George Carwardine’s 1227 has been in continuous production since 1935. The brass version is a cut above the standard powder-coated range: heavier in the hand, warmer in the light, and utterly indifferent to trends. The constant-tension spring mechanism — the same one Carwardine patented — lets you position the head exactly where you want it and leave it there. No drift, no fade. It sits on most desks without dominating them, and it’ll outlive most of the furniture around it.