Scarcely any other wood expresses such an enigmatic beauty as ancient wetland oak wood. It takes a long, long time for an oak tree to turn into such a sought-after and precious wood. Its deep, often gnarled textures make wetland oak look like driftwood found on the shore. But in fact, these extraordinary pieces of wood have been buried for as many as 8000 years in German bogs and marshes. The discovery of each find is a matter of chance and each piece seems to have a mysterious story to tell.
The gold leaves are carefully applied by hand using a fine squirrel-hair brush. A 4000-year-old technique is used that dates back to the Egyptians and is mastered by only a select few people today. Such an extraordinary craft demands particular artistry and skill. A sensitive and masterly touch is demanded, if gold leaf is to mould perfectly to the graining of the oak barrel of the pen. After studying old Venetian gilding techniques and winning the Bavarian State Design Award, the gilder and church painter Ernst D. Feldmann has achieved the almost impossible: Layer upon layer of 24-carat gold leaf is applied to the oak pen barrel in an intricate and detailed process. Embedded in resin, this reveals a unique pattern of reflections that only the purest gold can display.
Each individually numbered writing instrument comes in an exclusive deep black wooden case. A certificate, signed personally by Ernst D. Feldmann, attests to the 24-carat leaf-gilding on the 1700 year old German oak wood, as well as to the limited edition to 1,500 fountain pens.
Fountain Pen - Limited to 1,500 pieces.
Fountain Pen, Diamond Edition - Limited to 10 pieces.
*The 2012 Pen of the Year is no longer available.
