Parafernalia: The Milan Pen Brand Behind the Revolution
Parafernalia is an Italian design brand of pens and pencils from Milan. It began as an avant-garde design shop in Brera, moved into writing instruments when Domus magazine asked for a pen, and is known for Sergio Carpani's 1978 Revolution. Itapec S.r.l. bought the brand in 2024, and production stays in Milan.
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Key takeaways
- Parafernalia's history page dates the brand to 1968; its pages place the founding of the Brera shop in 1970s Milan.
- Its first pen, the AL 13, was designed by Sergio Carpani after Domus magazine asked for a pen for a special edition, in the early 1970s.
- Carpani designed the Revolution in 1978 for the construction of the Centre Pompidou; Parafernalia says it is exhibited at MoMA in New York.
- In 2024 Itapec S.r.l. bought the Parafernalia brand and took over its international distribution, keeping production in Milan.
- Its shop listed 36 products on October 26, 2026, from the €25 (about US$28) AL 115 ballpoint to the €135 (about US$151) Woodstock fountain pen.
Parafernalia is a small Italian brand whose best-known pen, by its own account, is the skeletal Revolution. Everything below comes from the company’s own Italian pages and its online shop, which we translated, with a US and a Turkish retailer’s listings as support.
What is Parafernalia?
Parafernalia is an Italian design brand from Milan that makes pens, pencils and writing accessories, most of them in anodised aluminium. Its history page calls it “un brand italiano di design” that has stood out for the creativity, style and function of its pens and accessories since 1968.
Its logo carries the line “Italian design · writing technology”, as its Revolution refill sheet shows. The shop sells about a dozen writing instruments, plus Schmidt refills, fountain pen ink and a notebook.
How did Parafernalia start?
As a shop in Milan’s Brera district, selling design objects and gadgets imported from London, in the 1970s. Parafernalia’s history page sets the scene: Milan in the 1970s, a symbol of the avant-garde and of pop design, with bright colours, organic shapes and new materials such as ABS plastic.
Its “Parafernalia oggi” page names the founders as Dario Polenghi, Cesare Lo Passo and Attilio Ferrari. The shop quickly became a meeting point for artists, students and designers.
Parafernalia then began working with some of those designers to produce its own objects. The first results were furnishing accessories, lamps, ornaments and gadgets, not pens.
The dates don’t quite agree. The history page gives 1968 for the brand, while both pages describe the company being born in 1970s Milan; Parafernalia gives no exact founding date.
How did Parafernalia start making pens?
Because Domus, the Milan design magazine, asked it for a pen in the early 1970s. Parafernalia says Domus wanted a pen designed and made to go into a special edition of the magazine, and that the designer Sergio Carpani took on the project.
The result was the AL 13, an aluminium pen that Parafernalia says marked the start of its own path in writing instruments. Carpani went on to design most of the brand’s best-known pieces, and Parafernalia still calls Carpani its “designer di riferimento”, its reference designer.
| Year | What happened, per Parafernalia |
|---|---|
| 1968 | Date the history page gives for the brand |
| 1970s | Design shop opens in Brera, Milan |
| Early 1970s | Domus asks for a pen; Sergio Carpani designs the AL 13 |
| 1978 | Carpani designs the Revolution for the Centre Pompidou’s construction |
| 1978 | The Divina fountain pen project |
| 1979 | The Linea pencil appears in Ridley Scott’s film Alien |
| Later years | Collaborations, including with Pininfarina |
| Late 1990s | A return to craft production, made in Italy |
| 2017 | The Divina fountain pen is re-engineered and reintroduced |
| 2024 | Itapec S.r.l. buys the brand |
Why is the Revolution famous?
Because its barrel is an open frame of three aluminium rods, with the refill in plain view. Parafernalia says Carpani designed it in 1978 as a commemorative object for the construction of the Beaubourg, the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
It is built from 31 parts, made in Italy and assembled by hand, and measures 113 × 12 × 12 mm. Parafernalia calls it an icon of writing-instrument innovation and says it is exhibited at MoMA in New York; we couldn’t check that in MoMA’s online collection. Our Parafernalia Revolution guide has its specs, refill and colours.
