▁years ▁of ▁research ▁into ▁Case in ▁and ▁pl ast ics ▁including ▁vul can ite ▁for ▁bar rel s ▁and ▁feed ers ▁for ▁n ib s . ▁The ▁company ▁even ▁used ▁a ▁B irmingham - based ▁company ▁who ▁still ▁used ▁a ▁ 1 - met re ▁p ant ograph ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁mini ature ▁m ould s ▁for ▁the ▁pen ▁cli ps ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁detail ▁in ▁the ▁cli ps . ▁ ▁All ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁cli ps ▁were ▁exactly ▁the ▁same ▁size ▁as ▁the ▁original s ▁so ▁pen ▁collect ors ▁would ▁have ▁sp ares ▁for ▁the ▁v int age ▁pens ▁they ▁wished ▁to ▁repair . ▁ ▁After ▁much ▁experiment ation ▁with ▁sl abs ▁of ▁case in ▁from ▁uk ▁and ▁some ▁very ▁old ▁stock ▁from ▁Japan ▁Con way ▁Stewart ▁re - launch ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁ ▁At ▁that ▁first ▁exhibition ▁the ▁Foreign ▁Office ▁chose ▁Con w asy ▁Stewart ▁as ▁a ▁supp lier ▁of ▁g ifts ▁for ▁Number ▁ 1 0 ▁Down ing ▁Street ▁and ▁g ifts ▁from ▁the ▁government ▁to ▁visit ing ▁D ign itar ies . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁collections ▁( 5 8 ▁series ▁and ▁D ink ies ) ▁were ▁all ▁made ▁from ▁case in ▁with ▁solid ▁gold ▁rings ▁sw aged ▁on ▁to ▁each ▁cap . ▁Each ▁sl ab ▁of ▁case in ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁c ured ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁ 3 ▁months ▁in ▁dry ing ▁room ▁with ▁just ▁the ▁right ▁hum id ity . ▁Return ing ▁the ▁bar rel s ▁to ▁the ▁dry ing ▁room