French-Made Pens

If you prefer stylish, quality writing instruments, you may enjoy French-made pens. French fountain pens often include unique or modern designs that help them stand out compared to other options.

French Pen Brands

France is home to the oldest pen brand in the world. J Herbin was founded in the 17th century and continues to produce high-quality inks. Other popular brands, such as ST Dupont and Waterman, were founded over 100 years ago. France has also seen many newer designers enter the market with unique and innovative designs.

Keep reading to learn more about the top French pen brands and stationery companies.

Cartier

Cartier is a recognizable jewelry brand with over 175 years of experience. While many people are familiar with Cartier watches and jewelry, the company also produces some of the finest fountain pens available.

Louis-François Cartier founded Cartier in 1847 in Paris, France, and his son and grandsons would go on to expand the company globally. The company started releasing fountain pens in the 1970s. Whether you are a dedicated collector or buying your first fountain pen, Cartier has an option to suit your needs.

As with the company’s other products, Cartier pens are luxurious products with elegant designs. You can also find Cartier fountain pens in a variety of finishes, including solid gold, lacquered, hardstone, mother-of-pearl, and leather encasings.

Clairefontaine

Clairefontaine is a stationery company that produces a wide range of notebooks and other paper products. The company was founded in 1858 and started manufacturing notebooks in 1890.

Clairefontaine is named after the town where the founder started the company. Jean-Baptiste Bichelberger launched his paper mill in the town of Étival-Clairefontaine.

People enjoy writing on Clairefontaine paper due to its exceptional texture and quality. The paper is a brilliant white color and has an ultra-smooth finish, making it a perfect choice for writing or drawing with a fountain pen.

Clairefontaine produces over 165,000 tons of paper each year. The products are used in Clairefontaine notebooks and stationery produced by many other companies around the world.

Davidoff

Davidoff is a Swiss brand that was founded in Geneva after World War II. The company exclusively sold cigars for several decades. However, in 1980, the Davidoff company formed the Zino Davidoff Group, and the newly formed corporation released a variety of non-tobacco products, including watches, cognac, and pens.

Davidoff now has a large variety of fountain pens, ballpoint pens, and rollerball pens. Most Davidoff pens feature metal components along with elegant designs. A common feature of Davidoff pens is a sleek, minimalist design.

The Davidoff Velero is one of the company’s most popular designs. It is also a relatively cost-effective way to discover the joy of using a Davidoff pen.

Herbin Inks

Herbin Inks has the distinction of being the oldest ink company still operating. The company was established in 1670 in Paris, France, by a French sailor named Jacques Herbin who founded the company to produce wax and later added ink and fine stationery products.

The dye-based Herbin Inks remain a popular choice for fountain pen users of all experience levels. Herbin produces its standard inks in over 35 colors. Along with inks, the company also manufactures a variety of related products, including fountain pens.

Many J Herbin pens are affordable, entry-level models intended for those just getting into the world of fountain pens. These pens also tend to feature a minimalist, modern design that is common in French-made pens.

Rhodia

The Verilhac brothers launched a paper company in 1932 that would eventually become the Rhodia company. The paper company specialized in stationery products but soon focused on notebooks due to the success of an early product.

The Rhodia notebooks are considered among the best paper products for writing with a fountain pen due to their smooth, ultra-white surfaces.

In 1997, Clairefontaine, another major stationery company in France, acquired Rhodia. However, Clairefontaine kept the Rhodia brand. The company continues to produce products under the Rhodia brand name using the same techniques that helped make these notebooks so popular since their inception.

S.T. Dupont

Simon Tissot-Dupont founded a carriage company in 1872. The company would eventually bear his name and expand its product line to include a wide range of luxury goods. Popular products included lighters, handbags, and pens.

A Hong Kong retailer, Dickson Concepts, purchased the majority of S.T. Dupont in 1987. Other subsidiaries include Bertolucci SA and Harvey Nichols.

Dickson Concepts has continued to release pens under the S.T. Dupont brand. These luxury fountain pens are made by expert craftsmen with many decades of experience applying lacquering techniques.

Waterman

Frank Holland launched a pen company in the early 1880s and hired an insurance salesman named Lewis Waterman to help sell his products. Holland abandoned the company after just a few weeks, and Waterman took over the company and led it to success.

The Waterman pen company developed several innovative features in the first half of the 20th century, including a system that prevented the overflow of ink and a permanently attached pen clip. The company also expanded into other countries, including France.

After World War II, the American branch of Waterman was struggling and eventually shut down operations. The French subsidiary absorbed the parent company in 1954, continuing to use the Waterman brand name.

Yookers

Yookers is a design studio based in France and Hong Kong that produces a variety of felt tip pens and roller pens. The company also sells ink and cartridges.

Yookers felt tip pens stand out for coming with replaceable ink cartridges. You can also use a converter for bottled inks to refill with the ink of your choice. The pens are affordable and great for all types of writing, drawing, art, and calligraphy. You can also choose between resin and aluminum pen bodies with embossed or smooth finishes.

Conclusion

French pen brands offer a high level of sophistication and quality. Most French-made pens are luxurious writing instruments that feature elegant designs and durable construction that can stand the test of time.

Browse Truphae’s inventory of French-made pens to start comparing pens.

French Pen Brands

We are thrilled to provide you with these French made pen brands.

• Cartier
• Clairefontaine
• Davidoff
• Herbin Inks
• Rhodia
• S.T. Dupont
• Waterman
• Yookers