Ohio custom pen maker fulfills order for Vice President JD Vance
Ohio custom pen maker fulfills order for Vice President JD Vance
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Hobbyist turned small businessman Len Kaltman, who makes custom pens for businesses, got an unexpected order this spring: the U.S. State Department on behalf of Vice President JD Vance.
Kaltman, who started his business Buckeye Pens & Gifts nearly 20 years ago after becoming obsessed with 'pen-turning,' had sold his product to plenty of company vice presidents – just none in the White House.
'At first, I thought it might be a joke,' said Kaltman, who lives in suburban Cincinnati. 'I thought somebody was pulling my leg.'
But two emails from the Office of the Chief of Protocol at the State Department confirmed the order. Officials wanted the pens for Vance's office to hand out as gifts to dignitaries. The order included adding the vice presidential seal to wood boxes that go with the pens.
Unique wood from Ohio's official tree
Kaltman credits his exclusive work with Buckeye Burl – a knotty wood that frequently grows in the roots of the state's official tree. It can be a little more difficult to carve, but its swirling grain produces unique patterns and can include black, blue, brown, gold and gray. It's pretty and it's pricey – Kaltman sells his pens for between $60 and $100 apiece.
Kaltman showed The Enquirer correspondence, an invoice and payment confirmation that showed the federal government bought 20 pens from him for $1,936.
State Department officials did not respond to messages seeking comment, nor did Vance's office.
Kaltman tries to keep a tidy workshop in the corner of his Liberty Township basement, which smells of sawdust. A semi-retired professional photographer, Kaltman, 72, said his pen-making endeavor began as a hobby. But after he made 50, his wife said he should sell them at craft shows. He later added a website.
'I got addicted,' Kaltman recalled. 'She asked me: 'How much are these costing us and how many pens do we need?''
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