203 The PENNANT 2007 Fall Vol. XXV, No.3

Pens and Ephemera inside
PENNANT
The
A p u b l i c at i o n o f t h e p e n c o l l e c t o r s o f a m e r i c a , I n c . F A LL 2 0 0 7 $9.95
The Other Walter
Vintage Pen Boxes
Diamond Dreams
To Modify or Not to Modify
pennant
Inside The
FALL 2007 Vol. XXV No. 3
Features
4 Are They Just Pens? Modify…or Preserve?
Adapting Old Pens to Suit New Needs by Ron Dutcher
Where is it Written? by Paul Bloch
Take Good Care of History by Joel Hamilton and Sherrell Tyree
Zen and the Art of Pen Repair by Rick Propas
8 Diamond Dreams by Marc Kolber, edited by David Moak
14 L. Michael Fultz by Paul Bloch
16 Modern Fountain Pen Revival Lacking in Balance by Daniel Waitzman
18 The Other Walter: Cushing, Not Sheaffer, Part 2 by Robert Wm. Astyk
25 A Photo Essay …DC Super Show photos by Terry Clark and Anna Lawson
33 Is This the Right Box? by Bruce Speary
38 What Pens Can Tell Us by Ronald J.Pohoryles
departments
23 The Bookworm: A Review of Mabie in America by Tom Rehkopf
42 Handwriting: Left Out • The Other Ten Percent by Kate Gladstone
44 Tech Notes: Adapting Tools for Pen Repair by Victor Chen
18
51 From the Stacks by Dan Reppert
In Brief
2 From the Editor
51 Coming in the Next Issue of The Pennant
PCA resources
49 From the President
50 Local Clubs
50 Pay Pal Now Available for PCA Membership
52 Upcoming Shows
52 PCA Supporters
52 Back Issues
53 PCA Membership
53 Corporate Sponsors
54 Contributors
55 Pen Repair Directory
56 PCA Contributor Guidelines
56 Board of Directors
56 Marketplace
23
From the Editor
The Traditional First Question
With one entire issue of The Pennant under my belt, I have to say that I’m amazed at the dedication
and hard work of our staffers, Tom Rehkopf, Dede Rehkopf and Fran Conn. All of us in the PCA owe them a huge
debt of gratitude for their commitment to getting our journal out on time and in beautiful shape. I’m not the only one
to note their contributions in recent months, nor am I likely to be the last; but we do need to appreciate them. They’re
dependable, loyal, put in innumerable hours on our behalf—and, like all who take part in making The Pennant come
alive, staff and writers alike, volunteers. They’re awesome!
When pen collectors meet for the first time, one of the most common opening questions for one another is “How
did you get involved in collecting pens?” We seem to have endless curiosity for the events, people, and situations that
drafted us into this hobby. You’ll be seeing some of those stories from time to time in these pages, and we hope you’ll
contribute your story, too.
For me, my involvement with pens came about because I had a father who had Enthusiasms. Dad would find some
new, oddball, obscure activity or occupation (usually obsolete by at least a century) and catapult himself into it, learning everything about it. And, since he was a consummate perfectionist, he mastered everything he had an Enthusiasm
for. As the reigning child in the house, I usually (and usually involuntarily) became involved in these labyrinthine
journeys, such that I may have been the only child in the U.S. at the time who, by the age of 12, knew Morse code (and
had a pretty good fist), understood the inverse relationships involved in photography (and could reel, develop, and fix
film as well as handle an enlarger), knew the botanical names of way too many cacti, and—one of few that has stayed
with me—an excellent grasp of calligraphy.
Dad took that up when I was just learning to write. I’m young enough to have missed the dip- and fountain pen era in
schools; when we graduated from pencils in fifth grade, we went directly to Lindy ballpoints (which cost 25 cents, a princely
sum since it was two and a half weeks' worth of allowance, and came in such colors as orange, pink, turquoise, and gold).
Insisting that I take up pen and ink with him, Dad taught me to do calligraphy with Speedball dip pens. Since you
could make pretty letters with them, I wasn’t too averse to this particular Enthusiasm and it came easily to me.
My fifth-grade teacher was a martinet who applied the most militaristic of Palmer methodology to our handwriting instruction (“Lift pen! Circle left! Circle right!” Afterwards, she even marched us out to recess), but I’d already
been introduced to those because Dad emphasized some of those principles, too: posture, pen position, and the use
of arm and shoulder to gain the freest, most fluid motion in your writing. The latter, I still believe, makes the biggest
difference in the comfort, ease and smoothness with which a person writes, and that’s why I harp on it when people
ask me about their handwriting.
At the same time, he and Mom exclusively used their Sheaffer fountain pens. No ballpoints but mine in our house.
Dad’s was a gray pearl Balance; Mom’s a big jade Balance (actually, it had come to her by accident when she found it
during a family hike in the mountains). I loved those pens. I anticipated inheriting them someday, although I wasn’t
looking to become an orphan anytime soon. In the meantime, I had a couple of Sheaffer school pens with which I
could use peacock blue Skrip and, later, a PaperMate with a slightly hooded nib.
Alas, my inheritance was not to be. Dad’s Balance wore flat out in the late 1970s and, since it was a white-dot lifetime-guarantee model, he sent it back to the factory. By that time, sadly, either no one had the skills or knowledge to
repair it or it was beyond repair. They sent him instead a nice sterling silver Imperial set, fountain pen and pencil (he
used it until his death, and I do have that). But my (er…Dad’s!) beloved gray pearl Balance was gone.
2
FALL 2007
The pennant
pennant
The
Oh, well; philosophically, I comforted myself with the knowledge that I’d still have
Mom’s Balance someday, and she used hers less during that period than Dad had, so hers
might even still be in working order by that time.
But no; some kid in one of her classes “borrowed” it without telling her, and we presume
Publishers
Pen Collectors of America
that when it stopped working or ran out of ink, the kid tossed it, not having a clue that pens
P.O. Box 447
Fort Madison, IA 52627-0447
Phone: 319.372.3730 • Fax: 319.372.0882
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.pencollectors.com
could be refilled.
That was a bigger blow. Both the pens that had vast sentimental value for me, gone.
Kaput. Vanished. Defunct. Disappeared.
By that time, I had three toddlers and not much time to worry about it. As the boys grew,
though, I began to wish I had fountain pens—particularly lever fillers, but don’t ask me why—
so that I could both use them and introduce the boys to the joys of fountain pens. Then, one
day, a work acquaintance showed up with a Montblanc in his pocket. It was only a ballpoint,
but still…I asked him about it, and a few days later he sent over a Fahrney’s catalog.
That was it. I was thrilled. I couldn’t have my folks’ pens, but I could pick up something
that looked kinda like theirs. Not lever fillers, true, but at least fountain pens!
So my first purchase was a mottled green Sailor Magellan—a lovely little pen with a nice
fine nib. Then came…well, you all know how that slippery slope goes and can guess the rest
of that story. Within a very few years, I had several fountain pens and was wondering why;
I couldn’t use more than one at a time, so what was the point in having more than one?
A few years later, the Internet came to my distant corner of the remotest section of the furthest outpost from civilization that North America has to offer (with the possible exception of
Nunuvut). One day, I idly entered “old fountain pens” in the search page. Guess what I got?
Yep—what was then alt.collecting.pens-pencils, a few Web sites selling vintage pens;
quite a few references and the fairly new and still-small Zoss listserv. Astonished, I began
called “like Mom and Dad’s,” but I did find them (and the “Dad” one has an unusual and
Advertising
quite wonderful semiflex nib—something Balances seldom had) and they still hold a position of honor in my Big Bag o’ Pens. And of course, a whole lot more.
These days, tremors keep me from doing any decent calligraphy (or even handwriting).
But one has to make peace with such things, and that doesn’t take away the simple but deep
pleasure of looking at and using a finely crafted piece of history, or of
I hope I never lose that small, homely pleasure, and that many other
people find it.
Anna Lawson, Editor
The pennant
FALL 2007
Administrative
Roger Wooten Dan Reppert
Treasurer Librarian
Anna Lawson Rita Cangialosi
Pennant Editor PCA Webmaster
Fran Conn Terry Mawhorter
Art Director Advertising Manager
Tom Rehkopf and Dede Rehkopf
Associate Editors
Sam Fiorella Michelle Reed
Copy Editing Staff
U.S., one year, $40; three years, $105
Outside U.S., one year, $60; three years, $150
on a minnow. A couple more years of searching passed before I found pens worthy of being
thoughts.
Board members
Bruce Mindrup Linda Bauer
Rick Propas Dan Carmell
AnnMarie Hautaniemi
Joel Hamilton Bill Hong
Dennis Bowden Dan Reppert
Membership
Pen Collectors of America
to explore these resources and within weeks, I was hooked harder than a hungry walleye
sliding smooth nib over fine paper and leaving behind a tracing of my
The Board of Directors
Dan Reppert Rick Propas
President Vice President
Dennis Bowden
Recording Secretary
Deadline: Jan. 1, 2008
Inside front cover (full-color) $1,100
Inside back cover (full-color) $1,000
Back cover (full-color) $2,000
Last page (full-color) $800
Full page (full-color) $700
Full page (black & white) $300
Flyer insert $300 Half page $150
Quarter page $100 Business card $50
Classified ads (per word) $.50
PCA Repair Directory listing (3 issues) $75
On the Covers
Front cover. Moore Fingertip Pen.
Photo by Jim Mamoulides.
Back cover. Moore pens and Mabie Todd pens and ephemera. From the collections of David Moak and Ross McKinney.
3
Are They Just
There is an ongoing debate within the pen community as to what degree it is acceptable to restore or modify a vintage pen to suit
the desires of the owner. In one camp is the laissez faire group, whose motto is largely, "I bought it, it's mine, I can do what I want with
it." On the other side of the fence are the preservationists, to whom it is nothing short of sacrilege to "destroy" a pen by modifying it,
and they often tend to put re-blackening and re-plating, which some consider a sensible part of restoration, into the same category. To
some it is a matter of degree; to others it is a clear yes/no. Indeed, the question is not confined to just fountain pens; it applies to other
areas of antiques and collectibles as well. Do we have a responsibility to preserve vintage pens as artifacts of the past? Or are they like
any other possession one might have, subject to the whims of the owner? In this issue we have invited Sherrell Tyree, Joel Hamilton,
Paul Bloch, Ron Dutcher and Rick Propas to give us their views on the topic. We'd be interested in readers' responses on these two
extremes in the pen collecting world (as well as their thoughts on the middle ground.)
Pens ?
Modify!
Adapting Old Pens to Suit New Needs
by Ron Dutcher
Take Good Care of History
by Sherrell Tyree and Joel Hamilton
Pictured with this article, you will see
I could
never have a Waterman
Wacom pen stylus without
modification!
an extremely rare pen indeed—a
Restore [OE. restoren, OF. restorer, F. restaurer, fr. L. restaurare;
cf. Gr. an upright pale or stake, Skr. fixed,
Waterman 56 stylus for use on
firm.]. To bring back to its former
Wacom graphics tablets, which
state; to bring back from a state
allow the user to enter informa-
of ruin, decay, disease, or the like;
tion and data through the use of
to repair; to renew; to recover.
an electronically powered stylus on a
``To restore and to build Jerusalem.’’
sensitized flat surface rather than by
—Dan. ix. 25. Webster’s Revised
using a mouse.
Okay, actually when this Waterman 56 was made,
Changing
the parts of a pen is like
changing history!
Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
Covers a lot of possibilities, doesn’t it?
Wacom tablets, and computers for that matter, were a long
We can think of at least two areas of collecting that suggest
way off, so you can safely assume that I made some modi-
restoration is contraindicated—antique furniture and coins.
fications.
Changing the condition of a coin is not recommended (and
About seven years ago I started using Wacom tablets
with Photoshop, a well known image-manipulation pro-
4
Preserve!
might be considered fraud); removing the patina from certain pieces of furniture is a guaranteed loss of money!
gram. It is a lot easier to use a stylus to retouch photos
In the world of pen collecting it is expected that a writing
than it is to use a mouse. But the more I used the slender,
instrument, particularly a fountain pen, will be ready to write
plastic, ultra-modern Wacom stylus, the more I wished I
when it is offered for sale. So how far should we go in restor-
could use one of my vintage pens on the tablet instead.
ing a pen? Should a black, chased hard-rubber (BCHR) pen
The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try
that is discolored from oxidation be “re-blackened”? Is dye-
to make one for myself. I originally bought this Waterman
ing that pen all right? Are there times when we should NOT
FALL 2007 The
pennant
Modify!
Preserve!
56 for its section and feed, to be used in a Wirt red-ripple
restore a pen? What should be the guiding criteria in making
pen of similar size that was missing those parts. I married
these decisions and who made up these rules anyway?
the nice Waterman nib to a large gold Cross Townsend
We first have to keep in mind that, until recently, pen mak-
fountain pen that my wife gave me for a birthday pres-
ers did not make pens to enhance your collection. They made
ent. So I had this fine piece of Waterman hard rubber sit-
them as functional instruments to be sold at a price that
ting here, not doing anything. And when I upgraded to a
would produce a profit.
larger graphics tablet, I had an extra stylus I could afford
While we have nothing other than anecdotal evidence, we
to sacrifice.
surmise that a retail seller would probably accessorize a pen
Is It Butchery?
in the manner the customer desired if it was possible to make
I am explaining all of this to justify what I had to do to
the adjustment. So is there ever a “correct” pen?
make this project work. First I had to disassemble the
We don’t know. We have heard many discussions that use
Wacom stylus. Easily done; unlike earlier Wacom styli, the
the words “never” and “always.” We are still waiting to see
new models disassemble nicely. But once I got the circuit
the pen model for which there is no exception. We believe
board out of the stylus, I realized that it was quite long and
it is more appropriate to think in terms of whether a pen is
I would have to cut the end off the 56’s barrel to make it fit
representative of a given era and a given product from that
the longer circuit board. I am sure that someone out there
period.
might demonize me for this. As my father used to lecture
It is our contention that repairing a pen should be done
me…some starving kid in Ethiopia is just dying to get a
with care and attention to detail with regard to correct-
Waterman 56 and would be happy to have one in any con-
ness for the model. Most pens do not require that parts be
dition and I was so heartless to destroy this one for all of
replaced. Some do, and the most common parts supply is
the following generations of pen lovers.
another pen of the same type and age.
But yes, I used a Dremel saw to cut off the end of the
Some folks insist that a pen be “correct.” We think that
barrel and the pen will never be the same. But dammit,
means that each component, if replaced, must be from
Dad, this isn’t a historically important pen, and not par-
another pen that is the same model and era. If the pen has all
ticularly rare one, and after all it is my pen. If you are
of its parts and none of them is broken, or you have a parts
offended, please share one of your own 56’s with that
donor that is the same make and model, no problem.
Ethiopian kid.
But what about the pen that has a broken pressure bar?
In any case, with a little drilling of the section to fit the
As an example, let’s take a Parker Duofold Senior. It is not
Wacom point, the pen all fit back together with the Wacom
uncommon to find a broken pressure bar in one of these
circuit board inside. The nice thing is that this stylus feels
while doing a repair. Some of these pressure bars have an
like a real pen when I hold it and use it.
imprint identifying them for use with a threaded section.
Or Is It Practical?
Would it be “correct” to use the pressure bar from a later
Also a great reason for such a project is that Microsoft’s new
Streamlined Duofold Senior, assuming it fits? All right, what
Windows Vista operating system includes a lot of wonderful
about a nib? OK to change that? Is it OK to mate a hard-rub-
tools for pen users. When I hold my Waterman stylus over
ber barrel with a Permanite cap? There is some evidence that
any form box or text program, a little icon pops up. If I click
Parker did this.
on it with my pen, I get a little dialog box where I can print
If all you want is a pen that writes, it is probably fine to
or write in what I want. Vista takes my scribbles and turns
cobble together parts from different models or even differ-
them into text. I never need to type in a thing. If you are a
ent pens. We have a Duofold Junior that has the large imprint
slow typist, then this just might be a godsend for you.
and it is “correct” with the exception that it fills using the unit
Another program included in Vista is “Journal.” When
you open this program, you see what looks like a sheet
from a Parker 51. It is a very nice writer and a good-looking
pen—but it certainly is not “correct.”
of college-ruled note paper. You can use your mouse if
The broken barrel of a 51 Nassau offered an opportunity
you like, but for me as a pen user, using the converted
to cover the break with a metal sleeve! Both of these pens
The pennant
FALL 2007
5
Modify!
Preserve!
Waterman stylus makes me feel like I’m using a fountain
have repairs that make them functional writers but left them
pen in my own journal. Of course nothing will ever replace
otherwise intact—which means that they can be made cor-
the wonderful feeling of using a real fountain pen on fine
rect. Or, the parts can be used in the repair of another pen.
paper, but if you have ever wished you could print your jour-
Today’s technology and the expertise of some artisans make
nal entries and share them with others, or that you could
it possible to repair almost any pen and reproduce parts that
are nearly identical to the original. If an original part is not available, we think it is better to use a reproduction than to use a
part from a different model pen that fits.
Most of us collect pens, so it is important that parts, yes,
even down to that lowly pressure bar, are properly mated so
that all components of the pen correctly represent the model.
We are, intentionally or by chance, preserving history. While a
lot of representative pens are still out there, the supply is not
unlimited. That being the case, we need to take care and conserve what remains.
When we restore a pen, we often have to cannibalize another
pen to acquire a part—but the rest of the parts from that donor
pen are available for use in another repair. We typically do not
make repairs that cannot be reversed. When a “correct” part
easily edit or erase what your fountain pen laid down, you
cannot be obtained and cannot be reproduced, we use the best
can see some of the benefits of this little program.
available substitute. We then have an obligation to the owner
Several years ago, Microsoft’s Word word-processing
or buyer to make them aware that the pen has been altered. If
program added some highlighting and editing features. If
the correct part is later acquired, the substitute gets kicked to
you can remember turning in a term paper to a professor
the curb.
and receiving it back with lots of red marks, corrections and
Occasionally a pen is in such poor condition that it has no
other such frustrations, then you can imagine what these
parts that can be used in another repair. Some of these pens are
features are. I haven’t used these myself yet, but if I were
altered to house components and make a functional writer. We
an English professor and I had a class turning in papers in
don’t really object to this, but to alter one that had usable parts
a Word document format, then I would love to use these
and thus render them unusable is taking away one more piece
tools.
of history. Is that what you want to do?
Where Is It Written?
Zen and the Art
of Pen Repair
by Paul Bloch
Collectors, by and large, are perfectionists: it is frowned on…a lot!
if one should put an anachronistic part on a pen. Rather like
the tiles on a space shuttle, it is
A
polka-dot Bic? Why
not? It's okay to express
yoursclf.
conventionally assumed that things
just won’t work properly if they are not
symmetrically matched.
Oh, yeah?! What about bionics? Wasn’t Lee Majors better with those non-standard parts? And what about that
6
by Rick Propas
In Zen and The Art of Motorcycle
Destroying a
pen gains nothing and
loses something, so why
do it?
Maintenance, when his friend
John’s new BMW bike develops a loose handlebar, the
author, Robert Pirsig as Phaedrus, suggests repairing it
with a strip of metal torn from a beer can. The aluminum, he
says, makes great shim stock.
Pirsig reports that John “got haughty about the whole thing,”
and suggests that his friend’s response was, at best, rigidly formalistic, rejecting a good, ready fix in the name of correctness.
FALL 2007
The pennant
Modify!
Preserve!
