#HTE

Pens and Pencils with Patina? Kaweco’s Tough Offerings

Writing utensils being such disposable things, it’s rare to see one with a patina; I feel like they rarely survive for that long.

However, Kaweco—which is something like the Mercedes-Benz of writing utensil producers, manufacturing in Germany since the 1880s—makes tough, pricey pens and pencils out of aluminum, steel or brass that can take a beating.

Somewhat hilariously, they also sell a line of stonewashed pens, if you’d rather not earn yours the old-fashioned way.

I came across the company while looking for a more durable mechanical pencil for shop use. They make this handsome, aluminum AL Sport line.

For the more sketch-minded, they make this brass Sketch Up line that holds beefy 5.6mm leads. I have no idea how you sharpen the thing.

All Kaweco products come in these vintage-style tins.

These things ain’t cheap—the AL Sport pencils run €56.50 (USD $67), and the Sketch Ups are €30.50 (USD $36). If I drop that much on a pencil, I’ll damn sure own and use it for long enough to earn that patina.