I'll open by saying that i am in no way taking anything from any of our members in what they do. This forum abounds with fantastic work.
Bespoke is a term that started being coined by custom/kitless makers, to try and differentiate ourselves from kit pens. Bespoke, traditionally, refers to something that is made to order from base materials. Hence its use in the fashion industry. Someone would come in, get measured, fitted and and choose the material. The taylor would go into his/her workshop, get a bolt of cloth and make the ordered outfit.
I agree that everyone here make custom pens. But, there are various qualitatives that should be added, depending on your level of custom work. I have seen many kit pens sold as handcrafted, with the indication that the entire piece was handmade by the maker. That's like going to IKEA, buying a wooden dresser flat-pack. Taking it home assembling it, painting it in a really cool paint scheme, and calling it handcrafted furniture.
I am sure that craftsman like JT, who do some incredible segmented work, would take some offence to someone making a slim line pen out of multi coloured spectraply with the following.
"Beautiful, handcrafted ball point pen. Crafted from wood, using 14 individually coloured layers. Fitted with precision fittings and accents."
While nothing in that statement is false, but it definitely leads the reader to an incorrect conclusion.
At its basis, pen making is an excellent beginner project for a turner. But to say that the two pens below are: "Handcrafted, custom pens." without qualifiers, is a severe injustice to the skill and work involved in making the top one.
To say that it is fraudulent, to find a word that sets my fully handcrafted work apart from kit pens, is very wrong and actually somewhat insulting.
I wish there was a proper term to describe what I do other than pen maker, which has been diluted to meaninglessness. Bespoke is about as close as I have found, as most of my "Kitless" pens are made to the order and specifications of a client.
End of small rant.