How are the sky-high priced Montegrappa fountain pens made?

In the digital age, there are rare old fountain pens that are still treasured and can become precious family heirlooms. In Bassano del Grappa, an ancient village in the Veneto region of Italy, the long-established writing instrument manufacturer Montegrappa has been in business since 1912, creating ballpoint and fountain pens for the most discerning customers.

The most important event for the brand’s fate occurred in 1918, when a Montegrappa pen fell into the hands of an unknown writer. Ernest Hemingway, then 19 years old, was working as a volunteer ambulance driver. The Elmo pen manufactured by Montegrappa became the writer’s favorite item for a long time.

More than a century later, Montegrappa pens are still famous and are still largely handcrafted, using traditional techniques.

The pens sometimes take weeks to make and range in price from $1,100 to $29,000. The value of Montegrappa pens lies not in the materials, but in the intricate and unique manufacturing process.

Each pen requires at least 36 parts, which are all handcrafted.

The pen's standout component is the clip, which is polished to a mirror-like finish entirely by hand.

The pen cap is made from mammoth ivory sourced from the Siberian permafrost and carefully machined. The factory also uses a variety of materials including paper, rare woods, marble, carbon fiber, alloys, and a homemade plastic called montegrappite.

The company logo is meticulously engraved on the cap of the pen. On the back, customers can engrave their initials in the same way, with the option of one of three different fonts.

The pen body is decorated with patterns by hand-carving. This complex technique is also used to create works of art.

Montegrappa uses vulcanized ebonite rubber to create an ink reservoir. This material is softer than plastic, ensuring optimal ink flow. The craftsman carefully cuts the edges of the groove to ensure perfect ink circulation.

The base of the pen is carved from an extremely expensive South American hardwood. When rotated, this part activates a piston, which fills the reservoir with ink when the pen is immersed in the ink bottle.

Before leaving the factory, each pen undergoes a thorough writing test, both by hand and by robot. This process checks the pen’s wetness and line continuity – both of which are important to the overall performance and feel of a fountain pen.