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Within a stone’s throw of the Montegrappa works –
home of the oldest pen manufacture in Italy – is the heart of another
industry. Grappa is the local tipple, and it has never been more
popular, finding new friends in bars and saloons from Mumbai to
Manhattan to Macau. Following the success of the spectacular limited
edition Grappa pen in hammered copper, Montegrappa again honours the
locals’ favourite beverage with a pen inspired by both the drink and the
equipment that distils it.
Featuring a shape that is classic
Montegrappa, curvaceous yet sleekly contemporary, the Montegrappa Mule
pen collection further displays its familial links with a cap top
bearing the famous “1912” logo, while the nib is embellished with a
filigree Montegrappa pattern. The cap and barrel are crafted in
mirror-polished copper, further defined by a brushed silver-plated trim.
The effect recalls the well-used, vintage piping and tubing employed in
the process of producing grappa. Over the time, each Montegrappa Mule
will acquire its own unique patina through handling by its fond owner,
truly personalising the writing instrument. Easily recyclable without
any loss of property, copper is a naturally hygienic metal that slows
down the growth of germs. It is widely used in food preparation and
health equipment, as well as in design and various artistic forms.
Available in three versions, the Montegrappa
Mule will suit the user of fountain, roller or ballpoint pens. Further
individualising the Mule is the choice of writing grades to suit the
owners of the fountain pen, with nibs in Fine, Medium and Broad, and
carry its ink supply with either a cartridge or converter.
Merely honouring the grappa tradition would
be enough to explain the design of the Montegrappa Mule, but
Montegrappa’s creativity has been imbued with the spirit of the …
spirit! Initially inspired by the classic Moscow Mule cocktail,
traditionally served in a copper mug, Montegrappa has registered an
exciting new grappa-based cocktail. Created by famous Bassano-based
mixologists, brothers Edoardo and Leone Miotti, the recipe is specially
developed and already featured on the cocktail menu of Bar Danieli. The
Montegrappa Mule will be sipped with relish during the promotion of the
pen at various sipping’n’sampling bar and in-store events. The drink
itself is made of 40° premium-quality grappa, bergamot scents and a
habanero-chilli pepper twist.
Securing the link between pen and drink will
be a copper mug given to each purchaser of a Montegrappa Mule pen, the
mug personalised with a special Montegrappa Mule logo. And to fill the
mug? Each pen purchase will also include the special recipe. Grappa,
regrettably, will not be included! Forbes /lifestyle
MAY 5, 2016 @ 01:07 PM Nancy Olson - contributor
The Montegrappa Mule Fountain Pen is crafted in copper. Photo: Montegrappa.
It’s been around since the 1940s, but its recent resurgence in popularity makes the Moscow Mule as relevant in today’s cocktail culture as when it was first introduced. And the vessel in which it is served is almost as important as the vodka-based concoction itself: a copper mug. With all the attention paid to ginger beers of late—an ingredient in the Moscow Mule—it’s no wonder the drink is climbing the charts of popularity among Millennials. It didn’t hurt that Real Housewives of New York City star Bethenny Frankel famously served Skinny Girl Vodka laced mules at her recent on-screen birthday bash (the original formula called for Smirnoff).
Earlier this year Italian pen maker Montegrappa brilliantly came up with a new version of the mule while expanding a new generation of writing instrument fans at the same time. The copper-crafted Montegrappa Mule pen collection offers an option for those 20-to-30-something individuals wanting to connect on paper rather than exclusively online or at the local bar, and it inspires its own kind of verbosity—no alcohol required.
“We worked closely with Montegrappa to develop a product that draws inspiration from their heritage and that also connects with a youthful demographic,” says Bryan Hulser, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Kenro Industries, the U.S. distributor of the brand. He adds that the project, while completely fresh, is also eminently relevant to Montegrappa’s Italian roots. “The unique copper material has close ties to the region where Montegrappa was born in Bassano del Grappa, as grappa distilleries are constructed with copper material.” A few years ago, the brand created the Grappa pen. The limited edition pen collection’s familiar shape is pure Montegrappa, blending over a century of pen making with a contemporary sensibility that is sleek and spare. The mirror-polished copper body—cap and barrel—will acquire a natural patina over time, adding the user’s unique imprint to the pen and further personalizing it. The collection, which is trimmed in brushed silver plate, includes a fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint, each with the familiar “1912” logo at its crown. The fountain pen’s elegant steel nib (available in three sizes) is decorated with a swirling pattern unique to Montegrappa.
