Turning Points: McKenzie Penworks

Tough, sparkling, and unique, Tim McKenzie’s DiamondCast resins are beloved by pen companies and collectors alike.

- BARRY GABAY

Destiny, heritage, inheritance: powerful words that evoke a sense of tradition and continuity. Whether used in conversation or in writing, they should not be lightly applied. But in the case of Tim McKenzie, his company Mckenzie Penworks, and his dramatic, unique material—Diamond Cast—the words are appropriate.

McKenzie isn't joking when he describes himself as having grown up “hanging out in the backrooms of jewelry stores." His mother is a gemologist of more than 40 years, and spending time watching his parents work retail, he observed the marriage of luxury materials with genuine customer service.

After studying computer science and working in that field, McKenzie began to build custom drums to satisfy his musical urges. Not content with off-the-shelf options, he worked with a machinist and created the first magnesium alloy snare drum. Developing something unique from a new or previously unused material appealed to him.

McKenzie reflects on his first pens: “We built some drums from wood, so we had scraps lying around. It felt wasteful to throw those away, so I began pen turning.” He sold most of those pens and gave others to family and friends. While still working in IT, McKenzie decided to make pens more seriously and attend crafts shows.

McKenzie and his wife, Callie, formed McKenzie Penworks and sold at craft shows and on Etsy. Before long, he realized he wanted to create his own materials, hoping to make blanks unlike any others.