It's all about the written word...
Celebrating three years in publication. Thank you for visiting often!
Chopard's new Haute Joallerie writing instrument collection, slated for Spring 2012, features diamonds, diamonds, everywhere. Each is 18-karat white gold and is crafted at Chopard's workshops and is available exclusively at Chopard boutiques. The price is available upon request. The spring collection also includes gorgeous new watches and stunning jewelry. But what else would one expect from Chopard?
The Sir Winston Churchill Pinstripe from Onoto is completely handmade in England, and it is based on the style and shape of the Onoto Magna 1937. A percentage of the sale from each pen will go to the Churchill Heritage, which supports good causes and education initiatives associated with preserving the heritage and legacy of Sir Winston Churchill. This fountain pen features pinstriped acrylic, Churchill's signature, and a cigar-style band on the cap. It is priced at around $565.
The Riviera Waves is from Loiminchay’s Qika collection, which includes seven designs. It is a demonstrator pen with a classic Japanese wave design in maki-e
painting on the barrel. The blue transparent pen body conjures a lovely
image of calm, crystal-blue waters under clear blue sky. The body of the pen is made of transparent Italian resin, embellished with a sterling silver dolphin
clip and ring. It is available as a piston-filled fountain pen only, with an 18-karat two-tone gold nib available in fine, medium and broad sizes. There are just 38 pieces in the edition; limited editions of eight Qika sets as well as individual pens are available.
There's a new book by world-renowned calligrapher Margaret Shepherd, Learn World Calligraphy. And an exhibition of art taken from the book, entitled "The World of Writing," is on display at the First Church in Boston, 66 Marlborough St., Boston, now through December 10. Learn World Calligraphy, introduced in September, is an opportunity to discover African, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew and many more types of calligraphy. It includes 192 lushly illustrated pages with examples of historical and modern calligraphic designs with practical instruction. It's priced at $24.99, available at art and bookstores.
Swiss watch brand Ulysse Nardin has teamed up with Visconti of Italy to produce a fountain pen. Crafted from resin, with either 18-karat or sterling silver appointments, it features the famous Visconti power filling system, bayonet closure system and triple channel ink feed. It also features many of Ulysse Nardin's marine motifs, such as the stylized anchor visible on its watches. The gold pen is priced at $10,900, and the silver, $3,200. The pen comes with a traveling inkwell.
I can't say the "I've seen it all" by any stretch of the imagination. At least I hope not. But I'm rarely completely surprised by a new pen product. I must say, though, that Taccia by ITOYA's new Altitude ballpoint really caught my eye when I first saw it. It's priced right, it's great looking, and it serves a niche. At just four inches in length, the pen is perfect for a pocket, purse, checkbook or briefcase--or in my case, an evening bag. I'm never without a pen (and it must be GOOD pen), and it's tough to find one that looks great and will fit in those crazy tiny bags that we women use when we go out for a dressy evening. S. T. Dupont came out with one several years ago, but at a much higher price, and so did Visconti, also higher priced, and these have fit the bill for me thus far. Priced at around $30, the Altitude is a steal. It has a guilloche finish and some really fun colors: Noble Violet, Aero Blue, Quicksilver Sage and Serene Pink. It uses a standard mini-ballpoint (D1) refill. And I like the packaging, too: it's all wrapped up and ready for gift giving, either to a friend or to oneself for making it through another round of holiday shopping.
The Lamy Dialog 3 is now available in black. At just $300, it features a retractable 14-karat gold nib. Its sleek and modern look is enhanced by a precise closing ball valve to prevent leaks and a retractable clip. Nib sizes include extra fine, fine, medium and broad.
Montegrappa is introducing the Chaos pen collection, inspired and designed by Montegrappa brand ambassador, filmmaker, writer and actor Sylvester Stallone. A long-tme collector of Montegrappa pens, Stallone will also serve as the face of Montegrappa in the company's new advertising campaign. Apparently Mr. Stallone drew inspiration for the design of the pen from his film The Expendables. He worked with Montegrappa's artisans to produce it, intending to demonstrate the juxtaposition between Renaissance art and our current technological society. The limited edition pen is made of black pearlized celluloid with an overlay in either sterling silver or 18-karat gold. The overlays are hand finished by Montegrappa craftsman, and they feature an antiqued finish with accents in red and yellow translucent enamel with images of life (reptiles representing the early forms of life on Earth) and death (skull). The pen's clip is in the form of a sword. The Chaos pen is the first in Montegrappa's Cult collection and is available as a limited edition of 1,000 fountain pens and 912 rollerball pens in sterling silver. There are also 100 fountain pens and 100 rollerball pens in 18-karat gold with precious stones. A rock crystal inkwell is also available. The Chaos pen collection ranges from $5,000-$70,000.
