MONTEGRAPPA: A TRADITION OF INVENTION

Montegrappa is a name that stands apart in the world of writing. Best known for complex, fanciful designs plucked from luxury’s outer limits, our reputation owes just as much to a restless curiosity for the act of writing that has been simmering for well over a century.

Founded in 1912, our family-owned pen manufacture is Italy’s oldest­—and its most advanced. Located in the artisanal heartlands surrounding Venice, our proximity to many of the world’s most accomplished and creative makers feeds an ethos of continual advancement.

 It is this passion for progress that has seen us instigate many of writing culture’s most remarkable milestones. In the early 1990s, our initiative to embrace precious metals helped reignite connoisseur interest in specialist penmakers.

In 1995, the fabled Dragon went even further: reviving celluloid and combining it with expressive goldsmith artistry to kickstart a modern collector movement.

Ever since, our mastery of lost wax casting has shaped much of our legend. The intricate jeweller’s art makes possible sculpted forms that excite the senses. Low-relief engraving is another house specialty that heightens the value of detail, applying ornamental traditions of art nouveau and art deco to contemporary themes. 

Flourishes like these heighten writing moments, offering writers a sense of indulgence and engagement far removed from today’s digital existence.

Over recent years, advanced materials and sophisticated, precision tooling have allowed us to expand our repertoire. Since winning plaudits at the 2015 Baselworld convention for the pioneering Q1, influences from watchmaking have increasingly set the pace of progress.

Today, many of our most remarkable designs break new ground, pairing modern metal finishes with ingenious mechanical complications.

Historically, many of our greatest triumphs have magnified pens’ status as instruments of power: designs made for leaders of politics, industry and sport fill the walls of our private museum. But by exploring new frontiers, we have cultivated a new breed of afficionados.

Today’s modern Montegrappisti set includes creatives, intellectuals and celebrities: individuals seeking unique modes of expression.

Notable users of Montegrappa pens include the designer, Sir Jonathan Ive, author Paulo Coelho, and superstar Sylvester Stallone. In 2010, the actor/filmmaker provided creative direction for Chaos—a landmark writing silhouette that divided opinion on release but set a significant precedent for extrovert masculinity in luxury.

Ever since, a procession of prestige collaborations has helped us become bolder and forge new ground, while inspiring us to give every customer the right to participate in the creation process.

Our Atelier and Configurator services offer unrivalled customization possibilities that provide return to the original tenets of luxury.

 Montegrappa pens are symbolic, aspirational and rich in narrative: made to give a head start to hungry minds. Their storytelling power shines through products that celebrate leading lights of culture, entertainment and sport.

Meanwhile editions made for our solidarity partners echo a similar belief—using stories to draw attention to vital environmental and humanitarian causes.

Often eclectic but never mundane, our writing instruments honour individuality and inspire clarity of thought. We believe that hands are more capable of performing extraordinary work when holding an extraordinary pen—an alternate world-view that defies convention and refuses to revel in the past.

On the contrary, we know that pens are a timeless technology, continuously renewed by a tradition of invention.