Tag Archives: Ballpoint Pen

When Your Childhood Pen Becomes Your Living Room Centerpiece

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You know that clear plastic pen you’ve chewed the cap off a hundred times? The one that’s probably rolling around in your junk drawer right now? Well, someone just turned it into a lamp and it’s kind of genius. Seeing design variations of products that are different from each other is a refreshing take especially if it’s done right.

Italian design brand Seletti teamed up with designer Mario Paroli to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the BIC Cristal pen in the most extra way possible. They blew it up to 12 times its original size and transformed it into a floor lamp, pendant light, and wall-mounted fixture. Because apparently, nothing says “happy birthday” quite like making something absurdly large and hanging it from your ceiling.

Designer: Mario Paroli for Seletti

The BIC Lamp debuted at Maison & Objet 2026, and it’s exactly what you’d imagine if you scaled up that iconic ballpoint pen you’ve been using since elementary school. The transparent barrel is there, the hexagonal body is there, and yes, the caps come in those three classic colors: black, blue, and red. The only thing missing is the mysterious teeth marks we all somehow ended up making during boring classes or meetings.

What makes this collaboration so charming is how it taps into universal nostalgia. The BIC Cristal isn’t just any pen. Since 1950, when French-Italian entrepreneur Marcel Bich acquired the patent for the ballpoint mechanism from Hungarian-Argentine inventor László Bíró, this little writing tool has lived in every pencil case, backpack, and desk drawer imaginable. It’s been clutched by artists and writers, and it’s earned spots in the permanent collections at New York’s Museum of Modern Art and Paris’s Centre Georges Pompidou. For something so ordinary, it’s surprisingly extraordinary.

Seletti’s art director Stefano Seletti explains their approach perfectly: “We transform a universally and instantly recognisable shape that lives in everyone’s memory, into something completely new”. And that’s the magic here. The lamp doesn’t reinvent the wheel or try too hard to be clever. It just takes something we all recognize and makes us see it differently. The design uses carefully selected materials that echo the original pen, but instead of ink flowing through that clear barrel, you get LED technology lighting up your space. It’s functional, playful, and surprisingly versatile. Whether you mount it on a wall, suspend it as a pendant, or place it as a floor lamp, the BIC Lamp brings that same pop-culture irreverence Seletti is known for.

The lamp works because it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s design with a wink, a nod to our shared experiences with this humble writing instrument. How many times have we frantically searched for a pen, only to find three BIC Cristals that may or may not work? How many have we borrowed and never returned? The pen is part of our daily rituals, so familiar we barely notice it anymore. By supersizing it and giving it a new function, Paroli and Seletti invite us to reconsider everyday objects around us. Good design doesn’t always mean creating something entirely new. Sometimes it means looking at what’s already there and asking, “What if?” What if the pen we’ve used for decades became something else? What if we celebrated its simplicity by making it impossible to ignore?

The BIC Lamp transforms a desktop essential into a domestic icon, proving that the best design ideas often come from the most unexpected places. It’s memory-driven design at its finest, taking something ordinary and making it extraordinary simply by changing its scale and purpose.

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The Pen That Went to the Moon Just Got a Tactical Upgrade

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Remember when you were a kid and someone told you about the space pen? You know, the one that writes upside down, underwater, and in basically any condition imaginable because NASA needed something reliable for astronauts? Well, Fisher Space Pen just dropped a new version that makes their legendary writing instrument even more ridiculously practical, and honestly, I’m kind of obsessed.

Meet the Measure Twice, a bolt-action tactical pen that’s basically the Swiss Army knife of writing instruments. At $69, it’s not your average drugstore pen, but hear me out because this thing is genuinely clever.

Designer: Fisher Space Pen

First, let’s talk about that bolt-action mechanism. If you’ve ever fidgeted with a pen during a long meeting or phone call, you know the appeal of a good click. But this takes it to another level. The bolt-action deployment is smooth, satisfying, and way more robust than a standard clicker. It’s the kind of tactile experience that makes you actually want to use a physical pen in our increasingly digital world. Plus, it just looks cool. There’s something inherently appealing about that tactical aesthetic without it being over the top or trying too hard.

