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FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions
There is a lot of important information listed below.  Please take a minute or two to review the Q&A's, they will help greatly in understanding our products and policies.

About Pens, Pencils and Wood

Q: Some pens and pencils "click" to advance the ink cartridge or lead, some "twist".  Which action do Naturally Write's pen and pencil styles use?
A: The pen or pencil action varies by style.
     - Slimline pens twist to advance the ink cartridge, pencils click to advance the lead.
     - Thinline pens and pencils both click to advance the ink cartridge or lead.
     - Comfort pens twist to advance the ink cartridge, pencils click to advance the lead.
     - Designer pens and pencils both twist to advance the ink cartridge or lead.
     - Gatsby pens are available in both a click and a twist version.  Gatsby pencils click to advance the lead.
     - Artisan RB and FT do not click or twist.  The models feature a protective cap that is pulled from the front of the pen to expose the writing tip and that can be snapped on place at the rear of the pen when in use.

Q: Most of the photo's show Yellow Gold plated fittings on Naturally Write's pens and pencils.  Are other colors/materials available?

A: Naturally Write primarily uses yellow Gold plated fittings as standard because in our humble opinion most wood colors are enhanced by combining them with yellow Gold making a more luxurious and rich looking writing instrument.  We also recognize that "Gold" is not for everyone and some customers may prefer "Silver" or some other color.  We regularly stock a limited number of components for special order pens and pencils in satin silver and can special order components in a wide variety of colors.  See the OUR PRODUCTS page for a complete listing of finishes available by style.  
 

Q: Some of the pens and pencils shown on Naturally Writes website are colored and marked so brightly and distinctively.  Are the woods stained?
A: No.  Naturally Write seeks out special woods from all over the world, know for their distinctive colors and grains.  All of the colors on any of the writing instruments shown is the natural color of the wood as found in nature and enhanced only by fine sanding, polishing and hard wax finishing.  It is possible that in the future we may offer instruments featuring stained woods.  In the unlikely event this takes place, the description will clearly mark the color as "stained".

Q: How are the pens and pencils "finished"?  Are varnishes or polyurethanes used?
A: Naturally Write pens and pencils are all finished in the same manner.  The glossy finish on your writing instruments when they arrive is achieved by a multi-step process starting with fine sanding at high speed with grits up to 1500 (barely more rough than plain paper).  This is followed by two polishing steps.  The first uses a paste wax that has extremely fine grit (equivalent to 2500 grit sandpaper) in it.  After polishing with this paste wax, a liquid friction polish consisting of a variety of hard waxes suspended in shellac is applied at high speed and friction, causing the shellac to "burn off" and leaving a hard wax coating.  The two-step process works the waxes into the grain of the wood effectively sealing the wood.

Q: How durable is the finish?  How long will the finish last? 
A: This answer is a bit more complicated.  Because the finish applied is a natural finish it reacts differently to the wood it is applied to, to the environment it is kept in, even to the person's hand that uses it.  Some woods (like Cherry and Olive) tend to absorb the waxes over time, giving the pen or pencil a more "satin" finish.  Keeping the writing instrument in a cloth "environment" like a shirt pocket for long periods of time can tend to wear away the wax finish, how quickly depends on the cloth material.  Because the finishing process embeds wax into the wood structure, the wood is still protected even though it may have taken on a more dull finish.  Even the users body chemistry can have an affect on the pen or pencils finish.  Skin acidity and/or oilyness varies from person to person and can have varying affects on the outer finish of your instrument.

Q: Do I need to do any maintenance to keep the writing instrument looking good as new?
A: As you would with any piece of fine furniture, from time to time you may want to apply a small amount of a quality paste or spray wax to the wood portions of your writing instruments to restore the appearance.  Work a light coating of your choice of wax into the wood and buff according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Oil based polishes are not recommended as many are incompatible with the original wax finish applied.

Q: What about refills?  Will I be able to get refills for my pen and/or pencil?
A: Yes.  All Naturally Write pens and pencils use readily available lead sizes and refills.  Slimline, Comfort and Designer pens use standard Cross® style refills available at your local office and/or stationary supply store in a variety of ink colors.  Gatsby style uses a standard Parker® style refill.  Artisan RB pens use Schmidt® 888 rolleroller refills while Artisan FT uses readily available standard ink cartridge refills available from many manufacturers. Unless otherwise noted, pencils use standard 0.7mm lead refills.  Thinline pencils use 0.5mm lead refills.

