Summers County Native Turns Wood into Unique Pens, Pencils
By David M. KinchenEditor, Huntington News Network
Hinton, WV (HNN) – Railroad Days is often as much about holiday shopping as getting out in the crisp fall air in this historic river/railroad town. Many of the estimated 60 displays lining the downtown streets sell hand made gifts that are perfect for Christmas and other special event gifts.
Take the handcrafted pen and pencil sets from The Write Connection, based in Richmond, Va. Pat Wilcox, a Summers County native and 1960 graduate of Hinton High School, took an industrial arts class in high school and especially enjoyed wood turning. It’s one of the most creative forms of woodworking and is often compared to creating pottery on a wheel.
When he retired recently, he decided to buy a lathe and tools and make
unique hand-crafted pens and mechanical pencils. He uses exotic woods and
plastics and turns the materials on a chunky little Jet mini-lathe that
sells for about $250. The lathe was in use during Railroad Days, along with
a wide array of products Wilcox and his wife Carol, also a Hinton High
graduate, sell at craft shows. The Jet lathe is a solidly made piece of
machinery in a size that makes it ideal to be transported to places like
Railroad Days.
The Wilcoxes will be at Railroad Days’ final weekend, Saturday, Oct. 22 and Sunday, Oct. 23, 2005. They can be reached by contacting The Write Connection, 8803 Lawndell Rd., Richmond, VA 23229. The e-mail address is pwcw2@comcast.net