Montegrappa was founded in 1912 in Bassano del Grappa, a town in the Veneto region of northern Italy, by Austrians Edwige Hoffman and Heinrich Helm: their goal was to produce high-quality fountain pen nibs using precious materials such as gold and silver. The company was initially named Manifattura Pennini Oro per Stilografiche Elmo and focused on creating elegant and sophisticated writing instruments.

The distinctive octagonal silhouette of Casa Erizzo’s private chapel’s bell tower inspired, in 1915, the creation of the Reminiscence pen, the company’s first commercial hit. Casa Erizzo later became the company’s headquarters. In 1922, Alessandro Marzotto and Domenico Manea acquired Elmo Pens, which, by then, were famous throughout Italy and beyond.