Michael's Pens

Michael Hochstetler is an inventor in the American tradition. As a Midwestern high school student, he developed calluses and hand strain from writing papers and taking notes with stick-thin ballpoint pens and pencils. To combat the effects of gripping a small writing instrument for a long period of time, he decided to develop a pen with a less fatiguing shape. By experimenting with whittling soap and wood, Michael developed a profile that feels comfortable in the hand. The spiral grip gives the fingers more surface contact; thus, gripping pressure is reduced and muscle fatigue is lessened.

For his efforts, Hochstetler applied for and received two U.S. Patents, (Nos. 5,228,794 and 5,332,324), for Ergonomic Writing Instruments. From these patents emerged the WORM pen, a plastic spiral stick ballpoint pen that was marketed by Wal-Mart and other large retailers. He packaged the WORM pen in his kitchen using old sections of computer printouts to wrap the boxes.

Using feedback from retailers and customers, Hochstetler, a former product manager for a large corporation, decided to go upmarket in his pen construction.

The Fat Boy pens are machined from high-quality aluminum and are cylindrical in shape with extra-wide barrels. They use a highly refined push-button mechanism imported from Germany. Each of these pens comes with a medium (.7mm) gel refill.

The Fat Boy pens come in a number of models, all illustrated and decorated with iconic American themes. The Chopper (flames on the barrel), the World War II Fighters (Hellcat and P-51), the POW-MIA (with the official logo), and the Comet (with comet-shaped grooves) are examples of popular Fat Boy pens. Another series of Fat Boy pens have evenly spaced holes, making the pen look like a silencer on a pistol. Not surprisingly, this is called the Silencer series. 

The various models of Fat Boy pens come in a wide range of anodized aluminum colors, including blue, black, red, silver, copper and purple.

Arcangelo: The Grandfather
The Arcangelo is the grand-father of Michael’s pens in two ways. First, it harkens back to the ergonomic patented shape of the WORM, Michael’s original creation and, second, it is named after Michael’s Italian immigrant grandfather. This pen is shaped like a piece of modern sculpture. It is manufactured using a miniaturized 4-axis CNC milling machine according to the specifications of the original patents. Because of the complexity and craftsmanship associated with the Arcangelo, its price is about twice as much as the Fat
Boy pens. 

Michael is now introducing new colors, new motifs, and new barrel designs.A limited edition Vermeil Arcangelo recently reached pen stores throughout the U.S. It is 24-karat gold plate over sterling silver; there are just 88 pieces in the edition.

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