Surprise Find for Pen Lovers!

On the way back to Austin from Dallas this weekend, I swung by the stretch of shops in Salado to see if the bead shop was open (it wasn't) and I stumbled upon a sign for "Pen Station." What is that?! Could it be a store of fancy pens? And, more importantly, could they be open on a Sunday? I've been wanting to get myself a nice fountain pen, and felt I deserved a celebratory present after the weekend, so I hoped so.

Pen Station was open, and they carry a LOT of pens, including fountain pens. The nice owner, Gary Hoover, makes all of the pens in his shop- I had no idea! His son-in-law was there, he helps out on weekends, and Mr Hoover kindly showed me his studio:

The pen kits used for the various pen styles.

So cool! It's amazing that all pens are created from a block of resin on these.

I bought myself a green vertex magnetic fountain pen for $35.
The magnetic cap is fun to play with and the pen has a nice weight to it.

Once I master this, I might be asking Mr Hoover if he can make me a pen in a color close to inviting's fuchsia.

If passing along on 35, south of Waco and north of Austin, hop off the highway for Salado and get yourself a proper, handmade, pen!

Cheers,
ashley