Montblanc, makers of fine pens with the famed "snow cap" motif (above), will auction off a series of celebrity portraits to benefit UNICEF in September. On Friday, May 8, they're hosting a benefit at Sotheby's in New York to announce the World Exhibition Tour of the photo project honoring the involvement of 12 great actresses and their efforts to "support UNICEF's fight against inadequate education and illiteracy". Sienna Miller, Eva Longoria, Christina Ricci, Emily Blunt, Marcia Cross, Andie MacDowell, Helen Hunt, Lauren Hutton, Milla Jovovich, Jessica Lange, Susan Sarandon and Mira Sorvino are featured in a series of signed portraits by photographer Roger Moenks.

The portraits will be on display from May 6 - 13 at Sotheby's New York before traveling to London and then Los Angeles where they'll be auctioned off to benefit at a charity gala dinner on September 8th, International Literacy Day. Based on an original concept by Signature International, a cultural and artistic charitable initiative, each actress was photographed "portraying her favorite literary heroine in celebration of the art of writing." Each portrait will be presented to the winning bidder accompanied by a limited edition Montblanc writing instrument covered in the finest diamonds and sapphires.

[via JustLuxe]

Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux has been making fine timepieces for well over 200 years, but 2009 marks the first time they've manufactured a writing instrument. The firm, founded in 1791, is debuting a luxurious new line of pens based on their famed Three Bridges gold tourbillon watch. There are three models of writing instrument, adorned with precious metal engraved with delicate guilloche work, based on a vintage 1945 Three Bridges Tourbillon, a famed Girard-Perregaux model. The clip on the caps is double-arrow shaped, like the bridge on the watch.

Three openings on the pen body showing the ink level refer to the timepiece's power reserve indicators. Fountain pens come equipped with an exclusive high-capacity double reservoir system preventing leakage. There are three models available: a piston fountain pen in guilloche silver and resin (above), limited to 999-pieces; a piston fountain pen in guilloche pink gold and resin, limited to 99 pieces; and a rollerball in guilloche silver and resin, limited to 999 pieces. A matching set comprising the silver fountain pen and rollerball is also available in an edition of 199 pieces.

It's probably not the best time to be selling a diamond-covered pen. Luckily only one is for sale per year. The Aurora Diamante contains over 30 carats of De Beers diamonds on a solid platinum barrel. It has a two-tone, rhodium-treated, 18KT solid gold nib and is personalized with a coat of arms, signature or portrait. Aurora Pens says it is the only over 30 carat pen in the world. It is believed to be worth around one million euros which would make it more expensive than the Van Cleef & Arpels Mystery pen.



[via Pens from Heaven]

Here we have a pen for those who want a writing instrument that's top notch but still masculine and, most importantly, durable and functional enough for regular use. It's the SureFire Pen, from SureFire (of course), and among its list of features you'll find that it has a sleek, aerospace-grade aluminum body, a "virtually indestructible" stainless steel tip, and a tail cap that's designed to function as a window-breaker in an emergency. And how does it write? The SureFire pen is fully adjustable to accommodate almost any of your favorite ink cartridges, but to make things even easier it comes standard with its own easy flow cartridge featuring high-performance Schmidt® Technology.

A perfect gift for that hard-to-buy for guy on your holiday shopping list! $125

Via acquire

Swiss watch company Raymond Weil is launching a new line of pens and cufflinks designed to complement their high-end timepieces. To begin with, the the brand is offering purchasers of its new $16,000 Cuore Caldo Split-Seconds Chronograph, which is limited to 500 pieces, a matched pen and cufflink set (above). The accessories are made of stainless steel accented with carbon fiber and rose gold to complement the watch's design elements. Weil, founded in 1976, plans future offerings along similar lines.

Watchmaker François-Paul Journe has created his first line of writing instruments. The F.P. Journe pens are made in platinum PT 950 and 18K gold, the same metals used in his watch creations. His fountain pen uses an original retractable system, registered with patent Number EP 07 405119.4. The bottom of the pen has six flaps that open and close like flower petals to reveal the nib. The first collection of F.P.Journe first writing instruments, a fountain pen and a roller, will be available in December 2008 at the five F.P.Journe boutiques in Tokyo, Hong Kong, Geneva, Boca Raton and Paris. Each is a limited Edition of 500 with a hand guilloché barrel. The nib of the fountain pen is in 18K red gold and is engraved with the F.P.Journe logo. The platinum version is lacquered in blue while natural color lacquer is used for the gold version with 18K red gold inserts as shown above.

Look at the pens on your desk. Maybe you have an especially nice one, one that means something sentimental to you, and another one you especially like. What on earth are the rest of them doing there? You don't even like those pens! Why do you make yourself use them every day when it would be so easy to have something you like?

