Tag: quality writing instruments

Why some of our best pens come without pedigrees

Let’s be honest about something: we have boxes in Rex’s workshop labeled “unknown wood.” Not because we’re trying to be mysterious, but because sometimes life happens and good wood loses its paperwork.

Here’s how a piece of beautiful wood becomes “unknown” at Sarkanys Rising – and why that doesn’t change Rex’s standards one bit.

The Real Reasons Behind Mystery Wood

Estate sales: We find gorgeous wood mixed in with random boxes of supplies. Previous owner knew what it was, but that knowledge didn’t make it to the sale tag.

Our own mistakes: Sometimes I forget to mark a blank after creating it. Sometimes Rex pulls something from storage and even with 40+ years of experience, can’t definitively identify the species. Sometimes we’re pretty sure it’s mahogany, but “pretty sure” gets its own box because we don’t guess when it comes to customer trust.

Rescue missions: That beautiful hardwood dresser on the curb? We’ve saved furniture destined for landfills, but the species identification didn’t come with the rescue.

Supplier Stashes: Cook Woods in Oregon and Woodworkers Source here in Arizona are fantastic family-owned suppliers, but occasionally their “mixed domestic/exotic” boxes and $1.99 bins live up to their name a little too well.

Time and volume: We sort scraps when we have time. We almost never have time. Good wood sits waiting to be identified while Rex focuses on turning and I’m writing blogs.

What Never Changes: Rex’s Standards

Rex builds his own storage cabinets to last generations. He’s not putting his name on anything substandard, whether it’s identified African blackwood or mystery wood from an estate sale box.

When you buy an unknown wood pen, you’re getting:

• The same 40+ years of craftsmanship
• The same attention to detail in turning
• The same quality finish work
• The same lifetime guarantee against defects

The only thing that changes is the price – and that’s because we price based on what we can verify, not what we can market.

The New Incognito Collection

These pens showcase what happens when Rex applies his expertise to woods that have lost their documentation:

Chrome Incognito Pens: Clean hardware that lets the wood speak for itself. These unknowns show grain patterns that would make any identified species proud.

Gold Incognito Pens: Warm tones that complement whatever beautiful wood ended up in these blanks. Sometimes the best combinations happen by accident.

Chameleon Incognito Pens: Color-changing hardware for woods whose own stories have changed along the way.

Colorful Incognito Pens: Bright accents that celebrate the unexpected nature of these rescued woods.

Gun Metal Incognito Pens: As dark as the “Colorfuls” are bright I tend to match them with dark woods and resin but the dark grain on this blank called for that accent!

Why This Matters for You

Real value: Same Rex quality at a lower price because we’re honest about what we don’t know instead of making up marketing stories.

Sustainability in action: Every unknown pen represents wood that could have been discarded just for lack of a label.

Authentic craftsmanship: Rex turns each piece based on how the wood behaves, not what the label says it should do.

Honest business: We could easily call these “exotic mystery wood” and charge premium prices. We don’t.

What You’re Really Buying

When you choose an unknown wood pen, you’re not just getting a writing instrument. You’re supporting:

• A veteran craftsman who refuses to compromise quality regardless of wood pedigree
• A business model that values honesty over marketing hype
• Sustainable practices that give good wood second chances
• The belief that craftsmanship matters more than labels

The Guarantee Remains the Same

Unknown wood? Same lifetime guarantee. Same commitment to make it right if anything goes wrong. Same customer service. Same Rex standing behind his work.

Because at the end of the day, you’re not writing with a wood species – you’re writing with Rex’s 40+ years of experience applied to whatever beautiful material found its way into his hands.

Ready to discover what mystery wood feels like in your hand?

Questions about our unknown woods? We’re always happy to share what we do know – and honest about what we don’t.