A weighty matter...

The new Colibri Ascari rollerball pen is making tracks among those who love techy-looking, high-performance rollerball pens. Inspired by the atmosphere of the Italian Grand Prix racetrack, this spring-loaded pen is predominantly matte black with a dash of red or racing blue. The precision-cut grip allows for comfortable handling, and the substantial weight and balance of the pen is impressive to say the least. The Ascari has a strong Colibri spring clip and uses a German refill system. It is packaged in a luxury matte black gift box, making it an ideal holiday gift for the man or woman in your life who enjoys substantial eye-catching pens. I own one and it never ceases to elicit comments...of course I always take advantage of the opportunity to "talk pens."

New from Montblanc....coming in July!

Limited to just 50 pieces, symbolizing the number of states in the US, the Statue of Liberty Artisan Edition from Montblanc showcases the company's craftsmanship and design. The intricate 750 solid gold fittings over the gray PVD coating on the writing instrument is inspired by the elements of the neoclassical sculpture. The barrel is engraved with the official date of the American Independence Declaration in Roman letters. The cap symbolizes the crown of the statue in an abstract manner with a clip in the form of a torch embellished with a citrine jewel, a symbol of freedom. The three-dimensional pattern of the writing instrument commemorates the steel construction of the actual statue conceived by Gustave Eiffel. As a mark of the quality and craftsmanship of this piece, a mother-of-pearl Montblanc emblem is featured at the very summit of the writing instrument. Previous artisan editions from Montblanc include tributes to Max Reinhardt, Frida Kahlo and the Presidential Series, all in the form of exquisitely crafted Montblanc pens.

 

The Montblanc Statue of Liberty Artisan Edition will be available at Montblanc boutiques nationwide from July 4, 2012. The piece will be specially featured at Montblanc’s Flagship boutique on Madison Avenue. 

She stole the tarts...

Retro 51's Queen and King Tornado rollerball pens are a great gift for the card player in your life. Priced at under $50, they make a great gift. The Tornado swept on the scene several years ago, and since that time it has seen several popular renditions. Check our some of the other new Tornado pens at Retro 51.

Demonstrator Pens

It's a big trend in pens these days--demonstrator pens, that is. It seems that most companies worth their salt are introducing these translucent lovelies in some fashion or another. As an example, there are new colors in the Artista Crystal line of demonstrator-style pens from Monteverde. Made from acrylic and hand polished inside and out, with shiny chrome accents, the collection is available as a fountain pen with a steel nib and a cartridge/converter filling system, a rollerball and a ballpoint. Spring colors include clear, pink, lime green and turquoise. They range in price from $35 to $45. An interesting note: the ink feed on the fountain pen is clear.

Honoring Frank Lloyd Wright

ACME, based in Hawaii, is paying homage to Frank Lloyd Wright with a few of its latest introductions. The Taliesin Anniversary cartridge- or converter-filled fountain pen is based on the architect's Teliesin in Wisconsin. Taliesin, which means "shining bow" was the Welsh name that Wright bestowed on his home, which he designed in 1911. Available now, the etched pen is a limited edition of just 1,911 pens, each with a steel nib. A fountain pen and rollerball set is available for $250 and comes in a collector's box. The new Frank Lloyd Wright architect's pencil is ACME's first-ever architect's pencil (or lead holder). It features the Ennis Block pattern on the grip and includes Wright's signature on the red background. Priced at $60, eraser and refill leads are included. Apparently red was Wright's favorite color.

Happy Birthday, Johnny Cash!

 Yesterday was Johnny Cash's eightieth birthday, and according to my sources at Think pens, the limited edition Johnny Cash fountain pens released a few months ago are sold out. But take heart. There are a few rollerball pens still available, priced at under $300.


The black Italian resin pen has striped wood-grain accents inspired by the detailing on Cash's guitar. The clip recalls the guitar's fret board, and Cash's signature is featured on the band. Just 888 fountain pens were created. Each comes in a black lacquer commemorative box.

Conway Stewart Wellington Silver Graphite

The February Limited Edition Series from Conway Stewart is the Wellington Silver Graphite. Based on the popular Wellington design, it is available in a small limited edition of only 50 numbered fountain pens and 50 numbered rollerballs. Each pen is crafted from handmade graphite resin adorned with solid sterling silver trim. Due to the nature of this resin, no two Wellington Silver Graphite pens will look exactly alike, and this particular color will neither be repeated on this model, nor will it be available as a bespoke pen. The 18-karat gold nib of the cartridge- or converter-filled fountain pen ($608) is available in eight sizes: extra fine, fine, medium, broad, extra broad, italic fine, italic medium and italic broad. No orders will be accepted after February 29, 2012.

Ulysse Nardin teams up with Visconti

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.  

Sylvester Stallone designs a pen

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.

Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco (cont.)

As a tribute to Princess Grace's three children, whom she considered the most important of all things in her life, this rare Montblanc fountain pen is limited to just three pieces. Crafted entirely from champagne-colored solid gold, the pen is further embellished with diamonds (~2.69 ct.) and rubies (~ 0.26 ct.) on the cap and barrel. The feminine neckline shape of the cap top and clip reflect the elegance of the Princess. Princess Grace's monogram is finely engraved on the cap-top and the clip sparkles with a drop-cut diamond (~0.41 ct.). The cap is also adorned with a circle of rhomboid-shaped cut rubies, inspired by the Principality of Monaco coat of arms. The pen is priced at $107,700. Still more to come...

Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco

A collection of writing instruments honoring Princess Grace was launched by Montblanc on September 8 at a gala event in Monaco. There are three versions, the first of which is the Special Edition Writing Instrument, available as a fountain pen ($950), rollerball ($795) or ballpoint ($690). Embodying Princess Grace's style, this edition is crafted from a deep purple precious resin, creating a contrast with the champagne-toned gold fittings. The pen features a feminine neckline design and a lavish addition of a drop-cut pink topaz on the clip. Both the gold-plated cap and barrel rings are intricately engraved with a rhombus pattern, inspired by the Principality of Monaco's coat of arms. The fountain pen's 18-karat gold nib is decorated with a heart-shaped breather hole. Princess Grace's monogram can be found on the cap top. More to come...

International Opening

The Sheaffer Pen Company is hosting a fundraising gala to benefit the Sheaffer Pen Museum today and tomorrow, September 21 and September 22. 

Tim Williams, general manager of Sheaffer Pen, noted that, “Everyone who works at Sheaffer is passionate about the Sheaffer brand and legacy. While building our wonderful brand for the future, we recognize all the achievements of Sheaffer’s glorious past. A central pillar is the long-standing link of Sheaffer with Fort Madison, Iowa and its people – now perfectly captured in the wonderful Sheaffer Pen Museum, which we are so proud to share with our distributors who will be joining us for this event.”

Richard Canella, president of the Sheaffer Pen Museum, noted. “It was important for us to keep the Sheaffer history in Fort Madison as part of its heritage, and to share that with the public. Much of Sheaffer history touches on world history, like Sheaffer® pens used to sign the Japanese peace treaty and the United Nations Charter. We have creatively integrated Sheaffer’s history, art and science in our demonstrations and displays.”

The Sheaffer Pen Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) Corporation operated entirely by volunteers. The museum is open to the public Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 10 a.m. through 2 p.m. Group tours are welcome by special appointment. 

The Beatles!

The long-awaited Beatles collection from Acme is now in select stores, with various other Beatles writing instruments and memorabilia being introduced through 2013. Nine distinct pens were developed for the nine years the Beatles were together. Shown is "1962," a limited edition of 1,962 lacquer-over-brass pens. It is priced at around $100.

Sandringham from Conway Stewart

Conway Stewart Sandringham follows the Balmoral and Windsor in the company's Prestigious Series. The fountain pen, in sterling silver and green resin veneer, is hand engraved by master engraver Marcus Hunt, one of England's premier engravers. Based on the Duro model, the Sandringham limited edition fountain pen features an 18-karat gold nib available in eight sizes, from extra fine to extra broad, as well as italic fine, italic medium and italic broad. Just 15 pens were produced, each priced at $3,300.

Bold move in Precious Metals from Krone

The new Bold limited edition from Krone features lavish lacquers, sterling silver, guilloche and gemstones. Bold comes in two colors, Steep (charcoal gray) and Brave (royal blue), and two modes, fountain pen and rollerball. The beautiful "wave" guilloche in sterling silver is visible through the transparent lacquer.The fountain pen is priced at $1,600 and the rollerball, $1,500. The edition is limited to 388 pieces in each mode.

All About AL-Star

I am a huge fan of the Lamy AL-Star, and its most recent rendition is in Ruby Red anodized aluminum. It's a limited production model, with all the AL-Star details that we've come to know and love: chrome wire clip and see-through grip in charcoal gray plastic. It is available as a fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint, priced at $45, $40 and $35 respectively.

Dinner with Smokin' Joe

Do you own a Montegrappa Thrilla in Manila sterling or gold limited edition fountain pen? Montegrappa has just announced the possibility of a private dinner with Smokin' Joe Frazier in either New York or Philadelphia for owners of this fabulous pen. Dinner will run about $2,000--but, hey, that probably includes dessert. No transportation is included. If you are interested, respond here--and soon, since numbers will be limited. Incidentally, I met Joe at the Philadelphia Pen Show earlier this year, and he was an enthusiastic and interesting conversationalist, though I was a bit tongue tied in such a sport icon's presence. Should be a fun time. Oh, and Happy Birthday to me.

Great curves

Always one to buck tradition with amazing new shapes and materials, Jean-Pierre Lépine elevates penmaking into a realm much closer to sculpture than anything else on the market today. His recently introduced Sunday Afternoon ballpoint pen, while not yet available in the US, is a gentle curve of a pen that required, according to Lépine, special tools and mechanisms that he produced himself. Lépine's manufactory is in the Jura region of France, a picturesque place I visited many years ago. Its pastoral setting and long winters have been conducive to watchmaking and, at the hand of Lépine, pens. The Sunday Afternoon is aluminum and will be available in various lacquer finishes.

Tibaldi honors Michael the Archangel

         The Sanctus Michael Archangelus limited edition of fountain pens and rollerball pens is trimmed with either sterling silver or gold. The silver version comprises an edition of 324 pens each; the number represents the earliest reference to Saint Michael in the Old Testament. The solid gold version comprises 50 pens each to represent the 50 angels in Christian and Islamic tradition. The pen has a hand-painted resin body; the fountain pen nib is 18-karat gold. The sterling silver fountain pen is priced at $10,500 and the gold, $37,900. The silver rollerball is priced at $10,050 and the gold, $43,700. Tibaldi was founded in 1916, with headquarters in Florence, Italy.

Bring out the biker in you! The new Harley-Davidson collection from Retro 51 is available in matte black with orange pin stripes or brushed charcoal with textured etching. The magnetically capped ballpoint has a sculptural metal mid-ring design; it uses an Easy-Flow refill. The pen comes in a canvas pouch and is priced at $60. Also new from Retro 51 is the Stroker--a click-top ballpoint that also comes in two styles: Ivory Eagle ($25) and Pink Exotic, with 19 Swarovski crystals in the clip ($30). Finally, the new Flathead ballpoint, with its unique rectangular body, has an extra large clip and shiny chrome accents. It is priced at $22.50.