But here’s where it gets interesting. Fisher etched precision ruler markings right into the barrel of the pen. We’re talking both imperial measurements up to 3.5 inches and metric up to 9 centimeters. Think about how many times you’ve needed to measure something small and had to hunt around for a ruler or tape measure. Shopping for furniture online and need to visualize how big something is? Got it. Working on a craft project? Covered. Trying to figure out if that vintage frame will fit your photo? Done. It’s one of those features that seems almost too simple, but once you have it, you realize how often you actually need it.

The construction is pretty impressive too. Fisher switched from their traditional chrome-plated brass to anodized aluminum for this model. That means it’s lighter and more comfortable to carry all day, but still incredibly durable. The anodizing makes it resistant to scratches, corrosion, and impacts, so you can toss it in your bag or pocket without babying it. It’s designed to be used, not displayed on a shelf.

Now for the feature that really sets this apart: there’s a tungsten carbide glass breaker tip on the opposite end from the writing point. Yes, you read that right. This pen doubles as an emergency escape tool. In a car accident or emergency situation where you need to break a window, this could genuinely save your life. It’s the kind of thing you hope you never need, but knowing it’s there provides a weird sense of security. Plus, it speaks to the thoughtful design philosophy behind this pen. It’s not just about looking tactical or cool, it’s about actual functionality.

Of course, it still has all the legendary Space Pen technology that made the original famous. The pressurized ink cartridge writes upside down, works in extreme temperatures, functions underwater, and has a shelf life of over 100 years. That’s not marketing hype, that’s actual tested performance. These pens literally went to space and performed flawlessly in zero gravity.

What I really appreciate about the Measure Twice is how it represents a shift in how we think about everyday carry items. We’re constantly looking for ways to simplify what we carry, to have fewer, better things that do more. This pen nails that philosophy. It’s a precision writing instrument, a measuring tool, and an emergency device all in one sleek package that’s just over 5.5 inches long.

Fisher Space Pen took an icon and made it more relevant for 2026. The Measure Twice isn’t trying to replace your smartphone or be something it’s not. It’s just a really, really well-designed pen that happens to do a few extra things exceptionally well. And in a world of increasingly disposable products, there’s something genuinely appealing about a tool that’s built to last decades and actually earns its place in your pocket.

The post The Pen That Went to the Moon Just Got a Tactical Upgrade first appeared on Yanko Design.

This Silicone Pen Has No Seams, No Clip, and Twists Like Konjac

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Most pens announce themselves with metal clips, visible joints, clickers, and branding competing for attention. There’s usually a textured grip zone, a separate barrel, and some kind of mechanism you can see or feel when you deploy the tip. Japanese minimalist objects go the opposite direction, hiding complexity under calm surfaces and letting the act of using them take center stage rather than the object itself announcing its presence.

Twist is a ballpoint pen designed by UO for KACO that hides its mechanism inside a single sleeve of soft silicone. Instead of a separate grip, clip, and twist ring, the body is one continuous mass you hold like chalk. When you twist to extend the tip, the silicone flexes and follows the motion, so the whole form breathes rather than simply exposing a joint or clicking a part.

Designer: Yu Matsuda (UO)

Conventional pens assign jobs to different components, a non-slip clip, a shaped knob for twisting, a hard plastic barrel for structure. Twist folds all of that into the silicone itself, so material, components, and function dissolve into one volume. There is no obvious boundary between grip and body, in line with Japanese minimalism’s habit of hiding seams and making objects feel like they came from a single mold.

The interaction feels quieter than expected. You twist the body and the silicone gives slightly as the inner core rotates, a motion the designers compare to twisting konjac. There is no sharp click or exposed threading, just a smooth, resistant turn and then a tip that quietly appears. It turns a mundane action into a tiny tactile moment without shouting about mechanics or exposing any hardware underneath the skin.

The design team aimed for the directness of holding chalk, where there are no moving parts, only your hand and the line. With Twist, the uniform silicone surface means your fingers do not travel over seams or texture changes, so your brain pays less attention to the object and more to the writing. It becomes the kind of pen you forget you are holding until you notice how unintrusive it has been all afternoon.

Under the silicone is a real mechanism engineered by KACO, a twist-to-extend core driving a 0.5mm gel refill that writes smoothly. The lack of a clip makes it feel more like a desk pen than a pocket tool, but the soft body and light weight mean it slides into bags without catching on anything or scratching objects nearby, which matters when you keep three pens loose in a pouch.

