Best Pen Releases of 2021

On your marks. Set. Scribble!

As the year comes to an end we stole some time to prepare and present to you a list of the best writing instruments released during 2021.

Although the pandemic still weighs heavily upon international markets, a retrospective will reveal that most manufacturers harnessed their creative forces during 2021 and presented writing instruments that we will lust after for years to come.

The writing instruments we have selected are a step ahead from the herd due to their pioneering design, their unique materials, the completeness of their concept or their unique aesthetic. Thus, you will not find on this list any revamps of existing models presented in a new color regardless of how beautiful that color may be (sincere apologies Visconti Homo Sapiens Ultra Marine).

Our list includes fountain pens, pens, pencils, is completely subjective and heavily biased towards the tools that we actually got to handle during the year.


Best Fountain Pen Ink of 2021

Pelikan Edelstein Golden Beryl

Pelikan's Edelstein Ink of the year for 2021 was the ink that impressed us most during this past year.

An extraordinary sparkling ink that delivers color variation ranging from gold, to bronze a sparkling orange. We suspect this will not be your ink of choice for somber documents, but it is certainly one of the most impressive inks we have seen during the past few years, and it clearly will stick with us for a while.

Regading its performance, we only need to repeat it is the youngest member of the Pelikan Edelstein collection.

You can have the ink alone but we recommend combining it with the Classic M200 Golden Beryl Fountain Pen.

Click to see the set.


Best Pencil of 2021

Graf von Faber Castell's Perfect Pencil 260th Anniversary Limited Edition

By far the title goes to the 260th anniversary edition of Graf von Faber Castell's Perfect Pencil.

The idea of a perfect pencil has been the pillar of Graf von Faber Castell and a part of the collection since the 19th century.

The Perfect Pencil Anniversary Edition released in 2021 is a limited edition of 750 numbered pieces. Black dominates this creation that reserves as its sole highlight a faceted natural jade that is set on the cap's top.

The cap also bears delicately engraved stylised pencils.

This is a model that was quickly sold out, but other editions of Graf von Faber Castell's Perfect Pencil remain available.


Highlighter of the Year 2021

Pelikan Classic M205 DUO Highlighter Neon Yellow

It probably isn't any fun at all to compete in a category if you're the sole entrant. Nevertheless, we are particularly excited about the return of Pelikan's highlighter fountain pens in the collection, so it would be impossible not to include them in our list of the best of 2021!

It has been almost ten years since Pelikan's Highlighter pens were around, but they are making a smashing return this year with the Classic M205 DUO Highlighter Neon Yellow fountain pen.

The DUO Highlighter comes with a BB stainless steel nib and can be used both for writing and for highlighting. It's size, the classic 200 size, is perfect for note-taking and highlighting on the go, and stylistically it is a pen that can hardly be confused with any other.

To be fair, a lot of people just love the fancy transparent neon yellow resin - highlight ink or not- and plan to use it with regular ink, but we are not here to judge.


Most Iconic Reissue

Parker 51

Parker has outdone itself with the reissued Parker 51 models which are easily one of the most important collections introduced this year.

Building on collectors' never ending love for the classic model first released in the 1940s Parker introduced a collection of fountain pens and ballpoint pens in 6 color combinations, all inspired by colors applied on the original models.

Although the design of the pens remains faithful to the original Parker 51, technical improvements have been introduced, including a screw-on cap and the introduction of a modern cartridge/converter filling system.

This is a model that bears the air of the post-WWII era, inspired by aviation, modernity, and man on the move.

With prices starting at €105 for the fountain pens and €79 for the ballpoint pens, we should expect to see a lot of them moving around, and we certainly wish to see the introduction of a green edition next year.


Nib of the Year

Scribo Fine Flex

SCRIBO is a relatively young manufacturer from Bologna, a city with a rather important position in the history of fountain pen manufacturing as it was the birthplace of OMAS, and the city of its headquarters since its founding in 1925 and until the end of its operations in 2016. To be precise SCRIBO, founded by a team of OMAS's employees set free when the later company shut down, is in effect the company holding the banners and ideals of the great manufacturer from Bologna.

SCRIBO's fountain pens were only recently introduced in Greece and so it seems fair to suggested that the wider audience only became familiar with the exceptional flex nibs of SCRIBO in 2021.