What else does Parafernalia make?
A short list of aluminium pens and pencils, nearly all credited to named designers. On October 26, 2026, its shop listed 36 products, including refills, leads, ink and a notebook.
| Model | Type | Designer, per Parafernalia | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| AL 115 | Ballpoint, 123 × 9 mm | Sergio Carpani | €25 (about US$28) |
| Falter 2D | Flat steel kit ballpoint | Albert Ebenbichler | €32 (about US$36) |
| Kabrio | Capless rollerball | Parafernalia design | €35 (about US$39) |
| Patent 1 | Ballpoint | Albert Ebenbichler | €39 (about US$44) |
| Shaker | Ballpoint you shake open | Parafernalia design | €52 (about US$58) |
| Linea | 2 mm lead holder, 153 × 8 mm | Sergio Carpani | €53 (about US$59) |
| Diamante | 5.6 mm lead holder | Giulio Iacchetti | €53 (about US$59) |
| Divina Roller | Rollerball | Sergio Carpani | €60 (about US$67) |
| Revolution | Ballpoint or 0.7 mm pencil | Sergio Carpani | €65 (about US$73) |
| Divina Stilografica | Fountain pen, 13 g | Sergio Carpani | €65 (about US$73) |
| Woodstock Stilografica | Wood and aluminium fountain pen | Sergio Carpani | €125 (about US$140) to €135 (about US$151) |
The AL 115 is turned from a single bar of aluminium and anodised, and Parafernalia calls it the first idea developed with Carpani. The Linea is a drop-lead clutch pencil for architects and designers, which Parafernalia says was used in Ridley Scott’s Alien in 1979; our lead holders guide covers how such pencils work.
Several pieces play with the mechanism. The Shaker has no button: Parafernalia says a simple movement makes the refill appear and disappear. The Kabrio’s clip is shaped so the open pen can’t go into a pocket, and the Falter 2D comes as a flat steel kit that you assemble with a key and that doubles as a ruler.
The Diamante, by Giulio Iacchetti, is knurled with a diamond tool; you turn the top to set the lead length and turn a collar to lock it. The Divina fountain pen started as a 1978 project, was re-engineered in 2017 and is made from a single aluminium bar, at 13 g.
What refills do Parafernalia pens use?
Schmidt refills, chosen model by model. Parafernalia lists the Schmidt S700 A3 ballpoint refill for the Revolution and the AL 115, and calls the Divina fountain pen and rollerball “motorised” with Schmidt writing systems.
Its refill shop also sells the S 635 mini refill for the Shaker, the 8126 capless rollerball for the Kabrio, the SRC 5888 roller for the Divina Roller, Parker-compatible P 900 refills for the Patent 1 and Falter 2D, and a K5 converter for the Divina fountain pen. Our pen refills explainer covers how the formats differ.
Who owns Parafernalia today?
Itapec S.r.l., a Milan company that bought the brand in 2024 and runs its international distribution. Parafernalia’s “Parafernalia oggi” page calls this a new phase in its history; its contact page gives Itapec’s address on Via E. Perrone di San Martino in Milan.
The same page says the collaboration with Antonio Raffaelli and Stefania Furlani continues, to keep production and craft know-how going, and that production remains entirely in Italy, in Milan. It doesn’t say what Itapec paid.
Before that, Parafernalia says, it went through decades of experiment in the 1970s and 1980s, a collaboration with Pininfarina, and from the late 1990s a return to craft production and to making in Italy.
Where can you buy Parafernalia pens?
From its own shop in euros, and in the US from the Gessato Design Store, which ships from New York. On October 26, 2026, Gessato listed the Revolution ballpoint in 11 colours in US dollars.
In Istanbul, Panter Kırtasiye’s online shop, Viapera, lists Parafernalia’s Divina fountain pens and rollerballs; see our Istanbul stationery stores guide. Parafernalia is one of the small European makers of metal pens we cover, beside Germany’s Black Forest Pen; for the groups behind the bigger names, see who owns which stationery brands.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Parafernalia?
