"Customers today appreciate tradition and heritage, but also want to see something new on a regular basis....," says the brand's managing director, Glenn Jones, of the Conway Stewart philosophy. "We want to continue to develop our ability to innovate and bring exciting products to the market as often as possible," he continues. But the rapid tempo of new product introductions that the brand has thus far demonstrated doesn't mean taking any shortcuts. Mary Burke, who heads sales and development in the United States, says that Conway Stewart is truly vested in assembling and finishing each piece by hand. "We put a lot of effort into training our factory staff to produce our pens to a very high standard," she says, "and each piece is individually turned, assembled and polished. It is always wonderful to find some new computer-controlled machine that allows you to produce a hundred, or even a thousand, pieces in a day, but that's more important to the high-volume producers."

the 18-karat gold nibs, which are made in Germany-are produced in Plymouth, United Kingdom. Luxury Brands, headed Dick Egolf, is the U.S. distributor.

Harking back to the 1920s and 1930s, Conway Stewart offers traditional filling mechanisms such as levers, buttons and pistons (with optional cartridge or converter systems) on many of its pens. "We are the only pen manufacturer who utilizes the lever filler on a regular production pen-whereas many other manufacturers use such novel filling mechanisms only for limited editions," Burke confirms without undue pride. Other understated and elegant examples of attention to detail and fine craftsmanship include 18-karat gold or sterling silver trim, and nib grades "suitable for every hand, from extra-fine through double-broad, and three versions of the italic nib," says Burke.

"We want to firmly establish Conway Stewart as 'the' luxury pen, offering superbly crafted pens in a wide range of styles that are aestheti- cally stunning," says Jones. "I believe today's luxury pen customer is look- ing not only for something special, but also something rare," he continues.

And he points out that the pens are indeed a great value, considering the amount of time required to produce each piece.

A unique and indeed luxurious opportunity the brand offers is its "bespoke service." Borrowing a term most often associated with custom tailored clothing, it gives the customer the opportunity to order a pen to one's exact specifications. And demand for this service is rising, says Burke, adding that precious metal pens with enamel
accents are particularly popular.

Conway Stewart recently intro- duced a maki-e line that is broadening the boundaries of the brand's "made in England" personality and style. "When we decided to go forward with a maki-e series, I felt that it was very important that we not only work with the best [Japanese] artists, but that we also try to bring something new to the market in terms of style and design," says Burke.

Left: Elegance Westminster
Far left: Windsor

English heritage, while at the same time allowing for interpretation by a Japanese artist," she says. The brand- new English Rose fountain pen, the first in a series of four maki-e designs, accomplishes all that and more. As product manager for the maki-e line, Burke brought thirteen years of experience in pen design and development to the fore and is pleased with the final results: "[It] offers a perfect blend of East and West," she says.

While the English Rose is a favorite of Burke's because of her intimate involvement with every facet of its
design and production, the Windsor, another very recent introduction, is a personal favorite of Jones's. "The Windsor marries the old with the new-[it is] classic British craftsmanship on a modern and stylish pen," he says. But it was not produced without its unique set of challenges. "The silversmith's art is not one that can be rushed, and we were overwhelmed by the response [to the pen]. So we've had difficulty keeping pace with demand," says Jones. To paraphrase Albert Einstein, in the middle of difficulty lies amazing opportunity.