Incidentally, copper is a hygienic material, inhibiting the growth of microbes—one of the reasons it is used in piping and cookware. It seems to me that its use in pen making is beneficial as well, since pens, like cellphones, are not often scoured yet they are used daily and are sometimes shared. So I guess we can rest well knowing that the Montegrappa Mule is not only good for the soul, but also healthier for the body.
Not surprisingly, Montegrappa also came up with an eponymous drink in honor of the pen. Created by famous Bassano del Grappa-based mixologists, brothers Edoardo and Leone Miotti, the Montegrappa Mule libation includes premium-quality grappa, bergamot and a habanero-chili pepper twist. Not familiar with grappa? This Italian brandy is produced from the byproducts of the wine-producing industry—grape seeds, stalks and stems—and it really packs a punch at somewhere between 35% and 60% alcohol. The cocktail was served at various retail store events during the pen’s initial introduction, and it is currently on the menu at Bassano del Grappa’s own Bar Danieli.
History of Montegrappa  The Facade of the Historic Montegrappa Factory The art of penmanship or writing is for those, who feel the need to connect heart to heart, soul to soul through the fountains of rapturous emotions and deeds that continue to live after us. And it is only for such that a fine writing instrument takes pride of place to cherish the noble art of writing. It is indeed for the connoisseurs of such art that Montegrappa creates pens that are reserved to cherish the emotions inspired by the feel of a beautifully crafted writing instrument, bringing back the stories of the land known for drama and love, and prolific writers, who have penned innumerable masterpieces that are a testament to the strife for all things beautiful. The Montegrappa manufacture since 1912 stands in the same historic building on the bank of the River Brenta, in one of the most picturesque areas of the historic town of Bassano del Grappa, in the prosperous northeastern part of Italy. Born out of the war struck area of Bassano, which was a major war zone during World War I, Montegrappa, established as a manufacturer of gold nibs and fountain pens, soon became the chosen one for many soldiers stationed there to write back home. A child of the country's turbulent emotional struggle, Montegrappa and its writing instruments are a part of history and those who have made history such as Vladimir Putin, Benito Mussolini, His Holiness John Paul II, Michael Jackson, Paulo Coelho, Michael Schumacher and more. Whether it is the colours reminiscent of the master painters or the ornaments of Baroque palaces, Montegrappa's collections are inspired by great moments of history and the most ancient passions of mankind. 
Left: Giuseppe Aquila, CEO, Montegrappa; Right: The first 500 Batman limited edition pen sets were made available with cufflinks and a wristwatch
Italian Roots"Italian heritage and pride is at the heart of all of Montegrappa's work," Giuseppe Aquila, CEO, Montegrappa, proudly mentions. The company is named after the mountain on which the Italians made their final stand and successfully repelled the Austrian and German forces during the World War I and therefore, represents the fighting spirit and heroic acts of valour of the brave Italian soldiers. The Grappa Massif, the range of mountains with the Monte Grappa at its peak, was the last strategic position before the plains of the Veneto region, and had 25,000 Italian soldiers not laid down their lives in the defence of their country, a lot would have been lost. This region of North East Italy, between Vicenza and Venice is extremely rich in metal working and handcrafting traditions, handed down through generations. Montegrappa, located in Bassano del Grappa, directly under the Monte Grappa mountain, is in the heart of this important region and benefits from a great wealth of talent and resources. Speaking about the inspirations at Montegrappa, Aquila is quick to add, "Most often we take inspiration from the wealth of beautiful and cultural riches that we have in Italy, but we increasingly are inspired by ideas and themes from our international customers, who ask us to design products based on concepts from their regions. We take it as a great source of pride that people from all over the world have come to appreciate Montegrappa's unique capabilities to take an idea from concept to design to final production."  \ Techniques Galore One cannot help, but see the prolific use of varied manufacturing techniques and exquisite materials used in Montegrappa pens that truly make them one-of-a-kind and elevate them as superior pieces of art. As the only existing company to have the ability to process materials such as celluloid and ebonite that require a specific know-how, which has been developed and preserved over 100 years of history, the brand also brings out the best through other unique technologies like deep-drawing and low-relief engraving. Montegrappa also goes down as the first pen company to introduce the jewellers' technique of lost wax casting in the writing industry and one of the few to have a skilled team of in-house engravers, enamellers, stone setters and miniature painters. "We at Montegrappa are proud to be able to say that we do not really face any direct competition as there is no one who is able to do the sort of work that we do. On some technical levels, our pens are superior to other pens in the luxury writing instrument category, where we have preserved some techniques and use of materials that other manufacturers have abandoned in favour of cheaper, modern alternatives, such as the use of celluloid in parts of our pens, and the use of real carved ebonite for the ink feeders. These are some differentiators, however, the real difference comes from the unique talent pool that we draw from our region, giving us design and style that is truly special," adds