Montegrappa Victory of the Whale Pens

Victory of the Whale Pens Inspiration

On 20 November 1820, a mighty sperm whale bull rammed and sank the American whaler, Essex. Her fateful final voyage made global news, and inspired Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick.

Two centuries later, Montegrappa has joined forces with Sea Shepherd to recount an epic sea battle, and highlight mankind’s continued assault on ocean life.

Following her sinking, the Essex’s twenty-strong crew found themselves stranded more than 1,200 nautical miles from land. When their ordeal ended, only eleven remained. Victory of the Whale’' circling sea of turquoise celluloid evokes their terrifying plight.

A new Montegrappa Limited Edition marks a symbolic moment of resistance to mankind’s plundering of the oceans. This first collaboration with Sea Shepherd uses repurposed materials and historical records to highlight the continued struggle to halt illegal whaling.

Signature elements are cast from the propeller of Sea Shepherd’s former flagship, M/Y Steve Irwin. Recovered materials provide a tactile connection to years of front-line activism.

Handcrafted mahogany and bronze evoke the Essex’s hull, harpoons and whaleboats, while a black band flies Sea Shepherd’s rejigged Jolly Roger flag: a last line of defense between whale and whaler.

The bicentenary of the Essex sinking is referenced by editions of 200 fountain pens and 200 rollerballs. Individual numbering is etched in bronze alongside the Victory of the Whale legend.