Monday pen

I last wrote about pens more than a year ago when I wrote about a 2011 limited edition from Graf von Faber Castell. They've done it again. That's their 2012 Pen of the Year to the left.

It features 24K gold leaf applied over oak embedded in resin and trimmed with 24K gold-plated fillings. Just as with last year's pen, I'll have to admire this one from a distance. It lists for $4695.

Here's some of what the current Fahrney's catalog has to say about it:

Scarcely any other wood expresses such an enigmatic beauty as ancient wetland oak. The sought-after and extremely rare pieces of wood have been buried for as many as 8,000 years in German bogs and marshes. A sensitive and masterly touch is demanded if the gold leaf is to mold perfectly to the grain of the oak.

The gold leaves are applied by hand using a fine squirrel-hair brush in a technique that dates back to the Egyptians. Such extraordinary craft demands particular artistry and skill and is mastered today by only a select few. Layer upon layer of 24K gold leaf is applied to the pen barrel in an intricate and detailed process and embedded in resin. This reveals a unique pattern of reflections that only the purest gold can produce.

Each individually numbered Graf Von Faber-Castell 2012 Pen of the Year pen holds an 18K gold, bi-color nib and is accented with 24K gold-plated fittings. The masterpiece is crowned by a chessboard-faceted citrine gemstone set in the cap. A certificate, signed personally by the gilder, attests to the authenticity of the 24K leaf gilding and the 1,700 year old German oak.