Kanilea Pen Co.

My most prized pens are my three Kanilea Pen Co. pens:

From top to bottom: Kahakai, Aolani & Hanauma Bay

Kanilea Pen Co. is a family-run business operated by Hugh and Karol Scher and their son Matt. They make their own custom pens evoking the spirit of Hawaii and all the beauty that entails.

After getting into the hobby in 2017, I was awed by seeing, in person, Kanilea pens at several pen shows. It quickly became my first grail pen. In August of 2018, I had the good fortune of attending the Washington, D.C. pen show at which Kanilea had a table displaying their wonderful pens and I splurged and purchased a Hanauma Bay model.

Hugh personally tunes each nib to the customer's taste. The pen is presented in a gorgeous wooden box with a band around it impregnated with seeds for planting. Inside the box is a photograph of a Hawaiian scene which inspired that pen.

Hanauma Bay

Box Band (front)

Box Band (back)

Presentation Box & Photo

[On a related note, I lost the Hanauma Pen shortly after purchasing it. To hear my horror story, as read by Myke Hurley on the Pen Addict Podcast, listen to Episode #336 at 39:50 by clicking here. I have since replaced the pen.]

Of course, like Lay's potato chips, you can't just have one. The Kahakai ("Beach") pen was purchased and, most recently, I also got the Aolani ("Heavenly Clouds"). All were purchased at pen shows and the nibs tuned by Hugh.

Kahakai ("Beach")

Aolani ("Heavenly Clouds")

The writing experience with these steel nib pens is wonderful. I have a tough time deciding whether I like writing with them or looking at them more. I even travel with them:

Mt. Rigi (Lucerne, Switzerland)

Hugh and Karol are two of the nicest people you will meet at a pen show. They take care of their customers and treat them like 'ohana (family). I highly recommend stopping by their table at a pen show, even if to simply admire their attractive pens and say aloha.