Elbwood - The Hanseatic Penmaker

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Elbwood - The Hanseatic Penmaker

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Frank Pressentin ist Künstler & Handwerker. In seiner Hamburger Atelier-Werkstatt entstehen Schreibge

individuell hangefertigte Schreibinstrumente / bespoke writing instruments, made by hand

27/10/2026

Q&A with a Penmaker No.8
Frank explains the difference between the three models of ELBWOOD fountain pens. POCKETMASTER, SHORTCAP and LONGCAP are not only the three models of the core collection and special editions but also the base for the Precious collection and Bespoke projects.

Got a question for Frank? Leave it in the comments, maybe it's next.

26/10/2026

The line where the SHORTCAP's smooth body gives way to its knurled grip isn't placed by eye. It follows the golden ratio, the same proportion found in shells, in classical architecture, in the kind of forms that feel right before you know why.

Since 2026, every nib behind that grip has been 18K gold, size JoWo No. 6, tested and tuned by hand before it's ever installed. Small decisions, repeated across every single piece, are what the SHORTCAP has always been about.

25/10/2026

Watch how this grip section gets its shine: tumbled in corn granulate, the same slow, natural process that shapes stone and glass in the sea over years. After that, it goes into an ultrasonic bath, clearing away any oil or residue left from the earlier steps.
For the finish, Frank turns the nib into place, slowly and careful.

This LIFE PEN was made for a woman going through breast cancer treatment, and steps like this, however small, are part of what makes it hers.
You can watch the full process on our Youtube channel.

23/10/2026

The walnut of this POCKETMASTER comes from a tree in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern that Frank felled about ten years ago, with his father and an old carpenter beside him.

ELBWOOD seasons all its wood for at least eight years before working it. Here it is oiled with linseed and nothing else, so the grain stays tangible, and set against solid silver in the grip and everywhere inside.

Warm wood, cool metal, about 46 g.

One of 24 in THE NINE 2026.

21/10/2026

No screen guides any of the machines in Frank's atelier, only his hands, on tools that are old, precise and entirely analog.
He works from solid material, shaping each design directly on the running lathe as it moves, a way of working that lets something of himself pass into every piece, the way a sculptor works stone.

20/10/2026

Q&A with the Penmaker No.7

There is no simple answer to one of the most frequently asked questions. It all depends on various things and now that Frank isn't working alone in the Atelier anymore, it changes a little bit.

What's your question for Frank? Leave it in the comments and we try to answer it in this series.

19/10/2026

The ebony in this LONGCAP waited at least eight years before it became a barrel.
First outdoors, roughly one year for every centimeter of thickness, then in the atelier, moving a little higher toward the ceiling each year, where the air is driest, as in traditional violin making.
Only then was it turned, oiled with linseed and nothing else, and set against a cap of hand hammered copper.
Everything inside is copper too. It will darken with time, and that is intended.

One of 24 in THE NINE 2026.

18/10/2026

Isn't it satisfying to watch a machine adjusted entirely by hand?
The machines in my atelier are old, precise and mechanically analog, controlled by hand, not digitally.

I always work from solid material, adjusting the design directly on the lathe as it runs. That transfers something of my own hand into the piece, much like a sculptor works stone. It's also why no two pieces ever really turn out the same, which, to me, is the only way to make something truly unique.

This one is part of THE COMMANDER PEN, made from a Royal Navy sextant. If you want to watch the whole process, the full video is on our YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/yhIU9mS3xb8?si=waTgPvtlEMwoM7Go

15/10/2026

The form of the ELBWOOD LONGCAP is reduced to its essentials: a simple cylinder that gives space to the material and directs attention to surface, proportion and presence.

Closed, it measures 145 mm, opening to 136 mm at the nib, with a 13 mm barrel diameter narrowing to 11.4 mm at the grip.
Length, diameter and weight are carefully balanced to create a feeling of calm, both visually and in the hand.

The ribbed grip section remains hidden beneath the long cap until the writing instrument is opened. The 0.5 mm deep grooves are precisely cut using a specialized knurling tool, kept out of sight until the pen is in use.

The precise three start thread allows the cap to be secured in little more than a single turn, while remaining fully integrated into the overall form, without showing itself as a technical detail.

13/10/2026

Q&A with the Penmaker No.6

Frank explains how you find the perfect nib size for your fountain pen. ELBWOOD has 6 sizes of solid gold JoWo nibs to choose from, so the decision can be quite hard.

Do you have any questions you want Frank to answer? Please leave them in the comments.

Adresse

Sonnenweg 60
Hamburg
22045

Telefon

+491738089942

Website

http://www.elbwood.de/

Benachrichtigungen

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