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
$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.
$107 (36% off). Hurry, only 95/500 left! Raised over $100,000.
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