Stanford Pen Studio Haunted House: A Hand-Illustrated Fountain Pen Worth the Price of Art

Introduction

Some fountain pens win you over with nib performance or materials. This one wins you over with a story drawn in graphite. The Stanford Pen Studio Haunted House is a Jablani model pen illustrated by South African artist Brandon Lodwick, protected under a clear resin coat, and finished with silver trim and a custom ground nib. It is a cartridge converter pen, priced at 9,000 African rand, which works out to just over $500, and the copy reviewed here was believed to be a one-of-one offering that is no longer listed on the studio’s site. The company does take commissions, so a similar piece is not entirely out of reach.

Who This Pen Is For

Stanford Pen Studio is based in Stanford, South Africa, a village near the southern tip of the country about two hours outside of Cape Town. The company is run by the husband and wife team of Dave and Dye, who began making pens in 2019. Early models leaned heavily on beadwork in the resin, but the studio has since transitioned to handcrafted artwork created by local artisans, all of whom are from South Africa.

If you collect artisan pens, care about the artwork as much as the writing instrument, and enjoy themes with a bit of personality, this pen makes a strong case. If you want a workhorse pen at this price, it likely is not the right fit, because what you are paying for here is genuinely the art.

The Artwork: Graphite Storytelling Under Resin

The theme is a haunted mansion with a for sale sign out front, ghosts drifting out of the house, a startled young woman visiting with her cat, a scary tree, and a witch crossing a vibrant full moon. The monochrome graphite palette suits the spooky story well, and the single pop of color, a small flame near the cat, is a subtle, clever touch.

The detail is genuinely impressive. The young woman’s hair, freckles, eyes, and even the shading on her shirt are rendered with care, and the wood grain on the for sale sign and the varied ghost designs at the top of the cap show real range. Even the cap finial hides one more little ghost.

The trim is Argentium silver, an alloy that, like sterling silver, contains 92.5% silver. Argentium replaces some of the copper with germanium, which gives the material better durability, hypoallergenic properties, and tarnish resistance. The Stanford Pen Studio logo sits at the top of the cap in the same silver.

Design, Build, and Everyday Handling

The pen is well balanced in the hand and not overly heavy. It is not designed to post, and it does not post at all, which is a design choice worth appreciating: there is no ambiguity about whether the cap is meant to fit on the back. The cap twists off with a little over two rotations.

It is a cartridge converter pen that accepts standard international cartridges, and a converter is provided. The section is concave plastic that transitions into a silver band and the cap threads, with a medium to large step up to the barrel.

Nib and Writing Experience

The pen ships with a number 6 Jowo stainless steel nib carrying the Stanford Pen Studio logo. Dye, one of the founders, grinds nibs herself, and this example features her skinny architect grind. It starts life as a broad nib and is ground so the downstrokes stay skinny while the crossstrokes come out noticeably thicker, the opposite of a stub. The result is smooth enough for everyday writing and adds real flair to the page.

Ink flow is decent, and the feed keeps up fine with fast writing. Reverse writing is not this nib’s strength and is hit and miss. For the sample, the ink used was Papier Plume Bloody Pumpkin, a warm reddish orange with a bit of shading that sits on the watery side. It sits close in character to the now-discontinued Papier Plume House of the Rising Sun, a favorite saturated orange-red.

Things to Consider Before Buying

There is one design nit worth knowing about. The resin inside the cap is white, and a little discoloration can show where ink has been in contact with it. The company notes that if ink gets inside the barrel, you should rinse it out quickly because it could potentially stain. A darker interior would simply hide this, though in practice you rarely look inside the cap, so it is a minor complaint. The pen does not leak by any means.

Also consider availability. This specific one-of-one is no longer offered on the studio’s website, but they accept commissions, and other pens illustrated by Brandon Lodwick, plus work from their other artists, are available directly from the studio. Their catalog ranges roughly from the mid-$300s up to around the $500 range depending on the artist and artwork.

Buying Advice

At just over $500, the value case rests entirely on the artwork, and here the artwork justifies it. A standard-sized pen without this level of illustration would not command that price, but the quality of the graphite work on this pen genuinely does. If this exact piece is unavailable, look at the studio’s website for other Brandon Lodwick pieces, including his playful Karate Cat theme, or explore the work of their other artists, such as the standout steampunk octopus design.

Conclusion

The Stanford Pen Studio Haunted House is a special offering: outstanding monochrome graphite artwork with layered storytelling, durable and tarnish-resistant Argentium silver trim, and a well-executed skinny architect nib that adds character to everyday writing. If you can find one of the studio’s pens with that nib grind, it comes recommended, and if you appreciate quality art, the Haunted House theme is easy to admire even if Halloween is not usually your thing.