The Story

In the months leading up to the birth of his first child, ATELEIA \ˌa-təl-ˈē-ə\ creator Chris Williams designed a leather journal cover for daily writing use. The journal was intended to house replaceable notebooks, so it could be used for many years to come. With a natural vegetable tanned exterior, the cover would begin to tell its own story of the places it had been and testify to the life events written on its pages. He wanted it to be something his children would identify as "dad's journal" and would ultimately become a family heirloom, passed down to future generations. 

Once the journal design was completed, it needed a pen that would fittingly compliment the brass hardware and leather shell. Ultimately, the decision was made to design a simple brass pen housing with a screw on cap. After a few rounds of drawings and prototypes, Chris placed a small order of pens for personal use. The first batch sat on the shelf for several months until a December 2013 blog post by pen enthusiast and blogger Mike Dudek of The Clicky Post.  The response to Mike’s review was highly encouraging and the first batch was quickly sold off. Shortly thereafter, the decision was made to make more pens and attempt to bring the product to market.

The ATELEIA brand name and identity was developed in 2014 and the slim wallet and pen sleeve were quickly added to the lineup. A successful Kickstarter campaign in the fall of 2014 helped get the business on its feet. Since then, ATELEIA has continued to grow and and new products. The designs are noteworthy for their artistry, clean appearance and quality of craftsmanship. 

About the Creator

Chris Williams is a craftsman at heart, driven by a desire to create and do so with excellence. His interests and experience cover a wide range, from music, to woodworking, guitar building, bicycle repair, metalworking, leatherworking and design. No matter the medium, he strives to make products that are functional, beautiful, and built to stand the test of time.  

Since 2006, Chris has focused on micro-enterprise development in his community in downtown Phoenix, AZ. Having successfully run Barrio Works (a mixed-use bicycle shop), his eyes have always been towards helping incubate small business and encouraging community members to create businesses of their own. With ATELEIA, Chris is putting his money where his mouth is, seeking to blaze the trail for small business development benefitting his community and revealing the incredible value and talent at work there.