Montegrappa Elmo Fountain Pen – Ambiente Ocean Montegrappa

The Ambiente demonstrates Montegrappa’s commitment to both sustainable craftsmanship and the small businesses who undertake that craft. The family of Italian craftsmen is making its first strides in artisanal plastics for the first time in its 100+ year history through its partnership with Smile Plastics, a Welsh studio specializing in innovative architectural surfaces. The upheaval of operational norms in the wake of Italy’s encounter with the Covid-19 virus has created a radical landscape for new ideas. The Elmo Ambiente is the result of Motegrappa’s progressive mindset, crafted from recycled packaging out of a concern for the life-cycle of raw materials involved in the production of the Veneto-based writing instruments. This level of conscious craftsmanship is complementary to the legacy of Montegrappa pens as inheritable heirlooms.

The Ambiente Ocean itself is a celebration of the marine beauty its production intends to preserve. It simulates the refraction of light in water while providing its user a candid glimpse into the functions of the fountain pen with the translucence of its resin. The Italian handcrafting reinvents both the used plastic of its material and the classic 1920 Elmo design, creating a contemporary masterpiece in the process.

To accompany the Ambiente, Montegrappa has also commissioned a suite of desk accessories from local craft stationery supplier Arbos. Located just outside Bassano del Grappa, Arbos helped create products from reconstituted leather, textiles and paper – items that expand Montegrappa’s foray into sustainable production methods.

Montegrappa’s commitment to continually evolving and adapting their craft has not been swayed by the shock of world events, and the production of this new model commences as the company recovers from the ordeal of past months.