Late last summer, a client asked if I might consider building a showcase pen box, which (along with two custom pens, would be given to a very special Japanese couple. My assignment was to “make it really special.”

I decided to design the box in such a manner that the lid and sides (roof and walls) would resemble traditional Japanese architecture. The lid was made from wedge – a bold and very richly colored lumber, topped with an ebony pull. The walls, or sides, were made from maple burl stock, which I had acquired from the son of a man (following his father’s death), who had been long time friends of the Japanese couple.

The interior of the box includes an ebony cradle, in which the two pens reside. The base (floor) is padauk, and the interior walls are American walnut. The juxtaposition of the red padauk against the black ebony is common in Japanese design and art, and provides a gallant setting for the pens.

While not really necessary for strength, I decided to include ebony splines at the corners, for a bit of drama. 🙂