There are writing instrument makers, and then there is Montegrappa, which clearly does not recognize that most pens are just… pens. It is in the business of elevating pens into the collectors’ realm, and now, the Italian maker is back with another pop-culture flex. This time, it is not playful like Pac-Man. It is straight-up unsettling. Say hello to the Montegrappa The Shining Limited Edition, a writing instrument that looks like it may whisper “REDRUM” if you stare at it long enough.
Created as part of a new Stanley Kubrick series, this pen dives headfirst into The Shining—not just referencing the film, but practically rebuilding it in miniature. We are talking sterling silver, mahogany wood, and acrylic resin coming together in a way that feels like a pen that escaped the Overlook Hotel.
And Montegrappa being Montegrappa, subtlety is not part of the plan. Beneath the ambigram on the cap sits a rotating vermeil disc that mimics a peephole. Turn it, and yes—the twins appear and disappear. Because of course they do. If that is not enough to make you reconsider your life choices, the barrel opens like an elevator door, revealing a transparent window where red ink sits, ready to spill onto the page like that scene.
It does not stop there. The pen is covered in references that fans will spot instantly: the maze engraved on the cap band, the original The Shining logo, and the infamous line “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” etched repeatedly as a quiet warning that maybe you should step away from the desk once in a while.
Even the clip gets in on the act. It is shaped like a key inserted into a keyhole, complete with a red acrylic tag, because naturally, this pen is all about opening doors that probably should stay closed.
For those who actually plan to write with it (brave), the fountain pen version features an 18K gold nib and Montegrappa’s Free Drop Reservoir system, which puts that red ink on full display. Because if you are going to sign documents, you might as well make it look like something dramatic just happened.
Only 237 pieces are available across rollerball and fountain pen formats—a nod to Room 237, in case that was not already burned into your memory. Each comes housed in a display case styled like the Torrance apartment door, complete with the word “REDRUM,” which, yes, reveals “MURDER” when viewed the right way.
So no, this is not just a pen. It is a conversation piece, a collector’s item, and possibly a mild psychological test. Montegrappa says writing holds the key. Just… be careful which door you decide to open.
But such an icon that does not come cheap (obviously). The Montegrappa Stanley Kubrick: The Shining Rollerball sells for 5,395 euros (~6,322 USD), while the Fountain Pen commands 6,595 euros (~7,729 USD).