Pen Intervention Steps:
1. Throw out all pens with names of prescription drugs on them. Seriously.
2. Try to give away away the pens you don't like. Does your yoga studio want pens? Your local school?
3. Give up and throw out the pens you don't like.
4. Look at the pens you have left. Why do you have each pen? "I have to have a red one" is not good enough. You will be getting a red pen you like.
4. Decide how many pens you need and what kind you like. Ballpoint? Felt tip?
5. Go shopping. A good pen lasts a long time. Get good pens. Broke? Start stealing them from hotels. A pen with a story is better than a Bic.

It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.

Perfect for those who love their Maserati, wish they had a Maserati to love, or are just all about all high-end sports cars, the latest writing instrument from OMAS is a silver, sleek Maserati pen. The inspiration from the Italian auto can be seen in the aerodynamic design, in the grille pattern on the upper half of the case, and of course by the Maserati logo engraved on the pen's silver nib. Made of sterling silver the pen will be issued in a limited edition of only 1,914 in honor of the year Maserati was founded, 1914. Available in fountain or rollerball styles, $2,750

Via Bornrich

Giorgio Armani is now making pens and it seems fitting in today's world of computers, internet, and email, since true luxury and designer style can often be found in something as simple as a handwritten note. The Regal Collection, released this month, is the first series of writing instruments from Armani (in collaboration with Tibaldi) and will be available in ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen styles. Each pen is limited to 199 pieces and features the initials "GA" on the cap and a rhodium-and-ruthenium-plated solid 18-karat gold nib. The barrels are hand-turned to create individual and unique rippled patterns on each pen, which are then covered by nine layers of translucent enamel and embellished with a choice of either natural or ruthenium plated sterling silver trim. $3,114

Giorgio Armani Pens are available now at Giorgio Armani boutiques and Tibaldi stores worldwide.

The latest pen from Conway Stewart features technology that took 3 years to develop: it can shift its weight from front to back to suit the individual's writing style. Used extensively the pen is said to reduce writing fatigue and improve writing consistency, and if in today's world of computers and email you don't find yourself facing "writing fatigue" you can simply use the pen's adjustable gravity feature to enhance your personal writing by varying between heavier and lighter strokes.

Made of pattern-engraved solid silver The Evolution is available in a limited edition of 200 pieces for $2700 each.

Via Gizmodo

The price of cards keeps going up, but for just a little more you can say happy birthday to a friend with something a little more permanent. The vivid convertible roller pen from Retro 51 comes in a box covered with birthday greetings that match the pen inside. There is also a Congratulations box for other occasions. The pen sells for $22.50.

With more and more famous ballparks either disappearing or getting redone each year, these Ballpark pens might be your last chance to get your hands on a bit of history. The pens are andcrafted from salvaged wooden stadium seats. THe barrels and disc at top are made from wooden seats from historic stadiums. The pens ship with capless rollerball refill but can also use Parker style ballpoints and each is laser engraved with the name of the ballpark and years in existence. The prices vary depending on the stadium. Fenway Park sells for $250 and Yankee Stadium is $190.

The Pen of the Year 2008 by Graf von Faber-Castell bears a unique detail, the world's smallest parquet of finest Indian satinwood. The design was inspired by Countess Ottilie's private salon in the Faber-Castell castle, which has 100-year-old panelling in luxurious East Indies satinwood. The pen's herringbone pattern comes from the Countess's writing desk. There are no fewer than 84 Satinwood rectangles on the pen and they are all individually handcrafted The barrel is repeatedly polished and varnished. The numbered edition is crowned by a chessboard-facted citrine gemstone. It can be found for £1840 at Pens from Heaven.

Mrs. John L. Strong is known for making exquisite hand-engraved stationery, world leaders, presidents and royal families are among her loyal customers and I imagine some of history's most important notes have been scribbled on Mrs. Strong's distinctive papers! The House Book or, "Diary & Directory Series" is their latest luxury must have. Hand sewn on the finest Italian leather and touted as "The quintessential luxury for the well ordered household" this book promises to bring order to every aspect of domestic living. Avoid annoying mishaps, like having your cleaning lady arrive unexpectedly...the book has a place for it all, deliveries, grounds keepers. This sort of organization does not come cheap, the house book costs a staggering $495. For now I will stick to post its and napkins!

You'd think, with a five-year soccer contract worth over $250 million, David Beckham wouldn't need any additional money. But he has just signed another big advertising deal, this time for Sharpie pens. Yes, the man who poses for Armani and has his own fragrance deal is now the face of the marker you use to mark cardboard markers. Becks is quoted as saying "I love to use Sharpie markers, so it's a natural choice for me to partner with them." I would have guessed that Beckham would be a Montblanc man. Perhaps they wouldn't pay him enough.