It was in 2019 when Montegrappa launched the first Lord of the Rings limited edition and we can still remember how impressively crafted that piece was. Designed as a collector’s edition, the first batch sold out quickly as many added the gem to their collection. As far as I know, you’d have to be very lucky to still find it today. However, the good news is that Montegrappa has announced a reissue of the first edition. Let’s discover it below!
The new Montegrappa The Lord of the Rings: Doom retains the original design of the first edition while the new colour scheme subtly announces the inspiration behind it – the menace and magic of Mount Doom – home of the Dark Lord Sauron.
At the forefront of the industry when it comes to storytelling, it’s no wonder how the Italian brand has managed to incorporate key motifs from the famous high-fantasy series into a pen measuring just 161mm in length. In fact, more than two dozen artefacts from the big screen trilogy are sculpted into an elaborate outer sheath before being plated with ruthenium and yellow gold.
Each and every three-dimensional ornament on the new creation is made by using traditional lost wax casting, a technique for which Montegrappa is world-famous. Also known as cire-perdue and used mainly in jewellery, this method of metal casting allows manufacturers to produce various objects by casting molten metal into a mold created of a wax model. Once the mold is made, the wax model is melted and drained away. This unique technique has defined most of Montegrappa’s editions in the past few years, the most recent being the Dante Alighieri: Paradiso.
At first glance, the pen looks imposing and perhaps the first detail that catches one’s eye is the hand-enamelled ‘Eye of Sauron’ adorning the Tower of Barad-dûr. The clip is designed in the shape of Sting – the Elvish short-sword carried by Frodo Baggins – with a vermeil blade. The Ring of Barahir as worn by Aragorn is highlighted by a green cubic zirconia placed just below a faithful interpretation of the famous One Ring – symbolising the power of writing and the timelessness of artisanship. Underneath the sterling silver skeleton lies an artisanal resin with a lava-like texture, especially developed by Montegrappa to recreate the view of Mount Doom, a fine detail that will be much appreciated by connoisseurs.
With only 137 copies available worldwide, I’m pretty sure that The Lord of the Rings: Doom will become a highly coveted edition. Offered as fountain pen and rollerball pen, the new edition is already available on montegrappa.com and it’s priced at € 5,400 – fountain pen and € 4,900 – rollerball pen.
