I guess my first question would be to ask you what a "professional" pen is. I'm a "production" turner ( I think that's the word). In other words I mass produce items for a specific order and go from there. I still make other pens on request or commission but basically my work is mass production (I made close to 200 pens last year and only a handful were gifts/commission). I decided a long time ago that I needed to focus on one market and that's what I've tried to stick to. Maybe you should look at the same idea. I've read many stories about people who make and sell a lot of "custom" pens. But I wonder how much more they could have made if they had focused on a less focused base. As an example. I know a lot of "custom" knife makers who sell their knives for a lot of money. I recently purchased a knife from Ruana Knives in Bonner Montana and it cost me $500.00. It's a beautiful knife and it will only make my knife collection more valuable. Will I ever use it? Hell know, it's part of a very large collection of different knives. Like my little thing says under my picture at the left, I'm a semi-custom knife maker. I buy my blanks from suppliers in the U.S. and then finish them and resell them to others. So what, who cares? I can sell my knives for a lot less and offer them to a very different market and to those that can't afford a $500.00 knife. I've sold more than 500 knives since 2017.
So ask yourself this. How much time do I want to spend in my shop. Do I want to make $200.00 a month net or do I want to make $500.00 net? I've decided to stay away from "professional" pens and more focused on every day users, the ones who don't mind spending $35.00 on a nice looking pen that is one of a kind.
For me there's nothing more satisfying than getting a note from a kid on email telling me how much they like the knife they bought in Hawaii that I made, not custom but custom enough for them.
BTW- Last year my knives brought in over $3,000.00 in auctions to help people in need, one a neighbor. Just saying and thanks for letting me ramble.
