The Best German Fountain Pen Brands

When you think of Germany, top quality engineering and manufacturing is probably one of the first things that comes to mind. And that seems to mostly be fairly accurate. And you might think of really good sausages. Which is totally inaccurate, German sausages are the Wurst.

Sorry.

We’re a pen shop, we should be talking about pens. And, fortunately, that top quality engineering leads to some really good pens.

You’ve probably heard of Montblanc. Yes, they’re mainly seen as a luxury goods manufacturer now, but their reputation for making some of the best pens in the world is justified. It’s where they started, gaining that reputation by making top quality, luxurious pens, only expanding their range to include other luxury goods later. Montblanc is Swiss-owned now, but their pens are all still made in Germany.

And Pelikan - also known for making some of the world’s best fountain pens, in the form of their Souverän range. Outside Germany, that’s the main thing they’re known for, but in Germany, generations of school kids have grown up using Pelikan pens and art materials in school.

Then there’s Kaweco. A historic German brand, resurrected by Michael Gutberlet, just because he loved pens, and especially loved Kaweco. The other side of his business makes cosmetics, and working closely with cosmetic companies has given them insights into fashion and colour trends, keeping their pens modern and stylish. But an enthusiasm for the history, and that German tradition of quality manufacturing keeps them well away from fast fashion.

The other brand likely to be one of the first to mind when you think of Germany is, of course, Faber-Castell, along with their luxury brand Graf von Faber-Castell. Many generations of family ownership have kept them rooted firmly in their history, maintaining their tradition of quality. Much like Pelikan, they make a huge range of school products and art supplies, along with a range of top quality luxury pens and pencils.

Faber-Castell now also owns Otto Hutt, a relatively unknown German manufacturer with a long history of making some of the finest luxury pens for other brands. They now produce pens under their own name, using their experience of working with the highest quality materials, especially sterling silver.

And we can't miss out Lamy, can we? Most famous for the Safari, Lamy makes quite a wide range of top-quality fountain pens, all with very 'designer' styling. They are technically Japanese-owned now, but still run very separately in Germany.

Somewhat less well-known outside Germany, Diplomat has an interesting combination of luxury and innovation, with some real ‘designer’ styling. We love the Aero range, with their zeppelin-inspired shape. Their more traditionally-styled pens are lovely quality, too, and are very much worth checking out if you want a German pen that’s a bit different, but still beautifully well made.