These high-performance nibs, set on ebonite feeders are made in 14kt gold, the nibs are made in 4 sizes: Extra Fine Flex, Fine Flex, Medium Flex, & Broad Flex, and they are available for all SCRIBO models so that you can fit your ideal nib to the ideal fountain pen from the selection of SCRIBO's models.

All SCRIBO fountain pens are produced in only 219 pieces, so we suggest you hit the link below and grab your prefered SCRIBO models before they are forever gone!

Click to see all SCRIBO models.

 


Most Adventurous Pen Collection of 2021

Montblanc Around the World in 80 Days Special Edition

Montblanc managed to cause great excitement this year with the release of the special edition collection dedicated to Jules Verne's novel Around the World in 80 Days.

This edition is based on the classic Meisterstück models, and features fountain pens, rollerball, and ballpoint pens in the Classique and the LeGrand size.

A deep blue was the color of choice for this collection as the pen is dedicated to the first part of the trip, which is mostly spent at sea as the characters travelling through steamship from the United Kingdom to India.

All editions have wonderful details, featuring an engraved steamship on the cap, a wave-like theme, and other details that we believe you would rather discover close up.

Should we expect to see the second part of the trip pretty soon? We sure hope so!

Also part of the Around the World in 80 Days Special Edition a dedicated deep blue ink available both in cartridge and in bottle format.

 


Best Overall Concept

Aurora Ambienti Collection

Our award for Best Overall Concept of 2021 goes to Aurora's Ambienti collection of Limited Edition fountain pens.

For those of you not available with the magnificent concept Aurora came up, the Turin-based manufacturer created a series of 5 fountain pens each dedicated to an Ambienti, an environment or climatic zone. The idea was to help us connect with the fragile ecosystems of our planet, and at the same time to recreate the experience of visiting those different ecosystems after a long period of limited mobility.

The Ambienti are dedivated to the Glaciers, the Tundras, the Jungles, the Tropics, and finally the Deserts. All pens are made in sterling silver and Auroloide, but each edition comes in a unique Auroloide color and with dedicated engravings on the silver grip. 

To top off the idea, Aurora cooperated with an ancient Italian perfume manufacturer to deliver a unique perfume along with each pen.

A very interesting concept, executed in the highest levels of quality, or business as usual for Aurora.

Click to see the Ambienti Collection.

 


Pen of the Year

Visconti Homo Sapiens Ember Limited Edition

Best pen of the year 2021 in our honest opinion goes with honors to Visconti's Homo Sapiens Ember Limited Edition.

Scarcely have we seen a pen user who will not admit to the exception qualities of Visconti's Homo Sapiens Collection, regardless of whether they love or hate the model. However, the Ember Limited Edition goes a step further than everything we've ever loved in the Homo Sapiens models.

This is a Limited Edition of 288 numbered pieces executed in a unique carbon fiber interwoven with bronze wires. The looks of the model are exceptional, the technical ascpects are even better than what we are used to and this is sure to become a highly sought after iconic execution of the beloved Homo Sapiens.

We sure hope 2022 brings more at this level of material innovation from Visconti.

Click to see more of the Visconti Homo Sapiens Ember.

 


Honorable Mentions

Although clearly not released in 2021 we feel we have to report on two pens that clearly caught the attention of the market this year: 

Omas 360 Titanio

Brought to the market from a secret stash of new old stock fountain pens, OMAS's classic 360 executed in Titanium clearly caught the market's attention this year and not for nothing.

The 360 collection is an iconic OMAS model, highly sought after by collectors the world round, even in the plain vegetal resin editions. So, it was only natural that when a few of the ultra rare 360 Titanium fountain pens became available a stir would be caused. 

Click to check out the OMAS 360 Titanium Fountain Pen.

Click to email us if you are interested in the OMAS 360 Titanium Rollerball Pen.

Omas Grand Paragon Brown Arco Celluloid

or really any Omas Arco Celluloid in any color and on any basis.

During 2021 our sources delivered several new old stock Omas Grand Paragon Brown Arco Celluloid, even a few perfectly aligned, and sure people loved them.

Even more more was reserved for the OMAS Ogiva Brown Arcos and the OMAS Milord Brown Arco fountain pens that we managed to get for you. 

As you may expect, this coming year we aspire to supply you with more joy in the form of rare and limited fountain pens!

We appreciate your support, and of course your feedback which can be left on the comments section!