photo: bright new Mokume Gane ready to be machined, etched, and contrasted.

Mokume Gane, or “woodgrained metal,” is an ancient Japanese process where layers of contrasting metal are forged into one, then deformed and re-forged again and again until intricate, twisted, swirling “woodgrain” effects appear in the metal. Mokume can also be chemically etched, creating a lovely, organic texture that accentuates the swirling material.

As the material ages and patinas, the color differences between the alloys increase significantly.

I am taking orders for a limited number of Utilic pens made of a brass/copper/nickel silver Mokume Gane.

These pens are nearly identical to the standard Utilic, with the small alteration that they will be ever so slightly larger to start (.032”/.8mm larger in diameter in all components), giving room to etch texture into them

Mokume Gane Edition pens are available in two variants:

+Heirloom: Mokume Gane barrel with brass cap and section
+Compleat: Mokume for the section, barrel, and cap, all machined from the same bar.

Both versions come in special heirloom wooden container, made in shop.