Woody pen.

Yeah, I’m gonna write about a pen. I looked at the amount of plastic lately that I kept throwing away as I went through pens, even refillable gel pens, which run out quickly and still waste as much plastic per writing distance as a PaperMate. Not to mention wood from pencils that I rarely touch anymore. I stuck with refillable and use-me-forever Space Pens for a while, but I wanted something different on a grad student budget. So I did some web-searching and found biogradable corn starch pens, cardboard and paper pens, the whole deal. I also found what might just be the greenest pen around: Goodkind Pen Company‘s Woody. I picked up one for me, one for a friend’s birthday and a “Widebody” for the Mrs. Thanks to the nice folks at The Greenstore, they came very quickly via the Postal Service, my favorite delivery service.

It is made of “reclaimed” wood, recycled steel and is laser-engraved (no paint). The ink is not petro-based like ballpoint pen ink usually is, and they tell me that the brass of the refills can be recycled after the ink is gone. It’s billed as a pen that is not meant to be thrown away, that is meant to be well-made and refilled and reused. To drive the point home, they come with a free refill in the same color. The package is made of 100% recycled and recyclable plastic and is reusable. Stamp it, drop it in the mail, and they will use it again. It’s very earth-friendly, but is it any good?

I only have tried one of the four models (two if you count the different widths), and it is a very attractively designed pen. Mine has a cap like a normal ballpoint pen, with a sturdy metal clip on the cap. There is no wobble with the refill, and the engraving is very clear and deep. It is slightly thicker than a Bic pen, and the Widebody is very thick. Both are light-weight, and the natural wood provides a secure grip in sweaty hands. (And if you live in the US, you know how hot it’s been lately.)

I bought one for my roommate during my third year of college over six years ago at Walden Pond that had the Thoreau Society logo (which they still sell), and I remember it not writing very well. It turns out that Goodkind makes them, and they must have worked out whatever was up with the ink.

The Woody writes beautifully and consistently and without the greasy smell I always get from ballpoint pen ink. It dries quickly and does not smear at all. No skipping. I have not gotten anything written on with it wet yet, so I can’t tell how it holds up under such conditions. It works for notes, letters and journalling so far.

This fall will be my last “back to school” ever, so I think I’m going to treat myself to the “Triggerwood” pen and pencil set for getting to work on the dissertation. I play with pens a lot, and this has been my favorite for over a week and half now — a long time for me.

(Check out my Flickr for larger photos.)

Edit: Goodkind has an official website up here. Flannel!