The mighty computer keyboard may be the writing tool of choice in the 21st Century, but sometimes you still need a pen.

(Photo by Jennifer Sroka, U-M-Dearborn)

And if you're fortunate to have Paul Beteag nearby, he can provide a writing instrument. What he hands you, however, won't be your garden-variety Bic.

In his basement workshop, Beteag, an electrician on the U-M-Dearborn campus, crafts pens out of various materials, including acrylics, corian and different types of wood. "I am only limited by my imagination," he says of the newfound hobby.

Remembering lessons from his woodshop class, and with the assistance of a video and book, Beteag learned to make pens after hearing about the hobby from a friend. The entire process can be completed using small machinery and simple tools, he says.

Beteag first selects the materials he will use, which in the past has included a stick he found on the ground on campus, pink ivory from Africa, and an authenticated 1,500-year-old log from Ireland.

After selecting his material, Beteag chooses a pen kit, which provides the "pen guts," or ink. He cuts the material to length, and then bores a hole down the center with his drill press to create a compartment where the ink will be placed. He then glues a tube in the center hole to provide stability for the ink container.

After finishing the "insides," Beteag positions the pen on a mini lathe—a machine that spins the material on its axle at high speeds. As the pen spins, Beteag presses the material with a gouge—a chisel with a rounded, trough-like blade—to shave it down almost to perfection. After sandpapering the pen into the correct shape, he adds friction polish to add sheen to his creation. The pen dries almost instantly, allowing Beteag to place the ink inside and to press the ends together to make the pen functional.

Beteag is happy to have found a hobby that allows him to relax and to take a break from work. "It's nice to go down in the basement and in an hour's time create something," he says. "The pens are a real conversation piece, and people are surprised to learn I made them."

Beteag's wife, Peggy, and daughters, Noel and Dana, are intrigued at his newfound skill. Noel, 20, learned to make a pen that she later gave to a friend. Beteag created a pink pen for his youngest, Dana, 10.

Beteag has created more than a dozen pens, he says, and has sold nine of them. Beteag says he will not make a side job out of his hobby because he wants to enjoy it. Many of his relatives visiting for the holidays each took a pen for themselves, he says.

"With any hobby, it's great to make something with your own hands and give it to someone and see their reaction," Beteag says. "It's nice to know you can make something someone enjoys."

"It's relatively inexpensive to get started," adds Beteag, who spent just $200 for his initial equipment.