Allegory Handcrafted Goods "The Dynamo"

The Dynamo is not your standard fountain pen. For one, it’s composed almost entirely of oak and kauri wood that’s been preserved beneath peat bogs for the past several thousand years. And thanks to the bulbous shape of the barrel and cap, the Dynamo takes on an hourglass shape when the pen is capped or posted. The bottom of the barrel is threaded for posting purposes, and the cap is equipped with a pocket clip. Fitted with a medium gold-plated stainless steel nib, made in Germany by JoWo, it accepts short international ink cartridges or standard international piston converters.

Harking back thousands of years, the pen’s alternating bands of wood tell unique stories. Found in northern New Zealand, ancient kauri wood comes from 2,000-year-old trees that were felled some 50,000 years ago and have since been preserved by peat bogs. This wood is typically found beneath farmland, which is ethically excavated and turned back to its natural state after the wood is harvested. Bog oak dates back even further. Found mostly in England and Ireland, it comes from oak forests that sank as water levels rose near the end of the last ice age. Due to its age, bog oak now exhibits a deep black color and rich brown grain.

Founded with the idea that the objects in our lives should possess a sense of place, Allegory Handcrafted Goods utilizes smart-sourced, sustainable materials to produce its unique wares. This Chicago-based company—which began as a Kickstarter—comprises a small team of designers, artists, and craftsmen, and with each pen sold they’ll make a tree-planting donation to the National Forest Foundation.