Twist treats minimalism as a reduction of visual and tactile noise, not just an aesthetic of thin lines. It takes a familiar object and strips away every cue that says “mechanism here,” leaving a single silicone stick that quietly transforms when twisted. Most stationery leans on knurls, clips, and cutouts to feel engineered, so that kind of restraint feels surprisingly fresh, like getting a pen that understands the difference between presence and performance.

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This Ultimate Magnetic Pen attaches to the side of any notebook like the Apple Pencil on an iPad

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If you love the idea of your Apple Pencil magnetically attaching to the side of your iPad, this ‘Inseparable Notebook Pen’ brings a similar concept to your analog diary or notepad. With a clever clip-on base and a magnetic pen, this piece of stationery ensures you’re never left searching for a pen. The magnetic interaction ensures the pen’s always attached to the side of your notebook, available at a moment’s notice whenever you need to sketch a concept, make a doodle, jot down an idea, or take notes during a meeting.

Designer: Yusuke Nagao

Click Here to Buy Now: $17

Inspired by Simplicity, Crafted for Perfection

Always Ready, Wherever Inspiration Strikes

The Inseparable Notebook Pen, as its name suggests, pairs your pen with your notebook to ensure they’re always together like the happy couple they are. The pen comes with a three-part design, featuring a plastic protector, a metal clip, and the ballpoint pen itself. The device works practically on any notebook, whether soft or hard-bound, giving you a convenient way to store your pen when not in use. However, just like the Apple Pencil sits diligently on the side of y23-our iPad, this pen waits patiently on the side of your notebook, diary, or pad too, waiting to be grabbed and used.

Effortless Writing, Anywhere You Go

To pair your book and pen, first start by placing the plastic protector on the edge of your book’s back cover. This ensures that the metal clip doesn’t accidentally damage your book (it would be a shame if your Moleskine had marks on them, no?) Once the plastic protector’s in place, fix the minimalist metal clip onto the back cover, ensuring it’s gripping your book cover securely. You can now ‘dock’ your pen onto the notebook of your choice. Once the notebook’s over, simply shift the protector and clip onto another notebook and you’re ready to go all over again!

A Daily Companion That Enhances Your Life

The Inseparable Notebook Pen is an adorably minimal piece of stationery that does something so simple, you’ll wonder why nobody’s ever thought of this before. We’re so used to placing pens in pockets or in stationery kits, it’s strange how nobody thought of putting it in the one place it NEEDS to be… your notebook! The pen sits flush against the side of your book, with a magnet that’s just strong enough to ensure that accidental bumps don’t dislodge the pen while in transit. A fabric pull-tag on top allows you to un-dock the pen when you need to write, and the clip’s satisfying magnetic action lets you snap the pen back when you’re done writing… or even if you just feel like fidgeting for a bit!

Click Here to Buy Now: $17

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Stilform combined the Ballpoint and Fountain Pen and it’s the most minimal writing instrument I’ve seen

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After winning 13 design awards, stilform still has a few tricks up its sleeve. Its latest iteration on the ballpoint pen might just be its most audacious one yet. With a magnetic cap that pushes the pen’s refill inside its body, the stilform FLOW is part writing instrument, part magnetic fidget toy, and a complete marvel of design and engineering. Redefining the meaning of minimalism, the FLOW comes with an all-metal design that conceals the writing tip in an unexpected way. A small cap on the top lets you deploy the nib, which pops upward as you lift the cap out, thanks to magnets. The cap then docks in the back of the pen, satisfyingly snapping in. Most critics would call this a fair amount of over-engineering, but they’re the same people who now laud the zero-gravity gel pen as a marvel of engineering. What the stilform FLOW does is art bordering on magic – the interaction feels gorgeous, and is sure to elicit a few wows from people around you… but more importantly, it’s a pen your eyes and hands will never tire of. Disposable pens may come and go, but the stilform FLOW is something you’ll keep for life.

Designers: Christoph Bohrer, Martin Wagner and Yang Han

Click Here to Buy Now: $68 $107 (36% off). Hurry, only 95/500 left! Raised over $100,000.

Revolutionize your writing with stilform FLOW’s unique magnetic mechanism! The retractable tip ensures your ink stays fresh, while the magnetic cap makes every opening and closing a delightful experience.