Cadillac Johnny Cash liberated from the factory over a
So are those of us who object to modifications such as
period of years with one tail fin? Did it ride less well? Was it
Ron Dutcher’s adaptation of a Waterman’s 56 to make an
less beautiful?
electronic stylus simply being narrow-mindedly “haughty”
Which brings us to pens. Imagine that. Why do we have
about the whole thing?
to put only the cap from a 1942 Vacumatic Major on a 1942
I would suggest not. There is, I would argue, a qualitative
Vacumatic Major body? Can’t we use a 1943? What about a
difference between Persig’s fix for John’s bike, intended to
burgundy striped cap on a solid black body?
return it to full serviceability without permanently altering
Now I realize that, as a collectible, we may have devalued
it, and Mr. Dutcher’s modifications to the 56, which turn it
an item, and we may have created a pen—if that is even
irreversibly into something it was never intended to be.
what it should be called—that cannot be catalogued, but
Moreover, John’s motorcycle is in current production; with
isn’t it a worthwhile endeavor to release the inner creative
enough money he could simply replace the modified part,
artist in all of us?
the assembly, the whole bike, even. On the other hand, there
Andy Warhol put Campbell soup cans on canvas, and
will be no more Waterman’s 56s.
we call that art—and it, not by the way, fetches a hell of a
But, you may argue, 60 years ago, the Waterman’s 56 was
price. How about if I put a hard-to-find Citroenpers yellow
little different from the BMW, a high-end consumer good
cap on the black body of one of my Pelikan rollers? First,
produced by the tens, if not hundreds, of thousands. Do we
I have created an abstract expression—a valid, recognized
have the responsibility to preserve every one of those that
art form. Second, I have created a rarity. Why should it not
remain? After all, 20 years ago Frank Dubiel used to explode
be worth many times the value of a plain old black one?
56s with firecrackers, proclaiming gleefully, “they’re just
Third, I have freed the muse within, in search of at least the
pens.”
greater good.
Aren’t there enough surviving 56s?
The State of New Mexico, a recognized, if somewhat dis-
That is actually a question I dealt with back when I worked in
organized, official body of the United States Government
the field of architectural preservation. Do we have to protect
(did you notice those capital letters?) has, over the past sev-
every example of vernacular architecture?
eral years, created The Trail of Painted Ponies (more caps,
Generally speaking, the feeling was no. But there we
more solemn), a project designed to encourage participa-
were, dealing with buildings that were part of a larger urban
tion in the arts and to raise money for that purpose. The
landscape, often a landscape in need of redevelopment. It
state started with a simple premise: a horse. Each artist was
was, in essence, a zero-sum game. Preserving an old build-
to begin with the same standard horse body. From there,
ing meant that a new one could not be built.
it was every artist for himself. Literally hundreds of horses
Such is not the case with pens. Preserving a Waterman’s
have been created, no two alike, but in the end, they are all
56 does not mean that Mr. Dutcher cannot input new data.
horses. As pen collectors, do we not have the right, perhaps
There is no down side to preserving old pens.
even the obligation, to ensure that our pens are expressions
Where does all this leave us? My own feeling is that we
of what a pen represents to us? Any damn fool can knock
gain nothing and lose something when we destroy a vin-
out a million pale blue Bics. Why not one with polka dots, or
tage pen to make it into something else, unless we are put-
pieces of candy, or butterfly wings?
ting that pen to a “higher and better” use (as they say in
Imagine a space traveler 500 years from now viewing our
urban planning).
collections—all individual and all different. What an enlight-
If, for example, we take apart an intact 56 to restore a 456,
ened people, he might think. Imagine his disappointment
that might be justifiable, if there are no 456 parts available.
if, as Malvina Reynolds so beautifully put it, all he saw was
But to destroy a vintage pen to make another device that
“little boxes made of ticky-tacky and they all looked just
can be made without it seems to me to be just plain wrong.
the same.” I don’t know about you, but I’d like my legacy to
To apply the ancient concept often ascribed to the physi-
show that I was free, expressive and a man who stood for a
cian’s Hippocratic Oath, I believe that as pen collectors and
slightly off-center universe.
restorers we should “first do no harm.”
The pennant
FALL 2007
7
Diamond
by Marc Kolber, and edited by David Moak
"Diamond Dreams" is an edited version of
Marc Kolber’s memoirs of his family’s pen
business, the New Diamond Point Pen Co.
The original notes were hand written over
a period of time, resulting in some chronological confusions that I have attempted to
correct. The first pages were written around
April of 1985, the rest after November 1993.
Mr. Kolber died Jan. 26, 2003. Any changes
in the text have been made for the sake
of clarity. When Mr. Kolber began writing
these notes, the original intent was to prepare an article for Pen Fancier’s Magazine.
Doris Kolber, Marc’s widow, passed the
notes on to Rick Horne, and has graciously
allowed them to be shared with the pen
community. Mrs. Kolber also cleared up
some points that had confused me. For the
sake of clarity let me note that Morris and
Ida Kolber had six children who were, from
Records previously available indicate that the Diamond Point Pen Co. first
opened in 1873 as a maker of writing instruments. The business grew and prospered,
establishing itself as a producer of top-quality products. After operating successfully for
almost a half century under several ownerships, the company closed around 1918 or 1919.
The company was later reorganized under the leadership of Morris Kolber.
An Austrian Beginning
Morris Kolber was born in Dukla, Austria, in 1881. When Morris was about 5 years old,
his father overheard some men discussing the South African gold rush. Not one to let such
an opportunity pass him by, Morris’ father went off to seek his fortune in Witwatersrand.
The expedition for golden riches clearly didn’t make the family wealthy, but his father
returned with enough money to buy a tract of forestland where he operated a sawmill and
the oldest to youngest, Aaron, Sam, Molly,
shipped the cut lumber by horse and wagon.
Henrietta, Rose and Marc, all of whom
coming of age, Austria was rife with the militarism that would ultimately lead to World
figure in this narrative and in the history of
Diamond Point.
As a teenager, Morris sometimes assisted with the lumber deliveries. As Morris was
War I. The government regularly rounded up all youths as conscripts for the Imperial
Austro-Hungarian war machine. Dissatisfied with his lot and fearing persecution in the
notoriously anti-Semitic Hapsburg army, Morris left home for London, where he gained
employment with a tobacconist. Unfortunately for Morris, opportunities in London, while
—David L. Moak, editor
8
greater than those back in Austria, didn’t afford him the success for which he yearned. He
FALL 2007 The
pennant
Dreams
 In large quarters, possibly
built up a small nest egg and with his new mastery of English
the Hudson St. address, work-
he set off for the United States sometime before 1903.
ers had more room to perform
Morris Kolber settled in New York City, worked hard,
their jobs. In this case, the
made many friends, and met and married Ida Fredrichs. They
holder-turning department is
joined in community activities and started a large family, ulti-
shown. The pen holders are
mately comprising six children. He studied diligently for the
what we now call barrells.
 In today's mass-production,
mechanzied and nib production
atmosphere, it's hard to imagine a department of 13 individuals making nibs by hand
The pennant
FALL 2007
citizenship test and on May 14, 1914, one of the happiest days
of his life, he was awarded his certificate of naturalization.
By the age of 30, Morris owned and operated a licensed
liquor business. In 1918, the 18th Amendment prohibiting the
sale of alcoholic beverages in the United States as of Jan. 18,
1920, passed and was ratified. The Volstead Act, providing for
enforcement of prohibition, became law the following year over
but that was Diamond Point as
President Wilson’s veto. Forced to dispose of his inventory and
shown in this shot of the nib
close a very successful business, Kolber undertook the search
(then called pen) department.
for a new venture.
9
A New Business
Production Finally Begins
After much investigation he and a friend, Morris Neulander, found
With all the personnel and supplies in place, the new management
an enterprise that interested them. Attorney Harold R. Lowe intro-
started production. In the beginning, every part that went into a pen
duced them to Charles Flaum, the father-in-law of the last owner
had to be fabricated in one’s own factory. Very few parts were available
of the Diamond Point Pen Company. His son-in-law had gone off
from outside suppliers, so the manufacture of writing instruments was
to war, never to return. Lowe drew up a contract satisfactory to all
labor intensive. It took trained hands with diverse skills. Few auto-
participants. Charles Flaum and Morris Neulander, both older than
matic machines had yet been invented, so the work had to be done one
Kolber by many years, were the company’s primary financial inves-
piece at a time. Operations were slow, tedious and repetitious.
tors. They designated Morris Kolber as managing director, and all
The rubber shop, gold shop, and the assembly department were
parties understood that Flaum would leave the business as soon as he
the three primary divisions in a pen factory. Bins of matching caps
could obtain a full return on his investment.
and barrels funneled through the assembly line to the assembly
The new firm incorporated in 1916 under the name Diamond
department. Each worker sequentially attached, stamped, inserted,
Point Pen Company Incorporated. It remained at its 129 Lafayette
pressed, wedged, fitted and/or adjusted his component into place. In
Street location in New York City. Those premises were in complete
the end, all the parts became the whole, a finished fountain pen.
disarray, having been shut down for several years, but the machinery
Initially, the new owners resumed production of the same mod-
was still in place. They checked the machinery, prepared it for the
els of pens made by the former proprietors. Sufficient inventory was
start of operations, put the offices in order and began to hire staff.
on hand to make immediate deliveries of all orders and, as yet, they
First Steps for Diamond Point
didn’t attempt making any new designs. Management became accli-
The new owners rehired as many of the former employees as pos-
mated to the premises and procedures first, and it was quite a while
sible. They contacted Nathaniel J. Worth, who had been the sales
before Kolber and company undertook making style changes.
manager from 1910 until the original company closed. As an induce-
At this time, Nathaniel Worth recommended Harry Marks, a
ment for him to resume his former position, Kolber, Flaum and
salesman who had his own showroom in Chicago, to cover that city
Neulander offered him an opportunity to purchase an interest in the
and the surrounding territory. In a short time Harry got into the
firm. Worth accepted. His sales ability and business acumen were
swing of things, sending in his share of orders. Merchants who had
excellent, as was his reputation in the pen trade. They also hired Jack
had accounts with the old Diamond Point greeted the new salesmen
Wilkerson, a highly respected salesman, and gave him the task of
with open arms. Diamond Point’s excellent reputation continued
establishing the new venture with people he already knew.
uninterrupted, even though there had been no contact during the
Jim Victor Worth, son of Nathaniel J., was the former factory
hiatus in business.
manager/part-time salesman and returned in that capacity. Joe
The company took on and trained more salesmen in 1922 includ-
Miller came favorably recommended from L.E. Waterman, at whose
ing J.E. Choyhe, Max Mandheim, and Sam Lion. All three proved
company he had spent many years gaining experience as shop fore-
their ability to sell pens. Another group of salesmen, L.B. Scheyer,
man. The new owners interviewed and hired him for the factory
R.C. Nathan, and Louis Markowitz, joined Diamond Point in 1923.
foreman position. He became Jim Worth’s assistant in running the
Most became members of the permanent sales force. Diamond Point
manufacturing operations, with instructions to improve the produc-
was carving out a niche in the marketplace for its brand of pens. The
tion capabilities where possible.
customer account list included every conceivable type of sales outlet:
Kolber also hired an office staff of experienced people to handle the
retailers, drug store chains, wholesalers, jobbers, premium distribu-
routine paperwork. Miss Dorothy Hartwig was pleased to return as
tors, and even so called “manufacturers.” All became occasional buy-
the office manager and bookkeeper, overseeing the staff. Routine con-
ers and most eventually became good, steady customers. The firm
tacts within the pen business resulted in a steady stream of applicants
gained the recognition and respect of many national corporations as
and all the necessary factory workers were hired with no difficulty.
a dependable vendor in the pen industry.
Much of the credit for the successful start-up belonged to the
At this time, the new owners added mechanical pencils to the line.
organizational abilities of Jim Worth and Joe Miller. They stocked
They tested and permanently installed tools and other equipment spe-
each workstation fully, with all supplies necessary for the work,
cially designed for pencil making. Production started with sales fol-
thereby avoiding difficulties that could cause delays. Over the break-
lowing directly thereafter, resulting in a successful product launch.
in period, all those employed at Diamond Point learned to iron out
The overall volume of sales increased by leaps and bounds after
the kinks in their own ways and settled into the routine of their jobs.
the reorganization, so much so that the young firm desperately
Kolber became a strong, able leader under the tutelage of the team of
needed additional space. Diamond Point opened temporary offices
Nathaniel Worth, Joe Worth, Jim Miller and Dorothy Hartwig, all
in the heart of Manhattan at 100 West 32 Street, probably in 1924,
experienced professionals.
and leased an additional factory downtown on Broome Street to
10
FALL 2007
The pennant
ease the work area crowding. But another unforeseen development
department was the central control area for all factory operations.
required even more manufacturing space.
Together, Worth and Aaron Kolber planned the introduction of each
Celluloid Changes the Game
lot of pens and pencils. It was their job to be sure the assembly lines
Prior to 1925, caps and barrels of fountain pens were made from
had all necessary parts and supplies. A great deal of the department’s
processed hard rubber, also known as Vulcanite. Vulcanite was also
efficiency depended on the well developed instincts of the manager.
used successfully in many other manufacturing industries. The rich
Upon Jim Worth’s retirement, Aaron became the new manager of
glossy appearance of the highly polished Vulcanite greatly enhanced
the department, but that was still in the future.
the appeal of fountain pens.
By the end of 1925, the new owners of Diamond Point produced
But celluloid, a cellulose acetate material already in production
enough new models of pens to feel that the merchandise selection
and ready for sale, revolutionized the way writing instruments were
was their own. The advent of celluloid eliminated the last of the old
made. For the first time, celluloid became available in a rod form
styles still in the line. Kolber and his production team could now
suitable for pen manufacturing. Available in solid and mottled col-
claim credit for everything they then produced.
ors, celluloid delivered a completely new, brightly colored appearance
to pens and pencils.
Diamond Point had come of age. Sales had more than quadrupled.
Each officer had his duties and knew what was expected of him. At a
Since celluloid is a highly f lammable substance, restrictions were
board meeting, they spoke of future plans and how to improve busi-
placed on methods of storage and handling. The New York City Fire
ness. They rewarded themselves, declaring a stock dividend, which
Department Code precluded manufacturing this combustible mate-
improved the company’s capital position.
rial in the Lafayette Street factory. This necessitated finding a location that would permit such an operation immediately.
Several staff changes were announced at this 1925 meeting as
well. Nathaniel Worth advised that he would be leaving at the end
After several inquiries, a trip to the city of Norwalk, Conn.,
of the year. Jim Worth was promoted to vice president. He would
resolved the problem. Norwalk was on the main New Haven
devote more time to selling, leaving others to help in the factory. Jack
Railroad line about 40 minutes from midtown Manhattan. The E.I.
Wilkerson, the most senior salesman, temporarily took over the sales
Dupont Company’s plant in New Jersey
manager position until they could hire someone new.
would be the celluloid supplier and
 Severely oxidized,
make deliveries to Norwalk.
this photo appears
The successful search ended with a
to be of the final pen
short-term lease at suitable manufactur-
assembly operations
ing quarters. Kolber purchased machin-
in the Diamond Point
ery and without further delay began
factory, probably at 129
work to enable the company to produce
Lafayette Street.
pen and pencil holders using this plastic
material. The caps and barrels fabricated
in Norwalk were shipped to Lafayette
Street for f inal assembly. Diamond
Point was able to produce these new celluloid writing instruments
and bring them to market quickly. Once again scientific ingenuity
introduced a new material that was used with great success in many
diverse industries.
The Big Move
A New Addition
The now-more-experienced owners then came to the most important
Aaron Kolber entered the world in 1904, born to Ida and Morris
subject: Diamond Point decided to shut down its Lafayette Street
Kolber in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. After graduation from Bryant High
facility. To gain the greatest efficiency, the company needed a new
School, he headed off to Philadelphia to attend the University of
production space that would enable all employees to be at one loca-
Pennsylvania. Much to his family’s dismay, he soon returned home,
tion. Internal manufacturing changes were important to accommo-
stating that he was through with schooling and was going to work in
date new machinery, new methods of production and new products.
the family business.
All agreed they had learned much from their experiences and were
Jim Worth acted as Aaron’s mentor at Diamond Point. When
Worth made the occasional sales call on a special account, he left
tired of constantly making haphazard improvements as needed. The
time was ripe to bring together all operations under one roof.
Aaron in charge. The time arrived when Aaron did all the work as
They leased a loft at 333 Hudson Street for a period of 10 years.
factory manager under the watchful eyes of his teacher. Worth’s
They moved into a much larger, more modern plant, equipped with
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FALL 2007
11
the newest machinery available in the industry. The new factory
finally received its license from the Fire Department for manufac-
occupied the top f loor of a 10-story building located in an industrial
turing celluloid pens and pencils at the new facility, which enabled
area just north of the Holland Tunnel. Eisenberg Industrial, pen fac-
them to close the Norwalk facility. For the first time, Morris Kolber
tory specialists, designed and built the new premises to meet all the
housed all employees, a staff well over 100 strong, under one roof.
requirements set forth in the New York City Fire Department Code
for the storage and manufacture of celluloid products.
The use of rubber had had its day and now it was on the way out,
being replaced by the new pyroxolin plastic manufactured by E.I.
To prepare for the move, Kolber increased factory production so
Dupont de Nemours and Co. Dupont assisted company employees
they could stockpile inventories more quickly. He rushed all sizable
by supplying all necessary information and instruction. Dupont
orders to completion and shipped them early if possible. He updated
technicians made themselves available to solve problems without any
work schedules to ensure that all work in process was finished. Then
stoppage in production.
they waited for news that construction had been completed and to
Pens with celluloid caps and barrels now made up more than
receive a certificate of occupancy. That news started the cross-town
60 percent of Diamond Point’s merchandise. New, colorful prod-
parade of trucks transporting all the worldly possessions of the
ucts captured the consumer market. Retailers began offering older
Diamond Point Pen Co. Inc. to its new home. Eisenberg Industrial’s
model pens and pen-
men instructed the Diamond Point staff in the new skills necessary for
cils from store stocks
operating the new plant. The power source for the machines and many
for sale at discounted
 Though darkened with time and oxidation,
machines themselves were all new. It was most important for everyone
prices. Diamond Point
it’s still easy to tell that these workers are
to become acclimated in and around their workstations. The sooner
f o l l o w e d s u i t , p u t-
using small lathes to turn parts in the early
they felt at home, the quicker normal production would return.
ting older inventories
Diamond Point factory. None of the photos
Leaving Lafayette Street made 1925 their best year yet. They
up for sale at reduced
is labeled, so it’s a guess that this was the
made and sold a lot of product, and a small portion of their robust
prices, thus clearing
early 129 Lafayette Street location.
sales numbers was due to the new celluloid plastic. The future looked
out products that had
 Huge belt sanders and a lot of dust
excellent for these new products. A new dimension, color, greatly
previously been popu-
accompanied the finishing operations at the
enhanced the attractiveness of pens and pencils. Diamond Point
lar. This housecleaning
early Diamond Point factory.
12
FALL 2007
The pennant
made room for the newly designed products f lowing through the fac-
to winners, rather like lottery scratch tickets do today. Prizes varied
tory in preparation for the next new season.
from card to card. The cost of taking a chance punch was minimal
To clear out all remaining raw material inventory, the company
when compared to the value of the prize. Aaron suggested that the
continued to manufacture rubber parts; but rubber had received its
retailer use Diamond Point pens already in stock for prizes. The
final knock-out blow. Celluloid became the basic raw material for
retailers accepted the strategy and thereby increased business for
new product development throughout the industry.
themselves and for Diamond Point. ✍
True to his word, Nathaniel Worth left at the end of 1925. Under
his aggressive leadership, business had blossomed during each of
All rights reserved by the author.
the four years of his tenure. He was sorely missed until they found a
replacement of equal caliber and with his departure, sales dropped off.
