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Top 5 Trends for Pens in 2020

Are you ready to take a sneak peek at the Top 5 Trends for Pens in 2020…according to the non-psychics here at Pen Chalet? (Just wanted to be extra clear here – we have our opinions and we like to think we base them on industry knowledge and experience combined with just a little bit of wishful thinking, but we’re definitely not psychic. And we’re definitely not carving these words in stone). But if we had to predict what trends were going to be threaded throughout the pen industry in 2020, we have to say…

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Top 5 Pen and Ink Trends for 2020

1. Exclusivity: Pen Trends for Exclusive/Limited Edition Pens

Exclusivity. We covet it almost wholeheartedly. There aren’t many who receive a new pen in the mail, unwrap the packaging reverently and then sigh, and whisper, “Just what I’ve always wanted. The pen that everyone and their neighbor has owned since 1992.” No. We want the pen that just came out. Better yet, we want the pen that will be out of stock soon, never to return. We want the pen that you can’t get anywhere else. We want them exclusive, and in limited supply. We crave it. And our obsession with exclusivity will not be checked at the door for 2020. Luckily, the pen industry isn’t run by a bunch of out of touch lunatics. Pen designers know what you want. And they’re going to keep offering chances for exclusivity and limited supplies in the coming year just like they did throughout 2019 (or more).

For example, 2019 saw Pen Chalet offering a number of exclusive pens, including the Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero in four exclusive colors, the Conklin All-American Blue, the US Exclusive Platinum 3776 Carnelian and the Conklin Mark Twain Crescent Filler fountain pen (in Tortoise, Yellow and Black). 2020 welcomes more exclusives and limited edition pen trends.

One of our most RECENT exclusive offerings is the Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero in Ebonite-Rosewood, check it out:

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The Leonardo Officina Italiana Momento Zero Exclusive Rosewood Ebonite from Pen Chalet – Photo Credit: V.Langton

Pen Chalet offered four other exclusive Momento Zero fountain pens in 2019: the Orange/Gloss Black with Gold trim, the Orange/Matte Black with Gold trim, the Blue Hawaii/Matte Black with Ruthenium trim, and the Blue Hawaii/Gloss Black with Ruthenium trim. All Pen Chalet’s Exclusive Momento Zero fountain pens are handmade in Italy. And you wouldn’t be wrong if you expected to see a new Exclusive coming soon from Platinum.

2. MORE Exclusivity: Exclusive/Limited Edition Ink Sets

Again – we all want what we can’t have, or MIGHT not get to have, or at least what our fellow pen and ink fanatics will look at and WISH they had. And we’re going to see more chances to make our dreams of owning what others can’t have come true with exclusive and limited edition ink sets in 2020. Some of the exclusive and limited-edition ink sets that made their mark on the pen industry in 2019 included Diamine’s Guitar Ink Series, Pilot’s Anniversary Limited Edition ink set, Diamine’s Inkvent Calendar and the customer color Pen created with Colorverse ink, the Exclusive Pen Chalet Colorverse ink set (Monsoon Storm/Monument Valley inks). The exclusive ink set trend continues in 2020.

3. Newbie Pens: Entry-Level Fountain Pen Trends

In 2020, we’ll see more new pen releases designed to draw in the younger crowd, the newbie fountain pen lover, and the analog fan who is just discovering the world of fountain pens. Some examples of 2019 fountain pen releases designed for beginners or the “younger” fountain pen fan include the Platinum Prefounte fountain pen, new Diplomat Magnum fountain pen, new Kaweco Perkeo fountain pen colors, and the Pilot Explorer fountain pen. More will definitely be on the way in 2020!

4. Vintage-Inspired Pen Designs: All the Nostalgia We Crave

2019 saw a number of lovely, vintage-inspired pen designs many of which came from our favorite pen manufacturers known for offering us top of the line fountain pens, rollerball pens, and ballpoint pens with vintage-inspired designs, but the vintage pen designs of 2019 didn’t ALL come from the expected directions. As more of your favorite pen manufacturers embrace the trend, we’ll see even more vintage pen design trends released in 2020.

