Desk set – hard to lose, easy to love

Exquisite form with exquisite function

The bank pen, the reception pen, the desk pen – or simply the Ballograf. The expression “a rose by any other name” is really appropriate for Ballograf Desk Set. This design classic has gone from being a typical feature in banks and post offices to its present rediscovery by new generations – it’s still handy to have a pen that you always know where to find.

From the bank to the design store
This pen with its characteristic ball chain and stand came onto the market in 1961. The idea behind the product then was for banks and post offices not to lose so many pens. Today, this beloved classic has joined the pantheon of design and is sold in design stores all over the world. You can even find it in MoMA – the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Part of our Swedish history

Just like Epoca, Desk Set has a natural place in Swedish corporate history. In the past, medium-blue Epoca pens labelled “Government Property” or black Desk Set variants in banks were commonplace in modern Sweden. Incidentally, “Government Property” used to be printed on all pens that were supplied to the state and municipality. And the deliveries continue to this day, albeit without the labelling.

A really good pen in several different models
All Ballograf pens are manufactured in Sweden, at our factory in Filipstad. Desk Set is still assembled by hand, a seven-step process that ensures the pen’s high quality. Desk Set is currently available in several different colours and designs, including designs by Stig Lindberg. A wonderful meeting between two of Swedish design’s best-loved classics.

Loaded with 8,000 metres of unique ink

But the inside also counts. Ballograf’s ink is tailored to our Swedish climate and must cope with both warm and freezing temperatures. We are basically the only ones of our kind when it comes to the light-resistant ink in our pens. The ink actually has the very strict Svenskt Arkiv certification, which is required for use in municipalities and county councils, for example. The ink in the pen also lasts for 8,000 metres, which only we can offer. That’s nine times longer than the average pen and approximately twice as long as our nearest competitor.