Yard O Led Mayflower Ballpoint

The Mayflower rose is found in many an English country garden. It grew in the garden of James Watt’s country house around which the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham was established from 1780, and into which the Yard O Led workshop has recently moved. James Watt is the inventor of the steam engine and seen as the father of the Industrial Revolution. These historic premises are the very centre of the Jewellery Quarter and now the home of the Yard O Led brand. Also the name of the famed British ship that sailed the first pilgrims across the Atlantic, ‘The Mayflower’ nods to Yard O Led’s increased foreign export, today selling into over twenty territories worldwide.

The floral design is a delicate interpretation of the brand’s 19th century hand chasing technique. Designed and chased by the youngest of our silversmiths, Jessica, the pen and pencil are a fresh and modern take on Yard O Led’s revered style. The flowers are English roses which, with their buds and leaves, curl around the silver barrels in a style reminiscent of an English country dance.

Each pen is marked with several hallmarks, to identify the silver content and the maker.

Yard O Led writing instruments are all manufactured from premium 925 Sterling silver, hand-chased with traditional Victorian designs. Each prestigious item is engraved with a unique number and stamped with a hallmark from a British assay office, guaranteeing the quality of the silver and identifying Britain as the location of manufacture. Every pen and pencil is fitted with an attractive and recognisable clips, crafted from sheet silver. A personal engraving is available on request.

Yard O Led is one of the world's leading manufacturers of fine writing instruments, as well as one of the most historic craft workshops in Britain, with a history of over 200 years. Over the years, the Yard O Led portfolio expanded from pencils to pens, becoming masters of both. Today in the Birmingham workshop, a small number of dedicated craftsmen assemble and decorate every one of Yard O Led's exquisite writing instruments by hand. Some of these masters have been with the company for over fifty years, and each brings their own distinctive style their work, making no pen or pencil exactly like any other.

Yard O Led has perfected traditional engraving methods, including engine-turning and hand-hammering, that have long been lost to many parts of the metalworking industry. These time-honoured techniques are used to create pens featuring their famous "Barley" and "Victorian" finishes on the exterior of the barrel. The former is a fine mesh pattern that is not just aesthetically pleasing - it also provides a flawless grip. The Victorian finish, meanwhile, comprises a delicate and sophisticated floral motif, faithful to the fashions of that bygone era.