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One of the much-loved vintage-inspired pen designs fo 2019 was Esterbrook’s Camden fountain pen.

A few examples of vintage-inspired pens that saw the love of the pen world in 2019 include: Retro 51’s Typewriter Rollerball obviously a shoutout to the typewriters of yesteryear, Retro 51’s Vintage Metalsmith fountain pens (each with their own specifically designed themes), Yookers Metis Fiber Rollerball Pen (with classic, vintage design for timeless style), Esterbrook Camden fountain pen (featuring a finish reminiscent of the grooves on a vinyl record), and so many more. Everybody has their favorite nostalgic fountain pen or vintage-inspired rollerball. It’s basically a rite of passage into the pen world that we all go back to reenact regularly because it’s just so enjoyable.

5. Designs that Give Back: Collabs with Charitable Groups or Organizations, etc.

Most of the time we buy a new pen because we wanted it, but sometimes we get to feel extra good about our purchase because a portion of the proceeds go to help out an admirable organization, a charity in need of funds, a cause we are about, etc. Why do we expect to see more design collaborations resulting in pen designs that “give back?” Well, we have this trend on the list for a few reasons: 1) Pen manufacturers know you and they know you want to feel good about your purchase, 2) pen manufacturers are people, too, and they have causes they want to support and that they care about, and 3) it’s a good thing to do and the pen world is just overflowing with good people. It’s one of the reasons why we all love it so much.

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Montegrappa’s Tulip for Team Fox pen series benefits the Michael J. Fox Fountain for Parkinson’s Research.

2019 saw a number of collaborations between our favorite pen manufacturers and various groups to offer us the chance to make a positive difference in the world around us. One of our particular favorites was Montegrappa’s Tulip for Team Fox pen series, a chance to support the fight against Parkinson’s Disease created by one of Montegrappa’s longtime designers, Timothy John, who was recently diagnosed with the debilitating disease. The Tulip for Team Fox pen series included a rollerball pen, a ballpoint pen, and a fountain pen, all featuring the global symbol of Parkinson’s Disease awareness, the red tulip, as a centerpiece for the design. A portion of all the proceeds from Tulip for Team Fox pen sales goes to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Cary Yeager, Product Development at Kenro Industries, described a little bit of the distributor’s excitement about the Tulip for Team Fox project, “Kenro is so proud to be able to participate in the Michael J. Fox foundation Montegrappa pen set collaboration. We feel that the cure for Parkinson’s is something we all long for and we hope that by exhibiting the pen we will bring more awareness to this great cause.”

But that wasn’t the only example of 2019 pen releases that “give back.” We also saw a few Retro 51 releases such as the Retro 51 Shield as well as the Tornado Rescue rollerball pen series with varying animal-themed designs. The dog and cat pens benefit Operation Kindness to help care for homeless dogs and cats until an adoption can be arranged. The elephant and rhino pen designs help Elephants, Rhino and People, a nonprofit group that protects the wild populations of elephants and rhinos. The Shield pen provides a portion of each sale to the Assist the Officer Foundation – Dallas, Texas Chapter. Watch for more trends with pen designs that “give back” in 2020!

Rediscover the basic joy of analog with new releases, limited editions, exclusive products, and more Top 5 Trends for Pens in 2020. We can’t wait!

And come back to see us for more Top 5 Lists from the team here at Pen Chalet – where you’ll find all your favorite fine writing instruments and inks!

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Ilona
4 years ago

I love fountain pens , but they are so expensive the most of the beautifully pens .
I love to write with fountain pens and I have some different marks , and I love them all .
I hope in the future to buy a fountain pen that have a vacuum and power filler system, because I love to tryout different pens .

Janice Wollaber
4 years ago

And don’t forget the Retro 51 Tornado Rescue Buzz Rollerball supports the NW Honey Bee Habitat Restoration. Honey bees are critical to our agriculture and their colonies are stressed and collapsing from herbicides and pesticides. And I absolutely love my Retro 51 Buzz Rollerball. The new Tornado Bamboo Turtle Pen supports the Arbor Day Foundation. Can I suggest you update your descriptions for these pens to include these worthy causes.