One of the coolest things I saw last month at the National Stationery Show: the “graphite writing objects” of San Francisco sculptor and artist Agelio Batle, and in particular, this hand, which is made from a cast of the hand of one of his sons. (Unfortunately, my picture came out blurry, but there are better photos on Agelio’s website.)

Because it’s solid graphite, the whole object writes, though I suspect I’d use it sparingly if I actually owned one since it’s such a lovely piece. When I took the hand for a test drive at the NSS, it felt smooth and pleasingly solid, and drew a sharp, dark line on the page. Other items in the series include flowers, leaves, and animals like alligators and owls.