The firm began to send salesmen on the road early enough so that
This is the first of five articles detailing the history of
buyers could place orders in a timely manner. Merchandise had to be
the Diamond Point Co., the vast majority of which comes
on hand for the main selling seasons, which were school, autumn and
This is the first of four articles detailing the history of the
directly from a member of the last family to own the
Diamond Point Co., the vast majority of which comes directly
company.
We hope
this
interest
others
in this comfrom
a member
of the
lastwill
family
to own
the company.
We
Christmas, accounting for over 60 percent of annual retail sales. For
these road trips, Diamond Point designed and produced prototypes
of new models. When they had time available, the salesmen traveled
off the beaten path to exploit uncharted areas in their territories.
This proved costly but over time did bring in new sales outlets, many
hope this will interest others in this company and/or allow
pany and/or allow connections to other pen organizaconnections to other pen organizations to be made by additions to
be made by
additional
issue,
tional
researchers.
Next
issue, weresearchers.
examine theNext
company’s
general merchandise jobber had his salespeople traveling the small
growth
as it adopts
new marketing
diversifies
its
we examine
the company’s
growthstrategies,
as it adopts
new marproduct lines, and deals with some difficult circumstances.
keting strategies, diversifies its product lines, and deals
towns in his area calling on almost all storekeepers. As part of each
with some difficult circumstances.
of which became steady customers.
Aaron Kolber discovered a creative way to increase pen sales. A
visit, his salesman left a free “punch card.” Each card awarded prizes
The pennant
FALL 2007
13
L.
Michael
Fultz
t
her e was a
to attend college—those of us who
time, not too
or whose parents lived through the
long ago, when
Depression recall that anything old
p e n c o l l e c-
or antique was not cherished, and
tors were able to specialize. Harry
the word “collectible” had yet to
Bouras collected Sheaffers. Don
enter the popular vocabulary.
Lavin was the Wahl Eversharp guy,
Fultz went on to college, both at
and Dan Zazove and Michael Fultz
the University of Chicago and Ohio
collected Parkers. Oh, and everyone
University, and thence to the work-
collected Watermans. Of course,
ing world. He spent time as the
this predated the Internet and the
general manager of Maywood Park
personal computer, but it was not so
Race Track, served as treasurer of
long ago—only about 30 years.
If you’re a collector, or a visitor
to a certain pen show, you recognize the names above as Chicagoans.
Today, Messers. Fultz, Lavin and
Zazove are the driving force behind
the Chicago Pen Show held early each
One
of Our
Grand
Old
Collectors
by
May, a show that has a primary focus on
vintage pens. Speaking of vintage pens, let’s
Michael Fultz. Actually, it’s L. Michael, but it’s never
Mike, and, if left up to its owner, it’s usually just plain
Fultz.
Fultz, like a few of us still around, began collecting when pens
were still available “in the wild,” i.e., pre-eBay. Today, of course, any-
Transportation Authority, was
comptroller of a medical association, worked for the State of
Illinois, and also served as an auditor
for Arthur Andersen & Co.
Fultz married Martha McCall and
has homes both on Chicago’s Gold Coast
PAUL BLOCH
visit a little with a collector of very vintage pens,
the Northeast Illinois Regional
and in Milton, Wisconsin, a town of 4,000
near Parker’s Janesville. The home in Milton,
Michael reports, in addition to his wife and cat, is
also home to books, tools, a machine shop, a “really big”
safe and his collections. It also sports railroad tracks in the back
yard and, according to some, the ghost of an old lamplighter in the front
parlor. Fultz, being a skeptic, has yet to encounter said gentleman.
one who stumbles across a collectible left lying around becomes an
Long-time Sheaffer collector Dan Reppert, who is currently PCA
instant online expert, but imagine a time when we listened to radio
president and librarian, tells a story about an encounter he and his wife,
more than we watched TV, and pen companies were run by the fami-
Cyndie, had with Fultz: “At a particularly slow pen show someplace,
lies that founded them.
Cyndie and I had left our table and were walking the f loor when we
Back in the 1950s, Michael Fultz acquired his first pens, relics left
stopped briefly to browse at Michael’s wares,” Reppert recalls. “Noting
behind by a grandfather who had moved on to the latest invention, the
that we were from Ft. Madison, he looked at Cyndie and said, ‘Do you
ballpoint, given him by the salesmen who called on his building materi-
know George Kraker?’
als business. That first accumulation included, Fultz recalls, an orange
Parker Duofold Senior. These pens did not survive Fultz’s leaving home
14
Cyndie replied that no, she did not. To which Michael huffed, ‘Well,
you should!’ And now she does.
FALL 2007
The pennant
For those of you yet to have the pleasure
Messer’s impressions are that “no one living
venue. While Michael refers to himself as
of making Fultz’s acquaintance, this so aptly
has more precise knowledge or humility,” and
“Fultz,” those who know him well will call him
describes what Michael is about. In friend and
that Fultz’s knowledge is shared without spin
“Michael.” Others may, as a sign of both the
venerable pen collector Jon Messer’s words, “To
or opinion (unless one specifically requests it).
affection and respect in which Fultz is held,
those who know him well (or as a true friend),
Again, this is very much within my own expe-
refer to him as “Mr. Fultz.” Gerry Berg is one
Michael is a fellow of the highest integrity with
rience, as well.
of these. While Gerry has never met Michael
a heart of pure gold.” And for those of you who
Messer also shares a wonderful story about
in person, he has encountered him on Zoss.
don’t know the man, look him up the next time
the Fultz style, in which the two of them are
Not, as Gerry points out, dealing with what’s
you’re in Chicago, or ask him a question online.
sitting at a show, just chatting and catching up,
in one’s pocket today, or judging an ink color,
A warning: don’t waste Fultz’s time.
when a “very serious, most verbal” fellow col-
but in answering “highly technical questions.”
But our Fultz did not forget the fire that
lector approaches Michael with a “six- or seven-
Let Gerry tell it:
had been lit as a young man, and he went on
hundred-word convoluted turn-of-the-century
“I sometimes put these [technical questions]
to become one of the preeminent collectors of
pen manufacturer question.” Michael lifted
up on the board because I’m stuck in a plunger-
his day. In addition to Conklin, Fultz collected
one eyebrow, Jon reports, and simply answered,
filler repair or I’ve noticed that the shape of
early Watermans, and as he recalls, “a hundred
“Nope.” He then proceeded to continue his
a Sheaffer piston nut in 1935 is not the same
other early pen brands.” Oh yes,
and there were the Parkers—arguably the most comprehensive collection of early and vintage Parkers
in the world.
Howard Levy of Bexley Pens
tells the story of visiting Milton
“…no one living has more precise
knowledge or humility…”
about 10 or 12 years ago, to
take a look at that collection.
After Howard had stared at about 30 or 40
delightful conversation with Jon as if they had
as in 1942. For those kinds of questions, [Mr.
Vacumatics that had never become prod-
never been interrupted. “That’s the Michael
Fultz] is a mine of information and doesn’t
ucts—all were prototype materials—for about
I’ve known and loved for the past quarter cen-
mind spending time writing about it.
two hours, Fultz turned to Howard and said,
tury,” Jon adds.
“This is true as well for questions concern-
“Levy, at this rate you are never going to see
Michael also turned his enthusiasm for col-
ing a tiny pen company that existed for six
the other 99.99 percent of what I have before
lecting into writing about vintage pens. He’s
years in the 1920s and was named after one’s
you leave.” Howard stayed for two days, and
editorial director of PenBid, a contributing
long-gone great-grand-uncle. He seems to
his guess is that he never saw about 95 percent
editor of Pen World, and has written for The
know all about it, and probably interviewed the
of Fultz’s collection. That collection has been
Pennant, InSync, and the Journal of the United
grandson of the company’s accountant!”
sold, destined, one hopes, to become part of a
Kingdom’s Writing Equipment Society. Today,
When asked if he were starting anew
future pen museum.
he supports himself and his pen collection by
what he would collect, Michael replies that
My own introduction to Michael was when
making a very limited-edition line of precious
he would concentrate on those pre-1880
I posted a newbie—to vintage collectibles—
metal pens and operating Chicago Gold, Inc,
pens and fancy dip pens, or perhaps “to
question on the Zoss listserv. Back-channel,
buyers, dealers and appraisers of vintage pens,
focus on an obscure brand or a particular
Michael, with whom I had no prior relation-
vintage watches and estate jewelry.
time period.” Advice, dispensed by Fultz in
ship, quietly sat on my right shoulder (that’s
Fultz’s pen collection formerly focused on
small, terse doses, comes today online and
the one reserved for the angels in the collecting
Parker and on eyedropper-filled and early self-
in the several publications to which he con-
community) and pointed me towards a dealer
fillers. Once this collection was sold, he kept
tributes. His advice to current collectors is
who would not only have the Vacumatic pencil
about a dozen fountain pens and a couple of
to “research, research, research—then buy
I sought, but would have it in the condition and
dozen dip pens. Today, he focuses on pre-1880
the very best. Not the most expensive, but
at a price that were responsible.
fountain pens and fancy dip pens and pencils,
the rarest and in the best condition.” Wise
purchasing as many examples as he can find on
words, carefully dispensed, by a much-loved
eBay and at pen shows.
member of our collector community.
That’s Fultz: quiet, a man of very few
words, and always thorough and unobtrusive.
Jon Messer of Stylus magazine has known
Many collectors have met Michael as I did,
Michael for many more years than I. Some of
with a question in the Zoss or another online
The pennant
FALL 2007
✍
All rights reserved by the author.
15
,
I learned penmanship in a Bronx public school, using wooden dip
thereafter, a personal computer, convinced me to put aside the foun-
pens with steel nibs, replenished from inkwells recessed into the
tain pen, for by then I used pens solely for brief and utilitarian tasks,
upper right-hand corner of each desk. The desks and their benches
and the ballpoint pen required a minimum of attention. Still, most
were screwed to the floor; and, but for the relatively simple lines of
of my published essays on musical matters as well as my master’s
the wrought-iron framework of these desks, the scene could have been
thesis and my book on recorder technique were written, at least in
set in the 1890s rather than in the year 1953—the last year of the
part, with fountain pens. I found early on that I could do some of
Korean War, when McCarthyism was at its height, the Rosenbergs
my best work by composing my first draft with the fountain pen and
were awaiting execution, and Dwight D. Eisenhower had just begun
then revising and refining my work as I typed it—or later on, keyed
his first term as president of a nation that, for better and for worse,
it into my computer.
MODERN FOUNTAIN PEN
LACKING IN BAL AN
CE
By Daniel Waitzman
still believed, more or less, in eternal verities and apple pie.
In due course, I graduated to the fountain pen. My first fountain
musical performance and teaching rather than to writing or note-
pen, a green Esterbrook, became one of my most treasured posses-
taking; and such writing tasks that I did find necessary—mostly the
sions: for even in those days, the fountain pen was not only a prac-
preparation of publicity material and program notes—I could handle
tical writing implement, but also a ceremonial object—a symbol of
well enough and with a minimum of effort on the typewriter and the
adulthood and of literacy. In 1953, the ballpoint pen was still a joke,
computer.
and my parents did not own a typewriter. Pencils were for babies and
lower-graders.
16
However, by the mid-’70s, most of my energy was devoted to
In recent years, I have again become enamored of the fountain pen
as both an eminently practical writing tool and a thing of beauty in its
By the mid-1950s, some really excellent and affordable ballpoint
own right. The workmanship and individuality of a finely made pen
pens had become generally available; and by the time I entered junior
reminds one of the workmanship and individuality of a finely made
high school, they had pretty much replaced the fountain pen in the
musical instrument. Having experienced both the final years of the
classroom. I still preferred the fountain pen for serious and lengthy
fountain pen’s hegemony and its present revival, I cannot help but
writing tasks, however—partly on account of its ease of use.
notice the changes that fountain pen culture has undergone since my
The ballpoint pen demanded more physical effort than the foun-
earlier days. Some of these changes are quite substantial. Some are
tain pen and therefore tended to cramp the hand. This was a matter
good. (Among these may be mentioned the widespread use of the con-
of some concern to me, since I had by then begun the study of the
verter, which, despite its faults, has vastly simplified the problems of
flute and recorder, which ultimately became my profession. The play-
maintenance and repair.) Some are quite the opposite.
ing of a musical instrument taxes the hands; and the added physical
Writing capabilities devalued
strain attendant upon the use of a ballpoint pen discouraged me from
Modern fountain pens tend to be larger, more massive, and more opu-
abandoning the fountain pen altogether. And although I had learned
lently constructed than they were in the old days. This is a reflection
to compose at the typewriter by the time I entered graduate school,
of the greater emphasis on their function as ceremonial objects, rather
the fountain pen seemed to afford me the most complete control over
than as utilitarian implements. It is not uncommon to find modern
the process of setting down words to paper. I continued, therefore, to
pens built of precious metals, sometimes covered with enamel. These
use fountain pens on and off into the 1970s, and for music notation
are at least as much objets d’art as they are writing tools. Such pens
into the 1990s.
are certainly most attractive, and I can well understand how their
Electricity supplants manual tools
possession may become an end unto itself; but some of them tend to
Only my purchase of an IBM Selectric typewriter, followed a decade
be too massive for their own good. Beyond a certain point, the more
later by an electronic typewriter with a one-line display and, shortly
massive a pen becomes, the more strain it places on the user’s hand. A
FALL 2007
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ballpoint pen cramps the hand on account of the pressure it requires;
I am writing this with a brand new Parker Duofold Centennial, fit-
a large, massive fountain pen may cramp the hand on account of the
ted with a No. 80 Needlepoint nib. In point of fact (and I hope that the
force needed to overcome the inertia of its mass. And some modern
reader will excuse the pun), this so-called “needlepoint” is an extra-fine
pens are so opulently built and so massive that they seem more suited
or fine nib, and a superb one at that. It more than holds its own with
to a safe-deposit box than to a writer’s hand.
the best rigid-point nibs of old. But this No. 80 nib had to be special
In short, what used to be called the pen holder has pre-empted that
ordered from Janesville, Wisconsin, and although the Parker people
which used to be called the pen or nib, which of course is ultimately
go out of their way to address the individual needs of their customers
the reason for the pen holder’s existence in the first place. All too
in the most gracious, praiseworthy and professional manner, one still
often, the fountain pen’s machinery—the nib, feed and ink-storage
wishes that such nibs were available on an over-the-counter basis.
REVIVAL
apparatus—
Although nib selection must remain a matter of personal prefer-
are applied to
ence, I am personally convinced that a nib that produces a thin line is
the modern
better suited to general use than one that writes with a thick one. For
fountain pen
one thing, the liquid ink that the fountain pen deposits on the paper
a s a n a f t e r-
has a tendency to limit the delicacy of the characters, unless the line
thought. One
made by the pen be sufficiently thin so that the loops of such letters as
may have the
lower-case “e” remain empty.
experience of
The problem is exacerbated by the characteristics of many papers,
tr y ing ha lf a
which cause the line made by a fountain pen to appear thicker still.
dozen different brands of pen, only to realize that they are all fit-
The ballpoint pen, let it be noted, and even its gel and rollerball vari-
ted with nibs made to similar specifications, often by the same nib
ants, are subject to no such restriction; their lines are naturally thin,
manufacturers.
and they afford the user an impressive range of control over the size of
As a symptom of the decline in importance that the writing abilities
of fountain pens have undergone since their revival, consider the fact
the letters. A fine or extra-fine nib on a fountain pen allows the user a
similar degree of control.
that many, or most, pen shops forbid the customer to fill the pen before
By contrast, a fountain pen fitted with a medium or broad nib—or
buying, even though a fountain pen performs very differently when it
even a modern so-called “extra-fine” nib—compels the user to write
is actually filled than when it is merely dipped. It is as if the fountain
characters that are too large; it thereby restricts the amount of data that
pen were a philatelic or numismatic object rather than a device for the
one can fit into a given space. This makes it more difficult to fill out
recording of data.
forms, write checks, or even to take notes. In my experience, a coarser-
This custom implies that the fountain pen is really of no use what-
grade nib severely limits the utility of a fountain pen, especially in an
ever, except as an object of conspicuous consumption, like the equally
age in which the fountain pen is no longer the king of the mountain.
useless ceremonial conductor’s batons of the 19th century.
Good nibs: irresistibly seductive
There is a term for the neglect of a device’s function in favor of its
The coarser nib also requires more frequent refilling than does the
form and its mystique: decadence. And let it be noted that this rather
finer-pointed nib—a circumstance that assumes still greater impor-
cavalier attitude towards the functionality of fountain pens is unphilo-
tance given the small capacity of modern converters. (This insuffi-
sophical in the extreme, to the point where it ultimately and paradoxi-
cient capacity of the converter has been noted by a number of observ-
cally vitiates the very ceremonial significance that endears the fountain
ers, including Geoff Roe in a little booklet, Inadequacies of Writing
pen to many aficionados today.
Instrument Design and Manufacture [2004]).
You call that an extra-fine?
Commensurate with the nib’s status as the inferior partner in the mar-
One symptom of the de-emphasis of the nib and its supporting compo-
riage of nib to pen holder, I should also cite the experience—shared with
nents is the inflation that the terminology of nib grades has undergone.
many, I am sure—of having tried a pen that writes very well for a page
What many makers now call an “extra-fine” nib is, in reality, a medium
or so, then starts to skip, requiring a rest before writing again. There are
nib. The Japanese pen makers and some Italian firms continue to
also those nibs that exhibit ink starvation when one draws lines in certain
make true extra-fine and fine nibs that are worthy of the name—as did
directions, or when one forms certain initial characters, notably the let-
Sheaffer, at least before it reduced their pen production in the United
ter “C.” Such flaws are especially hard to detect before the purchase, what
States. Sheaffer’s Legacy model was at least as excellent a pen as the
with the unwillingness of most pen stores to allow the customer to fill a
More › › › 48
pen prior to making the decision to buy it.
Pen For Men upon which it was based.
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FALL 2007
17
The
Other Walter
Cushing, Not Sheaffer
Par t II: Into the 20 th Centur y
by Rober t Wm. Ast yk
Last issue, we
The Moore’s Non-Leakable fountain pen (Fig. 1) gained substantial success,
began with Walter
and fierce. The Boston companies alone at the turn of the 20th century included A. A.
first regionally, then nationally. Yet even within Boston, the competition was broad
Waterman, Ayer, Crocker and Sterling. Adding Cambridge and other surrounding cities,
Cushing’s personal
let alone the national brands, Moore’s competitors numbered in the hundreds. But Moore
held its own in that competitive arena to such an extent that the world’s largest pen manu-
origins, bringing him
into the beginning of the
20th century with a new
pen concept. This new pen
facturer, the L. E. Waterman Company, found it prudent to add a safety pen line by 1907.
Walter Cushing was something of an autocrat. That was not unusual for the head of a family, particularly a wealthy, socially connected family of the era. He was not a man who tolerated disorder or loose
ends and he had a number of loose ends that needed tying up relating to his ownership of the Moore patents.
In the summer of 1910 an opportunity presented itself to him.