Itapec S.r.l., a company in Milan. Parafernalia's 'Parafernalia oggi' page says Itapec bought the brand in 2024 and handles its international distribution, and its contact page names Itapec as the company behind the shop.
Where are Parafernalia pens made?
In Italy. Parafernalia says production remains entirely in Italy, in Milan, with its longtime production partners, and its Revolution page says the pen's parts are made in Italy and assembled by hand.
Who founded Parafernalia?
Dario Polenghi, Cesare Lo Passo and Attilio Ferrari, according to Parafernalia's own page. They opened it as an avant-garde design shop in the Brera district of Milan, which became a meeting place for artists, students and designers.
When was Parafernalia founded?
Parafernalia's history page says it has made pens and accessories since 1968, but its pages also describe the company being born in 1970s Milan. It gives no exact founding date.
Who designs Parafernalia pens?
Most are credited to Sergio Carpani, whom Parafernalia calls its reference designer: the AL 13, AL 115, Revolution, Linea, Divina and Woodstock. It credits Giulio Iacchetti for the Diamante pencil and Albert Ebenbichler for the Patent 1 and Falter 2D.
What is Parafernalia's most famous pen?
The Revolution, a ballpoint of three anodised aluminium rods that Sergio Carpani designed in 1978 for the construction of the Centre Pompidou. Parafernalia calls it an icon and says it is exhibited at MoMA in New York.
Do Parafernalia pens take standard refills?
They take Schmidt refills, which differ by model. The Revolution and AL 115 take the S700 A3 ballpoint, the Shaker the S 635 mini refill, the Kabrio the 8126 capless rollerball, the Divina Roller the SRC 5888, and the Patent 1 and Falter 2D Parker-compatible P 900 refills.
Can you buy Parafernalia pens in the US?
Yes, through the Gessato Design Store, which ships from New York and listed the Revolution ballpoint in US dollars on October 26, 2026. Parafernalia's own shop sells in euros.
Sources
- Parafernalia: Parafernalia oggi (founders Dario Polenghi, Cesare Lo Passo and Attilio Ferrari, Brera shop, AL13, Revolution at MoMA, Pininfarina, late-1990s return to craft, Itapec S.r.l. from 2024, made in Milan; Italian)
- Parafernalia: Storia (design since 1968, 1970s Milan, Brera shop importing gadgets from London, lamps and objects, Domus and the AL 13 by Sergio Carpani; Italian)
- Parafernalia: Contatti (ITAPEC Srl, Via E. Perrone di San Martino 2, Milan)
- Parafernalia: online shop (36 products read on October 26, 2026)
- Parafernalia: Revolution Sfera (1978, Sergio Carpani, Beaubourg, 31 parts, 113 × 12 × 12 mm, €65)
- Parafernalia: AL 115 (first idea developed with Sergio Carpani, single aluminium bar, 123 × 9 mm, €25)
- Parafernalia: Linea (2 mm lead holder, 153 × 8 mm, Sergio Carpani, used in Alien, 1979)
- Parafernalia: Divina Stilografica (1978 project, reintroduced 2017, 13 g, Schmidt, K5 converter)
- Parafernalia: Divina Roller (SRC 5888 refill)
- Parafernalia: Woodstock Stilografica (wood and aluminium fountain pen, Sergio Carpani, €125 to €135)
- Parafernalia: Diamante (5.6 mm pencil by Giulio Iacchetti, diamond-tool knurling)
- Parafernalia: Shaker (shake to extend the refill, S 635 mini refill)
- Parafernalia: Kabrio (capless rollerball with a clip that stops it going into a pocket open, 8126 refill)
- Parafernalia: Patent 1 (Albert Ebenbichler, P 900 Parker-compatible refill)
- Parafernalia: Falter 2D (flat steel kit pen, ruler and pen holder, Albert Ebenbichler with ATOdesign)
- Parafernalia: Come cambiare il refill (Revolution refill sheet with the 'Italian design · writing technology' logo, PDF)
- Gessato Design Store: Parafernalia Revolution Ballpoint Pen (US$ listing, ships from New York)
- Viapera (Panter Kırtasiye, Istanbul): Parafernalia search results (Divina fountain pens and rollerballs)