In fast-moving and turbulent times, many people appreciate things that are so sophisticated that they stand the test of time. Just like classic fountain pens and other high-quality writing instruments. Crafted with the utmost dedication by artists in their field.
The Classic series from Faber Castell –
as a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, pencil or rollerball pen
Photos: Faber-Castell AG
“Think before you print.” Paperless office. Tablets called “smart paper”. Advancing digitalization is pushing traditional writing with pen and paper more and more into the background. At least that’s how it seems. All the more so because the overall decline in birth rates over the past few years means that the number of pupils and students is also falling – and therefore another classic environment for handwriting. And yet: writing instruments such as pencils, colored pencils, fountain pens and ballpoint pens are enjoying growing popularity – after a dip due in part to the pandemic – and the industry is recording sales growth again. The “Paper, office supplies and stationery sector report 2023” by market research institute Marktmedia24 estimates that German manufacturers will be able to increase their turnover to around 12.4 billion euros by 2030. This would correspond to an increase of a good six percent compared to the time of the study. How does that fit together?
When asked, industry experts and representatives respond with buzzwords such as “a return to tradition”, “a sense of quality” and “rediscovering creativity”. At the same time, there is broad agreement that the issue of sustainability is becoming increasingly important for consumers. Writing instrument manufacturers have long since recognized this. “As a family business in its ninth generation, we take our responsibility seriously. Sustainability is not a new trend for us, but an integral part of our culture of values and a proven success factor in our company history,” writes Faber-Castell in its information brochure “Sustainability Insights 2022/2023”, for example. “We understand sustainability in ecological, social and economic terms. We are an industry pioneer in our own certified forest management to secure raw materials. However, we are also committed to biodiversity, renewable energies, resource conservation, equal opportunities and diversity.”
Founded in 1761, Faber-Castell has always attached great importance to tradition as one of the oldest family businesses. This is reflected not least in the stylish fountain pens, rollerball pens, ballpoint pens and mechanical pencils in the Classic series. Its most striking design element is the fluting, i.e. the filigree groove structure. You can choose from shafts made of pernambuco, grenadilla or ebony wood. Due to the natural differences in color and structure, each writing instrument is unique. There are also variants in a completely platinum-plated version or in solid 925 sterling silver. The fountain pens in the Classic series guarantee a very special writing experience with their 18-carat bicolor gold nib.
The piston fountain pens from Kaweco also offer this. Instead of cartridges, the ink is supplied via a piston mechanism that draws the ink directly from the glass into the reservoir integrated into the fountain pen. On the one hand, this naturally makes an important contribution to the sustainability mentioned above. At least as important: the precise filling of the writing instrument can be celebrated as a ritual – and thus serves as an effective measure to slow down the hectic working day. The company’s history dates back to 1883; the current brand name was created in 1889 after Heinrich Koch and Rudolph Weber (Koch, Weber & Co.) took over the Heidelberg penholder factory. In 1911, the company presented the Kaweco Sport, a pocket fountain pen that was only 10.5 centimeters tall when closed, but grew to normal size when the cap was turned down. The classic is still an absolute bestseller today and is available in various designs and series, and Diplomat’s history of just over 100 years has seen several changes of ownership and relocations of the company headquarters and production site. But one thing has remained unchanged since 1922: The manufactory still produces all writing instruments by hand using traditional methods. The issue of sustainability is reflected not least in the fact that Diplomat takes care in the design and manufacture of its products to ensure that heavily used components can be replaced at any time. The latest model in Diplomat’s product portfolio is the Nexus fountain pen, which was launched in 2022 to mark the company’s 100th anniversary. Here, too, classic design is combined with a cartridge-free piston system into which the ink can be filled using a pipette.
right top: A real eye-catcher: the Kaweco Piston Sport piston fountain pen with aluminium body, anodized surface and gold nib. / © Photo: Kaweco
Below: Kaweco also offers all variants from one series: the Kaweco BRASS Sport as a fountain pen, gel rollerball pen, ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil / © Photo: Kaweco
The fountain pen
Fountain pen, fountain pen or fountain pen – no matter what you call the “king of writing instruments”, high-quality representatives of this species have long been true status symbols. Originally they consisted of a simple fountain pen or quill with three interlocking goose quills. In calligraphy, the art of beautiful writing, this is still the state of the art today. With “normal” fountain pens, on the other hand, a metal nib transfers the ink to the paper. A distinction is made between variants with stainless steel springs and gold springs. While the former are more suitable for everyday use thanks to their robustness, the precious metal is less rigid and therefore adapts better to the individual posture of the writing hand. Up to eight spring strengths are available worldwide. If the writing style and nib fit together, the result is a unique typeface, a perfect symbiosis between body and pen.