Q: How do I change the pen ink refills? 
A: How you change the ink refill varies depending on the model pen you have.
       - For Slimline, Comfort and Designer styles,  grasp the pen at both ends and gently pull the cap/clip top half off.  The pen will separate at the center band.  Once the top half has been removed, the Cross® Style refill can be unscrewed from the advancing mechanism and removed, and the new refill screwed back in to replace the empty refill.  To replace the pen top, twist the pen mechanism to retract the refill, align the wood grain between the bottom half and the top half, and push the top half onto the mechanism until it is fully seated against the center band (against the bottom half on Designer Style).
     - For Gatsby Style pens, whether click or twist, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PULL THE PEN APART
To replace the Parker® Style refill, gently hold the black writing tip and unscrew the wooden barrel by turning counter-clockwise. This will expose the refill. Place the spring over the writing tip of the refill and insert, replace wooden barrel, then tighten by turning clockwise. 
     - For Thinline Style pens, whether click or twist, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PULL THE PEN APARTTo replace the Parker® Style refill, gently hold the front wood portion of the pen and unscrew the back wooden barrel by turning counter-clockwise. This will expose the refill. Place the spring over the writing tip of the refill and insert, replace wooden barrel, then tighten by turning clockwise.


Q: How do I add more lead to my pencil? 
A: How you add lead varies depending on the model pencil you have.  All models of pencils from Naturally Write use 0.7mm leads available at any office supply store.
       - For Slimline, Thinline, Comfort and Gatsby styles - gently remove the click button by pulling it from the pencil, exposing the eraser.  Gently pull the eraser from the pencil opening the lead refill port.  Refill your pencil with no more than 3 or 4 pieces of lead.  Replace the eraser and the cap and click the pencil several times while holding the point straight down.
    - For Designer Style - grasp the pencil at both ends and gently pull the cap/clip top half off.  The pencil will separate at the center band.  Once the top half has been removed, remove the eraser and its holder and place no more than 3 or 4 leads into the holder.  Replace the eraser and the pencil top half.  Twist the pencil top until the lead extends from the tip.

About Ordering, Payments and Shipping

Q: Is Naturally Write's ordering and payment system secure?
A: Payment and ordering security is a primary concern.  This is one reason why we converted our online store over to Etsy.  Custom orders are still processed on an individual basis thru PayPAL.
Q: What is Naturally Write's Privacy Policy?
A: Naturally Write treats the information you provide us in the process of your purchase with the utmost respect and confidentiality.  Your information will not be shared with anyone for any purpose other than processing and shipping this order.  Your email address will not be used for any other purpose than contact regarding this order if necessary, or to contact you with information that may be of interest to you regarding special offers, sales or other news about our business.  You can request that you not be contacted by email following the completion of your order by requesting this using our "Contact Us" page.  By using PayPal for payment processing, Naturally Write does not even receive any of your banking or financial information.

Q: How will my order be shipped?
A: Naturally Write ships all orders via USPS Priority Mail for delivery within the United States within an estimated (not guaranteed) 2-3 business days.  Shipping charges included in your checkout process are for US Priority Mail only.  Any other shipping method may require additional charges and could delay the receipt of your shipment.  Please consult us for additional shipping charges for orders to be shipped outside the United States.

Q: Does Naturally Write sell to customers outside of the United States?
A: Yes - however international orders require special attention when it comes to handling and shipping.  Additional shipping and handling charges may apply to international orders, and are not automatically processed through PayPal.  In addition, some countries require the package recipient (ie. you the buyer) to pay any number of taxes and/or fees that are not part of your bill from Naturally Write.  Please know your country's requirements before ordering.  If you have any questions regaridng ordering from, and shipping to, locations outside of the United States please ask us prior to ordering using the "Contact Us" page.

Q: Does Naturally Write accept returns?
A: Naturally Write does accept returns for a variety of reasons, some may require a re-stocking fee and/or customer paid return shipping.
   Defective Product: All pens and pencils are tested before they leave our facility, however it is possible that a writing instrument may have an unidentified defect when you receive it.  In the unlikely event your pen and/or pencil is found to have a manufacturing defect within 30 days of receipt, please contact us immediately, for return authorization.  You will receive a full refund via PayPal including shipping charges and return postage upon receipt and inspection at Naturally Write.
   Non-Defective Product: Even if your pen and/or pencil is not defective, returns are accepted.  If you are not happy with your purchase and wish to return it, contact us for return authorization before shipping it back.  Any returns must include original packaging and must be in as-new original, re-sellable condition. REFUND: If you desire a refund, you will receive a refund through PayPal of your purchase price, less original shipping charges and a 15% restocking fee.  CREDIT: If you wish to exchange your purchase for another item currently available, or for a custom ordered item, a credit equalling the purchase price will be applied to your new order, less original shipping charges.  No restocking fee applies.  Return postage for non-defective items is the responsibility of the buyer.

If you have any questions not answered above, please contact us here. 
We welcome your inquiry and will generally get back to you within one business day.


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