You may remember that I’ve been looking for a good Wyvern. I thought the Big Ben might be the pen I wanted and it is quite impressive, measuring 13.5cm capped and with considerable girth. It’s a squeeze filler, like Parker’s Aerometric but without the breather tube. It’s a soundly made pen.

The difficulty that arose – and it’s a deal-breaker – is the size of the gold-plated steel nib. It’s big enough to dig the garden with! Its length makes it awkward for me to write, forcing my wrist to an angle that would become painful over time. I’ve tried gripping it further forward but that feels unnatural to me and it doesn’t really help, so I’ll be selling the Big Ben.

That meant that I was still looking for a Wyvern. Then Rob contacted me and offered to make me a gift of a mottled hard rubber Wyvern. Such a pleasant surprise! The pen began its journey from Western Australia to The Highlands of Scotland.

I remember when mottled hard rubber was common and no more expensive than black hard rubber. Most of the MHR pens have been snapped up and those remaining are furiously fought over. I always loved MHR. It’s such a satisfying pattern. The mixture of black and red is completely random and abstract. It almost appears like a natural material and it often resembles one: the grain of wood.

The pen arrived on Friday, none the worse for travelling half way round the globe, so well and carefully was it packed. It exceeded my expectations with its rich and contrasting colours. The pen is crafted with an elegant design. The taper on the barrel is so slight that it takes a moment’s study to see it. The three-ring cap is tapered with a clip screw that is a little more streamlined, then rounded to a shallow dome. The result is an elegant pen indeed, if you’ll excuse me repeating the adjective which is the only appropriate one here. It has the arrow-shaped clip unique to Wyvern and the gold plating has held up well. The nib is a Warranted 14ct gold medium. An enjoyable writer.

I’m not well-versed in the history of Wyvern models. I checked my various reference works but I’m unable to put a name to this pen. Purely on its appearance and material I would guess at late twenties.

This isn’t the end of the story of this beautiful, generous gift. The accompanying letter is a thing of beauty in itself (the picture doesn’t do it justice). I cannot thank you enough, Rob. This pen will always be treasured.