As the year slowly comes to an end, the world of fine writing continues to flourish — explaining why so many people around the globe are deliberately returning to handwriting, a phenomenon the tech-savvy still find hard to believe. Your continuous devotion and trust, dear readers, inspire us to keep searching, observing, and revealing stories worth telling — from remarkable innovations and cross-cultural collaborations to emerging brands gaining momentum at an impressive pace, such as ELBWOOD.
Together, these releases reflect more than technical mastery, they point to a broader shift toward intention, craft, and meaning in the way we write today.
We are grateful that, once again this year, you have accompanied us in exploring some of the most fascinating releases in the world of fine writing. Here are some of the pieces that caught our eye in 2025, and we’re pretty sure they caught yours, too.
We witnessed storytelling in its most poetic form with Sailor’s Urashima Tarō (limited to just 50 pieces worldwide), a creation in which master artisan Ikki Moroike once again demonstrated his mastery, finely illustrating one of Japan’s most celebrated folk tales through Urushi lacquer and Raden inlays, applied to a writing instrument measuring a mere 18 × 153.3 mm. Worth mentioning as well is the Mono No Aware edition, which captivated audiences with the visual depth of its design. For this model, Sailor utilised a lacquering technique said to date back to the Edo period (1603–1868).
Namiki introduced a spectacular edition built on its majestic Emperor chassis. The Japanese maison reaffirms its place at the forefront of Maki-e through a creation that masterfully unites five distinct lacquering techniques. Blooming Flowers in Profusion, signed by the renowned Kokkokai artisan Yutaka Sato and limited to just 99 pieces worldwide, symbolizes flourishing nature and individuality through eleven distinct floral motifs rendered in vivid colors. Seeing this masterpiece in person makes it immediately clear why it stands among the most elaborate works ever realised by the Japanese house. For us, the edition stands as a testament to Namiki’s ongoing commitment to preserving the centuries-old Maki-e tradition, always pushing it to new heights.
It was a fantastic year for European brands as well. Montblanc added a new colour to the Meisterstück line, bringing back Burgundy Red from its archives–a shade that has, in fact, been part of the brand’s heritage since the early 1920s. At the same time, the Hamburg-based brand continued its collaboration with Ferrari, capturing the spirit of the marque’s 1960s Grand Tourers in its latest Great Masters Ferrari Classica, whose lacquered wooden body recalls the steering wheels of those legendary cars.
Among Montblanc’s most ambitious releases of 2025 is the High Artistry collection, inspired by the splendour of the Château de Versailles. Comprising five distinct models, each produced in a different number of pieces — with the most elaborate edition limited to just three worldwide — the collection captures the grandeur of the palace transformed by King Louis XIV into a Baroque masterpiece.
The collection is based on the shape of a pen created by Nicolas Bion, engineer to King Louis XIV, and incorporates subtle references to the Sun King, including his personal seal, which influenced the conical base of each fountain pen. Elements drawn from the architecture of the Château de Versailles also appear throughout the collection, from its overall proportions to more discreet details, such as the secret engraving concealed within a compartment in the cap of the Limited Edition 18. For each edition, Montblanc selected only the finest materials, including brilliant-cut diamonds, green aventurine stone, a red garnet cabochon, platinum-coated fittings, mother-of-pearl inlays, and more.
In our view, this collection perfectly illustrates why Montblanc continues to lead the industry. The level of attention to detail is extraordinary, leaving us eager to see what the maison has in store for 2026.
Graf von Faber-Castell debuted a new line, BLOOM, combining hornbeam wood with gold-plated elements, as well as ebony paired with ruthenium-coated details — marking a new chapter for the brand as it speaks to a younger, more contemporary audience. Meanwhile, Scribo reaffirmed its commitment to cross-cultural collaborations with two new editions: La Dotta Yamanaka Onsen and La Dotta Bamboo. The latter is part of a three-year exploratory journey into Japanese culture, with more to come in 2026.
Pelikan continued expanding its Maki-e series by adding the M1000 Maki-e Goldfish to its lineup, a model whose subtly familiar design inevitably recalled the beloved Koi edition released in 2015.
Montegrappa, meanwhile, revealed a project dedicated to the Montgolfier brothers’ ascent into the sky by hot-air balloon. Limited to just 280 pieces each in fountain pen and rollerball versions, the edition features three-dimensional motifs inspired by the brothers’ pursuit of progress, from the balloon-shaped cap top to the golden eagle soaring across a sky-blue acrylic body. Montegrappa imagined the eagle as a symbol of vision and ascendancy, evoking both royal patronage and the Enlightenment ideal of knowledge that elevates and liberates.
Let’s not forget Yard-O-Led’s new pocket fountain pen, introduced not long ago — a very compact writing instrument measuring just 110 mm long when closed. Offered in three distinct designs, with the Victorian pattern among the brand’s signatures. We’re confident that this portable yet charming pen will influence the writing habits of many users in 2026. We hope to see it accompanying people more often — while travelling, commuting, or simply moving through everyday life.
If this year has reminded us of anything, it’s that there is always room to begin again: one line, a grocery list, a small note in the margin of your favourite book. Whatever it may be, make sure you write it down in 2026. And if you ever feel in need of inspiration or guidance, we’re here to help you begin your journey into this wonderful world, or find your way back to it.
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