I was admiring hundreds of stunning writing instruments from different production years when an interesting red lacquer fountain pen that I had never seen before caught my attention.
It was pretty much love at first sight
This pen was exposed in a vintage glass and wooden desk and I could not recognize the brand nor the model from afar, but I immediately knew that that pen had power so I asked: “Sorry, could you please show me that fountain pen right there, yes, the red lacquer one…down there…yes, that one! Thank you’’ and that’s how the magic started….
A pen ahead of its time
First of all, thank you for being here. Please grab yourself a comfortable chair and a nice cup of coffee, put on some good music, and let me welcome you to my story…
Two weeks ago, it was a typical springtime Saturday, a mild sun was shining up in the sky and I felt so energized for the start of the weekend, that I decided to hit the road and drive to the capital of Switzerland – Bern – to enjoy some good coffee in one of the lovely cafes and get inspired. In fact, Bern has always been a source of inspiration for me.
To give you some context, Bern’s old city has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1983, wowing visitors from all over the world with its impressive sandstone buildings and incomparable charm. If you ever happen to travel to Switzerland do not miss the chance to visit and dive into the magic, history and majestic beauty of this city.
Now about me: as an Italian lady living in Switzerland, I started collecting fountain pens about 2 years ago and since then I have been on a roller coaster: collecting fountain pens brings you on a fantastic inner journey of self-discovery. I started with buying everything that caught my attention because of its beauty. At that time I was not truly conscious about my inner Why. Then I started to focus on stone and marble pens, due to the stones’ healing properties. I have been drawn to healing stones since childhood and I liked the idea that the pen would display its magic properties on me while writing. This brought me to discover the fantastic world of vintage pens and I got inspired to buy a couple of nice books to learn the history of fountain pens, like Fountain Pens of the World. Today I am focusing on very special pieces that speak to my heart.
What a magical journey this is!
Before even thinking about technical details, what I usually look for in a fountain pen is character. I love pens with a story, those that have marked the beginning of a new era or that stand out as examples of new experiments in the industry, like The Namiki Emperor or the latest Montegrappa special editions.
Throughout this incredible journey, I have crossed paths with amazing people, expert collectors, and retailers with a profound passion for these writing instruments. I purposely wanted to rely upon their advice, knowledge and expertise to learn, understand the market and get inspired. Their support has been key in helping me to find and appreciate special pieces.
Other times I have just followed my gut instinct and pens have come to me, like magic…
Each and every single pen I have encountered, has prompted me to take a step back and learn its history and that has helped me to build the whole picture about the evolution of fountain pens. As a result of this, today I know that fountain pens constituted the first form of communication dating back to the Sumerians over 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia. They have then developed into real work instruments to serve the masses during the industrial revolution, and finally they have become real luxury goods of extreme beauty, technological innovation and reliability today.
Fountain pens have evolved significantly over time. They have transitioned from dip nibs (19th century) to self-contained ink reservoirs, with advancements in materials, filling mechanisms, and nib designs. The modern fountain pen as we know it today was patented in 1827 by Petrache Poenaru. There is a lot to talk about when looking at the history and evolution of fountain pens, but this is for the next article.
Now, back to my visit in Bern: many of the people I have met throughout my collector journey so far have ended up becoming dear friends, like Guillaume Chappuis, the owner of an enchanting blue-painted underground shop named WATCH & WRITE, where he repairs and sells both vintage and classic pens, watches and accessories. His shop is in one of the characteristic vaulted cellars of Bern’ s historical center.
The moment I asked about that pen, Guillaume took back the 4 pens which he previously selected for me to look at, and showed me that powerful fountain pen instead. He handed it over to me. My eyes suddenly sparkled: I could immediately recognize the legendary Ferrari logo. Then I was curious to know who had produced that pen, because I had never seen one before.
Well, this is a Montegrappa for Ferrari, launched by Montegrappa in partnership with Ferrari, under the production of Montblanc back in 2005. What a fabulous partnership, isn’t it?
As a matter of fact in that year Montegrappa was owned by Richemont and Montblanc was managing the production of its writing instruments, like in the case of this pen.
The fountain pen was launched as an annual limited edition of 612 fountain pieces worldwide, built with 925 sterling silver and a gorgeous 18K white gold nib.
