1937 Series 2-Pen Set | Limited Edition Set
Two-pen set made with wood from WWII history.
The 1937 series of limited edition pens is crafted using the original teak decking from the USS North Carolina, one of the most decorated ships in the WWII Pacific Fleet.
- Made with the original teak decking of the USS North Carolina.
- Choose two pens from three available writing styles: ballpoint, rollerball and fountain pen.
- Ships in a handcrafted leather two-pen case in your choice of leather color.
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Collection also includes each of the three pen types sold separately.
- Handmade in Chicago and guaranteed for life.
The Story
1937 was a year when no one knew what to expect. The world was faced with growing tension and war looming on the horizon. The conflict between Imperial Japan and China was in full swing, with atrocities becoming commonplace as Hirohito's troops took cities on China's mainland. Hitler's fascist grip on Germany was fully realized, with anyone who stood in his way being arrested by the SS and held in camps like Dachau.
No one could have known that in the following years the world would be pulled into a fight for humanity itself. Yet, in New York, shipyard workers from around the city grabbed their tools and began building. The keel was laid for the USS North Carolina on the 27th of October, 1937.
Just a few months before the attack on Pearl Harbor pulled the United States into direct participation in World War II, BB-55 (the official designation of the USS North Carolina) launched. They called her "The Showboat," and she arrived just in time.
Underway
When the war started, she was still in the Atlantic, but soon made her way to join the Pacific Fleet for the Guadalcanal Campaign. She deployed a wide range of anti-aircraft weapons to protect vital aircraft carriers, bombarded enemy positions with her deck guns, and hosted kingfisher sea planes that conducted reconnaissance and rescue flights of downed pilots. She became one of the most decorated ships in the Pacific Fleet, participating in all major engagements, and surviving many attempts at destruction. Japanese radio claimed the USS North Carolina had been sunk six times. Rumors of her death were greatly exaggerated.
A New Mission
After the war, she was decommissioned in 1947. She remained in the Navy's inventory and was considered for a refit many times. Ultimately, she remained a time capsule from her time in the Pacific until 1960, when she was slated to be scrapped. A fundraising campaign was able to rescue her from the scrapyard, giving her a new mission as a museum ship in Wilmington, North Carolina.
In 1998, Operation Ship Shape, a major restoration effort, restored much of the ship including her original teak deck. Those boards were stored on-site and some of the most damaged ones became available to the public. Proceeds from the sale of these deck boards support the museum.
We're passionate about making objects that are part of our daily lives using materials with a story, and this is surely an incredible story! The 1937 Series honors the work that was done to build the USS North Carolina, and the work she and her crew did during their service. Stepping into uncertainty to build a better future is how all great things are accomplished; we hope these writing instruments will accompany you on great adventures.