In 1912, Austrians Edwige Hoffmann and Heinrich Helm started making Montegrappa pens, named after Mount Grappa in Italy. From the very beginning, these pens have been made with precious metals like sterling silver and 18-karat gold, resins, and celluloid. Traditional and antique techniques of crafting jewellery are combined with the latest technology to make each of these pens
Hand-Etching By Burin Engraving Technique
Here the artist’s drawing is reduced to the exact finished size, transferred on tracing paper, and fixed on the smooth body of the pen. After the craftsman outlines the drawing, the engraving is made by hand with a burin, giving a ‘chiaroscuro’ (Italian for light and dark) effect. Some details may be filled with gold, enhancing the work’s value and elegance by providing a contrast between the various elements.
(This story appears in the 13 November, 2015 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)