The barrel is made of a special alloy used for manufacturing Ferrari cars and it is lacquered in the traditional Ferrari Racing red. Each piece is adorned with the 3D sterling silver Ferrari Prancing Horse, the so-called “Cavallino Rampante” (in Italian), a symbol of prestige and excellence recognized all over the world.
The grip showcases a glamorous Ferrari engine engraved in sterling silver and just below you can read the pen’s name: Montegrappa for Ferrari. The LE number is indicated at the top of the barrel. The pen features an impressive elegant aerodynamic design, inspired by the typical bodywork of a Ferrari car, which gives that sense of movement and speed right in your hands. The oblique cut of the cap extending towards the decline of the barrel creates a very particular bayonet closing system, whereby you need to turn the body of the pen like a car’s ‘fluid movement when entering a quick chicane’ – said a lucky collector, passionate about car racing.
The pen is quite heavy, however its well-distributed weight gives a stable and pleasant writing feeling. The 18K nib is very reliable and quite springy- it never misses a stroke. Ink flow is generous, and very enjoyable to write with, especially for fast-writing notes-taking sessions when in business meetings.
The pen is fuelled by a dual-cartridge-only system, which is pretty special and at the same time very practical, as it allows to carry 1 extra cartridge as a reserve fuel. I have learned to appreciate the practicality of not having to carry a bottle of ink or extra cartridges when I am out for a prolonged time, as this pen already carries its reserve fuel directly in its body.
From a collection standpoint, I have always been pretty strict in selecting mainly piston-filler fountain pens only, as to me those are the “real deal” (I have been quite judgemental and discriminating towards the variety of options available – my bad). I do own a couple of converter pens, but I never liked the idea of a cartridge-only pen, because it gave me the impression of a “cheap” pen, whatever that means, right?
In fact this Montegrappa for Ferrari is such an iconic pen, that all of my prejudices just faded away the moment I saw it, I held it in my hand and started to write with it.
The experience was fantastic!
It was clear: this pen would have made an extraordinary addition to my collection.
Being Italian myself, there is a certain sense of pride in owning this piece, which was quite innovative of its time for all the reasons explained above. On top of that it is a new “old-stock” Montegrappa in my collection and I do love the Montegrappa distinctive approach to fountain pens’ design, as well as the Montblanc manufacturing quality and lastly, Ferrari has always been a symbol of power, passion and speed to me. Those precious qualities that Italians showcase in everything they do (think of pizza, pasta, cappuccino, fashion, cars, design).
Those of us who collect fountain pens know that there are different approaches behind the art of collecting. Each collection and the use we make of it has a very unique flavor, which 100% mirrors the personality behind the collection itself.
As a collector and a user myself, I truly believe that every pen comes with a special message for that specific phase of our lives. It brings us the energy we need to communicate to the world around us, it makes us show up to the world the way we want to, thanks to the very distinctive energetic qualities that each pen holds.
Coming from a very difficult year for various personal reasons, this pen brings a message of: victory, power, purpose and fun.
This Montegrappa for Ferrari also has an emotional value, as it reminds me of when my father used to bring me to the circuit on Sundays, when I was a little girl, to watch Formula 1. This is how my passion for speed and luxury sports cars started.
In fact, my father 100% approves of this stunning piece.
Today I am one of the lucky owners of 1 of the 612 unique Montegrappa for Ferrari fountain pens and guess what! The rollerball and ballpoint of the same edition are also on their way, so I will complete the trio-collection of the 2005 Montegrappa for Ferrari pens.
Non si puo’ descrivere la passione, la si può solo vivere. Cit. ~Enzo Ferrari
This writing instrument is a great collectible pen for an avid Montegrappa/Montblanc/Ferrari fan, as well as a very reliable EDC.
On top of that, Montegrappa Ferrari is a name that unites two Italian companies in a single product. The Montegrappa for Ferrari collection was designed primarily to be a timeless product, rich in history and innovation.
So delighted about the importance Bern has to you, it is my birthplace and I consider Switzerland to be my other homeland, Greece being my place of origin. Enjoy the Montegrappa Ferrari for many years to come!
Gihan, fountain pen collector.