My Ohana

In the Hawaiian language, Ohana means Family. In my pen world, I have been blessed to find Hugh and Karol Scher of Kanilea Pen Company and can call them my Ohana. If you have ever seen me at a pen show, you have most likely found me at their table helping sell their stunning pens (which is not hard to do considering that the beautiful images their pens conjure up allow them to sell themselves).

It all started at the second pen show I ever attended, which was the Baltimore Pen Show in March 2017. I had seen one of their pens on Instagram and knew that I had to have this pen, so I beelined it to their table arriving like a giddy schoolgirl. I introduced myself and immediately shared that I was looking for the Mauna Kea. If you have ever been to Hugh and Karol’s table, you know that the pen usually finds you, and they know this. They invite you to look at each pen and allow the right one to speak to you. This experience was no exception and to this day, I look at my Mauna Kea and see the gold, brown, and white swirls and know that the exact right pen found me. 

Now, Hugh and Karol and I enjoy a close, rich friendship that includes family and travel together and of course, pen shows! The best part of the story lies in how we got so close. It began with my complete lack of knowledge regarding nibs and Hugh’s compassionate willingness to make it write exactly right for me. I had chosen a 1.1mm stub nib for my Mauna Kea (Hugh uses Jowo #6 nibs in all the sizes including steel and gold) and over time I noticed that I wasn’t quite loving the way the nib wrote. I reached out to Hugh and he immediately offered to meet with me and make it right. What transpired was a total education on nibs and the beginning of a beautiful friendship, simply from Hugh’s willingness to take the time with me and share his passion and knowledge. 

I was so excited after our meeting where he showed me how to tune and smooth nibs that I went home and immediately tuned up my entire collection, which at the time was fairly minimal. 

As I was discovering the pen community on Instagram and writing more often, I knew that I had to have another Kanilea pen! So, I brought my daughters to meet Hugh and Karol at a local coffee shop and the rest is history. What we share in our friendship is a passion not only for the fountain pens themselves but for the stories that connect us through our shared passion. I learned the true meaning of the word Ohana through Hugh and Karol and I am so lucky and blessed by them in my life. Check out Kanilea Pen Co here and enjoy the aloha!