The Moore’s Non-Leakable’s competitors were faring poorly. The Horton Pen Company was defunct
by 1905. Caw’s Pen and Ink Company was barely staying afloat by drawing on owner Frank Brown’s wife’s
met with such success that
money. Morris Moore himself had made a failed attempt to produce a competing pen in 1906–07. He
Walter Cushing could build
Company, working on the Bunker Hill line of fountain pens. Moore’s royalty arrangements had expired a
the spacious but modest
had found employment with Adams, Cushing and Foster’s primary Boston competitor, the Samuel Ward
year or two earlier, and now he was a gadfly buzzing around Cushing’s pen company.
In order to evade Brown’s patents on the spiral cam safety, Frank D. Waterman’s engineers had hit
upon the clever solution of adding the spiral to the interior wall of their safety-pen barrels. Though the
h o u s e a t 60 Wo b u r n
solution was indeed clever, it was also expensive to manufacture and prone to failures both in machining the spiral grooves and when the hard-rubber pin that rode in those grooves began to wear. Frank
Street in West Medford
as a wedding gift in 1906
to his daughter Katherine
and her husband, New York
Waterman wanted leave to use Brown’s patents, while Cushing wanted Brown’s residual rights to the
Moore patents. The Day brothers of Day Rubber in Seymour, Conn., held the key to fulfilling both
Waterman’s and Cushing’s desires.
Frank Brown was heavily indebted to the Days for hard-rubber parts. They brokered a deal that
would give Brown the cash to settle his debt and keep his company on its feet, even if shakily. Cushing,
at the same time, had an opportunity to pay off Morris Moore in return for perpetual non-competition. When all the dust settled in August 1910, some money had changed hands, but both Cushing and
businessman Henry P. van
Waterman had what they wanted.
de Bogert, Jr.
As we’ve already seen, competition for the Moore’s pen, even within the narrow confines of Boston, was
The future interferes
rather stiff. Barely had the Moore’s Non-Leakable begun to establish itself in the market when, in 1902,
the pen that would make it and all other retractable safety pens obsolete started appearing from a loft
just a three-block walk from the Adams, Cushing and Foster store.
Fig. 1
18
FALL 2007
The pennant
pen required a cap that would seal the feed away from air. Eberstein built
on patent attorney Oliver R. Mitchell’s patent 634,013 (Fig. 2) in creating the first separate inner cap for a fountain pen. The combination of
the feed’s large surface area and the seal between the section and inner
cap created a simple, inexpensive and effective solution to the leakage
problem that retractable safeties solved with complexity, relatively great
expense and only partial success.
For 15 years, the Boston Fountain Pen Company, unofficially called
the Boston Safety Fountain Pen Company, built a reputation for reliability and proof against leakage that steadily ate into the markets of
most pen companies, particularly Cushing’s American Fountain Pen
Company and Waterman’s.
Then in 1916, Charles Keeran, the inventor of the Eversharp pencil and an executive with its producer, the Wahl Adding Machine
Company, paid a visit to the John Wanamaker Department Store
in New York City. He asked to see the best fountain pen sold in the
stationery department. To his surprise, the salesman offered him
a Boston pen. As the saying goes, the rest is history. Still, as with so
much of history, the popular myth that we all know so well is really
only a part of the story.
Back-room dealing
The Brandts were badly in need of cash. In order to raise it, they made
a deal with Keeran on behalf of Wahl for a substantial loan for which
Fig. 2
the pen company itself became collateral. The reason they
Charles Brandt, an immigrant from Germany,
Fig. 1 Moore’s Non-Leakable foun-
were so desperate for cash was that Walter Cushing had
had originally come to Pennsylvania. He married
tain pen. The price band reads:
been quietly working through his banking contacts to deny
into an old New York Dutch family and moved to
“This pen is FILLED. Unscrew. This
credit to the Boston Fountain Pen Company. The advance
Boston in the late 1870s. He manufactured sand-
end up. No. 02—Stub $3.50”. For a
by Wahl and Keeran merely delayed the inevitable. In 1917,
paper and lived just off Park Street in the fashion-
brief time Moore and various pen
the note came due. The Brandts were unable to repay Wahl
able streetcar suburb of Dorchester Centre with
manufacturers, especially safety
and some of the Boston templates for turning hard-rubber
his wife, two sons, George F. and Charles E., and
pen manufacturers, sold pens
parts as well as patent rights went off to Chicago.
two nephews from his wife’s family, Charles S. and
pre-filled so customers could buy
What didn’t make the trip west became the prop-
George B. Voorhees. Probably through his son
a pen ready to use right out of the
erty of a newly reorganized version of Walter Cushing’s
George, he encountered the German émigré engi-
display case.
pen company, now known as The Moore Pen Company.
neer August Eberstein, with whom the Brandts
Fig. 2 Oliver Mitchell patent
Cushing accomplished this all quietly and with such
formed the Boston Fountain Pen Company in
634,013.
finesse that George F. and Charles E. Brandt both went
1902 with an office at 46 School Street across the
Fig. 3 Moore Banker-style safety
to work as salesmen for the Moore Pen Company fol-
street from Boston City Hall.
pen with sliding-sleeve covered
lowing Boston’s demise. Also probably from Boston
Eberstein designed a “ladder feed” with a vastly
barrel. The design is based on
Fountain Pen, Moore acquired the services of production
increased surface area to which ink could cling by
Francis W. Vaughn, Jr.’s patent
supervisor Milford Guy Sypher.
surface tension, reducing or preventing leakage
984,116. It is a more streamlined
The Moore Pen Company, besides producing the
within the pen cap. Because that supply of ink adher-
version of the standard Moore’s
safety pens that had made the name famous and the
ing to the feed might dry out and clog the feed, the
Non-Leakable.
new Ink-Tab pens designed with a view to military use,
Fig. 3
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FALL 2007
19
Company was doing well enough to expand its production capacity. Cushing no longer needed Welty’s facilities to meet his orders.
He assumed full and exclusive use of the Servo trademark, probably
under license from Welty.
Post-war boom—and bust
Both the pen company and the stationery business prospered in the
wake of World War I. In 1920 Cushing, George L. Davis and Theodore
Foster moved their offices from 168 Devonshire Street, which they’d
occupied since 1888, to 110–114 Federal Street, Boston, as of June 1.
The move brought them into larger and more modern quarters.
The 1920s held three signal events for the pen industry as a whole.
Parker’s 1922 introduction of the Duofold moved the Janesville pen
manufacturer out of second place in pen production and into first, ahead
Fig. 4
developed the Banker-style safety pens that covered the whole barrel
in an external sleeve (Fig. 3), and began producing conventional eyedropper pens identical to the Boston Safeties (and also identical to
the Wahl Tempoint eyedroppers) as well as a series of lever-filled pens
using George F. Brandt’s patent numbers 1,261,481 and 1,288,819 (Fig.
4, 5).
Additionally, as 1917 began, Walter Cushing concluded a contract
with William A. Welty of Waterloo, Iowa, to produce a secondary
line of lever-filled pens under the Servo name. They stood in relation to the Moore Pen Company’s products much as Remex and, later,
Aikin-Lambert did to Waterman. For the most part, the Servo pens
made under this contract show “Waterloo, Ia. and Boston, Mass.”
in the barrel imprint. Several years later, the reorganized Moore
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
20
FALL 2007
The pennant
Fig. 7
of the venerable and stodgy L. E. Waterman Company. It
also made colored pens with contrasting cap and barrel
ends de rigueur.
Sheaffer’s introduction in 1923 of colored celluloid pens
swept the Fort Madison company into second place behind
Parker. And then the stock market crash of October 1929
plunged the whole world into a financial depression whose
effects still ripple through the world’s economies today.
Foster, although George L. Davis, the Moore Pen Company
Fig. 4 George F. Brandt
patent 1,261,481.
vice president, also held an interest in the stationery firm.
Fig. 5 George F. Brandt
patent 1,288,819.
profits from the business.
Fig. 6 Moore Luxor pen
with red Bakelite trim.
Cushing and Davis agreed that it might be time to take their
The Boston stationery business had many rivalries
but, as part of Walter Cushing’s penchant for joining and
Fig. 7 Moore Tuscan.
conviviality, he had become a founding member of the
Fig. 8 Moore Fingertip.
Boston Stationers’ Association in 1888. The largest statio-
Moore, under Cushing’s leadership, continued to
ners used the occasion of the death of one of their most
produce safety pens but responded more deftly than
senior colleagues, Thomas Groom, to meet in the office of
many companies to popular fads and trends. The wide popularity of
Hooper, Lewis and Company to form a professional association whose
Rudolph Valentino’s “The Sheik” in 1921 and the 1923 opening of King
unifying factor was their business.
Tutankhamen’s tomb by Howard Carter brought exceptional popular
Another of the founders was Samuel Ward. Ward’s had long been
appeal to all things of the Middle East. In response, Moore produced a
the largest manufacturing and retail stationer in Boston. The company
line of Luxor pens (Fig. 6), which exist in black hard rubber both chased
had even fielded a short-lived and competitive pen line under the Bunker
and unchased and have colored Bakelite trim. This was also Moore’s first
Hill brand and had hired Morris W. Moore to help with that sally into
answer to the Parker Duofold.
Cushing’s territory.
By the end of 1924, Walter Cushing had secured a source for cherry-red
At some point in 1927 or 1928, Cushing and Davis entered into
hard rubber and Henry J. Upton, another Medford resident and partner
negotiations with the Samuel Ward Company. The result was that
in the Vaughn-Upton Company that had been working on improvements
Cushing and Davis each obtained a share of Ward’s which, in turn,
to American/Moore pens since at least 1910, designed an arrangement for
acquired Adams, Cushing and Foster. A, C & F became the wholesale
the cap top of a new pen. The pen was to be red, rather than the Duofold’s
and blank-book manufacturing division of Ward’s. The Moore Pen
orange, with a display of alternating black hard-rubber and gold-filled
Company, while remaining a nominal subsidiary of Adams, Cushing
bands of varying widths. In drawing from artists’ colors and perhaps
and Foster, became a division of Samuel Ward.
inspired by the early Duofold publicity of the Pompeian brown color, the
new Moore pen, introduced in 1925, was named the Tuscan (Fig. 7).
One consequence of the deal was that the production supervisor of
the Moore factory at 29 Melcher Street, Milford Guy Sypher, left to
Within a year, Cushing had to face a further outlay of capital for the
take a position with The Chilton Pen Company’s new facility in Long
pen company so that Moore could join the rush to plastic pens. The first
Island City, N.Y. The parties concluded their deal early in 1929. Luckily
plastic pens were a royal blue complement to the Tuscan.
for Cushing, the onset of the Great Depression was still months away.
Walter Cushing was now 70 years old. He was still mentally sharp and
The Moore Pen Company began a decline under the joint influence
vigorous, but in that day unquestionably old. He was the only remain-
of Ward’s management and the Depression. Cushing’s most important
ing member of the post-Greenough partnership in Adams, Cushing and
decision after the sale came in hiring
More
› › › 48
Fig. 8
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FALL 2007
21
MORE MOORES
From top: Moore No. 13PL, ca. 1900; Moore No. 14, ca. 1904; two views of Moore Midget Filigree; Moore Ink-Tab; Moore Banker;
two views of Full Overlay Moore’s Non-Leakable. On diagonal: Moore Fingertip.
22
FALL 2007 The
pennant
The Bookworm
A Book Review
by Tom Rehkopf
Mabie in America: Writing Instruments from 1843 to 1941
by David Moak
Signature Book Printing, 2007, ISBN 1-932433-90-2
$49.50, 253 pages, available from the author at [email protected] and
other fine pen retailers.
If you’ve been a fan of David
Moak ’s Mabie in America but
haven’t quite gotten used to reading a book on CD, your ship has
come in. Moak has just released
the third (and final) edition
of Mabie in America: Writing
Instruments from 1843 to 1941
in hardcover. Previous editions were available on computer CD. Containing new
and updated information,
this new edition covers 253
well illustrated and well documented
in 1860, followed by Mabie, Todd & Bard in 1873.
pages.
As the title implies, the focus of the book is on the Mabies, Mabie, Todd
& Co., and the American-made Swan pens. The English branch of the com-
Early Mabie, Todd & Co. pencils and dip pens are well represented with many photographs.
pany is not ignored, however, and references to the English variants of the
The “Swan” trademark was first used in 1888 by Mabie, Todd
Swan pens are noted in a number of places. The book also contains numer-
& Bard as the identifying trademark throughout the life of both the
ous examples of English advertising and other ephemera.
American and English Mabie, Todd companies. Swan pens are well-
John Mabie began working with pencil maker Thomas Addison in
documented in the book, and a listing of all production models and
1832 at the age of 13. In 1843, he began working with pencil maker John
dates is provided. Numerous photographs show examples of all the
Rauch, eventually becoming a partner. Mabie formed his first company,
well-known Swan models, including the chatelaines, Eternals, and
Mabie, Knapp & Johnson, in 1853, manufacturing pencil cases. Several
page after page of those magnificent sterling and gold overlay eyedrop-
companies followed. The first Mabie, Todd & Co. partnership was formed
pers, which Moak notes “surely represent the apex of the pen-maker’s
The pennant
FALL 2007
23
art.” Each pen is individually
photographed, and most are
in color.
The Mabie, Todd and Bard family histories are also covered in the book. Family trees of each family back to the 1600s
are presented, and 12 pages of genealogical listings and family
pictures are in separate chapters dedicated to that topic.
One welcome feature is an annotated list of sources the
author used in writing the book. For those wishing to do further research, this is an invaluable aid. The book is fully footnoted. Moak is meticulous in documenting his research.
In addition to an extensive index, the book contains seven
appendices with transcriptions of various historical documents
relating to the Mabies, including text of the certificates of
incorporation of the American and English companies and the
sale agreement between the two companies. Additionally, several chapters provide information on advertisements, bottles,
boxes, signs and other ephemera, with numerous photographs
of representative examples in each category.
The American branch of Mabie, Todd & Co. was finally
dissolved in 1941, ending what was surely one of the most successful and innovative writing instrument manufacturers in
America. David Moak’s book is a well-documented, thorough
and lively presentation of that history, and stands as the standard reference on Mabie, Todd and the Swan pens. ✍
All rights reserved by the author.
Color photos can be viewed on the back cover of this issue.
24
FALL 2007
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Washington D.C.
The pennant
Super Show
FALL 2007
25
Photos by Terry Clark
Watching, touching, examining, listening…
…looking for that special thing…
Photos by Terry Clark
…checking …
30
FALL/WINTER 2007
The pennant
…checking it all out!
Photos by Terry Clark
2007
31
Photos by Anna Lawson
Is This
the Right Box?
Simple Ways to Date that Old Pen Box
By Bruce Speary
Fountain pens have been sold in signed boxes since
the MacKinnon pens of the late 1870s hit the market,
but few pen collectors show an interest in adding
them to their collections.
In other fields of collecting, original boxes are
prized. Some boxes are actually worth more than the
items they originally held. For example, a vintage box
from a toy robot can bring as much as or more than
the actual robot. Some of these vintage boxes are
selling for more than $1,000. At the same time, a nice
plastic box from a Hamilton railroad pocket watch will
set you back a few hundred dollars.
I
n the world of vintage pen collecting, pen boxes are still
from a company that made them for dip pen sales, and the A.A.
a great bargain. While the average Patrician pen sells for
markings were simply stamped onto a generic box.
more than $400 and some nice examples bring more than
The Moore box in the center has a wide tray inside; it looks more
$1,000, the little cardboard box that they were sold in will
suited to a straight razor than a fountain pen. This may be a hint
probably sell in the range of $40 to $60. Not even 10% of
that they purchased boxes that originally had another use, and then
the pen’s value, in most cases.
marked them with their own company logos.
One reason for this lack of interest may be that there has never been
The MacKinnon box is probably from the late 1870s. This box
an effort made to connect what pen came in which box. Since most pen
looks exactly like a dip pen box. It even has the early style latch,
boxes are only signed with the company name, most collectors don’t know
held in by tiny nails. The tray inside is like the tray from a dip pen
what model or year pen would actually go with each box. If there were a
box, one side for the handle, the other for the holder and the deep
guide to show what box a Parker Snake pen first nested in or which box
recess for the nib. When they started using these boxes for fountain
originally held a Waterman’s 20 overlay, those boxes would skyrocket in
pens, they used the deep recess to hold the bulb of the eyedropper.
price overnight. Investing in pen boxes from the 1930s and earlier may be
a very wise move for those pen collectors who have a little patience.
In Fig. 2, the box at the top is from Edward Todd. This box contained an early 1900s pen, so it was not an early box from that com-
I had always been told that the hinged, leather-covered wooden
pany. The center box is a metal clamshell style from Wirt. It looks
boxes with velvet-lined interiors were the early pen boxes. Since these
like an early box with a velvet tray and silk liners, but the markings
boxes look early, I assumed that this was probably accurate. In Fig.
would place in from the 1920s.
1 you will see three boxes that appear to be early. The box at the top
The box at the bottom is a Waterman’s, but this box has the
held an A. A. Waterman pen. You may notice that this is the same
globe marking, which did not come into wide use until around 1903.
style box that you would find old dip pens in. This style was probably
Since Waterman’s had cardboard boxes before 1903, that shows that
used for dip pens going back to the 1850s.
the two styles of boxes were used concurrently. I believe these boxes
Because of that, you may guess that this was one of the earliest
were intended to house the more expensive pens (like the overlays).
A.A. Waterman boxes—but is it? When you look a little closer,
They were often referred to as jeweler’s boxes, and the higher cost of
you will see the words “Not connected with L.E. Waterman.”
these boxes was frequently passed on to the purchaser.
Since that disclaimer was not used on their early pens, this box
After 15 years of collecting fountain pen boxes, I now believe
is obviously not an early A.A. box. The box is not marked on the
that most pens sold before the 1920s were sold in cardboard
outside, only on the inside. I would guess that it was purchased
boxes. But how can you determine the age of a pen box?
1
34
2
FALL 2007
The pennant
Some boxes have a patent number or patent date on them. With a
The Jack-Knife Safety box (second from the top in Fig. 3) was prob-
little research, patent numbers will yield a patent date. Although this
ably made around 1910. This seems logical, because though the last
will not give you an exact production date, it will tell you the earliest
patent number shown is from 1905, the wording on the box refers to
date that the box could have been used. Use the last patent number or
the Jack-Knife Safety cap whose patent was applied for in July 1909.
date as the earliest possible year of use. Patent dates were usually only
Using the cap as a guide, we can surmise that the green Lucky Curve
used on a product or a box for a few years and then dropped; keeping
box dates from 1909 or later.
an older patent date might have made a customer think he was getting
The last Parker box in this photo is probably from an earlier period.
old stock, so there was probably motivation to keep those numbers as
You will notice how large the “Self-Filling” markings are. I would guess
current as possible.
this is probably one of their first boxes for a self-filling pen, probably for
Another clue to the age of a box will be the filling instructions
the rather rare “Click” filler that appeared at the end of 1904 or 1905.
that are sometimes printed on the underside of the lid. If you know
In Fig. 4, I have a group of boxes from pen companies of the
the last year a pen company made an eyedropper-fill pen, for example,
Boston area. The Sterling box offers no clues except for the Post
and the instructions are for filling such a pen, then you have the latest
Office box number, which indicates it is from the company’s later
date the box could have been used. However, using a cut-off date for
years, after 1902 and possibly as late as 1919.
eyedropper-fill pens is not an exact science; Waterman’s continued to
The Ward box is from the company of Samuel Ward, who was a sta-
assemble eyedropper pens from parts decades after the golden age of
tioner and also contracted with pen manufacturers to have pens made
the eyedropper had passed.
for him to sell under the Ward name. The last patent date on this box is
The company logo can also be a clue. Since the names of many
1885, so it is obvious the pen was made after that date, and since the pen
pen companies changed over the years, this could help you date the
was an overfeed, it might be possible to come up with a cut-off date if you
box. Examples would be the change of the American Fountain Pen
could verify when Ward dropped overfeeds on his pens. (I would guess
Company to the Moore Fountain Pen Company, which occurred in
around 1900, but I did not have a Ward catalog to verify the date.)
