Tuscany Pens has been fortunate to obtain limited quantities of historical woods and woods that tell a story and incorporating them into exquisite, handcrafted writing instruments.

WORLD WAR II – THE USS NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55) 

The USS North Carolina was commissioned in New York City on 9 April 1941.  She was the first of the US Navy’s fast, heavily armed battleships to be commissioned.

She took part in every major naval offensive in the Pacific Theater of Operations to become the most highly decorated American battleship of World War II, accumulating 15 battle stars. The USS North Carolina is now a museum ship and memorial kept at the seaport of Wilmington, N.C. She was decommissioned on 27 June 1947 and later stricken from the U.S. Naval Vessel Registry on June 1^st 1960.  On September 6^th, 1961, the ship was purchased by the state of North Carolina to be used as a museum and the North Carolina was later dedicated as a memorial to all North Carolina residents killed during World War 2 and in 1986, the North Carolina was officially declared a National Historic Landmark.

The teak decking used for our pens was purchased from the USS North Carolina gift shop (see photo below) and carefully hand-cut into pen blanks.  A photocopy of the brass plaque that accompanied the decking is included with each pen (see photo below).

Why use teak (wood) decking on a modern battleship?  The wood deck served several useful purposes:

1. Temperature and sound insulation - Steel decks quickly transferred either South Pacific heat or North Atlantic cold. The wood helped to modify the effects of the weather. The wood also deadened the sound of hundreds of sailors running and working on the deck.

2. Easier on the feet - In comparison to steel, wood "gives underfoot," causing less stress to legs and feet.

3. Protected the steel deck and personnel - Wood and its bedding compounds protected the steel from the corrosive effects of sun, salt, and water as well as protecting both the steel deck and Navy personnel from shrapnel (ammunition fragments) damage during combat.

For more information on the USS North Carolina please visit the following link: http://www.battleshipnc.com

The pens are available in either the bolt-action pen (see description here) or in a twist or two-piece style. Please contact us for more information

JACK DANIELS OAK BOURBON BARREL PENS

We have purchased some oak barrel staves from the Jack Daniels distillery.  These barrels were used to age the whiskey to perfection over the course of 7 years.  The barrels were only used once before they were made available for sale.  To see how the Jack Daniel barrels are made and charred, please visit the following link below.

The pens are available in either the bolt-action pen (see description here) or as a two piece or twist pen.

 SEE THE OTHER PAGES OF HISTORICAL WOODS FOR THE FULL LISTING OF THE SPECIAL ORDER HISTORIC WOODS AVAILABLE.  CLICK ON THE BUTTON ABOVE.