A collaboration between Montegrappa and Hemingway Ltd., the company holding the rights to the legacy of the American author Ernest Hemingway, has led to the creation of a pen that pays tribute to his timeless novel “The Old Man and the Sea.” Unlike previous pens in Montegrappa’s Hemingway series, which focused on the author’s life, this new writing instrument in the series incorporates elements from the literary masterpiece that depicts the relentless struggle of an old Cuban fisherman named Santiago and his unwavering battle to catch a giant marlin.
The pen, crafted using the “lost wax” technique among other methods, features enamel coating, hand-sculpted and carved details that showcase motifs from the story, such as Santiago’s small skiff and fishing line, his struggle with the massive fish, and elements of the sea and sky. The pen is adorned with shapes of marine creatures, including the sharks that, according to the story, complicated the fisherman’s return to shore.
The pen is available in two versions, a fountain pen or a rollerball, both crafted in two layers: sterling silver and vermeil (24-karat pure gold-plated silver). The fountain pen features an advanced piston-filling mechanism developed by the company, and the nib, offered in various sizes to suit buyers’ preferences, is made of 18-karat gold combined with ebonite. Only seventy units of each version were produced, marking the seventy years since Hemingway won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1953.
The pen is presented in an impressive keepsake box with an old wooden replica of Santiago’s fishing boat, the story’s protagonist. The price is €6,425.
