(Caroline Foty's first fountain pen was a 1970s Sheaffer No Nonsense that still writes perfectly. Since she discovered pens by independent makers, she wants "one of each, please" and wants to meet all the makers. Maybe you do, too. She lives in Baltimore with pens, cats, and all kinds of fiber arts supplies.)
Shawn Newton is one of the “Old Guard.” While teaching art in a high school near his home in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Newton set out to become a maker of pens in early 2012, at a time when there were few independent pen makers in the country. “I’ve always liked making things,” he said, not to mention fixing all kinds of things around the house. As an artist he drew with pen and ink, and collected pens for some time before he saw his first handmade pen. A Kickstarter grant, as well as the sale of most his pens, provided him the funding to get off the ground.
Newton’s website lists about ten different pen styles. He creates pens from hand-poured resins made by Jonathon Brooks, Bob Dupras, and other resin artists, as well as ebonite and acrylics. His most distinctive design, the sculpted Prospector, requires much handwork and has a triangular-prism shape.
“I wanted to make pens that were comfortable to hold and use. That's why some of my dimensions are what they are. For example, the distance from the front of a barrel to the step behind the threads (if there is a step) is because the step can very often make a pen uncomfortable to use for more than a few minutes. Putting the step farther back gives most hands plenty of room to find the sweet spot and not bump into it. The size of the step up is also the smallest it can be and allow for the cap to still have thick walls.”
He finds inspiration in many sources – in vintage pens, in the first pens he made on a wood lathe, and in nature and art. “I get a LOT of inspiration from flowers and things in nature for blank ideas. I don't make my own blanks, but I've had lots of custom blanks made for me over the years, especially from Bob Dupras. Some inspiration has come from looking at artwork - right now I'm working on a sort of Halloween themed pen based on a friend's art. There are skulls and tombstones and ghosts on it.”
What do you like most about being a pen maker? Although being self-employed can be stressful, “I’m my own boss, it’s awesome!” Despite this independent attitude, he is not tempted to learn to make his own materials. “With two people here in Arkansas that will custom pour for me, and several more around the country if I asked, I'm at no loss for materials.”
“My biggest fear is that I'll have to get a ‘real’ job once day, if people just quit buying fountain pens! There are parts that aren't fun, like the paperwork and taxes and sanding and buffing (because they hurt my arm, neck, and shoulder so much) but really, it's all pretty enjoyable. I love going from a plain round blank through the shaping and threading and having a finished pen in the end. I especially love when people request color and material combos I've never done before. Those are always a ton of fun to see finished. And when I get that note or email telling me they love the pen? I love my job.”
One unique aspect of Newton’s work is the modification and rebuilding of pens by major makers. A few years into his pen making career, someone sent him a couple of Pelikan M800s and some materials and asked him to modify the pens. Sometimes he will repair and replace parts; other times he extracts the nib, clip, and trim and builds a new pen around them, builds a new pen for an orphaned cap or barrel, or puts a new colorful barrel on an existing section.
Pen makers do buy pens! Newton’s favorite pen at the moment that he did not make is from a maker called Kasama, based in the Philippines. The pen is turned from the extremely hard Ultem high-strength plastic, and has a fude nib.
Although he no longer works as a teacher, Newton has remained engaged in ways to help students succeed, and draws inspiration from his own experience. “I’ve had so many people over the years say, ‘Hey, here’s some money,’” whether it was for furthering his education, dealing with a medical crisis, or establishing his business. The Newton Pens Scholarships program was founded to provide a leg up to students who need a little help to move their educations forward. Newton raises funds year-round for this program, including through auctioning donated pens on eBay. As word of this work has spread, he has been speaking to philanthropy groups in his area about the success of his program.
Besides his website and Instagram, Shawn Newton’s work can be seen in person at pen shows in Arkansas, DC, Chicago, and Dallas.
Thank you Shawn for sharing your story!
