We gave the designer, Gabriele Schönfelder, just two binding instructions in recreating The Gessner Pencil: to maintain the historical character of the utensil whilst at the same time designing a top quality writing instrument able to cater to the needs of even professional users.

For the sake of authenticity it was necessary to search for craftsmen that would be able to turn our ideas and quality requirements into reality. We found them in Germany's Erz mountains: dedicated and gifted wood turners, carpenters and bag-makers that are determined to keep their craft tradition alive.

The only compromise we made concerns the lead - this is to be seen as a sign of The Gessner Pencil's practical side - where we chose to use industrially manufactured high quality products. In any case, the technique of creating leads by burning a mixture of clay and graphite was not developed until towards the end of the 18th century.

Wood is only of optimal quality when felled in winter, when trees don't grow. They go into a kind of hibernation and lose most of their sap . The wood dries and no longer stretches , which are essential requirements to ensure that the lead will fit perfectly and remain in place .

For The Gessner Pencil we use Cherry, Maple and, as a mark of respect to Conrad Gessner, Swiss Pear (aka Wild Service). Preservation of environment is of paramount importance to us . All wood originates from local, sustainable forests. Transportation of the wood in winter, when the ground is frozen, does the least damage to paths and vegetation.

The Gessner Pencil lasts a lifetime; only the lead will need occasional replacement. This means it makes sense to pay attention to quality , which is why only selected trunks are brought into the sawmill.

No machine will ever be able to develop such feeling for the material. Even fingers need decades of experience to comprehend the individual characteristics of this living raw material, wood. Anybody who has ever spent any time turning wood can appreciate just how long it takes to turn a rectangular strip of wood into a Gessner Pencil. Even the finishing touches with sand paper demand total concentration - wood simply does not tolerate inattentiveness.

The conical shape of the cartridge cancels out the naturally occurring tolerances and holds the lead firmly in place in the stock. The principle is as simple as it is brilliant, and all the more complicated is the production of this inconspicuous detail - it's a piece of filigree work in wood!

Hand made craft work down to the very last detail ensures that the Gessner Pencil is treated and polished with the natural wood protecting substance, beeswax. The wax used complies with regulation DIN EN 71 (making it suitable for use in children's toys). It is also perfectly safe for grown-up pencil chewers!

In these days of industrial manufacture it is almost an anachronism: craftsman's pride. It can still be found in Germany's Erz Mountains.

We have the box strap and the various leather bags for The Gessner Pencil produced by a traditional bag-maker. His profession is officially listed as a dying trade, but who else can work leather to such a degree of perfection.