Modern Fuel - Austin, TX
When the average person thinks of a pencil, the first objects that come to mind are the likely classic yellow Ticonderoga variety, or perhaps a black-gripped, colored Bic mechanical pencil. These pencils are often used lightly, broken quickly, lost, or disposed of after a short period of time, collecting in numbers inside of junk drawers next to rubber bands and thumbtacks. What’s more, these pencils are often made overseas in China and other countries with lax manufacturing processes and poor employee working conditions.
Modern Fuel Mechanical Pencil in Stainless Steel
With the rise in digital work, most people find themselves writing less and less, and the writing instrument itself is given minimal thought as our lives become more technology-focused.
However, for those who still like to journal, draw, or write letters the analog way, investing in and appointing a high quality writing instrument can help with a consistent writing experience and more mindful engagement with the writing itself, a role that a disposable Bic pencil may not be best suited for.
Modern Fuel in Austin, Texas, views writing instruments with particular intentionality, purpose, and longevity unlike the common devices mentioned above. Machined from single pieces of metal, Modern Fuel pencils blur the line between work of art and writing instrument. Additionally, every pen and pencil Modern Fuel creates comes with a 100-Day Trial and a 100-Year Guarantee, with the aim that the writing instrument itself will outlast its owner. Of all the Made in USA pencils we’ve reviewed at Overbeck, Modern Fuel is undoubtedly the highest quality, investment-grade option out there.
Originally launched via Kickstarter in 2014-2015, Andrew Sanderson, Modern Fuel’s founder and sole proprietor, marketed the pencil as a writing instrument that should last a lifetime. 1,600 backers and over $130,000 later, the first pencil was launched. Since then, Sanderson has produced a click pen and a second version of the pencil with interchangeable lead size mechanisms, both initially sold via Kickstarter.
“Makers of heirloom quality writing tools that allow you to live a more focused and thoughtful life.”
Sanderson entered the Royal Air Force at the age of 16 and began a 12-year career in aircraft maintenance, among other industrial maintenance work. After his departure, he was able to explore his life-long desire to invent, and began designing the Modern Fuel Mechanical pencil based on the concept he’d written down in his pocket notebook full of product ideas.
Presentation - Pencil, alan key for changing lead mechanism, erasers, pocket clip, lead, and an abrasion pad for refinishing scuffs or marks,
Sanderson moved to Austin a few years ago to hone in his skills in Computer-aided Design (CAD) for his continued product development and to offer design consulting services to other companies. Sanderson’s Modern Fuel blog offers thought pieces on how to live a more intentional, thoughtful life, and is a welcome change from the hyper-consumptive noise often seen across the web. His email newsletter includes provoking articles on living well, as well as exclusive offers.
If you’re looking for a writing instrument - yes, one writing instrument - to use for the foreseeable future, maybe even the rest of your life, then look no further at Modern Fuel’s Mechanical Pencil and Pen, available at modernfuel.com. Manufactured in Austin, Texas, a Modern Fuel writing instrument may just be the piece of American manufacturing history you pass on to the next generation.