1917. Pen companies also changed their addresses or moved from
The two Crocker boxes both show the Ink-Tite markings and are
one town to another, as did the Chilton Company. If you know when
marked Boston. The box with the ink spots on it is not marked “trade-
those moves occurred, you can use those dates to place a “before and
mark,” which would make me think it was from an early period. It also
after” marker for a particular box.
shows a Washington Street address and is marked “New Idea,” which
Four early Parker boxes are shown in Fig. 3. The box at the top
contains a parts list printed on the underside of the box along with
should help a die-hard Crocker collector date it. Personally, I could
find no mention of the Washington Street address for Crocker.
the names of various pen models. A few minutes of research con-
Some average-looking Waterman boxes are shown in Fig. 5.
cerning the models listed, which provides the years during which
They used a similar box for decades. The boxes shown here, which
they were made and sold, makes me believe that this box was made
all contain Waterman’s New York addresses, can be roughly dated
between 1900 and 1905.
by those addresses:
3
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4
Fall 2007
35
8 The box shown at the top contains the 157 Broadway address
A group of Conklin boxes are displayed in Fig. 7, with the top box
in New York and it turns out that Waterman’s only used this par-
marked “crescent filler.” However, it does not contain the “non-leak-
ticular address for about one year, in 1901, so this is probably an
able” marking. A pen is pictured on the box, but the pen is clipless.
accurate deduction.
All of these details contain clues as to the box’s date. The last patent
8 The second box shows 155–157 Broadway as an address, which
would date this box as from the period between 1898 and 1901.
8 The company’s 173 Broadway address is displayed on the third
box, giving it a broader range of dates spanning between 1903 and 1917.
date on the box is from 1903, so we know it was made in 1903 or
later and probably before 1907.
The second Conklin box in Fig. 7 contains markings indicating a
crescent filler, but it also mentions a screw-on cap, so this box would
8 At the bottom of Fig. 5, the box lists 191 Broadway as the
have been made after 1910 when screw-on caps were introduced.
address, which would date it after 1917 and possibly as late as the
The third box has no markings except for “Conklin,” so I would
1930s. I actually think, though, that this box was not made after
guess it is a 1920s box and the notation as to the filler system was
1920, when it appears that Waterman’s dropped addresses entirely
omitted so the box could be used for a lever or twist filler.
from their boxes. With a company that large, spanning a number of
The box at the bottom of the photo is from the 1940s, after
addresses as well as years, it’s most likely that a lot of repairs and/or
Conklin went under and left Toledo, Ohio (where it had been in its
inquiries were sent to the wrong address for decades. That would be
heyday) and the name was being used on the cheaper Chicago-made
an excellent reason to stop printing addresses on boxes.
pens. This is obvious from the price, which was only a dollar and
What is called the Waterman’s “Treasure Chest” box is displayed
some change for the set.
at the top of Fig. 6. This is the original version of this box, in card-
In Fig. 8, I have put together a group of boxes from Pennsylvania-
board, from the early 1920s. Under the lid is a three-panel comic strip
made fountain pens. The top is a Hintz box from Reading, Pa., and it
of pirates leaving the main ship in a rowboat, burying their treasure
is probably from the 1890s. The Wirt box was probably made in the
on an island, and finally sailing off into the sunset. Waterman’s also
1890s also. The Franklin (from Philadelphia) box dates to the early
used a metal clamshell-style box marked “Treasure Chest Of Today,”
1900s. The last box is from Hoskins, which sold office supplies and
and was sold at a premium.
offered a line of eyedroppers in the late 1890s and early 1900s. This
The Patrician box dates from the late 1920s or 1930s and shows
box contains a pen that would be from the early 1900s.
the color of the pen marked on the box with an ink stamp. Very few
The most colorful pen boxes are probably those used for packag-
boxes contain this coding indicating the color of the pen inside. The
ing holiday-related merchandise. These boxes, obviously, were used
third box is a typical 1930s Waterman’s box with the smaller logo.
for pens that were to be given as gifts. You will notice that many
At the bottom, a Remex box is shown. Remex was Waterman’s early
of these include holly or winter scenes. Some include the “To” and
attempt at a lower-priced line of pens; the U.S.-made versions were
“From” markings right on the boxes. These boxes were probably kept
almost all eyedroppers. The only clue that this box was a Waterman’s
in the back room of most jewelry stores.
original is that the side of the box is marked “L.E. Remex,” which
serves as a kind of hint that L.E. Waterman may have made it.
The Parker Lucky Curve box (top of Fig. 9) would have been
made after 1894, when the Lucky Curve feed was introduced, and
6
5
36
FALL 2007
The pennant
probably is a pre-Duofold box. The center “box” is actually not a
stacked up to the ceiling. So although a box may not be correct for the
box, but rather a sleeve that was slipped over the normal box. It is
pen inside, it may still be the box in which the pen left the store. ✍
from Waterman’s and dates after 1910. This sleeve fit Waterman’s
boxes spanning a 30-year period, so these would have been great for
All rights reserved by the author.
a Waterman’s retailer to have in quantity.
References: Lawrence, Cliff and Judy, An Illustrated Fountain Pen
The last box in this group, also from Waterman’s, would have been
made between 1902 and 1917, using the address as a dating mechanism.
The end of this box shows a decal, marked “self-filler,” that was added to
it. This would likely make the date of actual use after 1910 (Waterman
made its sleeve fillers from ca. 1910 to 1915, its coin fillers from ca. 1913
History. Dunedin, Fla.: Pen Fancier’s Club, 1986. Various pen advertisements and catalog reprints, collection of the author.
8
to 1914 and introduced its first lever filler in 1915). Self-filling pens
became big sellers after their introduction, so the company probably
added this to the boxes to make them seem up to date. The box does not
mention what kind of filler was used, so there is still some uncertainty.
Fig. 10 shows another group of holiday boxes. The top box,
from Conklin, mentions that the pen has a screw cap and also is
non-leakable, so this box is probably from the 1910 to 1918 period.
The Duofold box dates from the 1920s; this is easily determined
from the use of the terms “Duofold” and “Lucky Curve” on the box
(Lucky Curve markings were dropped at the end of the 1920s). The
Waterman’s box is from the period 1907 through 1917, while the
Moore box dates from 1917 to 1926. The markings are from the
Moore Pen Company; it also proclaims that it “Won’t Leak,” a slogan the company dropped in favor of “Super-Built” before 1926.
I hope some of the dating tips offered here will help readers match
9
some of their vintage pen boxes with the appropriate pens. If you find
that some of your pens may not be in the correct box, keep in mind
that neither retailers nor pen manufacturers ever wasted anything.
Retail stores selling pens often filled a pen for a customer and sent him
on his way without the box. The box that should have gone with that
pen may have been used years later for another sale. I have been in the
back rooms of old jewelry stores, some of which contained empty boxes
7
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10
9
FALL 2007
37
What
Can
Pens
Us
Tell
by Ronald J. Pohoryles
Collecting is in itself a curious, though human, behavior. There
are many psychological and anthropological attempts to
explain this phenomenon (see Addams, 2006). There are good
reasons for collecting “useful” artifacts like drawings, carpets,
vases, or china: Nobody likes empty white walls; a good cup of
tea tastes better when sipped from a nice china cup than, horrible dictu, from a plastic one. The nicer the cup, the better the
tea; and, of course, vice-versa.
C
ollecting pens is different. Even if you use your pens
to write, you hardly need more than one. If you tend to be
elegant and a bit of a dandy you might buy a few; a variety of
colors allow your pen to go with your dress or suit. One or two
pens you might additionally own to be on the safe side, to be
sure you have one if another needs service or repair.
But why buy more than, say, ten pens? You cannot put them on the
walls; they are stored in boxes, hardly ever seen by others. And a pen
collection adds to your daily problems: which pen will I use today?
What do I do with my other ones, empty them or not? And travelling
Fig. 1
fountain pen manufacture in the 1950s or went out of business.
problems: security personnel are often surprised when you have three
However, intellectuals, writers, and, lawyers do not necessarily do
or four pens in your jacket and ask for explanations. Not to mention
better work when they produce text by “quick and dirty” methods. The
the classic airline-travel problem: will you end up with ink spots on your
speed of document production does not necessarily contribute to qual-
white shirt if you forget to empty your pen before take-off?
ity: good texts take time. The PC might seduce to increased speed, but
Still, we love to collect pens. Those of us who are not intellectual
authorities have testimonials from the pantheon of prominent thinkers
the pen invites careful reflection.
Still, the question remains: why more than one pen?
and writers. Just one example: the French author Roland Barthes (1915–
Let me state my own case. I am a social scientist, interested in the
1980), skeptical philosopher and literary critic, explained our passion in
development of capitalism and globalization in the twentieth century
surprisingly simple terms: “I own too many pens. I no longer know what
and the related evolution of technology. The pen industry is a wonder-
to do with them. Still, when I see them, I am immediately tempted. I am
ful case study. Take the issue of globalization: looking at companies like
tempted, and I cannot keep myself from buying.” (From Petruci, 1998).
Parker, Waterman, or Dunhill, one can easily prove that international-
With the invention of the typewriter, the pen could not keep up with
ization, like delocalization, is not a recent phenomenon. The dominance
the speed of writing. The ballpoint pen, cheaper and easier to handle,
of financial capital over the traditional family-owned creative industries
became a deadly threat to the fountain pen, even though its impact on
was, and remains, obvious. Conklin is exemplary in this respect. After it
handwriting might be questioned. Then followed computers and lap-
was taken over by an investment company in the 1930s, its design, qual-
tops. Fountain pens appeared to be obsolete. Many producers stopped
ity and service suffered seriously. Following relocation to Chicago, one
38
FALL 2007
The pennant
of the best pen makers in the world went down
bankruptcies are a necessary element of economic development. Ballpoints were
the drain.
cheaper to produce and easier to handle; hence the societal demand.
Relocation is a recurring issue and is often
As Bruno Latour puts it, it is not always the best technology that survives; phys-
related to change of ownership. The reduction
ical and economic factors have an influence as well. The ballpoint is a good example
at Sheaffer’s traditional production site in Fort for this assumption, as are the rigid nibs that characterise most modern pens.
Madison, Iowa, is a telling example. The qual- What Drives Technology And Development?
ity of the Sheaffer pens and after-sales service,
From the perspective of a social scientist and passionate pen user, the many differ-
however, remained satisfactory. This is the ent filling systems that exist are surprising. I own fountain pens equipped with a
exception rather than the rule with regard to
huge variety of filling systems: eye-droppers (see Waterman’s eye-dropper filling
the take-over of traditional companies by invest- instructions in Fig. 1 and a rare MacNiven & Cameron eyedropper in Fig. 2), cresment companies.
cent fillers (the original Conklin as well as the contemporary Visconti Copernicus,
Unlike Conklin, Waterman survived relo-
a great pen by the way, Fig. 3), button fillers, the Vacumatic
cation and even became stronger. Starting in
filler from Parker, many piston fillers (mostly European), and
the USA, and arguably the first major innova-
of course, the modern cartridge/converter filling systems. And I
tor in the pen industry, Waterman became the
add, as well, most of their variations, like the Sheaffer Snorkels
flagship of the French pen industry under the
and Touchdowns.
new French owner J. Fagard in the 1950s.1 The
With respect to the use of fountain pens for writing pur-
reason was a successful new strategy: under the
poses, there isn’t much difference: the most important techno-
trademark “JiF,” Fagard produced pencils and
logical innovations were a reliable feed and a barrel with a large
became the general representative of Waterman
ink reservoir, as Waterman had invented it in the 19th century.
in France. As an innovative entrepreneur,
Of course, differences exist with respect to serviceability
Fagard developed an improved glass ink car-
and ink capacity. Some systems can hold more ink than others
tridge. Fagard began soon after WWII to pro-
(for the sake of argument, the biggest reservoir I have is in my
duce ballpoint pens. When Waterman USA
Waterman No. 16 (Figs. 4a, b and c), an eye-dropper from the
had to give up production because of poor man-
beginning of the 20th century). Some systems need more, or
agement, the French were able to take it over.
more complicated, service: Piston fillers are more complex than
The emergence of the ballpoint is a telling
example of the relationship between technology development, the economy and societal
replacing lever fillers’ sacs, and require an experienced repair
Figs. 4a, 4b and 4c.
developments; a sad, though spectacular, case
study for what American economist and sociologist Joseph Schumpter terms “constructive
destruction.” Schumpeter holds that innovation
necessitates the destruction of traditional production methods to allow for the breakthrough
Fig. 2
of new products and technologies. In this view,
Fig. 3
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FALL 2007
39
person; however, sacs may have to be replaced more often. For some,
smaller brands
fixing a Vacumatic is a nightmare. But on the whole, all filling systems
survived, and
serve the same purpose and function.
Lepine even
The same holds for the inks. Bad ink can destroy pens or cause severe
started to pro-
discoloration. But with the research that led to Parker Quink and Pelikan
duce cheap
Fig. 5
Royal Blue, the problem is
p e n s f or t he
mostly resolved. Quink ’s
mass market.
formula has changed little
in over 70 years.
For practical purposes,
most technological innova-
Fig. 6
Italy is an interesting exception. Most of the big producers survived
in one way or the other. OMAS remained an independent company for a
long time, but sold to LVHM recently. Montegrappa remained independent until the 1980s and is still producing quality pens.
tions within the pen indus-
New independent pen makers started successful production of high-
try weren’t really necessary. They were driven not by the needs of the
quality pens long after the end of WWII. Visconti and Delta in Florence
users but rather by commercial and legal requirements. The companies
are world-renowned pen producers using sophisticated raw materials for
that developed them patented most systems, and a lot of legal cases show
their stylish designs.
how ardent the conflicts over patents were. Since the early 20th century,
Of the German pens, the traditional brands of Montblanc and Pelikan
losing a court case about intellectual property rights like patents was
are internationally known. Lamy made its international breakthrough in
often associated with bankruptcy.
the 1960s because of its nationally and internationally acclaimed designs.
The Global Race For Leadership
Some of its products are exhibited in international museums like the
Globalization has brought about fundamental changes in the market
Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.
structure of the pen industry. Among others, it led to the disappearance
Montblanc was bought by Dunhill and became, like Dunhill, part
of most of the European pen makers, and this not only in the smaller
of Richemont, a Swiss luxury goods group. Pelikan is controlled by a
European countries.
Malaysian investment group. Lamy and Faber-Castell remain indepen-
The “Big Four” in the USA continued to exist, or were re-launched.
The brands are still on the market, though the original companies are
dent, with the families that created the companies maintaining a controlling influence.
not. Internationalization helped Sheaffer, Parker and Waterman survive.
Faber-Castell is one of the most traditional pen producers. Its origins
However, Waterman was bought by its European partner. Wahl-Eversharp
date from the eighteenth century, when it was established as a producer
was then bought by Parker in the late 1950s. Now, Parker and Waterman
of quality pencils. Fountain pens were not its core market; Faber-Castell
are again under American ownership, the American investment company
launched fountain pens in the middle of the 1930s, when it bought the
Sanford, the stationery division of Newell Rubbermaid. Today Parker pro-
German Osmia Company that was undergoing a financial crisis. In the
duction is now in the United Kingdom under Sanford UK.
1970s, pen production was stopped entirely for a time. Faber-Castell used
The strategies of some European companies were different. They,
the newly emerging interest
too, followed the internationalization strategy, but also began to diver-
in fountain pens to restart
sify. Dunhill of Great Britain and S.T. Dupont of France did not concen-
pen production in the early
trate on pens alone, but produced a broad range of goods for the luxury
1990s. Faber-Castell’s success
market. In fact, fountain pens were added later to their product range. In
is based on diversification and
the 1930s, Alfred Dunhill started a fruitful collaboration with Japanese
the international orientation
producers and was amazed by their ability to use lacquer. Pen production
of the company. Its products
got a boost when Dunhill acquired the German Montblanc company.
are produced worldwide. The
S.T. Dupont was more known for its leather goods (and later for its light-
company also has a longstand-
ers) than for its pens.
ing commitment to social (and
The European penmakers who focused on fountain pen production
recently ecological) concerns.
came under pressure in the middle of the last century. Big French pro-
In contrast, Pelikan, pri-
ducers like Bayard (Top, Fig. 5), Mallat, J.M. Paillard, and Gold Starry
marily associated with German
represented good names, but disappeared in the course of economic
production, did not survive the
development. Their marketing strategies concentrated on the national
market, so they lost the battle against international competitors as
1970s pen crisis. Fig. 8
In the early 1980s,
much as against the new technology of the ballpoints. Nowadays,
it went bankrupt
Waterman, Dupont, and Cartier are the big players in Europe. Some
and was bought by a
40
Fig. 7
FALL 2007
The pennant
Swiss investment company. Recently a Malaysian group took control.
and associations. The influence of the latter was, however, limited to the
Other big German producers, such as Soennecken, lost the fight for
local level. No universal price structure was established (see Schwartz,
survival. Hit by the pen-market crisis in the late 1950s and 1960s, they
2000). The exchange, rather than buying and selling, of pens was the
stopped production in the 1960s.
dominant paradigm.
Smaller countries had quality pen production as well. Austria had
Somehow, vintage pens saw their revival. First, the retro look came
several excellent but now entirely forgotten pen makers; one can still find
into fashion. The Sheaffer Connaisseur made its appearance in 1985 and
some nice pens with distinguished designs (Tempo, Napoléon [Fig. 6] or
the Parker Duofold continued its success story. Montblanc’s Meisterstück
Europen), mostly from the ’30s, but the companies are gone without a
is a prestige pen and has been produced continuously, in different sizes
trace. After WWII only Tempo, as an office stationery supplier, survived
and with some technology changes, for a long time.
for some time.
Secondly, new designs and technologies found their niches in some
Israeli pen production is documented from the time of the British
Mandate for Palestine onwards. The most renowned company was Katab,
but there were other brands as well. In the late 1940s even Waterman
pens were produced in then-Palestine (Ben-Sinai).
The conclusion is telling: the survival of pen producers depends
on the degree of globalization. And the globalization process is not a
new phenomenon at all. Furthermore, diversification helps to maintain
of the already-collectible vintage pens. The breathtaking design of the
Waterman Sérénité is a good example (Fig. 7).
As a niche market, the vintage pen evolution can be studied empirically over the Internet, and similarly the relation between globalization
and national markets. Today, American pens can be found without any
problems world wide, at by and large the same prices (Sheaffer, Fig. 8).
When it comes to lesser-known brands, there are national variations:
independence.
smaller German and French producers offer products locally and in
The Impact Of War And Peace
Internet shops.
The development of the pen industry tells volumes about war and peace.
Austrian pens, though high in quality, are hardly ever available
Under war conditions, quality frequently deteriorated. Access to specific
through the Internet—you need to find a specialised local dealer like
materials, like gold, was restricted. Specific models for soldiers were created.
