Scale: A Retractable Ballpoint Pen by Architect Shigeru Ban

Japanese architect Shigeru Ban designed a refillable ballpoint pen for ACME Studio that’s based on an architect’s scale ruler. Appropriately named Scale, the three-sided ruler is laser etched onto aluminum, which is outfitted with a twisting mechanism to extend and retract the pen.

The pen was designed to fit comfortably in your hand, thanks to its triangular shape. Besides being a writing utensil, it works as a fully functioning architect’s scale.

The Scale pen is compatible with ACME’s P900 and easyFLOW ballpoint refills.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.

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