Articles about pens and other writing instruments
In an insightful move Montblanc chose this year, the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare death (or what the company delicately calls the “anniversary of his life’s achievements”), to honor him with an annual Writers Edition limited edition pen full of symbolism.
Caran d’Ache is a Geneva-based manufacture of pencils and fountain pens. And Caran d’Ache is a manufacture in the true sense of the word ― much like MB&F, one of today’s most forward-thinking watch brands. Even though the two manufactures generally exhibit very different design language, they have come together more than successfully for the exceptional Astrograph, a pen that is also an MB&F Machine.
Italians have the gift of making even the most common object look great. They can even make a coffee grinder with enough sex appeal to make Tom Jones jealous! For a relatively small country, Italy still has quite a few fountain pen manufacturers. And I think that I have tried products from almost all of them!
The Graf von Faber-Castell collection – or “Graf” as it’s known to pen buffs – is Faber-Castell’s top-of-the-line series of pens; it includes premium writing instruments, like the recently released Pen of the Year, among others. The Pen of the Year for 2016 was inspired by Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, a 1,441-room residence that became the cultural and political center of the Hapsburg Empire.
Beginning in September, a Montblanc for BMW Centennial Fountain Pen will accompany each of the 100 new BMW 7 Series Jubilee Edition The Next 100 Years autos purchased at BMW dealerships. The distinctive design of the car’s Merino leather interior is replicated on the intricate grid design of the pen’s cap and barrel. What else is special about this writing instrument? Read on to find out.
My personal quest for the ultimate fountain pen began unexpectedly and over the following decades I learned many things, including: nothing compares to writing with a gold nib! Join me on part 1 of my personal fountain pen journey, which includes an inherited piece, a demonstrator, over-the-top colors, and cloisonné enamel.
The past few years have seen the steady rise of the all-black watch, but this color trend is also in fashion and home décor . . . and at least one exceptional pen. Leave it to Montblanc to shake things up a bit with the latest introduction reaching Montblanc boutiques this month: the Meisterstück Ultra Black Special Edition.
A watch brand adding writing instruments to its repertoire is not breaking news, but it is notable when a company focuses the same amount of attention and care on its pens as it does on its watches. Such was the case when almost ten years ago now, Blancpain engaged Canadian pen designer and maker Grayson Tighe to produce its writing instruments.
Montblanc is known for a variety of annual limited edition collections lauding renowned figures of history and art. But this new Artisan Edition pen honoring Wassily Kandinsky is designed to not only turn the spotlight on the Russian-born artist and his abstract work, but also the highly trained craftsman at Montblanc who are responsible for this sculpted, gemstone-set fountain pen.
Styljoux unveiled another twist on writing instruments with the new Le Calibre collection, whose sleek look belies what’s going on inside the barrel. The limited-edition pens with sapphire crystal barrels incorporate a weight adjustment mechanism that engages by simply twisting the ring on top of the barrel and effectively changing the center of gravity to the taste of the pen user. Wow!