A Look into Montegrappa’s Dante Trilogy

For over 700 years, Dante Aligheri’s work The Divine Comedy has been a preeminent piece of Italian (and World!) Literature. Following the path of the soul through the three levels of the afterlife, Purgatory, Hell, and Heaven, the fictional Dante is witness to the mysteries of the universe and ultimately the human condition itself.

It would make sense, then, for Montegrappa, the leading Italian fountain pen company, to dedicate a series of pens to The Comedy. The three pens in the collection (Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso) are intricate representations of the text while showcasing the artisan craftsmanship and imagination of Montegrappa itself.

Below, we get an insider’s look from the company on the Dante series.

If you’re interested in learning more and stocking any of the pens from this set, contact us!

Explore the Collection

Inferno
Purgatorio
Paradiso

Truphae Anniversary Event Recap

Last week we enjoyed celebrating the second anniversary of Truphae opening their brick-and-mortar shop in Greenville, South Carolina. We were so fortunate to spend a few days in town to celebrate with the Truphae crew.

Kenro has a strong history with this store and we were proud to see how much they have grown in the two years since their opening. With a store that’s friendly and inviting, it’s no wonder the locals in the area love Truphae as much as we do! And they’d know – Greenville is a vibrant city with a growing market for pen enthusiasts in the Blue Ridge Mountains area.

While there, Kenro displayed many of their top-quality pens during the opening, including Montegrappa, Aurora, ystudio, and Esterbrook. We were able to chat, network, and share a few laughs with guests during the two-day event.

We wish Truphae continued success with their retail space and we know this is just the beginning for them!  


Truphae’s Anniversary Event with Kenro

We are pleased to be celebrating Truphae’s second anniversary in South Carolina next week! Truphae is a retailer of ours in Greenville, SC with whom we have built a lasting relationship over the years. We are thrilled to be there in-person to share in their celebration on September 10 and 11 From 12pm – 5pm each day.

While there, we will be showcasing some of our latest pens, including some special Montegrappas, elegant Auroras, and many more.

We hope you’re able to join us!


2021 San Francisco International Pen Show

Dubbed “the most fun pen show on Earth”, we’re excited to see everyone at the 2021 San Francisco International Pen Show! Join us in our booth and see what is new from our brands, including AuroraMontegrappaPininfarina, Otto HuttYstudio and Esterbrook.

The team from Kenro, and all their new releases and limited editions, will be in attendance. Also joining us will be J.J. Lax of J.J. Lax Pen Company. As you may remember, he has created a custom Scribe Nib for our Esterbrook pens. While at the show, he will be grinding nibs in person while at our booth. This is your chance to see a trained nibmeister at work!

The event will be held Pullman San Francisco Bay Hotel from August 27 to August 29. See you in San Fran!


Fountain Pen Hospital Pen Fest 2021

Fountain Pen Hospital Pen Fest Announcement

The summer street festival is as much a part of a New York summer as a Yankees game, hot dogs with mustard from a streetcart, open fire hydrants and a soft serve ice cream truck parked on the corner.

It is with great pleasure that we announce the return of the Fountain Pen Hospital Pen Fest, a summer celebration that also kicks off the 75th Anniversary of FPH and the reopening of our remodeled showroom.

Featuring AuroraMontegrappaPininfarina, Otto HuttYstudio and Esterbrook, the Pen Fest will be an extravaganza to celebrate a whole new season of writing instruments.

The team from Kenro, and all their new releases and limited editions, will be in attendance and if that weren’t enough our good friend, and pen reviewer extraordinaire, Penboy Roy will be in the house to tell you what’s on his mind.

We hope you will join us for this auspicious occasion of friends and pens, Wednesday and Thursday June 16th and 17th from 10:00 to 3:00


KENRO CREATIVE

Kenro Creative works with some of the biggest companies in the world to source promotional products for any occasion.

We are current Covid-19 crisis we are sourcing face masks and have 1,800 on hand for immediate delivery. Please contact us for your needs.

 


Call or email us for more information:

Phone: 516-741-0011

Email: contactus@kenroindustries.com

A contest to feed your hunger!

 

 Win a new Lilac Estie!

Like Audrey II, we all tend to have an incredible hunger for fountain pens. Especially pens that are shiny and new! To help satisfy this hunger and celebrate the arrival of Spring, we are hosting a contest to win  a new Esterbrook Lilac Estie.

The rules are super simple and you have two chances to enter and win. Check our Facebook and Instagram to find the picture below with Audrey II and the Lilac Estie. Each account will have its own winner. Once you find the post, comment or tag a friend who has that hunger for fountain pens and you’re entered.

The contest begins May 9th and ends May 17th. Note that you must live in the US or Canada to win.

Once the winners are chosen, we will contact the winners via Facebook and Instagram.

Good luck and be careful not to upset our friend Audrey!


Call or email us for more information:

Phone: 516-741-0011

Email: contactus@kenroindustries.com


 

Brett Harmon Reacquainted with Uboat

An in depth look at the new Uboat Capsoil

Having owned a U-Boat piece, it was nice to have the opportunity to go hands-on with one of their newest designs, the U-Boat Capsoil SS.

