PenHero Articles

There is a phenomenon where an interesting pen, pencil, or brand seemingly starts to appear more frequently and in unexpected places. It happens at pen shows, in antique stores, and browsing eBay or internet pen dealers. Without realizing it at first, there is a pen that had been on the mind! Recently this has been happening with Pilot Short telescoping fountain pens. More seem to turn up lately. In this case it wasn't just the pen, but the matching pencil, in the box! Read the story about this …

The striking visual impact of the first three élysée limited edition pens is attained through the use of a decorative technique similar to the ancient Chinese art of cloisonné. The company called this technique “Laque Intarsia” which could be literally taken as “lacquer marquetry” a riff on decorating objects with wood inlays. élysée is the company spelling for their brand name. Read the story about these interesting pens here: https:// …

It's not every day that a fairly ordinary pen becomes a hot collectible. The Waterman Reflex certainly meets the "ordinary" requirement, being the entry level pen in the Waterman line during the late 1990s. Many large pen manufacturers in the 1990s produced inexpensive pens that were sold in stationers, drug stores, and big box office supply stores. They were often sold on hang cards or in cheap paperboard boxes. The two versions of the Leonardo da Vinci pens caught the attention of collectors …

The FILCAO Sylvia is an homage. Twice. First, it’s the namesake of Sylvia Abrate, wife of the late Giovanni Abrate, the U. S. importer of FILCAO pens. FILCAO, or Fabbrica Italiana Lavorazione Cappucci Alluminio e Ottone, "Italian Factory for Machining Aluminum and Brass Caps," was a small Italian pen manufacturer established in 1963 by Franco Grisolia in Settimo Torinese, near Turin, Italy. Franco Grisolia led the company until it closed in 2012, and he passed away in 2015. In 2016, his s …

élysée created three series of writing instruments with artist designed Chinese cloisonné decoration. The series, called Vernissage, was based on the Parthenon, élysée's top pen line. The name Vernissage describes a private viewing of artworks prior to a public exhibition. The concept lends an air of exclusivity as people invited to such an event would be VIPs and wealthy patrons. The first writing instruments in the series, Edition No̲ 1, was decorated with a …

The dilemma facing Waterman and its retailers in the late 1980s was demonstrating the look and feel of a new solid gold pen to a prospective customer without having to risk opening it. A person who could afford it and would want to see one would want to buy an untouched example, not one that had been handled. The other issue for many retailers would be stocking such an expensive pen not knowing if they had the right combination of nibs and sections. The solution Waterman chose was to make gold …