ELBWOOD – The Hanseatic Penmaker

Company Highlight

Frank Pressentin is a creative craftsman with artistic demands on form, material and quality. His brand ELBWOOD - The Hanseatic Penmaker moves with international ambition at the interface of applied art & design. The focus of his work is the individual and small series production of high-quality writing instruments: Fountain pens, ballpoint pens and accessories. The machines in the Atelier workshop are precise, old and mechanically analog. They are controlled by hand - not digitally. Frank Pressentin basically works from the full material and designs directly on the running lathe. Emotions are transferred to the work by hand - just like a sculptor. This guarantees that no piece is ever really the same. As he sees it, this is the only way to create truly unique pieces. For him, luxury has nothing to do with overloaded ornamentation. He prefers minimalistic design paired with exclusive materials. His design language is clear and reduced. Function is immanent. A writing instrument - no matter how precious - is always a tool. Frank Pressentin does not like things to look like they did on the first day after 10 years. He prefers materials that have character and naturalness. They change with time, develop patina and tell stories. If a thread squeaks, a drop of oil does help. Time is the all-determining factor in his work. When wood is involved, the number of steps from felling the tree to completion adds up to over 400, which naturally limits the amount of products available. Upon request, Frank Pressentin can make fountain pens and pencils according to your material and color preferences. In any case, a personal consultation by telephone or in writing is recommended.