The Stokoe House Fountain Pen

The wood used in this pen comes from roof support beams from what is known as the Stokoe House, a home in Alston Moor, Cumbria, England. Built in 1680, the home is situated near the Scottish border. At the time there were many border skirmishes between the English and Scottish. It was common for cattle, then the only true measure of a man's wealth, to be stolen during these raids known as "reives". To safeguard the family cattle, many homes were designed to accommodate them being herded into the first floor. The family then had living quarters above.  Stokoe House is one of these buildings. The sterling silver sword clip and leather wrap at the base of the pen body represent these skirmishes and the importance of cattle in 17th century England. Additionally, both the cap and body finials have leather inserts. The sterling silver bands used in the pen design all started as flat strips of silver. They were hammered by hand and soldered to form rings, each one taking multiple heat treatme