Reasonably Priced Solid Silver Pens

A solid silver pen makes a wonderful gift for the obvious reason that it is made from a precious metal. They also look great engraved and personalized, which is very useful if you are looking for something extra special. Some of the major pen brands manufacture solid silver pens but they are very expensive. For example, Graf von Faber-Castell has a solid silver fountain pen that retails at £450. Although the pen is well made and from good quality silver, it is not in most people’s price bracket. So where can you find reasonably priced silver pens, that are good quality?

Having had a good look around, there is not an abundance of ‘well priced’ solid sterling silver pens. The major brands such as Parker, Waterman and Sheaffer do not focus on silver pens, so I looked more at the lesser known pen brands. I eventually came across Laban Pens, which is relatively new having been established in 1981 by John Hu and his brother Charles. Their aim was to produce high quality solid silver and platinum plated pens, and have since developed a reputation as a world class pen manufacturer. They have a large and interesting range, playing with styles and materials. For example Laban have a solid silver pen with a striking lined effect, with Swarovski crystals, with wood, and also with different coloured resins.

Laban use a good quality silver that is hallmarked with the 925 symbol. 925 silver is used in most jewellery and basically means that it is made from 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. The copper helps strengthen the silver, and make it more resistant to scratching. The most important aspect of the laban silver pens is the price, with retail prices starting at about £50.00. There is little difference in the quality of silver with the Graf von Faber Castell pen, which makes these pens really good value.