I can almost feel the romantic vibes of those magical pedestrian streets of Paris while I am writing this article in which, as you might probably expect already, I’m going to discuss about a famous brand of writing instruments based in Paris, France on his name, S.T. Dupont.
Before we move any further, let me give you a little background on S.T. Dupont. Even if today the brand is well known for its luxurious cigar lighters and cutters as well as for the writing instruments and leather goods it creates, but the beginnings were somehow different.
Founded by Simon Tissot-Dupont back in the second half of the 19th century, the company has created only travel cases in the beginning. The period of time Simon spent as a photographer for Napoleon III helped him to develop a keen eye for luxury along with an excellent understanding of Parisian fashions.
Throughout the years, the company went through different stages of innovation and along with that, their product catalogue expended little by little, making room for new types of products. In 1940, at the request of the Maharajah of Patiala, the company started producing those solid gold lighters that you easily recognize even today. From this event on, it was only a matter of time until the manufacturing of pens began at the request of Jackie Kennedy pushing the brand even further into the wonderful world of writing instruments.
Nowadays S.T. Dupont is renowned for producing high-quality and innovative luxury goods such as the famous lighters and cigar accessories, travel kits as well as unique writing instruments, all of them having engraved the imprint of quality craftsmanship along with the vast tradition of Dupont.
Today, we have in the spotlight such an exquisite writing instrument. The Line D Windsor Collection was inspired by the Georgian and Palladian styles which were popular in 18th Century Britain. Basically, the collection evokes clean lines and a symmetric look very specific to that period. Regarding the name of the collection, it was inspired by an original lighter created by Dupont for the Duke of Windsor in the 1940s. The vertical line guilloche on Dupont lighters are something we were already familiar with but what I love that Dupont brought the same guilloche on this Line D Windsor which I find very unique. You’ll see it displayed along the barrel and also the cap.
What you’ll notice right away on the top of the spring clip is the blazon, a strong brand symbol of Dupont which comes to symbolize the legendary lacquering know-how that the brand has developed throughout the years. I was always impressed by those little details which have such a huge significance. On the cap’s finial there’s the iconic ‘D’ from Dupont in gold on a black surface, so you can easily recognise the brand.
Another interesting feature Dupont was able to provide the pen with is the famous ‘ping’ of the S.T. Dupont lighter. The same distinctive sound you’ll be able to hear when opening or closing the pen. Like all the Line D pens, this one has got a clean design with curved shapes and soft edges in order to keep the timeless elegance Dupont is looking to achieve through their products.
In terms of dimensions, I have to say that the pen has good proportions, which means it will provide a comfortable writing experience. Talking about its construction, each fountain pen is 100% handcrafted in France with precious materials. Then, for a neat look, a layer of lacquer comes to cover the barrel and cap surfaces. The lacquer finish is adorned with gold or palladium-plated fittings depending on what color of pen you choose (black or blue)
Now, everyone’s topic of interest, including mine, the nib. It is a very nicely crafted 14kt gold nib, which is engraved with the blazon followed by the iconic ‘D’ and it’s available as extra-fine, fine, medium and broad. On closer inspection you’ll see that Dupont is really paying a lot of attention to the way their nibs are made. However, to fill up the pen with ink you can use both cartridges or converter, but since I’m a huge fan of ink bottles that come in such a big variety of colors, I wouldn’t go for cartridges with this writing beauty.
Beside the fountain pen, the collection comprises of a rollerball pen and a twist-action ballpoint pen.
Prices:
S.T. Dupont Line D Windsor Collection Fountain Pen: EUR 870
S.T. Dupont Line D Windsor Collection Rollerball Pen: EUR 760
S.T. Dupont Line D Windsor Collection Ballpoint Pen: EUR 660
Now comes our curiosity: have you got a Dupont in your collection already? If yes, let us know what are your thoughts on this parisian brand.
Image sources: web
