Cigar Pen

[Madman1978]

When and How did the Cigar pen come about? What's the history of this pen?

 

[magpens]

@Madman1978

You should make a phone call to Berea Hardwoods . . . . they might be able to help but it will depend on who you speak to.

I believe they were the originators of the Cigar kit. . . They have been selling it since my "beginning of days" in pen turning and probably well before that.
My start was in about 2010.

I might be able to get you the name of a person there but it will require some "digging" on my part.

Try phoning yourself . . . maybe ask for someone in customer service. . . If you don't get anywhere let me know and I will start to "dig".

 

[ed4copies]

The cigar pen was initially presented by "Woodcrafters of Oklahoma"--a one-man operation as far as I know.
Hence the product number WCO145 at Berea. The one man whose name I cannot remember died very long ago,
maybe two years after the introduction of the pen.
Then EVERYBODY introduced the pen--all virtually identical. This would have been about 1995ish.

 

[magpens]

The cigar pen was initially presented by "Woodcrafters of Oklahoma"--a one-man operation as far as I know.
Hence the product number WCO145 at Berea. The one man whose name I cannot remember died very long ago,
maybe two years after the introduction of the pen.
Then EVERYBODY introduced the pen--all virtually identical. This would have been about 1995ish.

@ed4copies

There are other Berea pen kits that also have product numbers starting with WCO . . . . eg. Retro pen kit, and Gold Top European pen kit.

Do these also have the same origin ?

 

[ed4copies]

I don't know for certain, Mal.

My educated guess is that the guy who was WCO had the cigar made in a factory overseas. I believe Jim (owner of Berea) knew him and was getting the pens with a spiff going to WCO. Once he died, Jim would have known where the pens were made. So, Jim then started buying those pens as well. All the WCO designs are old--probably now made by Jim's captive factory in Taiwan (GE_No relation to General Electric).
Again, this is speculation, NOT fact.

I still do talk with Jim from time to time--if I remember, I will ask him in the next call. He is mostly retired, living in Florida.
Ed

 

[magpens]

@ed4copies

Thank you for your reply, Ed.

I find this kind of historical stuff interesting.

 

[mark james]

I don't know for certain, Mal.

My educated guess is that the guy who was WCO had the cigar made in a factory overseas. I believe Jim (owner of Berea) knew him and was getting the pens with a spiff going to WCO. Once he died, Jim would have known where the pens were made. So, Jim then started buying those pens as well. All the WCO designs are old--probably now made by Jim's captive factory in Taiwan (GE_No relation to General Electric).
Again, this is speculation, NOT fact.

I still do talk with Jim from time to time--if I remember, I will ask him in the next call. He is mostly retired, living in Florida.
Ed

It would be valuable to get all this history documented. Simply for curious folks in the future to know "where we came from."

 

[ed4copies]

I remember it, like it was yesterday!!

But, then I can't remember what happened yesterday---could be a problem