The Faber-Castell 2007 Pen of the Year is a truly "collectible" fountain pen. Produced by Faber-Castell (est 1761) this remarkable fountain pen is part of the Faber-Castell Pen of the Year Series which began in 2003. The previous Pens of the Year have been produced by the worlds leading craftsmen and their particular disciplines. The previous highly sought after collections have been crafted using - 2003 Snakewood, 2004 Amber, 2005 Galuchat (Stingray Leather) and 2006 Mammoth Ivory. In 2007 Faber-Castell have again released another pen in the Pen of the Year series, this year manufactured using petrified wood. In the course of nature after volcanic eruptions the vegitation is burried under a hail of hot ashes where a unique metamorphosis takes place in the wood. In the course of crystallization process that can take up to 360 million years various minerals and salts penetrate and gradually replace the wood however some of the natural qualities remain! The petrified wood can develop into the preliminary stage of semi precious stones. The Pen of the Year 2007 shows the asthetic qualities of this gemstone in a truly unique way. Due to the natural features in the petrified wood every piece varies from the next in its appearance. The pen, as per previous years, is manufactured with a solid 18ct gold nib which is run in by hand. Each piece is painstakingly produced by a master craftsman in his field and is numbered accordingly. The Faber-Castell Pen of the Year will be available at The Pen Place in April 2007. ENQUIRE NOW ABOUT PRE ORDERING AS THERE ARE VERY LIMITED QUANTITIES PRODUCED.