First off, lets get a little background on the brand. When I first came across U-Boat, it was on Instagram roughly ~5 years ago. Having a deep love for the sea (pun intended), and being around the ocean my entire life, it was neat to see something that took inspiration from the lines and aesthetics of a submarine. I was immediately drawn to the bulkiness/ruggedness industrial design of the U-Boat. The brand itself has less than 20 years of business under their belt; the brand was founded and created when Ilvo Fontana joined the tender to produce precision time instruments for the Italian Navy in 1942. Although Ilvo Fontana didn’t end up creating any pieces for the Italian Navy, the designs were never destroyed, just merely filed away. In the year 2000, Ilvo Fontana’s grandson, Italo Fontana found the designs and decided it would be great to finish what his grandfather once started.

Now that we have some background, lets get down to the fun part, the details. The case is machined out of stainless steel, housing a new electromechanical movement, which is completely submerged in oil. Yes, you heard that right, it wasn’t a typo, the entire dial and movement is submerged in an oil bath. The case measures 45mm and has a beautiful, almost matte-like sheen to the finish. Speaking of finishing, this case is “rounded”, every angle you look at it. There are minimal sharp edges with tapered lugs, which make the watch appear a little smaller than the normal U-Boat size watches. I typically prefer watches in the 40-44 mm range; this watch wears extremely nice for its size. Since we are on the topic of the case, lets not forget the crown. Yes, the watch is a destro, but with the proper tools, you can swap it to the other side of the case. Whether you wear the watch on your left hand or right, you are thought of in this design.

After strapping the watch on my wrist I was immediately mesmerized by the color of the dial. I have never seen such a “pure” black dial as this; the oil makes it seem three-dimensional. It’s quite hard to take your eyes off of it. Once you are able to peel your eyes away from the three-dimensional dial, you start noticing other qualities close by. The dial has a patina –like color on the numerals and minute markers. There is a vibrant and striking contrast between the dark black dial and the patina numerals. Dive watches have always been know for their legibility, lets just put it this way, whether you are scuba diving in a deep cave or looking for the time in a dark room in your home, legibility will never be an issue.

After having the privilege of wearing the watch for a week or two, it’s easy to come to terms with the fact that I genuinely like this piece. I am still in awe of how well the dial pops in the submerged oil bath. All in all, this piece checks the boxes for someone who is looking for a larger, industrial designed watch. Purely, the history makes owning a U-Boat much cooler knowing that a lot of these designs were thought of ~70 years ago. This piece falls in the sub $2,000.00 price point which makes the purchasing urge much greater due the quality of components you get for the price. Whether you are an existing owner of a U-Boat watch, or have never owned one of their pieces, I highly encourage you to give this piece a try. 

Written by Brett Harmon follow him on Instagram

 


Call or email us for more information:

Phone: 516-741-0011

Email: contactus@kenroindustries.com

The most valuable thing.

A beautiful expression from Catharine  Misook

“The most valuable thing we can do for the psyche, occasionally, is to let it rest, wander, live in the changing light of room, not try to be or do anything whatever.” -May Sarton

We had a tornado watch, lightning strike downs and a wintery mix all within the span of 24 hours. The weekend is here along with the calm after the storm and I’m ready to stay cozy, unwind and rest. Staycation at mi casa. What are you all up to this weekend?

And what better way for a stationery lover to unwind than with a new pen, specifically a stunning new @esterbrook_official pen? I love the tortoiseshell with the silver, the vintage reprise of this classic pen so beautifully done. A big thank you to @nypenguy and @kenro_official for getting this treasure to me through wind and rain! Oh and if you want to see the green tortoiseshell version, go check out @thepapervoyager on her gorgeous and inspiring account!

Be sure to follow Catharine on her daily journeys on Instagram @CatharineMiSook

 

Montegrappa Game of Thrones Final Season!

 

Mongrappa releases Gift with Purchase for all Game of Thrones pens.

With the eight and final season of HBO’s successful Game of Thrones series just around the corner (the season is scheduled to premiere in April 2019), Montegrappa will be running an exclusive Gift With Purchase promotion associated to our GoT open editions, namely the Stark, Targaryen, Lannister, Baratheon and Westeros pens. HBO is planning a major campaign and we expect another opportunity for sales from our specialty pens.
With the sale of each pen, you will receive a complimentary mug (see enclosed pictures), which has to be offered as a Gift With Purchase to the end users who will buy the pens.
In attachment you will find separate artworks with the sigils of the four houses or the map of Westeros, which may be used for promotional purposes online and offline.
There are five mug designs: four with the sigils of the houses of Stark, Targaryen, Lannister and Baratheon – which will be gifted with the pens dedicated to the pertaining families – and one with the map of Westeros – which will be gifted with the Westeros pens or at a later date with all pens, once stocks on the other types of mugs are no longer available.
Should you have an existing stock of the above mentioned pens – which you wish to include in the promotion, you are offered the possibility to buy the mugs separately at the special cost of $10 each.

The promotion will start as of February 1st and will run till supplies last.

 

 

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