The beginning of a new year is a natural time to take stock—not just of what’s coming next, but of what has mattered most so far.

I started Nagomi Woodworking in March of 2025. Since then, I’ve spent a lot of time in the shop making fountain pen accessories: pen trays, pen rests, storage pieces, and a small number of fully custom works. Along the way, something has become increasingly clear to me: the pieces that have been the most meaningful to make, and the ones that have been the most satisfying for the people who own them, have almost always been the ones made for someone specific.

That realization is shaping the direction of my work going forward.

 

 

From Products to Pieces Made With Intent

Most of what I’ve made so far has existed somewhere between product and craft: small-batch objects designed to work well for many people. There’s value in that, and I’ll continue to make some of those pieces.

But the work that has stayed with me, and the work that felt most aligned with why I started woodworking in the first place, has been the custom and limited pieces.

I never felt good about asking the questions:

• How many can I make?
  
• How fast can I ship this?
  
• How do I make this work for everyone?
  
  

What I enjoyed asking was:

• What does this person actually need?
  
• How will this piece live in their space?
  
• What materials and details make sense for them?
  
  

That kind of work is slower. It’s more demanding. And it’s also far more rewarding.

 

A Shift in Emphasis

Going forward, I’ll be putting more emphasis on limited-run and bespoke pieces, particularly in the area of long-term pen storage and higher-end desk objects. This means conversations with clients about how to match a creation to their need.

If you’re interested in a pen cabinet, for example, the starting point isn’t a dropdown menu. It’s a discussion:

• What does your pen collection look like?
  
• How many pens are you storing now—and how might that change?
  
• Do you want something discreet, or something meant to be seen?
  
• What materials resonate with you?
  

From there, we can talk about design, materials, timelines, and pricing. These aren’t impulse purchases, and they’re not meant to be. These are pieces made to live with you for a long time.

 

Limited Runs and Unusual Materials

I’ll also continue to make limited runs when I come across materials that deserve to be treated as something special.

That might mean a handful of pieces made from a single board of an uncommon wood, or a small run of trays or storage objects that will never be repeated in the same way again. When those happen, they’ll be offered in small quantities, intentionally, and without the expectation that they’ll ever return.

Part of working with natural materials is accepting that availability is unpredictable—and leaning into that rather than fighting it.

 

About Use versus Longevity

One thing I want to be clear about, especially as I expand into higher-end storage, is that not all pen-related objects serve the same purpose.

Some pieces—like pen trays or desktop organizers—are designed for active, daily use. Pens are picked up, put down, rotated, and handled frequently.

Other pieces—like cabinets and enclosed storage—are designed for longer-term rest and protection, using materials and construction choices suited for that role.

Different use cases call for different design priorities, and I try to be intentional about that distinction in my work. I’ll be writing more about this soon, because it’s an important topic that often gets glossed over.

 

The Year Ahead

In the coming months, I’ll be:

• Preparing a small number of special pieces for the upcoming California Pen Show (Feb 20-22 in LA)
  
• Continuing to make select small-batch items
  
• Developing new long-term storage designs
  
• Taking on a limited number of custom commissions where the fit feels right
  
  

There will be weeks where nothing new is released, and others where a small number of pieces appear all at once. That’s by design.

I’m not trying to make something for everyone.

I’m trying to make things carefully, for people who care how they’re made.

If that sounds like you, I’m glad you’re here.

—
David
Nagomi Woodworking