Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rich Paul. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Rich, thanks for joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Prior to starting I had a small woodworking business selling rustic crafty items. A couple of friends who made pens from kits like you find at Rockler and Woodcraft mentioned that I should try making pens, but I always dismissed the idea as something that didn’t interest me. One day, one of those friends was going to be near my house and said he would bring his small lathe over and we could make one. More or less to appease him I reluctantly said yes and he stopped later that day and we each made one.

If I recall correctly, I was shopping for my own lathe in a matter of days. I completely fell for the idea that I first thought I had no interest. From that point, I joined a few Facebook groups and made some friends and dove deeper into the hobby. I learned most things from trial and error and just reading online how others did things.

In late 2019, after making a few custom pens I decided to give up on the kit pens and dedicate my efforts to the custom market and River City Pen Company was born. I signed up to have a vendor table at the 2020 Atlanta Pen Show which was the first show that cancelled due to the Pandemic. I then found myself with a large number of pens and no customers. I took to Instagram for the first time with a business account and was floored by the support I received by such a wonderful community.

Looking back to my earliest days I’d probably say that if I were to change anything, it would be two things. First, I’d have taken a few wood turning classes at one of our local retailers. This would have definitely sped up my learning curve. The second would have been to switch to the custom market sooner as I had no idea the network of fantastic people I would meet along the way.

The most essential skill in doing this besides a solid foundation in either machining or woodworking is the ability to adapt to changes in market, economy and just life. In 2021 I was laid off from my full time job, and was able to sustain by working for River City Pen Company full time until getting reinstated about a year later

I have found that building relationships far outweighs just finding customers. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow. And treating people well goes a long way.

Rich, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Absolutely! My name is Rich Paul and I reside near Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, where I have lived most of my life. I am married with an adult daughter. Both my wife and daughter have been known to attend pen shows with me. In my free time, which I get very little having a full time job plus my pen business, I enjoy fishing and other outdoor activities.

My customers are a wonderfully eclectic group of individuals whom enjoy writing, pens, inks and paper. Old school, analog people thriving in a digital world. Their love for pens and customization bring us together. I produce a variety of fountain pens and nib holders made from beautiful, colorful resins. I thrive on the ability to take someone’s ideas and work through the process of sourcing just the right materials to make something they can cherish.

I am exceptionally proud of the quality products I produce for my friends and customers. Each piece is made by hand in my shop. Over the past months my wife has been beginning to learn some of the step of the process and we are becoming a good team. Soon enough, you’ll probably be seeing works made primarily by her. It’s becoming our family business.

We strive to create a high quality product that will last a lifetime

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Of course artists love to create. But with creating comes expenses. Of course the best way to support is through purchases. But there are so many other ways. If you see something you love, talk about it with your peers, share posts on social media, gift items to friends with information on who made the item and tell stories of why you appreciate their art. As artists we need to support each other also. This can be done through collaborative projects, using materials made by other artists in our work, or just buying that perfect item when we see it. Art is beautiful and it makes our lives brighter. Who doesn’t need a little of that in today’s world?

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I would say I have two basic driving goals. Number one is early retirement from my day job. If all goes well, I’d vid like to spend my last 5-10 years of employment working for myself. The second driving factor is just satisfaction in creating something that brings someone joy. The feeling when someone reaches out to say how they love something that you put your heart and soul into is beyond description. I’m sure the rest of the artists reading will be able to relate. You just can’t get that feeling anywhere.  

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rivercitypencompany.com
• Instagram: @rivercitypencompany
• Facebook: River City Pen Company

Image Credits
River City Pen Company