I am deeply honored that the people of Pentrace invited me to write a column for their site, though I hardly feel worthy. I am not one of the old time collectors who have been at this hobby for decades, nor am I a great writer. I am just a person who loves pens and their history and I like to research and write.

Many people refer to me as a Japanese pen collector. This is not entirely true. I have lived in Japan for over 15 years. I own and run a small orthopedic clinic with my lovely wife, Keiko, which leads me to many Japanese pen finds. My patients, once they learn of my pen hobby often give me pens as gifts or offer to sell them to me. I am a member of the Tokyo Pen Association, and I've learned a great deal from Japanese pen collectors. I sell a great many Japanese pens on ebay under the name Kamakura-Pens. But my true love for pens is the early American pens.

My Great great grandfather married Florence Wirt, The elder sister of Paul E. Wirt, the great early pen maker. As a boy I heard of this family relationship, but it didn't mean much to me then. It wasn't until several years later when I actually found a Wirt pen, that I was impressed. Keiko says that this is when the lunacy began. I have spent a great deal of time and money researching Wirt, and along the way I have made several unrelated pen discoveries.

This column will feature many articles about Japanese pens and their history. Many of these topics have never been published before. You can find a lot of material about Japanese maki-e pens, but almost nothing about the usual Japanese pens, and I hope to help fill this void. However, this column isn't just about Japanese pens. To be sure, most will be on American pen history.

I would love to hear any questions, comments or even complaints. Contact me at rd@kamakurapens.com

Ron Dutcher has lived in Japan for over 15 years, where he owns and runs a small orthopedic clinic with his wife, Keiko; which leads him to many Japanese pen finds. His patients, once they learn of his pen hobby often give him pens as gifts or offer to sell them to him. He is a member of the Tokyo Pen Association, and has learned a great deal from Japanese pen collectors. He sells a great many Japanese pens on ebay under the name Kamakura-Pens, but his true love is for early American pens. He can be contacted at rd@kamakurapens.com