With the latest sci-fi instalment of George Lucas’ epic saga behind us, the fans of Star Wars have been spoiled with a whole raft of toys and gadgets inspired by the movie. In the pen world, S.T. Dupont was tapped to transform the legendary X-Wing and Tie Fighters into fine writing instruments, a tall order to say the least. So, how did they do? Read on to find out.
The S.T. Dupont Star Wars Collection
When it comes to high profile collaborations like this the pressure is always on to deliver a product that both captures the essence of the theme and the attention of fans. This challenge is made all the more difficult when you’re talking about something as iconic – and, let’s face it, as unusual looking – as the X-Wing and Tie Fighters. It seems however that S.T. Dupont was more than up to the challenge.
Issued in a limited edition of 1,977 pieces each, both models retail for £1,400 each – impressive for a fountain pen. Even more impressive however is the fact almost all pens have sold out already, so I believe it’s safe to say they have been a great commercial success. This is maybe not so surprising when you consider the potential customer base for them. After all, at the UK 2001 Census, some 390.000 people stated their religion as Jedi!
As cool as the S.T. Dupont Star Wars pens look though, what we as pen lovers really care about of course if how they function. Do they write smoothly and are they well balanced? You only get to truly know and appreciate a pen when you’ve dipped it in ink and glided it across the page.
Luckily for us we have managed to get our hands on these rare and unusual pieces so here’s what we think.
The first thing one notices is the weight of the pens. Both feel substantial but not overly heavy. They are made in Ceramium A.C.T. a combination of aluminium and ceramic to render the pen light, strong and easy to maintain. With two almost symmetrical extremities the pen is comfortably balanced. Next is the intricate pattern inspired by the fuselage of the fighters. For me this is the most attractive esthetical feature as it gives the pens almost an ‘alien’ feel. The patterning of the exterior has been heavily used in sci-fi movies like The Transformers, Prometheus and just about any other alien space-ship you can think of.
In the case of the S.T. Dupont Star Wars pen this intricate pattern has been made by hand employing the traditional technique of guilloche. Indeed good old hand techniques have been married with modern materials for a modern interpretation of luxury pens.
The very classic shape of the nib counterbalances the space-edge feel of the pen and reminds us that firstly it’s a writing instrument and then a gadget. True to its fame the nib is outstanding. Glides happily on paper with no sign of scratchiness. The flow of ink is steady and not too wet or dry.
For me though the coolest part of the pens are the stands. They come disassembled and literally you need to build your own spaceship! This lego-like quality takes me back straight to my childhood and transforms this pen into a true Star Wars pen.
Bravo S.T. Dupont!
For more information visit the official S.T Dupont website.
