The Storia company is back

After four years of inactivity, the South Tyrolean company Storia has resumed producing the wooden pens (and more) that have made it so successful worldwide.
We interviewed the owner, Federico Testa, to find out more.

Susanna Buffo: I remember well when you announced Storia's closure in 2017. Do you remember the reasons that led you to close it? Why did you change your mind?

Federico Testa: "The closure was absurdly determined by overwork. I had reached a point where, to continue and carefully pursue all the avenues that had opened up (15 stores in Italy, my own shop, online sales, the Made in Italy showcase in Europe and America, and, above all, the expansion of the Japanese market), I would have had to invest heavily, perhaps too much, and I was on my own."

Susanna Buffo: What's the aspect you missed the most?

Federico Testa: "The scents of the laboratory."

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Susanna Buffo: Almost all of Storia's pens are made of wood; in fact, wood—special, exotic, rare—is the very element that inspires all of Storia's work. Is there a particular connection?

Federico Testa: "Wood is a material that nature has given us. It has always accompanied humanity and its growth."
"The connection? It fascinates me, I like its scent . I walk in the woods here in the mountains of South Tyrol and breathe in the scent of the fir trees" (editor's note: not suitable for turning).

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Susanna Buffo: Storia pens are entirely handcrafted and made in Italy. How does a pen come to life?

Federico Testa: "A pen is born from inspiration. Every hand-turned pen, made of wood or resin, will always be unique and unrepeatable."
"Even if we took the same piece of wood to make two pens, they will always be different. Different grain. Different shape. The beauty of Storia is precisely this: I let the wood or resin decide how much to work with."

Susanna Buffo: There are so many things you can do with wood. Why fountain pens?

Federico Testa: "Because I combined my passions: pens and wood. Two things that have made history and that I hope will continue to do so for a very long time."
"Today we've also created resin pieces, always tied to history. Enclosing an original 1,000 lire coin inside a pen, or dismantling a watch and enclosing it in a pen, or making stamps live forever."

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Susanna Buffo: I see some models I remember from past production: Time, Ulivo, Mille, Fossil. Will there be any new ones?

Susanna Buffo: What gave rise to the Storia company?

Federico Testa: " Ever since I was a child, whenever I entered a stationery shop, I was captivated by what I found there: the objects, the colors, the scents; especially the papers and pens. Infinite ways to convey what you think , what you want to say, what you want to convey."
"I decided to make my own pens, in my own way, choosing my own essences, scents, and colors. I wanted to create my own way of writing. I wanted to start with a raw material and shape it, cut it, turn it, refine it, and create a unique, unrepeatable pen. When you hold one of my pens in your hand, it's the only one in the world. "

"And then, I want to give people the opportunity to slow down , to return to their old habits, to write by hand, to touch the paper, to hold a pen, to feel the stroke, to feel the ink etching the paper as they think. So that every written word has its own weight, so that people become aware of what they're writing, of the individual letters, of every curve and stroke that composes them: that it's not just a key to press, always the same."

"From all this, " STORIA Writing Jewels ," my line of pens, was born. The name STORIA comes from the fact that, since ancient times, man has always sought to record his passing with something written to leave for future generations. And "Writing Jewels"... well, as soon as you hold one in your hand, you'll understand. It's a precious, delicate object, crafted with meticulous care and passion. When you hold one of my pens, I want you to think of all this."

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I thank Federico Testa for answering my questions with all his heart, just as I can tell he puts his heart into his writing and his work.
I'm curious to see the new products you mentioned, but I couldn't get you to tell me anything more... in the meantime, here's an overview of the pens currently in the catalog.

The Olive tree , with its blond, veined wood, so pleasant to the touch:

The Zebrano with its very evident veining, which is reminiscent of a zebra's coat:

And for me, who was there, seeing the Mille with the thousand lire coin featuring Giuseppe Verdi brings to mind crowded trams on the way to school in the foggy Milanese streets. This pen isn't made of turned wood like the others, but of resin, with a real banknote attached.

Despite its constant homages to tradition, Storia doesn't look only to the past or to the nostalgia of a Bella Italia that no longer exists . Indeed... Following the concept (beautifully expressed by Pope John XXIII) that tradition is the progress made yesterday, and that the progress we must make today will constitute the tradition of tomorrow, Storia pens have a long road ahead. A road imbued with love for the land and, above all, for an innovation that respects and honors its origins.

We at Giardino Italiano can't wait to discover this new chapter in history : keep an eye on our website and blog for news on this extraordinary pearl of Made in Italy!

Susanna Buffo
Italian Garden