Leo Grahofer in Vienna. The same is true for Israeli pens; even Israeli
Even liquid ink was replaced by ink tablets that could be dissolved in water.
pen collectors tend to be prouder of their Parker 51s than of their
Pens and their advertising reflected the martial sentiments of the
own Israeli-Palestine models. To get interesting local pens, you have
epoch. Some pens were specifically dedicated to martial goals. The
to find specialised collectors like Israel Ben-Sinai who might help you
WWI pen industry’s advertising capitalized on nationalistic feelings,
with information.
featuring the army and martial names. This is well documented for the
The co-existence of a globalized market and specialized local dealers
French case in the last issue of “Au Fil de la Plume”: One of the major nib
is an interesting phenomenon. This seems to suggest that even in a glo-
producers, Baignol & Farjon (B& F), called its nibs Bayonet, Torpedo
balized economy there is a place for small local shops with a reasonable
and Grenade, while La Compagnie Française called its most popular pen
offering and good service. The Internet can establish a price structure
Sergent-Major. The nibs of the time were designed like battleships: B &
and offer a reasonable range of goods. It has still to establish trustworthy
F’s “The Dreadnought” is a good example.
quality standards; and it will never replace local dealers’ personal service
The use of war material for souvenir pens was particularly cynical.
and specialized offers.
Some were, for instance, produced using exploded shells. Parker used the
The Brand And The Product
U.S.’s entry to WWI to advertise its pen as the best gift idea for soldiers
The pen industry started out as family businesses. Legendary “innova-
leaving for Europe. The same is true for later wars as well. Suffice here
tive entrepreneurs” (a term used by Schumpeter), personalities like W.A.
to mention the Etiopia pen from the Italian producer Aurora. There is
Sheaffer, George Safford Parker, Jules I. Fagard, Evelyn Andros de la Rue
even worse.
and George Sweetser made the success and the remarkable development
The workers' skills and the flexibility of tools allowed for a conversion
of production for military purposes that went beyond the mere production
of specific writing instruments for soldiers: During WWII, several pen
of the fountain pen industry possible. However, gone are the founding
fathers, the innovative entrepreneurs.
This is what Naomi Klein calls the “logo economy.” The product
manufacturers produced non-pen items for the Allied Forces.
is less important than the brand name. Recently, the Onoto brand has
New Global Markets
been revived; the products, however, have little to do with those origi-
The emergence of the new economy based on the Internet opened a
nally produced by the de la Rue Company. The original models were
worldwide system for buying, selling and exchanging pens. Despite
characterized by an elegant design; the modern pens feature a rather
inconveniences and cautions buyers must be aware of, the Internet cre-
baroque design.
ated transparency and opened global trade and information.
In the 1970s, the vintage pen market practically did not exist. Some
price lists were issued with the help of newly emerging pen collector clubs
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FALL 2007
Another example is Conway Stewart. When Frank Jarvis and
Thomas Garner started the company in 1905, the aim was to create
More › › › 47
reasonable pens at reasonable prices.
41
Handwriting
LEFT OUT • THE OTHER 10 PERCENT
A
by KATE GLADSTONE
ccording to most handedness research,
do wish Rick didn’t bend his index finger quite so much! Even so, to
natural-born left-handers number roughly 10
judge from his sample on the left-handed writers’ page, he writes quite
percent of the human race worldwide. Fountain
clearly and fluently.)
pen users include an even higher percentage of
Left-handed writers fall into two groups. One group (called under-
lefties, according to the Fountain Pen Network’s continuing survey of
writers) does its best writing with the paper positioned so that the pen
penfolk, which you can find at fountainpennetwork.com.
approaches the writing line from below, as shown in Figure 2.
As of July 18, 2007, the survey’s 254 respondents comprised 184
right-handed writers and 70 left-handed writers—which works out to
Fig. 2
27.56 percent of left-handers among pen aficionados, almost three times
the percentage in the general population. The Fountain Pen Network
survey’s figure, though it may seem high, correlates well with my own
observations of fellow penfolks’ handedness for writing and other tasks.
Compare these statistics with the percentage of left-handers who
need help with handwriting problems. Forget about 10 percent or even
27+ percent—among those who come to me seeking better handwriting,
45 percent to 50 percent write left-handed. (And yes, quite a few of them
sooner or later take up fountain pens in hopes the pens will help them
write better. This may account for the high percentage of left-handers
using fountain pens.)
Why So Many Scribbling Southpaws?
The other group (called
Frustrated left-handed writers (and many of their equally frustrated
overwriters) does best with
right-handed parents and teachers) often blame a written language that
the paper positioned so that
fills the page from left to right, which goes against the grain for left-
the pen approaches the writ-
handers. Certainly a few determined lefties, from Leonardo da Vinci
ing line from above, as Fig.3
onward, have found a private solution by writing in reverse (Fig. 1).
shows.
Fig. 3
Fig. 1
A University of Chicago neuropsychologist, Dr. Jerre Levy, finds
Lefties do face some difficulty with the left-to-right direction of
that over- versus underwriting ref lects complex interactions between
English and many other languages. However, this directionality does
handedness and other genetic factors such as which brain hemisphere
not prevent good left-handed writing. Left-handed masters of the pen
processes language. Levy discovered that about 50 percent of lefties
include eminent calligraphers such as Gaynor Goffe (whose textbook
worldwide (and about 2 percent of righties) process language in the brain
Calligraphy School illustrates every step both for left- and right-handed
hemisphere on the same side as the writing hand.
calligraphers).
These writers tend towards overwriting, even if forcibly dis-
Within the left-handed 27 percent of the fountain pen cosmos, clear,
suaded. They write more f luently and clearly when overwriting than
rapid handwriters include (among others) Rick Propas. To see Rick and
when underwriting. According to Levy, forcing natural overwriters to
other lefty fountain pen gurus in action, visit the Left-Handed Writers
underwrite—or forcing natural underwriters to overwrite—causes as
Web site at http://www.nibs.com/Left-hand%20writers.htm (Note: I
much difficulty as forcing natural lefties to write right-handed. So
42
FALL 2007
The pennant
if you struggle with one position (over- or
underwriting), change position and see
what happens!
Figure 1. The original “da Vinci code”: Leonardo’s
I would like readers to suggest handwrit-
writing, reproduced here from Wikipedia’s article on
ing-related topics and questions they
mirror script.
would like to see covered. Please send
If you plan to try this, consider also
Figure 2. The most generally helpful of many under-
suggestions to the editor, with a “cc” to
that changing your writing position may
writer positions. Underwriting — writing with the
me at [email protected].
require changing nibs, especially if you
hand held beneath the line of emerging text — works
Till next time—happy writing!
use an italic, stub, oblique, or extra fine.
well for about 50 percent of left-handers. I usually
Recommended Reading
So experiment with new nibs at pen stores
have left-handers try this position before considering
L e v y, Je r re a nd M a r y L ou R e id ,
and pen shows.
an alternative. If this position feels almost comfort-
“Variations in cerebral organization as a
Different Strokes For Southpaw Folks?
able but not quite, turn the top of the paper further
function of handedness, hand posture in
Many left-handers form horizontal strokes
clockwise as far as you need to.
writing, and sex.” Journal of Experimental
(such as “t” crossbars) moving from right to
Figure 3. The most generally helpful of many over-
Psychology—General. June, 1978, Vol.
left. On the surface, this would seem logi-
writer positions (also called bent wrist, hooked wrist
107, No. 2: pp 119–144. This was the
cal for lefties. However, consider what hap-
or hooked hand positions). Overwriting works best for
first of many studies correlating brain
pens when a right-to-left crosser finishes “t”
and continues writing, where left-to-right
crossers use left-to-right to continue writing
(see Figure 4). As you can see, making the
horizontal stroke from right to left results
about 50 percent of left-handers worldwide. Though
handwriting books and teachers traditionally discourage overwriting, about 50 percent of left-handers
find it very difficult or impossible to write fluently in
an underwriter position. If you’ve tried underwriting
hemisphere function, handedness, hand
posture, and other factors.
Stewart, Mark and Heather Stewart,
Left Hand Writing Skills (series of books
without success, try overwriting. If this overwriting
and CD-ROMs). Stourbridge (United
in redundant motion—the writer must move
position feels almost comfortable but not quite, turn
Kingdom): Robin’s Wood Press, 2005.
the pen back to the right again before start-
the top of the paper further counter-clockwise as far
90 pages. (Order through http://www.
ing the next stroke, which introduces ineffi-
as you need to.
robinswoodpress.com). This series for
ciency and affects speed. See Fig. 4 below.
Figure 4. “T” crossbars written from left to right (top)
lefties of any age uses a simple italic
Arm yourself (pun intended) with the
or right to left (bottom). Crossing from left to right fin-
st yle. Though t he se r ies does not
above information, and take pride in your
ishes the “t” and continues forward in one movement.
address overwriters, its other excellent
southpaw script.
Crossing from right to left requires two movements
features recommend it to every left-
The next issue’s column, “GraphoLogical?” will examine the claims of handwriting analysis. For the column after that,
and a longer journey for the pen, vastly increasing
time and effort.
hander, teacher, and parent.
✍
All rights reserved by the author.
Fig. 4
The pennant
FALL 2007
43
Tech notes
Adapting tools for PEN REPAIR
by VICTOR CHEN
I have avoided giving advice to folks on how to get started on
larly in the mountains around Lake Geneva and Lake Neuchâtel, the
pen repairs because it has been some 16 years since I started to work
population was mostly herders. During the long winter months, these
seriously on pens and my memory of those first couple of years is at
herders’ entire families engaged in making lace for the Italian market.
best hazy.
Herding, milking, spinning and lace-making all produced soft hands.
I have a clear memory of pens I worked on 10 years ago; less clear
Eighty years later, the region around these two lakes became the
memory of figuring out and refining repair techniques 12 or 13 years
center of the watchmaking world. Any activity that produces calluses
ago; and much before that a sense of confusion, frustration, an ade-
also produces hard hands, whereas soft hands are useful for delicate
quate repair here and there, and others less so.
work. While small hands are necessary for delicate work, soft hands
Until recently, I could not say how I progressed from those early
make that work much easier. For example, all nib and feed work
fumbling to confidence in pen repairs. Since I took up working on
requires the coordination of small hands, and soft hands allow the
mechanical watches a couple of years ago, I have a much better under-
skin to feel all the minor adjustments as they’re made.
standing of how that process takes place.
Seeing what I need to see is something I learned to do with pens
Hands And Seeing
somewhere in those early years that simply happened over time. With
Training hands to do what they need to do takes a while. Part of
watches, I was concerned that my vision was not keen enough to see
the training is muscle memory and part is in imprinting the neces-
all those tiny parts. It turned out that I needed a 10X loupe to see
sary shape and size of your hands in your mind. My hobby before pen
what I need to see, and the rest of the time I can work without any
repairs was working on cars, and that took big hands with strong arm
magnification. For pen work, 2X or 3X magnification is about as
and shoulder muscles.
much as I need to see what I need to do. Other than for nib work,
In working on pens, my hands needed to become smaller with
much more magnification power was not very useful. What I need to
far less use of arm and shoulder muscles. In working on watches, my
see is how the parts fit together, how to adjust something or how to
hands need to become even smaller, with almost no arm- or shoul-
repair damage. My hands will do the work and I don’t need magnifi-
der-muscle use. It took me a good six months to get reasonably small
cation to see how the work is coming along.
hands, mentally speaking. I’m now working on hairsprings and I
need even smaller hands, and it may be a while before my hand
FIG. 1
works automatically in that size.
The physical size of one’s hands has very little to do with getting hands to become “large” or “small.” After all, millions of folks
have learned to send text messages by pressing tiny little buttons
on a very cramped keyboard on their cell phones, irrespective of the
physical size or shape or their hands. I’m sure this mental shaping
of hands goes on in anything that involves intensive hand manipulation, such as playing musical instruments, arts of all kinds, medical procedures and so on.
The problem is that the ability to manipulate one small object
well does not necessarily transfer directly to working on a different
category of objects, even if they’re equally small. It always takes
time to adapt one’s hands to the specific nature and construction
of that object. Hence the common complaint: “I’ve always been
able to work on…. Why can’t I work on pens?”
The corollary to small hands is soft hands. In 1800, London
was the watch center of the world and in Switzerland, particu44
FALL 2007
The pennant
Useful Watchmaker’s Tools For Pen Repair
but I hardly ever wear them. The caseknife blade is thicker than a
The Industrial Revolution in the 19th century spawned the notion
pocket-knife blade, and the knife edge is blunt. For pen work, using
that any young person can be taught to use his or her hands and to see
the blade and sometimes the back, the caseknife is a better prying
what they needed to do. That separated the crafts from the trades,
tool than screwdrivers.
and in the trades came the educational system involving the progres-
Snap-blade knife (Top, Fig. 1). As long as I am talking about
sion from apprentice to journeyman and then master. Each step of the
knives, I’ll mention this. I always need a very sharp blade to scrape,
way, learning how
clean or shave
FIG. 2
to use one’s hands,
parts. Early on, I
how to work t he
tried scalpels but
tools a nd what to
never got used to
look for in the work
them. I use a snap-
was emphasized.
blade knife. Plastic
Though t his is
ones can be had at
le s s t r u e f or p e n
any hardware store
repa irers, at one
for le s s t ha n $1.
time a watchmaker
But those felt too
could actually make
light in my hands.
watches, although by the 1920s most watchmakers were doing repairs
I use a metal one and snap off part of the blade whenever I need a
rather than making entire watches. With the arrival of the ballpoint
new blade point or blade. When the entire blade is used up, I replace
pen, pen-repair folks began to disappear; 30 years later, with the
it with a refill blade. I use this knife at least three or four times on
appearance of the digital watch, watchmakers began to disappear in
every pen repair that I do.
the 1980s and 1990s.
While watch repair and pen repair are different, each requiring
dif ferent ways of using one’s FIG. 3
hands and different things to
Movement holder (Fig. 2). The spring-loaded plastic ones are
very useful for holding a cap or a barrel in place, such as when you’re
working on a crack or knocking out
a lever pin.
look for, they can share tools in
Drills. I have ma ny sets of
common. Today, the last of the
drills: fraction, numbered, let-
watchmaker’s estates are coming
tered and metric. I use them as
on the market (I buy on eBay)
drifts (steel pins for enlarging or
and a number of watchmaking
aligning holes), as stake holders
tools are available that can be
for cap or barrel, as scrapers and
useful for pen repairs. The fol-
cleaners, and even sometimes to
lowing is a list of some of those
drill something (I have duplicate
watchmaking tools:
sets for drilling since I do use a
Caseknife (Fig. 1). I used
hammer on the drill point of the
one of these for years to pop
other sets). Until I started work-
open the backs of digital watches
ing on watches, the smallest drill I
to change the battery. Like so
had was #80 (that is 135/10,000”).
many folks in the 1980s, I gave
Watch drills go down in size to
up my wind-up watches and went
16/10,000”! I’ve never had to use
digital. I still have a few around,
anything that small, but once in a
The pennant
FALL 2007
45
and reasonably rust-free set can be had for $60–$70, although you
should watch out for the shipping costs that can run from $12–$25.
All staking sets use the same sized stakes, but K&D (US) stumps
and die plates are different sizes from the German Boley, and I don’t
know about Seitz (Swiss) or French stumps and die plates.
The biggest problem I’ve had with all these watchmaking tools is
that my 15 basic pen tools are held on a magnetized strip above my
workbench. I really need to remember to make sure that my watch
tools don’t end up on that strip, because a magnetized watch spring
does crazy things. Other than that, exploring the world of watchmaking has been truly a delightful and insightful experience. Small
hands and learning to see are the basic ingredients in starting successful pen repairs.
Good pen hunting!
✍
All rights reserved by the author.
FIG. 5
FIG. 4
while doing feed work, particularly on the air hole, I need something
smaller than #80.
Tweezers (Fig. 3). I’ve always known that there were a variety of
tweezers out there, but nothing like the assortment that’s available.
Before watches, I’ve only used a few kinds of household tweezers
to hold something small or grab a sac or pressure bar. It turns out
that professional tweezers are designed to hold a specific shape precisely, at the appropriate angle and with the correct pressure. Use the
wrong tweezers and the item will pop out, move or rotate. Now I use
them for chip repair on cap lips, thread repairs on barrels, or with
any small item that needs to be placed precisely.
Pliers. Of the three broad categories of watchmaking pliers—
holding, cutting and bending—the holding pliers are useful for piston repairs (Fig. 4). I’ve drilled out cheap pliers to turn them into
rod holders. Yet these are necessarily rough and not quite the correct
size. Commercially made ones are so much nicer.
For pen work, staking sets (Fig. 5)are useful in straightening
out bent nibs, for staking and rounding rivets in clips, straightening parts like levers and lever pins, or just about any kind of metal
work on a pen. As I learn more about how to use this tool, I’ll let you
know. In 1965 the basic staking set sold for about $110 (about $300
in today’s money). The more complete sets then cost $300 to $500,
or more than $1,000 today. On eBay today a fairly complete, basic
46
FALL 2007 The
pennant
What Pens Can Tell Us
› › › 47
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
might look at the development of consumer behavior. What Zeitgeist made the
reappearance of pens possible—both vin-
The company still produces very nice pens; but
tage and modern? How did the nostalgia
they are luxury pens, not the type of products the
emerge, under what social, economic and
founders produced.
political conditions?
The Pen Touches History
At least, Conklin’s revival is inspired by the
company’s original visions and designs. And look-
Historians find a rich field for research. I
ing at Parker and Waterman, many models look
own a Katab with an imprint “Produced
similar since the two companies came under the
in Palestine” that is shows an Israeli price
same corporate roof‑a destiny that also came to
and tax tag (Fig. 10; in 1948 you paid a
car producers such as Peugeot-Citroën.
luxury tax for a pen). You can feel the
The Design Issue
Cultural sociology and art history do not just study the artifacts, but
Declaration of Independence of the State
of Israel when you hold it in your hand.
relate these to the time of their creation. Like fashions, taste is not uni-
An earlier Katab from my collection features a cap that is clearly not
versal. It varies over time and is related to all sorts of historical, eco-
the original one and rather looks like the Austrian Tempo cap; a proof
nomic and social developments. The relation between architecture and
for the forced migration of Jews from Austria in the late 1930s and for
political power, for instance, is obvious. Foucault has shown the connec-
the shortage of raw materials during WWII in British Palestine. We
tion between power and the arts as well.
know that the founders of Katab, the Kornfeld brothers, were originally
Strangely, there is little information about pen designers, though we
have rich information about technical developers. This is surprising, as
most collectors buy their pens for their looks rather than technologies.
from Vienna and bought celluloid stock from there.
Parker is known for special editions featuring historical events, as is
Conway Stewart, which proudly mention the events for which its prod-
There are some exceptions. Eversharp advertised proudly their
ucts were used. Waterman celebrated the French Revolution in 1989
designers Henri Dreyfus (the Skyline) and Raymond Loewy (the
(Fig. 11). And often broadcast news people ostentatiously use pens from
Symphony). Both are renowned for spectacular industrial design;
renowned pen makers, most likely not without some marketing efforts.
Dreyfus designed a locomotive featuring the typical American shape
What a psychologist can learn from the desire to collect pens is per-
and Loewy designed aircraft for Boeing. Giovanni Abrate underlined
fectly described by Addams as quoted above. Given the many motives
the importance of the designers Marco Zanuso and Marcello Nizzoli
behind collecting pens, a lot of information is still to be discovered.
for Aurora’s post-war success.
Readers should take my contribution as a call for more information as
The most interesting contemporary exception is the Lamy company.
this topic is explored further. ✍
On its homepage is a short history of all contemporary product designers, beginning with Gerd Müller, a Bauhaus disciple. Prior to the 1960s,
All rights reserved by the author.
