About Us
At Penn State Industries, we believe in the power of making. In the hands of a woodturner, a block of raw material becomes something functional, beautiful—even meaningful.
That act of transformation is what drives us. It's what connects us to every hobbyist, artist, and maker who chooses to turn raw into awe. We’re not here just to sell pen kits and turning tools.
We’re here to empower your creativity.
We exist to help you turn raw materials into something awesome—and feel awesome doing it.
Quality – Because your work deserves to last
At Penn State Industries, quality isn’t confined to just one product—it’s the foundation across everything we make. Whether it’s a pen kit, a wood or acrylic blank, a chisel, a chuck, or a lathe, we design and test each piece to perform beautifully on its own and in harmony with the others.
Our goal is to give you a system that works—consistently and reliably—so you can focus on creating. We run every product through a full workflow to ensure it meets our standards at every stage of the turning process. Because when your tools work together as seamlessly as a finely machined assembly, your ideas come to life just the way you imagined.
Innovation – Because makers deserve tools that inspire
From Bolt Action Pen Kits to Pen Mandrel Savers, we invent products that help solve real turning challenges—or spark ideas for your next masterpiece. If it’s going to help you make something awesome, we’re going to try to make it.
Investment – Because your creativity deserves the bestWe’ve designed thousands of products, each built to make the experience more rewarding—whether you’re a weekend hobbyist or a seasoned pro. We don’t recycle ideas. We invest in new ones.
Integrity – Because trust lets you focus on what mattersWe test relentlessly. Every product goes through multiple rounds of hands-on evaluation for tolerance, ease of use, and reliability. If something doesn’t meet our standards, it doesn’t launch. Even if that means waiting months. Because it’s worth it.
Our Materials & What Makes Them Special At Penn State Industries, we believe great turning starts with great materials—across every category we offer. Whether it’s a pen kit, a turning blank, a chisel, or a lathe, every component is chosen to make your experience smoother, your results more beautiful, and your time in the shop more enjoyable.
- Kits are engineered so that every part fits precisely, assembles easily, and functions reliably—right out of the box.
- Blanks are selected for their turning behavior and finish quality. From richly figured hardwoods to high-polish acrylics, they’re chosen to work beautifully on the lathe and in your hand.
- Tools and chucks are made for everyday performance: sharp edges, solid grip, consistent quality, and value that lasts.
- Lathes are built to give you power, reliability, and ease of use—without overcomplication or price tag inflation.
We don’t just select materials for aesthetics—we choose them to help you succeed, whether you’re making your first pen or tuning up your process for the fiftieth. The result is a turning system where each element works in harmony with the next. So you spend less time fussing—and more time creating.
Everything you see and touch—from the pen hardware to the custom tools—starts in our minds here in Philadelphia. Our team includes industrial designers, engineers, and woodturners who live and breathe the craft. We collaborate, sketch, test, refine, and repeat—sometimes for years—to bring each idea to life.
Though our products are manufactured abroad, the heart of every design comes from our shop floor, our lathe bench, and our Maker mindset.
We believe you deserve products that work as beautifully as they look. That’s why our process includes:
- Multiple design reviews
- Precision fit testing
- Live lathe testing by our in-house turners
- Hands-on review of every production sample
We don’t just make products. We make them right.
See what it means to turn raw into awe.
A visual journey from a raw wood blank, to a turned pen, to a polished, gift-ready masterpiece.
