People like tangible things: books, magazines and smart-looking stationery. It’s a feeling Giles English knows well.
Co-founder of watch brand Bremont with brother Nick, both now co-custodians of historic writing instrument maker Yard-O-Led, English has always loved paper, pens, diaries and books – even more so in today’s digital culture. ‘Nowadays, people are writing far less,’ he says. ‘But when they do, they want to write with something lovely that lasts forever.’
Founded 200 years ago in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter by Ludwig Brenner, Yard-O-Led takes its name from Brenner’s pioneering propelling pencil, which held 12 three-inch leads: a yard of lead. Each of its handcrafted silver writing instruments are made by a small team of master craftspeople using Victorian techniques; if you know what you’re looking for, you can tell which craftsperson made which instrument by the shape of the patterns – a living continuation of the brand’s heritage.
English is no stranger to British craft. With Bremont, he helped put British watchmaking back on the map, and he now sees British penmaking at a similar turning point – and with similar traits to the watch industry. ‘There’s a massive pen-collecting community out there,’ he says. ‘But it’s slightly more under-the-radar compared to the watch market.’
His mission is to ensure Yard-O-Led thrives for the next century, starting with the recent opening of its first store, in London’s Piccadilly Arcade. ‘We’re giving people the opportunity to come and pick up the pens and feel why they’re so special,’ he says. ‘Whether it’s a nice watch or a nice pen, I think having fewer things – that last forever – is the way we should all live.’
Georgie Young is digital editor of Secret Trips