Lamy produced quite conventional pens. However, innovative entrepre-
Endnotes:
neur Gerd Lamy, the son of the founder, turned the page. Since then,
1. In fact, the story is a bit more complicated, as Waterman existed for a certain
Lamy has followed a strategy of designing pens in the Bauhaus tradition,
time in the UK as well. But for the purpose of this article the simplification is jus-
including the classic 2000 (Top, Fig. 9) and the Persona (Bottom, Fig.
tified; Picture Credits: All photos by the author except Fig. 2 © Andrew Evans.
9), designed by Mario Bellini. The latter is not produced anymore and
References:
the reference to Bellini has been withdrawn from their homepage—an
Abrate, Giovanni, “Aurora After WWII, Part II”, The Pennant, Vol. XXIV,
interesting subject.
No. 2; Adams, Edward, “The Quest for Spirit—The psychology of Collecting
This could bring us back to the technology issue. Design has brought
Pens,” Stylus, April/May 2006; Ben-Sinai, Israel, “Writing Instruments
about the technology race, which still exists. The use of plastics that
Manufactured in Israel,” Pentrace Article 371 (http://www.pentrace.
replaced hard rubber allowed many variations in style and colors. Lamy’s
net/), 2003; Dragoni, Giorgio & Giusepe Fichera, Penne Stilografiche,
design would be impossible without its experiments with different met-
Milano: Arnoldo Montadori, 1998; Erano, Paul, Fountain Pens Past &
als, fiberglass and their combination.
Present, Paducah, KY: Collector Books, 2004; Fischler, G. & Schneider,
Regarding markets in a sociocultural perspective, a sociologist
The pennant
FALL 2007
Stuart, Fountain Pens and Pencils:
More
› › › 48
47
Out of Balance, from
› › › 17
The Other Walter, from
› › › 21
Still other nibs are embarrassingly poor in their final finish: they may
Charles K. Lovejoy, then of the Roslindale section of Boston, to replace
feel rough or uneven when drawn across the page in certain directions. It
Sypher. Lovejoy supplied a number of designs for Moore pens, the most
would seem that the manufacturers of these nibs have failed to spend the
important of which were a series of design patents, numbers D140,695,
few minutes necessary for their final adjustment.
D140,696 and D140,697, for Moore’s answer to the Parker 51, the
Also attendant upon the neglect of the nib is the failure of modern pen
Fingertip pen (Fig. 8).
manufacturers to explore fully the revival of the flexible nib—that missing
From 1929 until 1950,
link between the modern fountain pen and the quill. The flexible nib is a
Walter Cushing contin-
part of our cultural heritage that is worthy of revival as a tool of practical
ued to make his way from
utility for the production of written material with a unique personality. If
his home in Medford to
the fountain pen re-personalizes the art of alphanumerical data entry and
his office at 63 Franklin
communication, then the flexible nib represents the ultimate in such re-
Street, Boston. On
personalization. It reflects the writer’s personality and emotional state as
Cushing’s 90th birthday
does nothing else: Almost every word formed by a flexible nib is a poten-
(right), Sept. 15, 1947, the
tial “emoticon” unto itself—except that the subtlety and art that such nibs
63 Franklin Street shop
exhibit far surpass the crude and debased attempts at expressivity that such
was the scene of a party
“emoticons” bring to electronic communication.
attended by most of his
Those who grew up in the era of the ballpoint pen’s hegemony and have
remaining colleagues. On
never known a world in which the fountain pen was the standard hand-held
Sept. 6, 1950, just nine
data recording machine may not be aware of such matters as those that I
days short of his 93rd
have outlined above. Their ignorance discourages pen manufacturers from
birthday, Walter Cushing died. His funeral was held at Medford’s
going to the trouble and expense of addressing these problems. I suspect that
First Baptist Church, where he had been deacon emeritus.
Walter F. Cushing at age 90.
the scarcity of true extra-fine nibs and the lack of quality control that one
The Moore Pen Company didn’t long outlive Cushing. The com-
sometimes encounters may stem in part from such ignorance. I also suspect
pany resisted entering the ballpoint rush following the introduction of
that the more successfully pen manufacturers address these issues, the more
the Reynolds pen in 1945. The Fingertip pen was not even as great a
secure and widespread will be the fountain pen’s modern revival: for if the
success as the Eversharp Fifth Avenue, and Charles Lovejoy departed
aesthetic appeal of a fountain pen as an objet d’art is seductive, then the com-
for Scripto in Atlanta before the dimensions of its failure became
bination of such appeal with the tactile pleasure and eminent practicality of a
fully evident. The company limped along primarily with sales of The
well set-up fountain pen is well-nigh irresistible.
✍
Specialist, a cheap, steel-nibbed pen, one model of which borrowed
some styling from the unpopular Waterman Taperite. In 1956, even
All rights reserved by the author.
as the Waterman Pen Corner in Boston was closing up, the Moore
Pen Company ended production and faded into history, though it still
What Pens Can Tell Us, from
› › › 48
stands as the best and most widely remembered monument to the force
and vision of Walter Foster Cushing.
✍
The Golden Age of Writing Instruments, Atglen: Schiffer Publishing,
1989; Foucault, Michel, Les Mots et les Choses—Une Archéologie des
All rights reserved by the author.
Sciences Humaines, Paris, 1966; Hinrich, Sally, “Local Focus: Israeli Pen
Acknowledgements:
Club”, The Pennant, Vol. XVI, No.2; Klein, Naomi, No Logo—Taking
“The Boston Safety Saga,” L. Michael Fultz and Patricia Lotfi. Pen
Aim at the Brand Bullies, Canada: Vintage, 2002; Lambrou, Andreas,
World, V. XVI, No. 5, April–May, 2003.
Fountain Pens of the World; Essex: Classic Pens, 1998; Latour, Bruno,
“Welty on His Way,” L. Michael Fultz, Pen World, V. XVII, No. 4,
La Science en Action; Paris: La Découverte, 1989 ; 2005; Martini,
Feb.–March, 2004.
Regina, Pens and Pencils: A Collector’s Handbook, Revised 3rd Edition,
50th Anniversary history of the Boston Stationers’ Association.
Atglen: Schiffer Publishing, 2001; Petruci, Armando, “La Historia Della
Additional material for this biography comes from letters to the
Penna”, in: Dragoni & Fichera, op. cit., 1998; Randel, Dov & Jonathan
author from Henry P. van de Bogert III, Mr. Cushing’s grandson, and
Donahave, (2003), “Celebrating 4th of July with Golden Age of American
notes for a narrative autobiography by Walter Cushing, a partial pho-
Pens at Kibbutz Gaash,” Pentrace Article 349, 2003; Schwartz, Abe, “Pen
tocopy of which is in the author’s collection.
Collecting As I Remember It,” The Pennant, Vol. XIV, No. 2, pp. 4 –5;
Credits: Pens in Figs. 1, 3, 6, 7, 8 courtesy of Ross McKinney, photos
Steinberg, Jonathan, Fountain Pens, Philadelphia: Courage Books, 1994.
by Tom Rehkopf.
48
FALL 2007 The
pennant
PCA
Opening Notes
From the President
I
Farewell and thank you
In an effort to allow our editorial staff just a little time off, the winter issue is actually being assembled in
August. This will free the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas to spend with friends, shopkeepers
and grandchildren.
Having said that by way of background, it seems a little strange to write my farewell president’s column so
early. In reality, the winter message would normally be written by the incoming president. Since we won’t know who that is for
several months, I get one more opportunity.
My first opportunity is to thank the entire board for their support and hard work. While we had our moments of disagreement, the year was one of careful consideration, a bit of give and take and most of all keeping the membership foremost in our
minds. I very much need to thank Rick Propas for shouldering much of my load, for being the kind of board member who
helped me see both sides of a question, and most of all for working out in the gym all those mornings. That came in very handy
when he had to “push” me, which he did quite often.
Thanks also are due to all of those people who worked so hard on our Pens for Kids projects. We had them all over the
country this year. Each one of them was well received both by the students and the teachers involved. The PCA put fountain
pens in the hands of a lot of children this year. We’ll hope they will grow up to know the joy of using a fountain pen and perhaps
even be pen collectors themselves. To all of you who developed programs, gave presentations, donated pens and ink, and contributed financially, the PCA would like to say a very big thank you.
The biggest challenge as I see it for the new board is to grow our membership. While we are at a self-sustaining level, many
of the new programs require a larger pool of really active members. Rather than reach a membership of 4,000 who pay their
dues for a year or two and then disappear, it would be nice to see 1,500 members who want to participate on a continuing basis.
The pen collecting community can well support a PCA membership of 1,500.
I leave office with a sense of some accomplishment. A sense of emptiness because not being on the board will leave a void in
my life, but also a hope that I can once again become more active in some hands-on “doing.”
Hope to see all of you at the PCA table at one of the pen shows. It has been an honor. Thank you.
Dan Reppert, President
The pennant
FALL 2007
49
PCA
Oohci oa P
en
L
l P
e nS hCol w
ubs
Join a Club
Looking to network with fellow pen collectors?
Check out a local pen club. Not listed here? Email your club information including
contact name, email and phone number to: [email protected]
Richmond Pen Club
Contact: Sam Marshall
[email protected]
D.C. Metro Pen Club
Contact: Harry Shubin
[email protected]
Ph: 703.812.5306
New Orleans Pen Club
Contact: Thomas Bickham
[email protected]
Ph: 225.677.9448
Florida Pen Collectors Club
Contact: Giovanni Abrate
www.tryphon.it/fpc
[email protected]
North Texas Fountain Pen Collectors
Contact: Lowell Lindsey
[email protected]
Kansas City Pen Club
Contact: Dennis Bowden
[email protected]
Ottawa Fountain Pen Society
Contact: George Cornwall
[email protected]
www.ottawafountainpensociety.org
Las Vegas Pen Club
Contact: Debbie Lambert
[email protected]
Pan Pacific Pen Club, N. California
Contact: Mark Helfen
[email protected]
Long Island Pen Club
Contact: Nancy Handy
[email protected]
Philadelphia Pen Collectors Group
Contact: Robert Mand
[email protected]
www.philadelphiapens.com
Michigan Pen Collectors
Contact: C. Eric Fonville
[email protected]
michpens.com
Minnesota Pen Club
Francis Bulbulian
Ph: 615.645.2460
M
Portland Pen Club
Contact: Carla Mortensen
[email protected]
Research Triangle Pen Club
Contact: Ross McKinney
[email protected]
Deb Kinney
[email protected]
St. Louis Area Pen Club
Contact: Bruce Mindrup
[email protected]
or Jake Leventhal
[email protected]
Seattle Pen Club
Contact: George Long
[email protected]
Ph: 206.365.5998
Southeast Pen Collectors Club
Contact: Mark Bacas
[email protected]
Southern California Pen Collectors Club
Contact: John King Tarpinian
[email protected]
Fred Krinke
[email protected]
Tampa Bay Pen Enthusiasts
Contact: Ray Roewert
[email protected]
Ph: 727.743.8890
PayPal Now Available for PCA Membership
I
It is now easier than ever to join the PCA You can make
Gift subscriptions are also available for that special pen per-
your choice of a one- or three-year membership and simply click
son. Indicate this is a gift subscription in your comments and
on the PayPal button to make your membership payment. Go to
we will include a gift card at no additional cost. Your recipient
the PCA website (pencollectors.com), click on “Join PCA,” then
will receive all three issues for 2007 plus two of the most recent
“Join Today.”
back issues.
Whether you are in the U.S. or anywhere worldwide, you may
With all new membership applications you should complete
now conveniently submit your membership without the expense of
the application form and mail to Pen Collectors of America,
international money orders or bank drafts.
Roger Wooten, Treasurer, P.O. Box 174, Garden Prairie IL
In an effort to attract new, younger members to the PCA, we
50
61038-0174.
are also introducing a new Youth Rate. If you are 18 or younger,
New members joining now will receive all three issues of
your rate is one-half the normal membership: $20 for one year.
Spring, Summer and Winter for 2007, plus two of the latest back
This rate is available for U.S. membership only.
issues of The Pennant.
FALL 2007
The pennant
PCA
Coming in the
next issue of
The Pennant
F
Mr ioam
m it h
P e nS tSahcokw
s
NEW MODERN CATALOGS
by Dan Reppert, PCA Librarian
Don’t you wish the local jewelry store had saved its 1922
Waterman catalog so you could have bought it when the grandson finally sold the building in 1998? Alas, it did not, you did not
and therefore you could not donate it to the PCA Library. The
PCA and its library will be around for many years. It therefore is
Diamond Dreams, Part II
not inappropriate that we start collecting items now that will be
sought after in 25 years.
We have received a large stack of modern catalogs that will
Pens for Kids
be placed in the library while they grow gray whiskers. Here
they are:
Tech Notes
Handwriting
2000
Conway Stewart
Sales brochure
26 pgs
Trifold envelope style holder with 12 1/3 pg. sheets showing individual styles.
More Memorabilia
Nettuno
2006
Sales portfolio
46 pgs
Portfolio with two small brochures and one large sell sheet.
…and much, much more
Delta
????
Adolphe Sax LE
14 pgs
Brochure for the limited-edition SAX offering from Delta.
Delta
2000
Sales Brochure (Newton)
12 pgs
Brochure for the limited-edition Newton from Delta
Delta
2003
Sales brochure
18 pgs
Indigenous peoples—American Indian
2000
Delta
Sales brochure Y2K
12 pgs.
Brochure for the TREND pen from Delta
Contributors Wanted!
Have you been thinking about writing an article
Delta
2000
Erroneously advertised as 8 pgs the first year of the new century
and leap year (366), this catalog is for the vintage 366 collection
about vintage fountain pens?
Have a great photograph you'd love to share with your fellow
pen collectors?
We'd love to hear from you.
Contact the Pen Collectors of America at
[email protected]
The pennant
FALL 2007
These modern catalogs are in color. If you wish black and white
copies for informational purposes, the 15-cents-per-copy price
prevails. If you want color copies, please contact me.
There are some beautiful modern pens here. A century from
now, some of them may be Parker Snakes.
51
PCA
Upcoming Shows
Location and dates may be subject to change; please contact the show organizers to verify information below. The PCA keeps
an up-to-date listing of current and pending U.S. pen shows on the PCA website: www.pencollectors.com, courtesy of Susan Wirth.
Philadelphia Pen Show
Boston Pen Show
DC Supershow
Los Angeles Pen Show
Chicago Pen Show
Dallas Pen Show
Arkansas Pen Show
Research Triangle Pen Show
NYC/NJ Pen Show
Long Island Pen Show
Portland Pen Show
Jan. 18–20, 2008
Sheraton Philadelphia City Center
Jim Rouse, 410.539.7367
April 13, 2008
Holiday Inn Somerville
Rob Morrison, 828.298.0331
Feb. 14–17, 2008
Marriott Manhattan Beach
Boris Rice, 281.496.7152
August 7–10, 2008
Sheraton Premiere Tyson’s Corner
Bob Johnson, 874.963.3834
May 1-4, 2008
Westin O’Hare
Don Lavin, 847.272.2745
Mar. 7–8, 2008
Herritage Hall, Little Rock
Danny Fudge, 479.858.6450
June 5–7, 2008
Embassy Suites, Cary, NC
Terry Mawhorter, 614.619.5025
Mar. 14–16, 2008
Hofstra University
Terry Brack, 631.642.7197
July 11–13 2008
Embassy Suites Downtown
Carla Mortensen, 503.282.0020
Atlanta Pen Show
Miami Pen Show
Apr. 4–6, 2008
Crowne Plaza, Perimeter NW
Boris Rice, 281.496.7152
July 18–20, 2008
The Biltmore, Coral Gables
Jim Rouse, 410.539.7367
Sept. 3–4, 2008
Holiday Inn Select
Pete Kirby, 972.529.6364
Sept. 19–21, 2008
Doubletree Newark
Hofstra University
Mary Ann & Steve Zucker
718.434.3713
Ohio Pen Show
Nov. 6–9, 2008
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Dublin
Terry Mawhorter, 740.454.2314
Show organizers are encouraged to submit show details for this column to the editor.
P. C . A P e n S h o w S u p p o r t e r s
The PCA expresses its gratitude to the sponsors of the following pen shows for graciously donating table space. Thanks for your generosity!
Philadelphia • Bert Oser and Jim Rouse
Raleigh • Sonya and Terry Mawhorter
Los Angeles • Boris Rice, Stan Pfeiffer, and Chris Odgers
Miami • Bert Oser and Jim Rouse
Great Southeastern • Jimmy Dolive and Boris Rice
Portland • Carla Mortensen
New England • Rob Morrison
Ohio • Sonya and Terry Mawhorter
Chicago • Michael Fultz, Daniel Zazove, Donald Lavin
Michigan • Michigan Pen Collectors Club
Pennant Back Issues
Back issues of The Pennant are available. Most are photocopies. All are $10 each + $5 postage and handling in the U.S. per order,
overseas postage will vary. All requests for reprints should be addressed to:
Dan Reppert, PCA Librarian, PCA Library, P.O. Box 447, Fort Madison, IA 52627-0447; e-mail: [email protected]
52
1993—March, July, October
1998—Spring, Fall
2003—Spring, Winter, Winter
1994—February, May, August
1999—Spring, Fall, Winter
2004—Spring/Winter, Winter
1995—Spring/Winter, Fall/Winter
2000—Spring, Fall, Winter
2005—Spring/Winter, Winter
1996—Spring, Winter/Fall
2001—Spring, Fall, Winter
2006—Spring, Summer, Winter
1997—Spring, Winter
2002—Spring, Winter, Winter
2007—Spring, Summer
FALL 2007
The pennant
P
PC
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Fifty pages of reprints from PCA Library
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Corporate Sponsors
BEXLEY
STYLUS magazine
2840-B Fisher Street,
Columbus OH, 43204
614.351.9988
Fine Life Media
Suite 2-E, 363 Reef Road
Fairfield, CT 06824
203.259.8100 Fax 203.259.0847
Sanford North America
Parker, Waterman, Rotring, Sensa
2711 Washington Blvd
Bellwood, IL 60104
800.323.0749
Levenger
420 South Congress Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33445
561.276.2436
The PCA invites pen manufacturers and wholesale pen distributors to be a
Corporate Sponsor of the Pen Collectors of America.
Contact Dan Reppert for details: [email protected].
The pennant
FALL 2007
53
PCA
Contributors
Rob Astyk has been using fountain
Inkpen opened for business. He is currently on
lection remains largely unfocused,” he says
pens for over 50 years and
the Board of Directors of the PCA.
proudly, “except of course for brown Parker
collecting them for nearly
Anna lawson has used and col-
“51”s, which you can never have enough of.”
30, meanwhile researching
lected fountain pens since childhood, which is
Dan reppert collects off-brand
their history. He wrote the
a long way away at this point. A writer as well
Sheaffers such as Univer,
first history of the Moore
as an irascible hermit, she keeps a pile of rocks
W.A.S.P., and Craig. He
beside her door to throw at intruders.
is president and librarian
in 1981. He is the father of three daughters and
david moak remembers Sheaffer
of the PCA. He worked
grandfather of six, a New Englander now trans-
cartridge pens f rom
for Sheaffer for over 12
planted to Bellingham, Wash.
his school days. His re-
years, and is currently
Paul Bloch is a semi-retired Texan.
acquaintance with foun-
involved in historic building renovation in
He has maintained a small
tain pens came when his
Fort Madison.
pen collection for about 50
wife Mary Jane taught him
Bruce Speary has been collect-
years, and, today, has a spe-
a simple calligraphic hand.
ing pens and watches for
cial interest in retractables.
