Out of Birmingham, England, Yard-O-Led has been crafting solid silver writing instruments since 1822. Each pen or pencil is handcrafted using traditional 19th century techniques. All pens are individually numbered and come with a lifetime guarantee. The British Assay office hallmarks every instrument as proof of sterling silver quality. All Yard-O-Led pencils contain one yard of lead (12 three inch leads), hence the company name!