Now that I have worked my way through the huge backlog in my queue and shipped all the pens, I am ready to start taking custom orders on a limited basis. The number of slots I will make available will start low and, hopefully, increase over time. One of the reasons for these changes is to give me a chance to fine tune my business and, honestly, to keep it fun for me.
For the last couple of years, I have been so focused on my custom orders that I found that I didn't have time left in the day to experiment and develop my line and that stagnation was a real negative. I'd also began to accumulate really great materials that I didn't have a chance to use which started to drive me a little nuts. So, my new plan is to make more of what I call Spec Pens. Pens where I decide the style and material, and any potential changes to the normal specification that I think would be interesting, and offer them for sale on a weekly basis. One week it might be Andromedas in a bunch of different materials, a brace of Abalone Ragazzones all in the same material or a limited run of special designs or potential collaborations.
I am hoping that this will enable me to have more pens available for purchase in the store and that customers who are interested in my work can follow along and pick up a pen without having to wait 3 to 4 months to get it. But I still want to be able to do custom pens as well, I just don't want to be consumed by them.
So, I have just posted 3 Custom Order Slots in the Store, and here's how it works: Purchase one of the slots for $50 and this starts the process. Hopefully you will have already have an idea of what you want. If not, you can look through the Pricing Menu on the home page, or browse through my Instagram feed to get an idea. Once you purchase the slot, I will contact you to determine what you would like to have made. Once we have the specs all decided, the pen is in the works and should be complete within 4 to 6 weeks. The $50 that you spent on the slot is your deposit and that amount is credited towards your pen. If we can't come to a decision about the pen, your deposit is fully refundable.
I'm starting out slow to see how this works and to determine how well it fits into my Spec Pen program. Hopefully within a month or two I will be able to bring the number of available slots up to accommodate more customs.
I'm pretty excited about these changes, and I hope that they work out better for all involved, not just me. Let me know what you think by dropping me a note to LussoPens@gmail.com
Cheers,
Eric