More of this Feature • Part 2: Greece in March Quick Reference

Related Resources • Easter on Poros • Athena's Gift - Olives and Olive Oil • Greek Folk Art • Saronic Gulf Islands

Bending over his lathe, artisan Mixalis Boras stares at the patterned grain in the aged olive wood. It's always a surprise what the wood will reveal - creamy lines, traces of pink, golden browns, sharp smooth bands of black. His art is coaxing out the most beautiful portion of the wood and combining that with a fluid form that fits smoothly into the fingers of his customers. Those fingers grip pens tightly, too - people lucky enough to get their hands on one of them rarely give them up. "I made a pen for a German businessman," Mixalis recalls. "Some time later, we met again by chance. He had my pen with him, and he had used it so much that the clip had become slightly loose. I offered to take it back and repair it for him, but he wouldn't let me. He couldn't bear to be parted from it!"

Honey Roasting - Not Just For Almonds Anymore

Although black banding occurs naturally in aged olive wood, finding a big enough piece that is solid black is almost impossible. But that was what one customer wanted. Mixalis was at a loss. He didn't want to taint his work by using a chemical dye or polish, because that could change the wonderful feel of the olive wood. But then, a local Greek wise man started chatting about the ancient virtues of honey. Mixalis realized the answer might be as near as his kitchen cabinet. Taking a jar of good Greek honey, he spread it over a sample of olive wood and then carefully heated it. The honey carbonized, leaving a rich black residue on the olive wood which could be polished.

Some see in the clean yet sensuous lines of the finished pens an echo of the wasp-waisted Cretan snake goddesses, or the simple beauty of a Cycladic statue. Certainly Athena, goddess of both olive trees and written wisdom, must be pleased with this craft that combines two of her aspects so charmingly.

While pens make up a large portion of Mixalis' work - he believes he is the only handmade pen craftsman operating in Greece - he does other items in olive wood.

You can see Mixalis making pens at his new workshop in Galatas on the Peloponnesian peninsula a quick water-taxi ride across from Poros at noon and 6pm daily from May to November.

MIK Pens
25th March Street
Galatas (across from Poros Island)
Greece
MIK Pens

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Photos courtesy of MIK pens. Text Copyright 2003 by deTraci Regula and About.com. All rights reserved.