Handmade in IndiaCopper fountain pens that age with your hand.
Machined from pure copper, brass and titanium, fitted with German Schmidt nibs and finished by hand. Every pen ships free, anywhere in the world.
Shop fountain pensTwenty-two years in copper,
then a pen.
Nandish and Jigna Shah spent more than two decades in the copper trade. Then, while testing the limits of a new machine, Nandish had the idea for a copper pen. STEX, short for their company Star Exim, has made pure copper pens in India ever since.
Copper’s Edit
The metal that ages like it means to.
Three ways
to put ink on paper.
Fountain pens, roller pens and jotters machined from pure copper, brass and titanium in India. Every one ships free, anywhere in the world.
From our letters
Words from the people who write with them.
Notes from collectors and everyday writers, lightly edited.
“I like the patina it already has, and Schmidt nibs always make a smooth, wet writing experience. The pen is well balanced and the grip has a very comfortable, non-slippery diameter. The pen is great for longer writing sessions. Copper is just a lovely material.”
“I love this Stex pen, with its titanium cap and barrel and copper accents. I bought it at the 2024 DC Pen Show, where Nandish and his family are just about the friendliest people in the room. Bonus points for the tiny machine screws that fix the clip — it’s all in the details.”
“Their material and finish are par excellence, and the writing experience is up there with the best in the world. More than using the pen, I hold it and admire it.”
“As a collector, I can say STEX pens are unparalleled in quality and design. Writing with one is an experience.”
Special Editions
Painted, gilded, never repeated.
Exclusive Editions for Ganesha, Hanuman, Krishna, Venkateshwar and the Arihant, each a single piece: 01/01 in the world. Limited Editions in small numbered runs: a gold Mughal octagon, a copper desk set modelled on Jaisalmer’s cannons.
Your design, made once
Have a pen in mind?
A deity, a family crest, a city, a story you want to keep: if you can picture the pen, our workshop can make it. Describe your idea and we’ll write back with what’s possible, how it would be made and what it would cost. Every design made this way becomes an Exclusive Edition, 01/01 in the world.
Where are STEX pens made?
Every STEX pen is machined from solid metal and finished by hand at the STEX workshop in India. STEX is run by Nandish and Jigna Shah, who spent more than twenty years in the copper trade before making their first pen.
Which nib do STEX fountain pens use?
Every STEX fountain pen is fitted with a German Schmidt steel nib, Medium as standard, with Fine and Bold also available. Most models take a Schmidt converter; the pocket-size 100C takes a Kaweco converter. Each pen's specifications list its nib and converter.
Why does a copper pen change colour?
Copper reacts with air and the natural oils on your skin, forming a thin protective layer of copper oxide called patina. A copper pen goes from bright rose to satin brown within weeks and to a deep chocolate within about a year, darkest where you hold it.
Do you ship worldwide?
Yes. Every STEX order ships free with tracking from our workshop in India to anywhere in the world. Import duties, if any, are set by the destination country.
Which currency will I pay in?
It depends on where you are. Visitors in India see prices and pay in Indian rupees (INR); visitors from every other country see prices and pay in US dollars (USD). The currency is set automatically from your location.
Correspondence
Letters, now and then.
New pens and limited editions, the day they leave the workshop. No more than once a month.
