With their first product, Paper, a creative tool for the iPad, FiftyThree set out their vision to build tools that wrap the power of a creative expert into the simplicity of the basic physical tools you keep on your desk. Beautiful simplicity, expert engineering, and quality craftsmanship inform every aspect of their suite of essential tools for mobile creation.

FiftyThree is wholly devoted to the creator, the maker, the original thinker. FiftyThree is the space to create.

Pencil was designed by a small, collaborative, multidisciplinary team of designers and engineers. Development process focused heavily on:

Craftsmanship:

Multiple manufacturing methods were experimented with in order to figure out how to machine Pencil’s hollow unibody from a solid piece of walnut at manufacturing scale.

Interaction:

Countless hardware/software prototypes were made to prove out and refine our approach to palm rejection, erasing, and connecting to iPad.

Price Point:

Affordability required FiftyThree to simplify part count and engineering complexity without compromising functionality and quality. Pencil being high-value and affordable is the result of much experimenting with method and prototypes.

Pencil is a natural and expressive tool for drawing, sketching, and writing ideas on Paper by FiftyThree. Inspired by the beloved carpenter pencil, Pencil features Palm Rejection, Erase, and Blend. Rest your hand comfortably on the screen, flip Pencil around to use the built-in eraser, or smudge and blur colors directly on the page with your finger. Pencil’s analog-inspired interaction model enables simultaneous pen and touch interactions like zooming and writing, a built-in battery charges via USB, Bluetooth connection is simplified via Kiss to Pair™, and every Pencil is unique, carved from sustainable walnut or brushed aluminum.