unique to the pen.
One of the great characteristics of a wooden pen is how it smells. Put it close to your nose, and you breathe in the essence of the tree from which it was made. Acrylic, plastic, resin, and even celluloid pens (which have an odor, but not necessarily a nice one) don’t offer this special treat. Plus, as the pen is used the oils in my hand will penetrate the wood and it will develop a beautiful sheen.
My Legend has an elegant, simple profile with no clip and no metal parts. There’s a tiny step down from the cap to the barrel, and the wood is smooth and warms to my hand. The only mark on the pen is the subtle Ryan Krusac logo.
Of course, what sets this pen apart (besides the wood) is the abalone. Both finials are flush with the wood and exhibit glorious colors.
The Legend is a medium to large-sized pen with a cartridge/converter filling system. In length, I would call it a medium pen, measuring 5.4 inches/137mm capped, 5 inches/128mm uncapped, and 6.8 inches/173mm posted. It’s girth (15mm) might make it seem like a large pen for people with smaller hands, but the grip is only 11.8mm, so it’s quite comfortable to write with (and I have tiny hands). The pen weighs only 17 grams with ink, unposted.
I chose a steel 1.1mm stub nib. The nib is decorated with a bit of scroll work and the Ryan Krusac logo, but I believe this is a standard JoWo nib. It writes smoothly and the tines are perfectly aligned.
I inked it with Colorverse Rainy Day ink (review coming soon), which is a bit dry. But, the ink has nice shading properties demonstrated by the stub nib.
I am quite pleased with my first Ryan Krusac fountain pen--I say “first” because I’m still hoping to get my hands on a Japanese Elm one of these days. You can purchase pens directly from Ryan’s website. Prices vary depending on the collection, materials, pen size, and nib choice. You can even have a pen custom designed just for you.
(I purchased this Ryan Krusac Legend with my own funds.)
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