Review: Porsche Design Faber-Castell Fountain Pen

July 16, 2010

I suppose I have been missing some of the action going on this thread for a while. I agree with the beach pen guy--the design direction between Pelikan and the current PD studio is just worlds apart. Moreover, the PD direction that produced some of these flawless but austere pieces (though some may think they are over-the-top yuppies' toys of the 80s excess...) is gone forever now. So in all likelihood, the collaboration will produce something 'Porsche' like but nothing along the lines of Butzi or the Ulm school of design. Looking at the newer porsches today, one suspects something is amissed .

Similarly I think the old IWC is gone forever. This 'high-end' retail today devotes as much time to image-making, if not more, than innovation and quality-making. My PD IWCs are still all running like new. But take a survey of new pieces by the company and one is struck by how 'delicate' they are despite their muscular size.

But I think Faber-Castell has a good design direction and all the more so, their original leather products for FP use and high end stationery/accessory pieces are one of the best IMO in the market. So I think some of the esteemed German craftsmanship has not been lost forever or outsourced to cheaper places. I hope FC continue this tradition--as for Lamy--and to reinvest their profits into Germany and the German craftsmanship sector. At least all is not lost!