For the person who has everything: a one of a kind tagua pen

Shopping in Panama
with Lourdes Quijada
What do you give a person who has everything or  if you are a visitor to Panama what to take back that is truly unique?

Try a pen similar to the one used by former President Martin Torrijos to sign the agreement for the multi million dollar expansion of the Panama Canal.

It’s the same kind of pen that travels on overseas trips with  current Vice President and Foreign Minister Juan Carlos Varela to be used as a gift to foreign dignitaries.
It’s the pen that is sought by celebrities around the world from Hollywood to Bollywood via Broadway and Tin Pan Alley.
The pen’s all have two things in common, they are made in Panama and they incorporate tagua. That’s a nut that comes from palms commonly known as ivory palms, ivory-nut palms or tagua palms. Their scientific name means “plant elephant”, and the nuts are used as a replacement for ivory, especially by indigenous communities who are creating micro businesse with tagua carvings.
Tagua nuts fall from the trees and, before they harden are often boiled and eaten like potatoes by the harvesters.
When the nuts become hard, after drying in the sun the outer skin is peeled off and the core, resembling ivory to be used in the construction of pens, is cut into micro thin strips.
The use of tagua in making pens is the successful brain child of Panamanian entrepreneur Hubert Roy who studied engineering in the United States. After graduating he returned home, took on an engineering job and in his spare time converted a lifelong predilection for hobbies using his hands into creating a cane furniture business.

The U.S. invasion of Panama intervened, and like many others he had to start afresh. This time he moved to creating special furniture items and wood carvings. Then, near the turn of the century, he turned to the tagua nut.

For generations a German company had secretly used the tagua in Ecuador and Perus for making buttons, but when plastic was discovered the industry died and the secrecy veil was lifted and other uses were developed. Enter Hubert Roy, proprietor of the M & R Wilson company. While in university his English speaking co-students called him Hubert, In Panama, the Spanish community finds it easier to get the tongue around Roy.

If you get to visit his elegant in house show room and plant in San Francisco, either appendage will do. With the city’s maze of unnamed streets, you may have a problem finding the location, but the cheerful pen man is always willing to meet you at a well known location and act as a guide.

Alongside his displays of multi hued and decorated ball points lie “fountain” pens, and around the showroom you will find hand crafted furniture, wood carvings, and cabinets showing the tagua story.

All well worth a visit and a chat with a genuine craftsman.
And for that person who has everything, or the gift with a genuine difference, there are the  individualistic pens, ranging from $50 to $500. You’ll never be at a loss again. {jathumbnail off}

Visit his website here