Designed to be as convenient and smooth as a ballpoint pen, but with the luxurious ink of a fountain pen, the stilform FLOW promises a unique writing experience that you clearly won’t get with other pens. It relies on an ink refill that sits inside the FLOW’s specially crafted body. Outwardly, the FLOW looks like a smooth steel rod with a stepped cap on one end. Pull the cap out and it lifts the pen’s writing tip with it using magnets. Detach the cap and tuck it into the FLOW’s back and you’ve got yourself a gorgeously minimal pen for writing, doodling, sketching, or even signing. Once you’re done, the cap pops off the back and attaches onto the writing tip thanks to a magnetic interaction. Press the cap in and the tip also retracts inwards, returning the FLOW to its ultra-minimalist form.

The FLOW’s design encapsulates ‘less is more’ beautifully. It’s complex, but doesn’t look like it, and refines a design that stilform has been pioneering for years. The FLOW’s super-sleek design features an all-metal body, made from either aluminum, brass, or titanium (depending on the variant you choose), with a cylindrical profile and two flat edges that prevent the pen from accidentally rolling off surfaces – a feature that’s become a signature detail in stilform’s pens. The cap sits on one end of the pen, concealing the writing tip underneath it while keeping the ink from drying or leaking – this detail, as minimal as it is, is what makes the FLOW a perfect hybrid between a ballpoint and a fountain pen. Gently lift the cap out, and you’ll feel the nib inside the FLOW’s body moving along with it. The cap and nib have a strong magnetic connection that allows this, while also giving the FLOW a unique fidget interaction that your hands will definitely have a lot of fun with.

There is a sustainable angle to the FLOW too – for stilform, the idea of a pen that lasts for centuries is an incredibly powerful one. Disposable pens are for disposable ideas – a great mindset is empowered by a great writing instrument. While the FLOW itself is made to be a pen worth cherishing, stilform also ensured the FLOW was machined from recycled aluminum, further helping reduce its carbon footprint. “Recycling aluminum prevents about 100 million tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year,” says the company. 96% of the FLOW’s aluminum body is made using recycled metal, and is designed to be further recycled when it does eventually reach its end of life. That eventuality shouldn’t come for decades, given the fact that you can easily replace refills to keep your FLOW flowing for years.

The stilform FLOW’s aluminum model has the benefit of offering anodized color finishes, letting you go beyond the simple silver-colored writing instrument. There’s a brass version of the pen too, which will patina with time to look beautifully vintage while still retaining its immaculate writing abilities. For people who believe in the best, the FLOW also comes in a titanium variant, in a matte finish as well as a DLC-coated black finish. The pen perfectly adorns tabletops and can fit into pockets too, but if you prefer something extra, stilform makes leather pouches, wooden trays, and metal vertical docking stations for the FLOW too.

Click Here to Buy Now: $68 $107 (36% off). Hurry, only 95/500 left! Raised over $100,000.

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Pen blooms when pressed as you write down your dreams

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While I’m basically a digital person, I turn analog when it comes to my journaling habit. This means I have a lot of tools like notebooks, stickers, washi tapes, and other ephemera to help me journal. But probably my most important “weapons” are my pens. As someone who likes colorful things, I collect different colored (both ink and the pen’s actual color) pens that I can use when I write in my various journals. So whenever I see a new kind of pen, whether it’s the design or the features, I pay attention.

Designer: Seung-Wan Nam

This concept for a pen called Bloomstick is based on the idea that writing down your dreams is an important part in making them come true. So the pen can metaphorically help your dreams to “bloom like flowers” when you write them down on paper using it. The tagline of the product is “click to bloom your dream”. It is basically a pen with a silicone-covered button that when you press it opens to a flower-like shape and turns it into a blooming instrument.

The product renders show different colors available for the pens like green, blue, and pink. The flower part of the pen is white while the “bud” part seems to be of a different color that matches the main, silicone part of the pen. When closed, it looks like just any ordinary pen and you’ll still be able to use it of course but it’s without its blooming design. There doesn’t seem to be any other function that it can do aside from write and look pretty.

As someone who collects pens and who likes flowery, pretty things, this is something I’d probably buy if I see it in a stationery store. Now if it can actually make my handwriting look nicer or make my dreams come true, I’d order it as soon as it hits the market.

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