Artists. Some of them are sculptors, some are painters, some are actors, and a few are very fine watchmakers.

Grayson Tighe is none of those, however, he is an exceptional pen maker. And an artist.

And I would say that what he makes are definitely not your father’s pens; his vision is a more contemporary one, very likely ahead of his time.

Grayson Tighe Rainbow Fire

But pen expert Jon Messer begs to differ. “The classicism is hidden in his pens,” he said during a chat about our mutual favorite pen maker. “The only thing he’ll rely on from classical history in pens is a filling mechanism and the grip section that holds the ink feeder, which is just called a feed. But on the exterior, Grayson takes what might be called a cigar- or pipe-shaped item – a tube – and makes something that nobody else comes near making.”

“He’s so different and so energetic, enthusiastic, and vibrant and out there on the cutting edge in terms of wacky ideas; he’ll experiment with anything.”

A “rainbow fire” titanium nib on the Grayson Tighe Rainbow Fire

Like many artists, Tighe was infatuated with making things as a child. And growing up with a father who has been hailed as one of the world’s leading knife makers, he learned both tooling and how to work with instruments.

One day he decided that he wanted to do something that had nothing to do with his father’s success or his art, and he wanted to do it on his own. So he looked for a utilitarian product, one that people would be receptive to on a lot of levels . . . and he thought about how people write with pens every day. Sure, you could write with a disposable pen or some elaborate limited edition, but he was sure that enough people were going to like the things he had in mind.

Grayson Tighe Midnight Fire V2

“He certainly thought, ‘you either love what I do or you don’t, but if I make enough variations I’m hoping you’re gonna find something I like that you will love’,” Messer explained. “I never met any pen maker aside from Grayson who said, ‘If you like what I do, I love that. And if you don’t like what I do, tell me why. But I still don’t care if you don’t like it. Somebody’s going to like this pen.’ And that’s Grayson in a nutshell.”

Now that’s the attitude of a real artist. One without compromise.

Tighe loves people approaching him about his work, though, and he will customize almost anything he thinks is feasible. “His pens will not fit every hand, nor will they suit every desire, but I’ve never met a person in whose hands I’ve placed Grayson’s pens who did not admire what they saw,” Messer continued.

Grayson Tighe Ripple Fire

Quality has its price

“His pens are pricey not because he’s flashy or thinks he can take money from people, but because they’re very, very, very labor intensive – he builds pens with a micro efficiency,” Messer continued.

“The way a cap threads to the barrel, whether you’re using a convertible pen or a fountain pen, is spot on. And his cap designs that form to the barrel design will line up at a 100 percent accuracy. I’ve never met a pen of Grayson’s that I didn’t respect or like.”

Grayson Tighe Rainbow Fire

One of Tighe’s most recent limited editions centers around the colors of the rainbow, which come about by the use of heat-treated titanium barrels, some of which are combined with special damascened stainless steel.

And they are nothing short of breathtaking.

In fact, it’s pure artistry!

Grayson Tighe Ripple Fire

For more information, please visit www.graysontighe.com.

Grayson Tighe Ripple Fire Fountain Pen
Barrel: stainless steel “ripple pattern” Damascus over Rainbow Fire titanium
Nib: Rainbow Fire titanium
Limitation: three pieces
Price: $2,100

Grayson Tighe Ripple Fire Rollerball
Barrel: stainless steel “ripple pattern” Damascus over Rainbow Fire titanium
Limitation: three pieces
$2,000

Grayson Tighe Rainbow Fire

Grayson Tighe Rainbow Fire Fountain Pen
Barrel: Rainbow Fire heat-colored titanium
Nib: Rainbow Fire titanium
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: $1,200

Grayson Tighe Rainbow Fire Rollerball
Barrel: Rainbow Fire heat-colored titanium
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: $1,100

Grayson Tighe Midnight Fire V1

Grayson Tighe Midnight Fire V1 Fountain Pen
Barrel: black heat-treated zirconium with Rainbow Fire titanium
Nib: Rainbow Fire titanium
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: $1,700

Grayson Tighe Midnight Fire V1 Rollerball
Barrel: black heat-treated zirconium with Rainbow Fire titanium
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: $1,600

Grayson Tighe Midnight Fire V2 Fountain Pen
Barrel: black heat-treated zirconium with Rainbow Fire titanium
Nib: Rainbow Fire titanium
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: $1,800

Grayson Tighe Midnight Fire V2 Rollerball
Barrel: black heat-treated zirconium with Rainbow Fire titanium
Limitation: 18 pieces
Price: $1,700

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