The fountain pen, as we know it, with its own ink supply, was invented in the 1890s and within a decade went into mass production, mainly in the USA.  Early examples were made of hard rubber, invariably black - colorful plastic designs were not developed until the mid 1920s.

Hard rubber was an ideal material for pen manufacturers because it was durable and could be machined easily, but designers wanted to create more than a uniform black writing instrument....

The largest pen manufacturers of the time - Parker, Waterman and Conklin - commissioned New Jersey jeweler George W Heath, of Newark, to make precious metal overlays for their fountain pens and both Parker and Waterman adopted the Snake Pattern for their ranges, Parker to a much greater extent.

By 1907, George Heath was selling his own overlaid pens, including his own Snake Pattern design.

Today, fountain pen collectors the world over dream of finding an original Snake Pattern pen and all the allure of the originals is captured in this new limited edition issue.....

The development of Henry's snake pen has involved as much care and craftsmanship as those that first caught the eye and imagination of pen enthusiasts 100 years ago

His search for the very best materials for both pen and box extended way beyond London

Henry's snake pen is crafted from polished black hard rubber by a small manufacturer near the famous motor racing town of Le Mans in France and the nib from flexible two-tone 18ct gold by craftsman in Germany.  The pen fills with the most reliable of filling systems - the button filler.

The 18k yellow gold edition is also available but limited to only 50 pieces.

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