His collection gradually centered on Mabie,
15 years. Ten years ago he
He and Marybeth live
Todd (& Bard). He researched and produced
became a full time antique
near Fort Worth and enjoy
Pen Company, published
Mabie in America, the definitive work on the
dea ler when he found
Texas music, food and weather.
U.S. company.
himself suddenly unem-
Victor Chen recently retired from
Ronald Pohoryles directs
ployed. He now has more
his position as Pro­fessor of
two European social sci-
time to do pen research
History at Chabot College.
ence research centers in
and collect his favorite pen, the Paul E Wirt.
Chen continues his Tech
Vienna and Paris. He has
Sherrell Tyree is a human
Notes column, a regular
a scientific interest in the
resources professional in
feature in The Pennant.
pen development industry
Overland Park, Kan. and
as a case study for early
has been a pen user and
Ron Dutcher is proprietor of
globalization. The force behind his passion
lover since the second
Kamakura Pens in Japan. He says that since he
for pens was his father's beautiful Montblanc
g rade (she never liked
often suffers from insomnia, he uses his night-
Meisterstück, which he much admired as a
ballpoints). She has been
time hours to research pens rather than watch
young boy but was never allowed to touch.
conditioning her own pens all that time. She
Japanese late night television.
Rick Propas is vice president of the
and brother Joel Hamilton have been in the
Kate Gladstone teaches and
PCA and the sole propri-
repair and related fountain pen business for
remediates handwriting
etor of PENguin, a website
several years (Inkpen).
internationally, working
for fountain pen collectors
Daniel Waitzman grew up in
and traveling from her
that focuses on Parkers,
NYC and earned a Master's
home in Albany, NY. To
Pelikans and other German
degree in Musicology from
better help left-handers,
and American pens. To
Columbia. An ASCAP
she taught herself to write
support his hobby he is a United States history
and Concert Artists Guild
professor at San Jose State University.
Award winner, and recipi-
left-handed.
Joel Hamilton has been collecting
tom rehkopf is a computer sys-
ent of a Solo Recitalist's
fountain pens while working
tem architect in Atlanta,
Fellowship Award from the NEA, he has per-
in the Juvenile Justice system
Ga. He has written
formed throughout the U.S. and Canada as
in New Mexico Collecting
several articles for The
soloist and chamber musician on modern and
led to repairing his own pens
Pennant, and has been
historical flutes and recorders. He has won sev-
and upon retiring from NM
collecting pens for over
eral awards for his musical compositions and is
State Government in 1999,
fifteen years. “My col-
the author of The Art of Playing the Recorder.
54
FALL 2007
The pennant
PCA
Pen Repair
Pen repair directoryINKPEN VINTAGE FOUNTAIN PENS
BROADWAY PENS
BRAD KNAPP
456 S. Broadway, Lebanon, OH 45036
Home: 513.932.2220 • Work: 513.932.6070
FAX: 513.932.9988
[email protected] • www.broadwaypens.com
Repairs most brands including Parker Button Fill($20) and Vacs($25);
Sheaffer Snorkels($25); Sheaffer and Wahl Plunger Fillers($30).
FOUNTAIN PEN HOSPITAL
10 Warren Street, New York, NY 10007
800.253.7367 • 212.964.0580 • FAX: 212.227.5916
Website: fountainpenhospital.com
Email: [email protected]
Repairs & restorations for all pen makes, models
and filling mechanisms.
THE FOUNTAIN PEN RECYCLER
MIKE CARTER
Mail: P.O. Box 28083
Store: 7000 57th Ave. N., Ste. 103, Crystal, MN 55428
Home: 763.434.7921 Work: 763.535.1599
FAX: 763.535.1892
Email: [email protected] • website: fountainpenrecycler.com
Repairs to all makes and models.Repairs on most vintage pens, including
Sheaffer vacs–fast turnaround, excellent communication.
RICHARD BINDER
31 Fairmount Street, Nashua, NH 03064-2523
Phone: 603.882.5384
Email: [email protected] • Website: richardspens.com
Expert, respectful repairs on modern and vintage pens, including celluloid
and safe reblackening of hard rubber. Nib adjustment and repair, retipping
and regrinding, custom modification including adding or increasing flex.
GALLERY 9926
RON MELOCHE
9926 Maine Ave.,Lakeside, Ca. 92040
Phone: 619.316.6577
Email: [email protected]
Repairs on most pens including Parker and Sheaffer vacs as well as snorkels. Minor nib repair-straightening and smoothing. All work guaranteed.
PENTIQUES.COM
AARON SVABIK
PO Box 2866, Youngstown, OH 44511
Phone: 330-507-PENS(7367)
Email: [email protected] Website: www.pentiques.com
Fastest turnaround anywhere. Superior customer service. Repairing all
models including exotic filling systems. Specialize in plastic crack repair,
lever replacement, reblacking. Extensive parts inventory. One year warranty on all work.
PENOPOLY
ROGER CROMWELL & VICTOR CHEN
1271 Washington Avenue, PMB 598, San Leandro, CA 94577
Email: [email protected] • Website: penopoly.com
Phone: 510-415-9080
Restoration and repairs on all makes and models.
The pennant
FALL 2007
JOEL R. HAMILTON
1602 Arizona Avenue, Alamogordo, NM 88310
Phone: 575.437.8118 • Email: [email protected]
SHERRELL TYREE
10009 Roe Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas 66207
Phone: 913.642.3216
Email: [email protected] • Website: ink-pen.com
Repairs on most vintage pens, including Sheaffer and Parker Vacs,
PFM’s, etc. Excellent communication and all work is guaranteed. “Your
Pen Is Our Priority”
PEN HAVEN
BERTON A. HEISERMAN & Louis wofsy
3730 Howard Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895
Home: Berton, 301.365.4452; Louis, 703.323.1922
Work: 301.929.0955 • Fax: 301.365.4750
Website: thepenhaven.com
Email: [email protected], or
[email protected]
Specialties: Total restoration to all models. Plastic crack repairs.
Replace bands, rings and crowns, Waterman 100 Yr. barrel ends
and cap-tops. Plating.
THE SOUTHERN SCRIBE
RICK HORNE
1868 Mt. Meigs Road, Montgomery, AL 36106
Home: 334.263.4169 • Work: 334.263.4169 • FAX: 334.263.4169
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST Monday thru Friday
Email: [email protected]
Website: thesouthernscribe.com
Expert repair on Eyedroppers to Snorkels, difficult & unusual repairs
including cracks, goldplating, black hard rubber color restoration, mother
of pearl and abalone panel replacement. Now re-tipping nibs.
CLASSIC FOUNTAIN PENS
JOHN MOTTISHAW
717 N. Highland Ave. Loft #27, Los Angeles, CA 90038
323.655.2641
Email: [email protected] • Website: nibs.com
Classic Fountain Pens specializes in nib repair and customization, including crack repair and re-tipping, to the writing style of your choice. We also
make subtle adjustments to nibs, increasing flexibility and altering ink flow
characteristics. We do these processes to new and vintage pens, when appropriate. For more information see the repair page on our web site: www.
nibs.com or call or email.
Y
Advertise your pen repair service in The Pennant’s Pen Repair
Directory. Your listing reaches nearly 2,000 members three times annually. $75 for three consecutive issues. Mail, fax or email your listing.
Please include your name, address, phone number, e-mail and a brief
description of your repair services.
PCA—Pen Repair Directory
P.O. Box 447, Fort Madison, IA 52627
Fax: 319.372.0882 or email: Terry Mawhorter,
AdvertisingManager, [email protected]
55
PCA
PCA
Contributor guidelines
Board of Directors
The Pennant invites you to submit articles of interest to the PCA membership.
Contributions should be submitted as email attachments, on floppy disk or on CD, using
standard word processing software.
Articles: We welcome articles dealing with pen collecting, writing instruments, pen
manufacturers, ephemera, news about your recent finds, and Letters to the Editor. The
Pennant “Author’s Guidelines” document is available upon request, and members of the
editorial staff and PCA Board are available to assist you. Submit your article in Microsoft
Word. Please do not use auto-numbering or imbed your images in your text file.
Illustrations/Photos: When submitting images, be certain that they are scanned at no less
than 300 pixels per inch. Photos look best on a non-reflective white background (lucite is
good and foam board works well). Images may be submitted as email attachments or on
CD as JPG images. We cannot use images imbedded in text documents or spreadsheets.
Deadlines: Available on request. Contributions are subject to editorial review and should
be sent to: PCA, Attn: Editor, The Pennant, PO Box 447, Fort Madison, IA 52627-0447
or via email to: [email protected].
The PCA Board
Linda Bauer
Dennis Bowden
Dan Carmell
Bill Hong
Bruce Mindrup
Rick Propas
Joel Hamilton
Dan Reppert
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
575.437.8118
[email protected]
319.372.3730
[email protected]
AnnMarie Hautaniemi
607.257.8502
[email protected]
_______________
All opinions expressed in The Pennant are those of the authors and do not
necessarily represent the opinions of the PCA, its directors, or members.
M arket place
51 DENT REMOVAL: Help me pay for my new tools.
RESTORATION: The Write Pen restores your foun-
Send me your Parker 51 cap for basic dent removal. Email for
tain pens. Fastest turnaround in the business. References avail-
special price. [email protected]
able. www.thewritepen.net Remember the Arkansas Pen Show,
FOR SALE: Beautiful all Sterling Silver Parker 51 Israel
March 7 and 8, 2008, Little Rock.
LE from [email protected] , tel: +972 52 242 5784 Each
WANTED: Camel(New Jersey made) pens, pencils, ads,
handcrafted by A. Kullock. Also available in all stainless steel
parts and ephemera. Reasonable prices paid. Email thomas73@
or Sterling Cap/resin, $350-550. http://tinyurl.com/2e3oac
aol.com or call 215-817-8273
WANTED: Parker Ink Tablets. Looking for the WW1-era
WANTED: Conklins and Conklin ephemera. Have many
tablets, in either tubes or a box of tubes. Please contact John
Conklin parts available, sell or trade. Repairs and restoration,
Danza at [email protected]
most brands. Contact Pete Kirby at [email protected]
972-529-6364
•
Buy • Sell • Trade in The Pennant Marketplace. Your classified ad reaches over 2,000 pen enthusiasts. PCA members are entitled to
one or more free classifieds annually based on membership level. Free ad may be up to 25 words in length.
Marketplace ads $.50 per word. Deadlines for publication: Feb. 15, June 15 and Oct. 15. Mail to: PCA Marketplace, P.O.Box 447,
Fort Madison, IA 52627 or FAX to 319.372.0882 or email: Terry Mawhorter, Advertising Mgr. [email protected]
56
FALL 2007 The
pennant
The Twentieth
Los Angeles
International
Pen Show
February 14–17, 2008
(President's Day Weekend)
• Vintage and Modern Pens
• Limited Editions
• Inks
• Reference Books
• Inkwells
• Papers and more
Ballroom open:
at 8 am, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
for Table Sharing,
Weekend Traders Welcome to Exhibit
Public Show: Sunday
February 17, 10 am to 5 pm
Manhattan Beach Marriott
1400 Parkview Ave. @ Rosecrans & Parkway
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
310-546-7511 Fax 310.546.7520
Pen Show Rate:
$134/night
Make Reservations by Jan. 19
Info: 281.496.7152
E-mail: [email protected]
Details at www.LAPenShow.com
STYLUS
The pennant
Co-sponsors:
DELTA
MONTEVERDE
FALL 2007
57
Early filligree
overlays, and hard
rubber pens,
vintage and modern
maki-e, limited
editions, and other
fine fountain pens
Rare Waterman 516
14K Solid Gold Filligree
circa 1910
Tel. 757.425.2162 • FAX 757.425.2165
Toll free: 888.340.7367
1560 Laskin Rd. #158, Virginia Beach, VA, 23451
58
FALL 2007 The
pennant
The Writing Equipment Society Journal
is published in England and covers the history and development
of writing equipment. For just $65 a year you will receive three
colourful issues of the Journal packed with information and gain
easy access to the 600 members who are collectors and dealers in
the U.K. and Europe. To become a member of the Society, contact:
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.wesonline.org.uk
Ohio Pen Show
A premier vintage Pen show
Nov. 6, 7, 8, and 9, 2008
Exceptional Pre-Show Buying ✒ 40+ Tables Thursday, 159 Tables Friday
Vintage Pen Auctions ✒ Seminars, Workshops & Parties
Featuring Long Time Exhibitors ✒ Many Exclusive To The Ohio Show!
Public Show 159 Tables Saturday and Sunday
Vintage and modern pens, inkwells, and a full range of pen related items
Crown Plaza Hotel • Dublin, Ohio
( 614.764.2200 or toll-free 866.372.5566)
Weekend Registration: $50
(Includes Significant Other And/Or Child)
Terry and Sonya Mawhorter, Show Organizers
Phone 614.619.5025 ✒ www.ohiopenshow.com Show Patrons
The pennant
Bexley Pen Co.
Nibs.com FALL 2007
PenWorld Magazine
pentrace.com
Pendemonium
Stylus Magazine
59
Pen Haven
3730 Howard Ave • Kensington, MD 20895
The Southern Scribe
Expert Pen Repair
Photos
on my
Website • Vintage Pens Sold
Single Pieces & Collections Purchased & Appraised
Now
re-tipping nibs in-house with
4–6 weeks
9–5 CST • Monday–Friday
turnaround
www.thesouthernscribe.com
Rick Horne • 334.263.4169
1868 Mt. Meigs Road • Montgomery, AL 36107
Open: Sat–Sun, 12 p.m.–5 p.m.
301.929.0955
Consignments Wanted For
Vintage Fountain Pens & Accessories
Berton A. Heiserman 301.365.4452
Louis Wofsy • 703.323.1922
Email [email protected], or
[email protected]
www.thepenhaven.com
Call now or email to discuss consigning quality
vintage pens, groups of pen parts and pen related
ephemera
Ohio Pen Show Auctions
Fax 301.365.4750
Professional Repair & Restoration
November 6 and 8, 2008
Limited space available
Terry Mawhorter
614.619.5025
Email: [email protected]
5th Research Triangle
Raleigh/Durham /Chapel Hill, N.C.
Pen Show
June 5, 6, 7 and 8, 2008
Vintage Parts Exchange Thursday
30 tables Thursday (beginning at 10 am) • 90 tables Public Days • June 6–8
Vintage Pen Auction Saturday June 7
Vintage and modern pens • Full range of pen items • Seminars • Workshops
Embassy suites hotel • Cary, north Carolina (Raleigh suburb)
call 1.800.embassy or 919.677.1840
free hot breakfast and evening reception included in room rate with free airport shuttle
Full-show admission: $40 (includes all events beginning Thursday for you and significant other)
Terry & Sonya Mawhorter, show organizers
www.raleighpenshow.com • Phone: 614.619.5025
Show Patrons
SharonLuggage.com
60
Bexley Pen
Swisherpens.com
Sailor Pen
Stylus Magazine
Franklin-Christoph
FALL 2007
The pennant
Tuesday–Friday, 9–4. Most Saturdays 10–3. Call to Verify.
The Pen Mechanic
Repairs, most makes of vintage fountain pens & pencils
Specializing in Waterman’s Rivet Clips and
100-Year Pen Barrel End replacements.
Reasonable rates and fast turnaround.
Bill Enderlin
301.585.0600
P.O. Box 197, Kensington, MD 20895
Todd Nussbaum
P.O. Box 32166
Mesa, AZ 85275
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.isellpens.com
E-mail: [email protected]
Are You Looking for the Perfect Gift for a Favorite Pen Collector?
Consider a Gift Membership in the PCA
Now you can give a gift that will inform, delight and remind someone you know that you are thinking of them everyday of the year! Complete all of the
requested information below, print clearly and send this form, along with your check or money order, made payable to:
Pen Collectors of America, Attn: Roger Wooten, PCA Treasurer
P.O. Box 174 • Garden Prairie, IL 61038-0174
Please send a Gift Membership for (check one):
Inside the U.S.:
Outside the U.S.:
n One year $40 U.S. n One year $60 U.S. n three years $105 U.S.
n three years $150 US
Send membership to:
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The pennant
FALL 2007
61
The Long Island Pen show
Now in its Second Year
Friday & Saturday, March 14-15, 2008
Hofstra University, Hempstead, LI, NY
Featuring:
Over 80 tables of Vintage and Modern Pens
Pen Paraphernalia, Inks, Paper, Pen Wraps & more
Nib work by Richard Binder of www.richardspens.com
Repairs by Ron Zorn of www.mainstreetpens.com
Free Parking & Convenient Abundant Food and Beverages on site
Stay at the Nearby Long Island Marriott Hotel 516-794-3800
Weekend Trader Registration only $20.00
(includes one guest and table space Fri., 8 am-12 noon & Sat. 8 am-10 am)
Organizers: Mike Bloom 516-502-5005 & Terry Brack 631-235-4690
www.LIpenshow.com
TIRED OF DEALING
WITH THE UNKNOWN
ON THE INTERNET?
How about internet prices
on a vintage pen list?
If you're not on our mailing list,
you should be!
THE FOUNTAIN PEN
RECYCLER
• OLDEST CONTINUALLY PUBLISHED
VINTAGE PEN LIST IN THE U.S.
• FULL-SERVICE RETAIL PEN STORE
• VINTAGE PEN REPAIR & RESTORATION
Mike Carter, owner
Celebrating our 17th year!
7000 57th Ave North, Ste 103 • P.O. Box 28083
Crystal, MN 55428 Tel. 763.535.1599
Web: fountainpenrecycler.com
Email: [email protected]
62
•OF ThEPhiladelphia •
Pen Show
January 25, 26 & 27, 2008
Sheraton Philadelphia
City Center Hotel
17th & Race Streets
Just off I-676
Phone: 215.448.2000
Vintage Pens-Modern Pens
Seminars-Workshops
Pen Repair On Site
PUBLIC INVITED ALL THREE DAYS
10 am EACH DAY
DOOR PRIZES DAILY
Contact: Jim Rouse
BERTRAM'S INKWELL
410.539.7367 or 443.790.3103
EMAIL: [email protected]
www.philadelphiapenshow.com
SHOW SPONSORS:
AURORA OMAS LIBELLE STYLUS MAGAZINE
FALL 2007
The pennant
Inkpen Vintage
Fountain Pens
™
Sales • Search • Purchase
Repairs on most vintage pens including
Parker and Sheaffer vacs.
Excellent communication
All work guaranteed
Joel Hamilton
575.437.8118
[email protected]
Sherrell Tyree
913.642.3216
[email protected]
Visit our website
www.ink-pen.com
“Your Pen is Our Priority!”
Fine Fountain Pens
& Writing Supplies
Norman G. Haase
[email protected]
www.hisnibs.com
Phone: 510.415.9080
The pennant
FALL 2007
63
Society of Inkwell
Collectors
Join Us!
Newsletter
Convention
Books & Accessories
Networking
P.O. Box 324
mossville, il 61552
Phone: 309.579.3040
[email protected]
WWW.SOIC.COM
64
FALL 2007
The pennant
Fountain Pen Hospital
The Showcase of Fine Writing Instruments
Since 1946
World’s Largest Selection
Visit our newly expanded showroom
for an experience unlike any other.
The world’s largest selection of
contemporary, limited edition and
vintage pens.
Call or Email
for Free pen catalog
10 Warren Street
New York, NY 10007
800.253.PENS
T. 212.964.0580 / F. 212.227.5916
[email protected]
www.fountainpenhospital.com
Just click www.fountainpenhospital.com