Creating wooden pens makes ideal 'retirement plan' for North Texan

By LORI COPE | East Texas Edition

While visiting the State Fair of Texas, two SMU students, Mike and Jon, have their names engraved on one of T&G Pens' wooden key chains. Tom Hall (right) began making wooden pens in 1991, but has branched out to include making wooden key chains, pen cases, plaques, and more. -- Staff photo by Cope

Oct. 28, 2004 - Most know the age-old question of "if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is around, is there a sound?" but Tom Hill has asked, "If a tree falls ... can I have it?"

Tom Hill of Bedford, and son Gregg Hill of Fort Worth, are the entreprenuers of a unique business that capitalizes on "handcrafted wooden pens."

After marveling at a wooden pen he received as a gift in 1989, Tom decided creating the fine, unique writing instruments would be an ideal project for his retirement years.

Retirement came a little earlier than Tom expected when G&M Motors, Arlington, offered him an option in 1991. He took the deal, and began his new career. "There was not really anyone to teach me 'how' to make the pens, so I just taught myself. I believe, now, there are only three in the U.S. that make these (handcrafted wooden pens) for commercial sale."

Tom's new project didn't go as planned, though. He said he had expected to make 400 pens a year; but within a month-and-a-half, he had orders for 2,000.

With such a huge demand, Tom brought son Greg into the business, which is named T&G Pens. Their biggest year so far marks 20,000 pens sold.

Together, the entreprenuers travel about 50,000 miles a year; and just recently, they marked all 48 continguous states on their "been there" list.

During the recent State Fair of Texas, Tom and Greg were among the hundreds of exhibitors offering their specialities for sale. The majority of their pens on display were crafted from five trees: a Native Texas "Red" Pecan that had died in the Colorado Riverbottom, near Bastrop; a native Mesquite tree that had been cut down at Valley Ranch, home of the Dallas Cowboys, when land was cleared for development; a Native Pecan that was blown down from a tornado that went through the Meadowbrook area of Fort Worth on April 16, 2002; an Oak blown down in Arlington on March 28, 2000; and a Walnut from Oak Cliff that was cut down in 1991 due to power line interference.

It doesn't take many trees to make the writing instruments. Tom said 400,000 wooden pens can be made from one tree. They basically take limbs that are two-feet in diameter and craft from those. The bigger parts must be scaled down at a sawmill. They can make about 200 pens a day, Tom related.

Plus, some of the wood for the pens came from various Texas university campuses, including Texas Tech, Baylor, and University of Texas; and from the 1997-99 Texas A&M bonfire stacks' cut sites.

At the T&G Pens' booth at the State Fair, there were also pens made from antlers, wooden pen cases, money clips, and key chains. Visitors to the booth could purchase one of the wooden items and have it engraved while they waited. The custom engraving is a big feature of the wooden pieces' marketing.

Many fair-goers now own a T&G handcrafed wood pen, and/or case, or maybe one of their wooden money clips or key chains, but there are also many notable folks who posess the crafted item. At the Hill's booth, a photo is record of the Hill's pen presentation to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush. The handcrafted wooden pen presented to Bush was the first in a numbered series made from the Treaty Oak in Austin. Tom noted they've made 1,300 pens from the famed tree that was downed due to disease.

Tom also pointed out they can use wood taken from a family's favorite tree, or maybe wood from an ancestor's log cabin, to make keepsake pens. Ross Perot had T&G Pens craft writing instruments from a tree out of his front yard, Tom pointed out.

One of their biggest customer venues, now, is law enforcement agencies. Several examples of their specialites were evident at their State Fair booth; and they have recently added Masonic products to their line.

The crafters have gained the attention of many famed folks, mainly by word-of-mouth. While the pen presented to Bush was probably their "most famous," Tom and Greg have also made wooden pens for some of the Texas Rangers, and country music artist Chris LeDeux.

With the notable buyers, comes the media attention. Tom said they have been featured in various newspapers and television shows. On Oct. 30, a segment on Texas Country Reporter is to spotlight T&G Pens, and will feature Tom's brother, Ken, who mainly works to market the pens.

Plus, when a Dallas-area television station featured the entrepreneurs a few years ago, the tape was sent to various network affiliates. Tom said his daughter in Mississippi and his father in California were surprised when they saw the feature on their local stations.

This year marked the 12th year Tom and Greg have exhibited their wares at the State Fair of Texas. "We're always in the same location (in the tented vendor area near the Main Stage)," Tom said, who feels this is one business from which he won't ever retire.