Lighten Up

Pens have learned another thing from watches, it seems. Not only are they taking on some of the physical characteristics, as in using watch parts as art elements on a pen, I recently saw one that has illuminated accents, much like a watch. As I’m sure you know, Super-LumiNova is a trade name for a material often used on the markers, hands and bezel of a watch to illuminate them. Edelberg—a new brand just introduced in Europe—uses it to highlight the clip and front cone (and also a line running the length of some models) on its pens. I must say I was duly impressed with the new Edelberg range of rollerball pens that I saw during my recent trip to Europe. Founded by pen aficionado and collector Carlo Naldi, the brand offers, in addition to pens, other accessories, such as belt buckles, cufflinks, eyewear and rings. But the pens—all Swiss made—are really something to write home about. They are sleek and techie looking, with a minimalist design and good engineering. They come in a variety of combinations of steel, rose gold plate, resin, carbon fiber and Super-LumiNova. The clip retracts when the pen is open, minimizing the chance of a nasty ink stain in your pocket.

Mr. Naldi is a distributor of many pen brands in Switzerland and operates an exclusive pen shop in Zug, Style. In addition to the launch of the new Edelberg brand, he also offers accessories he designs and produces under the Naldi-Italy brand name. Keep an eye out for Edelberg. My sources tell me it will soon be on American soil, but not soon enough, in my opinion. The pens will range in price from around $500 to $800. My trusty camera didn’t quite capture the essence of the pens, but it loved the exuberant Mr. Naldi.