The hitherto unseen project by Achille Castiglioni and Gianfranco Cavaglià: CENTO3 pens and pencils produced by EGO.M
One of Achille Castiglioni’s last projects, with Gianfranco Cavaglià, in 2001, was a set of pencils and pens, which was rediscovered several years later by Giovanna and Carlo Castiglioni. The prototypes of this project were hidden for several years behind a large corner mirror in the studio, now the Fondazione Castiglioni. Made by cabinetmaker Pierluigi Ghianda, these wooden prototypes reproduced the three-lobed arch form devised by Castiglioni and Cavaglià, which has the peculiarity of not rolling on the table.
Discover cabinetmaking by Bottega Ghianda
After several years in a drawer, in 2020, EGO.M, an Italian design studio, decided to engineer some of the products in the series for production and sale. EGO.M selected only three of the wooden prototypes: a mechanical pencil, a multifunctional art pencil, and a pocket fountain pen. The mechanical pencil represents technical drawing, while the multifunctional artistic pencil is practical, handy and suitable for many uses; the fountain pen is in a pocket version to be more contemporary and closer to the younger generations.
Discover Ogami stone paper notebooks
Pens and pencils with a contemporary design
The CENTO3 pen and pencil set by EGO.M relies on innovative production techniques and materials. In fact, they are made with 3D Fused Deposition Modeling, a versatile printing technique that is particularly well-suited to reproducing that shape. In addition to being simpler, the 3D printing process allows the printer to use only the necessary material, for waste-free production.
The material is also innovative and particularly suited to the product. The pencils and pen are made of graphene, a choice that favors a natural and eco-friendly material and at the same time emphasizes its soul as a design project, using the same material for both the function and the body of the object.
Graphene is a natural material, consisting of a monoatomic layer of carbon, while graphite is formed by layers of carbon; in recent years, its uses are multiplying thanks to new studies that make it more and more convenient and easily disposable. Moreover, graphene is lightweight and extremely durable.
Discover Ogami stone paper notebooks
Graphene and 3D printing make it possible to have very light pencils and pens, with a soft surface and a knurled grip that makes them more comfortable to use. Each piece is unique, which lends them handcrafted characteristics despite being industrially made.
