Though most people do 100% their writing on a computer or smartphone, there are still a few old people and those with the digit dexterity of a quilt sewer who prefer to write with a pen. Whether you like the feeling of pen meeting paper or just find it easier than nub-punching a keyboard, there’s likely to always be writing instrument availables. The chirography community is ravenous for new writing tools, and they sometime pay far more than they should for the privilege.
But, a pen that keeps you writing and kills the cramps can be hard to come by. Your standard Bic makes a better spit-wad shooter than scribble scrawl device. Pagnotta Design wants to address this with the P22 pen, and address it in a very unique way.
The P22 pen is a 3D printed titanium pen made to fit the grip of your odd shaped hand/fingers. Reminds me a bit of those pencils that would teach you to “hold the pencil correctly.” The pen’s minimal design aims to make it sleek, ergonomic and streamlined. It looks like something James Bond would pull of his pockets to finish off the evil villain, just after the villain laughed at him for having such a pen.
The pen features “pinch points” on each side allowing the fingers to comfortably rest in the grooves. The P22 is claimed to combine the characteristics of a fountain pen with the ease of a ballpoint. It uses Schmidt cartridges that last for a year uncapped and promises to provide a smooth, pleasant writing experience whether you’re left or right handed.
The P22 certainly looks sophisticated, and fancy enough for the richest of people to smirk whilst writing out a check at the Rolls Royce dealership. Though it looks like it was hand-shaped from a soft metal tube, it is in fact constructed layer by layer via Electron Beam Melting (EBM). This process looks cooler, allows more freedom in the design and typically produces less waste compared to traditional mill and drill manufacturing methods. Through this method, the P22 is ‘grown’ with 30 micron layers of fused 6AL-4V grade 5 titanium–Each layer less than 1/3 the width of a human hair.
According to Pagnotta Design, the P22 was designed and built alongside the “latest generation fighter aircraft components” …sure, why not. The combination of the EBM manufacturing tech and artisanal finishing of each pen by hand, allows the company to get even more clever and call it “Santa’s Super High Tech Workshop.”
Right now the P22 is seeking funding on Kickstarter in two available finishes, satin and mirror, with each starting at $170.00. For the pen community, this price is practically spare change. And according to the makers, this will be a one-off opportunity. The pen is indeed unique, looks comfortable to use and probably smells of high class. It does cost more than the average pen you find a thirteen year old gnawing on, but for those who aren’t afraid of breaking the bank, this pen is sure to hold a special spot in your collection.
