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A collaboration between Italian penmaker Montegrappa and Jake Weidmann, a highly accomplished American Master Penman and artist, was a natural. Both are passionate about handwriting, exceptional craftsmanship, aesthetics, and community engagement. When Montegrappa tapped Weidmann to create the calligraphic artwork for a pen dedicated to peace, he enthusiastically embraced the challenge.

The Pen of Peace was launched in August at the Washington D.C. Fountain Pen Supershow, where Weidmann was a special guest of Montegrappa’s U.S. distributor, Kenro Industries. Weidmann gave samples of his calligraphy art to show attendees and hand-engraved Montegrappa pens using engraving tools powered by a foot pedal. Bryant Greer of Chatterley Luxuries won a drawing for a copper Fortuna Mule pen that Weidmann engraved with elaborate scrolls and flourishes.

A resident of Denver, Colorado, Weidmann will also be a guest of Kenro Industries at the Colorado Pen Show, October 6-8, at the Doubletree by Hilton Denver-Stampleton North.

The concept for the Pen of Peace evolved during a meeting hosted by Montegrappa for company representatives from Israel, Lebanon, Iran, India, and United Arab Emirates, and other countries. Reflecting on the current world turbulence, the group liked the idea of creating a pen dedicated to peace, recalling the adage, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” The group agreed on the internationally recognized peace symbol was designed by British designer Gerald Holtom in 1958 by Vietnam War protesters and counter-culture activists.

Weidmann, the youngest and one of only 12 Master Penman in the world, was commissioned to write the word “peace” in 15 different languages. “My goal was to create a beautiful mosaic of different languages that was both stylistically worthy and accurate,” Weidmann told PW during an interview at the D.C. show.

Weidmann continues, “This project involved learning other languages and cultures and was a stretch from my usual hunting ground,” said Weidmann, who creates calligraphy art in a variety of media, from paper and ink to wood and leather.

“I wanted to show not only the correct letter forms for the various languages but also the penmanship techniques and traditions of each culture,” he explained. He used a hollowed-out reed to write in Semitic languages, a brush for Asian languages, and a dip pen for Western writing.

According to Weidmann, the magical part of the project came from communicating with people from all over the world through social media. “I invited people to follow my progress by posting my interpretation of the word ‘peace’ in the different languages. I received excellent feedback from more than 122,000 followers on Instagram. Sometimes people from different cultures would make suggestions regarding the letter forms for their language, and we would get involved in a conversation. Because the subject was peace, everyone was kind and friendly.”

Weidmann’s calligraphy executed in subtle blue-gray ink, was transferred to the Pen of Peace’s dark blue acrylic cap and barrel, which has a graceful curved profile. The peace symbol is engraved in silver on the cap top and filled with light blue enamel. Encircling the cap top is a silver band laser-cut with a stylized pattern of children holding hands in a circle for peace. The peace symbol is repeated at the tip of the elegant fluted silver signature clip. The Pen of Peace features a unique mechanism fitted with micro ball bearings that allow the barrel to rotate so the user can position his or her language of choice at the front of the pen, aligning it with the clip.

In honor of the year in which the peace symbol was created, the Pen of Peace is limited to 1,958 pieces each in ballpoint, rollerball, and cartridge-converter fountain pen with an 18 karat gold nib embellished with an image of the Dove of Peace.

Peace movements depend on words spoken and written. Mandela, King, Lincoln, Gandhi all depended on the notion that the pen, when wielded correctly, is mightier than the sword. Montegrappa and Weidmann’s Pen of Peace embodies that profound notion in every graceful swirl of script and every sleek line of stylus.

The famous Italian sculptor, Antonio Canova was commissioned to sculpt a statue of George Washington for the State Capitol.  The Canova statue, with Washington wearing a Roman toga and portrayed as a military hero from ancient times, is the centerpiece of the Capitol lobby.

Some had asked Nathaniel Macon to recommend a sculptor, but the U.S. Senator forwarded their requests to one he considered more knowledgeable regarding art: Thomas Jefferson.  It was Jefferson who recommended Antonio Canova.

In 1815, the General Assembly appropriated $10,000 for the sculpture.  Five years later he Italian sculptor completed the white-marbled statue, and the U.S. Navy transported it across the Atlantic.  Once stationed in the Capitol, the Canova statue, writes historian William S. Powell, attracted many travelers to Raleigh to see what many claimed to be “the most precious work of art in America.”

