Technically the two pens have little in common: the Kafka has a permanently fitted piston converter, while the Lennon is a conventional piston filler. In terms of design, too, the resemblance is essentially limited to the basic shape. The Kafka takes up “The Metamorphosis”: the cross-section changes from square to round, barrel and cap are partly transparent, and the whole design is deliberately restrained. The Lennon, by contrast, is showy and draws on guitar motifs.
There are several versions of the Lennon. Alongside the unlimited edition there was a limited version in white, with the guitar strings picked out, which looks poppier still. At the top of the range sits an Artisan version as a Skeleton model, on which the strings are set individually into the clip. According to the manufacturer, this Artisan edition was sold out before production even began; only selected collectors were approached, and they had to pay in full at once. That a first example turned up on the secondary market shortly afterwards — at 40,000 US dollars (as of 2011) — shows how quickly such allocations find their way back into trade.