Sunday, November 11, 2012

BIG pens and pencils


We’ve been doing a lot of sorting out at home recently and, in the course of this, I’ve rediscovered two beautiful writing/drawing implements (see above!).
I’m determined to put them to (more) regular use again.
One is a Montblanc fountain pen – a Meisterstuck 149 fountain pen indeed, complete with (according to the Montblanc website) “18K gold nib, rhodium-plated inlay, barrel and cap made of precious resin inlaid with Montblanc emblem, gold-plated clip and rings”. Moira won this through a crossword competition in “The Independent” newspaper in 1989 but, given the pen’s huge thickness, she found she couldn’t really write with it herself – and therefore passed it on me!! I’m afraid I haven’t used it for several years. According to the Montblanc website, a new Meisterstuck 149 fountain pen would cost the princely sum of £535!
The other wonderful piece of graphic equipment is a Copic Graphic Pen Design Pencil (isn’t Google wonderful – the only marking on it says “Made in Japan”!): “a heavy metal pencil ideal for sketching, design and layout work. Simple push-button mechanism advances the lead; top-button unscrews to reveal the integrated lead sharpener; the pencil is approximately 14mm in diameter and 120mm long; it weighs in at a satisfying but usable 46 grams. The 5mm diameter lead is a smooth dense 6B, perfect for creating a wide range of tone”. Interestingly, the “Cult Pens” website also states: “we suspect that this item isn't really a Copic product. It's imported from Japan by Transotype, the European distributor for Copic, and featured in their Copic catalogues - but is almost certainly made by someone else. We do know however that it is stamped 'Made in Japan' and that it's very lovely”! I was given the pencil perhaps 15 years ago (by a consultant or “sales rep”, I really can’t remember) during my time as an architect. It really is a beautiful sketching pencil – especially for quick, big, bold drawings – but I think I’ll need to use it on much larger sheets of paper than my A4 sketchbooks! Today’s price from Cult Pens is £23.14.  
Moira’s just hinted that we should perhaps be trying to sell the Montblanc on eBay. Perhaps she’s right (but I really don’t want to!).

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