Aquila. What started from scratch, quite literally, as a manufacture for making only fountain pens and nibs, a specialised area, and is still renowned as the best, they have seen a very successful diversification in recent years, with the introduction of watches, men's accessories and jewellery, leather goods, and most recently, a collection of fragrances. However, not losing focus on the writing instrument business, the brand continues to develop their core area of limited edition products that they are well known for. "While our design ideas and inspirations used to be drawn from classical arts and literature, we have more recently started to also develop some limited editions dedicated to more mainstream iconic figures in contemporary history, such as the great Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee and Frank Sinatra," Aquila further elaborates. Standing the Test of TimeThe most important question that comes to mind when on the topic of writing is how does a fine writing instrument fare in this age of technology and e-mails? To answer this, Aquila explains, "We are often asked this question. As we get more sophisticated gadgets and devices, it would seem that the need for a traditional pen is disappearing. However, we are surprised and pleased to find that the opposite is true. As people are getting more used to sending e-mails and text messages, a handwritten note is a great differentiator and really stands out, and is a good way to actually engage someone's attention when they are being bombarded with an onslaught of electronic and completely impersonal forms of communication. We also find that writing by hand is not a need, but a joy and an art, which can be greatly fulfilling and gratifying." Explaining further, he mentions how recent research in brain science shows that the human brain greatly benefits from the neural connections that are created when a person combines the act of putting their thoughts into words with the motor skills required to write by hand. "In fact, this entire subject and field of study fuelled one of our recent creations, the Limited Edition Brain pen. This pen was launched several months ago and comes with a book on the subject written by Dr. Richard Restak, one of the world's leading brain scientists." Cerebral and avant-garde, it is such conviction that goes into the creation of their pens and shows how the renaissance of handwriting remains ubiquitous in the objectives of Montegrappa.  The Sylvester Stallone Chaos Pen
Writing from Scratch
At Montegrappa, each project has a different story and involves different people, especially in the creative part. "I'm personally involved in the creative process and so is my brother and at times my father too. The first step is the idea. In many cases, the idea comes from me or might be suggested by some of our distribution partners. At times, some of my ideas are out-of-the box and the first reaction of my family and our partners is a bit sceptical. The idea is important, but equally important is the ability of expressing such an idea through a product, and in our case a pen," Aquila expresses.
What follows is the second step of putting the idea to paper and trying to encapsulate the concept attached with the idea. Working with in-house designers or at times even with external designers to gain experienced opinions about a specific theme is what brings that added edge to their pens. For all projects, they run extensive research and often employ the services of historians, art experts and intellectuals to make sure that the design not only looks good, but is correct under every aspect.
Going ahead with the engineering process, the brand has a strong team of 10 in-house designers and engineers, who use very sophisticated 3D modelling software to design the different components. The prototyping stage is taken care of by a separate team using dedicated machinery and equipment which leads to the pre-series, a small production run required for quality control. From quality control, it enters the final manufacturing stage to the final product. Speaking about the challenges in the world of fine writing instruments, Aquila once again reminds us that Montegrappa has always been a pioneer in the writing industry. "One of our main skills is the ability to adapt to the fast-evolving market and re-invent ourselves every day. The challenge is to remain true to the original spirit of the brand and at the same time always be at the forefront of the industry."
Mightier than Sword
From heads-of-states, royalty, popes, musicians, actors, sportsmen, writers, artists, celebrities, and top models who share unanimous love as distinguished patrons of Montegrappa pens, the brand has created several limited edition pens featuring unique designs focusing on the life and achievements of various celebrities. "We have been very fortunate that we have had some celebrity customers who have become great friends of the brand and have come to be ambassadors of Montegrappa, through their love and appreciation of our products. Some have been such great lovers of the brand that they actually wanted to be part of the company and have made investments in Montegrappa and are shareholders, such as Sylvester Stallone and Jean Alesi. And there are some who appreciate our works of art and have asked us to make special pieces for them, either as bespoke unique pieces, or as a limited edition product such as the Chaos pen by Stallone, or the Alchemist pen for Coelho. So in reality, the personalities typically choose Montegrappa, rather than the other way around," Aquila explains.
With such a strong philosophy and cerebral backing, the brand's effort in ensuring the longevity of the art of writing, the power of fine penmanship and a highly personal intimate indulgence is surely here to stay.
Photos Courtesy: Montegrappa
Writing History With Montegrappa
By SUMITA BAGCHI, TIME N STYLE
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