Writing is Still More Elegant Than Texting!!

A decade ago many industry analyst forecast an early death to the pen manufacturing industry. Soon computers and handheld devices would turn hand writing into history. And no hand writing meant no need for pens and other writing instruments! But just as gloves and hats have not disappear from the world of elegance pens are inextricably tied to taste and refinement. All notes expressing feelings or convening thoughts, dreams and desires give handwriting and, as a result, pens a life of their own.

Pens also continue to be the favorite gift by corporations as well as the best mementos for exclusive gatherings as the Allen and Co Sun Valley, Idaho retreat for the entertainment industry moguls every summer. Pens and other writing tools generated revenue of $16.2 billion worldwide in 2014 and are expected to reach $20.2 billion by 2019, according to industry reports.

Demand for basic writing instruments continues to grow at healthy rates of 6% per annum in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East due to the budding population and literacy levels, while in the United States and Europe the demand for luxury pens is higher as they reign supreme as gift items and are perceived as fashion accessories, like high-priced watches. Retail sales of pens in the United States in 2015 were up 5% in dollars and 4% in the number of units sold.

Technavios the premier industry analyst predicts the writing and marking instruments market to grow at a CAGR of around 5% between 2015 and 2019. The rising use of luxury writing instruments as a status symbol is the key driver for the growth of this market. During 2014, the market for luxury writing instruments grew by around 6% in South Korea.

This growth was largely due to the rising interest in traditional writing instruments such as the luxury fountain pens. Top sellers among these pens are Tiffany’s T-clip; Montblanc Classique; Monteverde Invincia; Cross Townsend; Waterman Hemisphere; Bentley; Caran D’ ache and Parker. Prices range from US $ 200 to US 5,000 when they are made of solid gold or platinum.

And even at the dawn of the Era of Semantic Networks when image seems to have taken over writing aesthetical knowledge creation needs written expression as communication channel given that it «offers the human intellect the means whereby civilization may be carried triumphantly forward.» As Sir Winston Churchill brilliantly put it.