One of the symbols of the history of man, of a cultured society that still takes the time to put its ideas on paper, is the pen. Mostly factory-made, there are still a few craftsmen in Normandy. In Seine-Maritime, Alain Lefebvre is the last. In his Bois d’Alain workshop located in Amfreville-la-Mi-Voie (near Rouen), the craftsman turns nearly 700 models a year.
Alain Lefebvre is 82 years old. He has been caressing and working with wood since the age of 10: “I started as an apprentice cabinetmaker in my father’s workshop in Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville. I wanted to do this job, it trained me, gave me work and made me a man. When she died in the 1960s, my mother took over the business where I worked with her until 1985. Then, I became self-employed until 2002,” explains the cabinetmaker.
He then trained in turning, “a technique that requires skill because it is the hand that decides the shape to be given. You need the gesture and understand the wood”. From there, the Norman takes a liking to fine pieces and creates his first pen by chance: “It’s a set that includes a cap, a body and a mechanism. So I choose my piece of wood from among my 280 different species, including 240 from Normandy such as apple tree, ash or even rose that I buy from sawmills. I also like to work with mythical woods such as olive, boxwood or ebony”, revels Alain Lefebvre.
The craftsman also takes pieces of wood with defects such as knots. “It brings effects. After drilling, I insert a metal tube into the spine of the pen and turn the wood to give it its shape and finish. Finally, I adapt the mechanisms that I obtain in England or Canada to make a ballpoint pen, a fountain pen, a rollerball, a mechanical pencil or a criterium. This takes almost two hours per pen. Finally, a pen is an object where the color should not dominate the volume. It has to be a balance. It should feel nice in the hand. This is the basis. And, on these principles, I manufacture nearly 700 a year,” explains Alain Lefebvre.
Between 32 euros and 300 euros
Bois d’Alain is therefore a unique collection and creations on demand where in 48 hours, the customer can opt for the wood and the mechanism of his choice: “I have already had an order for 300 different copies. Otherwise, I sell on my website, at craft markets and at a few retailers. My clients are mainly writing enthusiasts, collectors. The end-of-year holidays, Easter and Mother’s and Father’s Day are good times for me. I also have orders from companies because it makes very nice gifts. Besides, it can replace a bouquet of flowers or a good bottle of champagne. It’s the same price and it stays”, boasts Alain Lefebvre who has not forgotten to be a good seller! At Bois d’Alain, it takes between 32 euros and 300 euros for a pen.