CHAIR OF WARRANTS COMMITTEE VISITS WARRANT HOLDERS CONWAY STEWART.
26 NOVEMBER 2025
“Is your business aim to manufacture precision writing instruments or works of art”? Asked Chair of Warrants Panel, John Livingston when he visited Prestige Pen manufacturer; Conway Stewart.
Managing Director Alastair Adams had just opened a case of some of their most innovative designs. “We held several meetings with groups of Rolls Royce engineers before they signed off on production of their beautiful bespoke pens” said Alastair. The issue was the RR logo at the end of the cap: It had to mirror the Rolls Royce wheel centre caps, which maintain the logo in an upright position. Alastair proudly rotated the lid, demonstrating the bearings in the cap ensured the RR logo stayed upright.
Next he pulled out a stunning solid gold pen made to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s jubilee. Then a pen specially made for Michael Kane’s appearance in Kingsman: The Secret Service. Then a pen with a silver clip which mirrors the outline of a Rolls Royce. Next a striking green and black marbled pen, inspired by Nobel Prize winner Seamus Heaney. The box includes Heaney’s poem to the Conway Stewart pen his parents gave him.
There was a sense of reverence when Alastair opened a presentation box containing a magnificent fountain pen, book on Churchill and a beautifully produced facsimile of a hand written letter to Winston’s wife Clementine. The letter was complete with pug cartoon drawn by Winston which also appears at the end of the pen cap.
For pen buffs, entering Conway Stewart’s Emsworth manufacturing facilities is like winning a golden ticket to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. Everywhere was busy with polishing, engraving, assembling, testing before carefully placing the pen in gift box.
“I wanted to visit Alastair Adams and his team, to meet the people who manufactured the silver pen Queen Camilla used to sign her oath in the book at Stationers’ Hall” said Warrants Panel chair John Livingston. The prestigious Stationers’ Company Warrant was established as a mark of recognition to highlight excellence within our industries.
Conway Stewart’s history is intertwined with the Stationers’ Company. They began manufacturing pens in 1905 at 13 Paternoster Row, next to St Paul’s Cathedral and must be one of the last companies to have manufactured in the area where the Stationers who formed the company in 1403 worked.
Director Peter Robinson works closely with suppliers and subcontractors. “Almost everything that goes into one of our writing instruments is made in the UK”. Silver and gold from craftsmen in Birmingham and ink from Liverpool. The exception is high density acrylic from Italy, which produces the beautifully marbled barrels. “We use specialist subcontractors for some manufacturing but ensure they are local so we can meet and discuss special commissions” said industry veteran Peter. All the finishing, assembly and most importantly testing is conducted in house to ensure quality is maintained. Beauty and craftsmanship are important but workshop director Peter Robinson knows that reliability is paramount.
The directors were keen to demonstrate their British built N-Lase laser engraver. This allows for exceptionally high quality engraving. One special edition Churchill pen has the whole of his VE day speech engraved on the pen as well as the speech by King George VI.
Nibs for fountain pens are either 18 or 14 carrot gold. “Traditionally solid gold was used on quality pens because inks were corrosive and steel nibs had problems”, said MD Alastair Adams. “Modern inks are much less of a problem but we like to keep the tradition going”.
Are Conway Stewart manufactures precision writing instruments or works of art? In the opinion of the chair of the Warrants Panel they emphatically achieve both. Applications for a Stationers' Warrant close 28th November.