Canova was one of the most acclaimed artists in Europe.  His work was respected in London, Paris, and Rome.  He sculpted monuments for various Popes and he was commissioned by Napoleon.

In 2018, Montegrappa will be releasing a pen dedicated to the great Antonio Canova. More information will be released soon, stay tuned.

Team Kenro, including Bryan Hulser and Ryan Sirignano, traveled to Italy for the Montegrappa sales meeting and an experience that only Bassano could provide.

Unfortunately, we are not at liberty to share the amazing introductions planned for 2018, but we invite you to see some of the photos taken from their time at the factory, their tours of Bassano and their social activities.

It’s safe to say that time at Montegrappa is very much a family practice.

September was a big month for the Kenro Team. Their trip to Tuscany, home to U-Boat, wasn’t all fun and games. In between the drag races, hot air balloon rides, and authentic Italian meals, a lot was discussed about how the brand will continue to innovate its line of watches and expand their other line of accessories.

With the advent of smartphones and smartwatches, the watch industry is at a crossroads: continue the status quo or evolve to stay relevant. Italo Fontana’s designs are anything but the status quo. His designs skate a fine line between daring and fashionable. In this “do or die” world of watchmaking, U-Boat is not only surviving – it’s thriving!

In the coming months, Kenro and U-Boat will begin to introduce new and updated line of watches to the North American market. Stay tuned for more!

One of the more interesting trends emerging over the past year has been the way in which Aurora has emerged to fill the void left in the Italian pen world by the demise of Omas, the suspected impending demise of Delta, and the leadership turnover at Visconti. 2017 saw Aurora launch a very well-regarded series of limited editions, including the 88 Nebuloso, the 88 Anniversario with the new “flexible” nib, and the 88 “Sole.”  [click here to continue reading]

The Aurora 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Flex 88 met most of these criteria. This Flex 88 is a beautiful pen. The polished resin body with rounded ends is a classic design that appeals to me. While the brown color that I first tried would not have been my first pick, as I tend to prefer other colors, I did find the green version to be beautiful. Like my every day Aurora Optima, the 70th Anniversary Limited Edition Flex 88 filled from the bottle with a piston mechanism. The brown pen, which I used most, was fine tuned by Dan Smith of The Nibsmith, so the ink flow was perfect. There was no railroading, and it was neither too wet nor too dry for me. The ink flowed nicely, allowing me to easily create the thin and thick line variations that the Flex 88 pens are known for. All of these qualities make this a beautiful pen that writes beautifully. [Click here to continue reading]

Italian children of the mid-80s knew how to recognize a good fountain pen when they got their mitts on one. In my class we all had a favorite, the sturdy, trustworthy “Auretta,” Aurora’s  colorful, cheap-and-cheerful proposal for students: slightly more expensive than those cartoon characters one we collected, Aurettas were on a total different planet when it came to quality. I loved mine: it was red and black, with a small quill that didn’t mind one bit I was left handed. [click here to continue reading]

Fountain pens are not only desired as collectibles amongst pen enthusiasts. A fountain pen (or any pen, for that matter) can be a tool of great change and inner growth, which has been
demonstrated for centuries by those who have kept diaries and journals. Downstairs, beneath the excited hum of vendors, merchants, and enthusiasts attending the 2017 DC PenSshow, an enthusiastic group gathered in an intimate setting to attend a journaling workshop, “The Power of the Pen” hosted by Kenro Industries and Aurora Pens, along with diarist, Trina O’Gorman, known as “ninjatraveling” on Instagram on Sunday, August 6th at 10 AM.

Trina O’Gorman facilitated the workshop, which introduced an enthusiastic group of pen lovers to a personal writing technique that she calls the “mind mosaic.” After a lively discussion, participants opened the grid-ruled notebooks provided by Aurora, and started writing; all with beautiful fountains. For about an hour, everyone was engaged in the process of writing, some taking pleasure in new pens and new inks, while others used faithful writing companions.

Participants happily stayed past the scheduled ending time of the workshop to continue the exercise and discussed that followed. There is something moving and magical, when one, not only feels the weight and flow of a fine writing instrument, but also the weight and flow of his or her own ideas and words. It is then when we truly experience their magnitude, magnificence and power.

[Click here to check out Figboot’s YouTube channel]