In this issue

In this issue: Armando Simoni Club, Wahl-Eversharp, Bexley, Conway Stewart, Oldwin Paris, and more--meet Emmanuel "Manu" Caltagirone's blended Pen Family. Levenger celebrates a major milestone as the True Writer turns 25. Sheaffer is back and better than ever thanks to William Penn and Kenro Industries. We profile the man behind the Netherlands' Fontoplumo pen shop and the new owners continuing Crazy Alan's legacy in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Richard Binder and David Watts, Jr. continue their series on dip-less desk sets. Also, we learn about a VA pen turning program in Little Rock, Arkansas, and we continue our reporting on the aftermath of the New Year's Day earthquake in Wajima, Japan. Plus: the RCAs turn 30! See the nominees for the 2024 Pen World Readers' Choice Awards.

25 Years of the Levenger True Writer

The new Anniversary Origins collection celebrates the True Writer's silver anniversary, but its origins are over a century old.

6 mins

LAMY and uni Unite

The Japanese company behind the Uniball brand and Germany's LAMY are now partners.

2 mins

Wajima Earthquake: Lest We Forget

The New Year's Day earthquake took lives and livelihoods. The future of Wajima lacquerware is at stake.

4 mins

Fontoplumo: Filling a Need

Frank van Krieken turned a hobby into a pen store, and he is spreading the gospel across the globe.

5 mins

Styling and Substance: Sheaffer and Sengbusch, and One or Two Others: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part IV

In the second installment of this series, we saw the R. Esterbrook Steel Pen Company get its start in the dip-less business.

6 mins

The Power of the Pen

A Veterans Administration program in Arkansas turns former warriors into pen makers.

6 mins

The White Dot Marks the Spot

Production by William Penn, distribution by Kenro: Sheaffer is back to basics.

6 mins

Manu's Pen Nebula

The Pen Family represents Emmanuel Caltagirone's personal journey. Let's take a short trip through time and space.

8 mins

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way: An Overview of Dip-less Desk Sets, Part III

Once dip-less desk sets became entrenched in the business world, they naturally proliferated as more companies got into the game.

6 mins

The Inkwell and the Imagination

A history of the inkwell as a source of inspiration.

6 mins

From EDC to OMG!

The Visconti Year of the Dragon limited edition collection pays tribute to the Chinese five-clawed dragon, which was reserved solely as representative of the Emperor and nobility.

7 mins

Love Story

AP Limited Editions celebrates its 10th anniversary with pens in honor of its deep U.S. connection. Originally published in Vol. 29, No. 2 (February 2016).

5 mins

The Magic Kingdom at Orlando's Sam Flax

In central Florida, a writing instruments and art supplies store carries on the Flax pen shop legacy.

5 mins

Piloting My Way To Dromgoole's

Rice Village in Houston, Texas, is always buzzing with holiday shoppers in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so it was no surprise to me that not a single parking spot was available in front of family-owned Dromgoole's Fine Writing Instruments and Stationery store for its holiday shopping event on December 9, 2023.

1 min

The Ohio Pen Show

Begun more than 25 years ago, the Columbus, Ohio, Pen Show is one of the most respected among all North American pen shows.

1 min

These Snakes Don't Bite

The new BENU Viper Collection finds inspiration in the sinuous bodies of three snakes.

5 mins

A Fountain Pen Scribe's Ode to a Typewriter

I stood there, just 15, clutching a $30 check from a magazine for something I'd written, the first ever for my writing, growing dizzy with images in my head of where I needed to be.

5 mins

Introducing LeatherLuxePH

Raymund Nino Bumatay creates high-end leather pen cases with Filipino pride.

4 mins

Crafting the Divine

What's in a name? Paradise, when the name is Divine Pens Plus.

5 mins

Fortunately, AP Limited Editions

Eighteen years on, this artisanal brand remains dedicated to preserving and promoting the maki-e arts.

8 mins

Atelier Lusso and the Borchard Center on Literary Arts

On May 26, PW received an email from Eric Sands, the artisan pen maker behind the California-based brand Atelier Lusso, along with a photograph. \"You see the amazing people in this photo?\" begins Sands's email. \"All are recipients of the coveted Borchard Prize for literature, and each of these wonderfully talented writers is a part of the Atelier Lusso family.\"

3 mins

Sailor Iro-Miyabi Fountain Pens Presented to G7 Leaders

From May 19 to 21, heads of state traveled to Hiroshima, Japan, for the G7 Hiroshima Summit, hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

1 min

Jeanne's Ohana Designs: Take Notes, Send Notes, Create 'Ohana

For some companies, it's all about the product and the purchase. Then there's Jeanne's Ohana Designs, which offers not only items and assistance but genuine connection.

2 mins

Parker Pen's EP Point: Smoother Writing Through Chemistry

Throughout its history, the success of the Parker Pen Co. was largely the result of a commitment to innovation through research and development.

2 mins

Written in History

The Scranton Penmanship Collection gives us insights into the rich heritage of American cursive.

6 mins

Anderillium Flies on Gossamer Wings

This family-run ink brand proves you don't have to be big to have a big impact.

6 mins

Flax Pen to Paper: The Next Generation

Outside its home area of Southern California, Flax Pen to Paper flew under the radar for decades. Now under new ownership, this is about to change.

5 mins

Santini Italia Slays the Giant

With the new No. 8 Giant nib, this artisanal Italian pen company is making its largest mark yet.

5 mins

Fountain Pen Hospital and the End of an Era

The Wiederlight brothers have sold their business to The Pen Family, marking the most significant change this landmark shop has ever seen.

5 mins

Apprentice to Journeyman to Master

Since the turn of the century, Penlux's Kevin Hsu has been mastering his craft.

6 mins

Read all stories from PEN WORLD

PEN WORLD Magazine Description:

Founded in 1987, Pen World is the premier niche luxury magazine of fine writing instruments and handwriting culture. Based in Houston, Texas and issued bi-monthly, Pen World entices both new and experienced pen connoisseurs to look at writing instruments in an unconventional way. In our pages, you will find contemporary fountain pens and other writing instruments at all price points, fine papers, inks, and desk accessories. Our long-form articles cover leading brands, vintage pens, pen-and-ink artists, how-to guides, and much more. If you love pens, then Pen World is the magazine for you.