The design draws heavily from the utilitarian box designs of HMSO who provided stationery to all government departments for 210 years until privatisation and closure in 1996.

Each box is made from 100% recycled card and is 100% recyclable. Each pencil box is hand letter press printed on a 160 year old letterpress machine using natural inks.

The box itself has been made by W. McCarthy & Sons. A fifth generation company in London, who have been using their vintage machinery to create boxes since 1880.

Inside the lid is some information on the design, the printing press and the box makers.

Each box comes as part of a set with a HMSO exercise book, a book that draws design from the HMSO books designed and used by schools in the UK.

Each notebook is hand bind and has 40 blank pages.