Fountain Pens Of Tsarist Russia

[Rider1325a]

Anyone know if fountain pens were made in imperial Russia, or what pens the Tsar used?

[Offret]

A good question that I as well would be interested in knowing.

[recluse]

This would be indeed interesting to know, how that was for a fact.

 

There was no industrial production of fountain pens in Imperial Russia for sure. They were called "eternal pens" (or, literally, eternal nib) and it looks like they were regarded as a gimmick, which is not comme il faut for the royal family. Most likely the family owned a few fountain pens but rather as souvenirs of sorts. Descriptions and photos of tsar's offices include nibs and inkwells but no fountain pens are mentioned.

 

Russian literature of those days leaves an impression that fountain pens were kind of middle class gadget: not too fancy to flash, too modern and so on.

 

The destiny of fountain pens in Russia was sad. Office goods were never a priority. At one point during the period of New Economic Policy, however, there was even a project to open Montblanc production line in the Soviet Union but the market was eventually too weak for the German part to pull the trigger. That'd be an interesting twist. Alas, didn't happen.

[Kaweco]

The 1913 catalog from Kaweco/ Germany shows Kaweco establishements with repair shops in Moscow, Odessa, St. Peterburg and Kishinev. So the Russians there surely knew of the modern safety filling fountain pen. Kaweco made gorgeous golden and Tula-silver overlays and it`s possible that the Tsar had one.

A lot of dip- pens from dubious sources in Sofia had been sold under the name of "The Romanov Pen" some years ago

Alas I have not heard from a MB plan to move to Russia during the New Economy Period. MB was not the important brand in the first time.

Kind Regards

[MisterBoll]

According to sources deep within the Russian border - Russian royalty always used TWSBI pens.

 

 

[recluse]

The 1913 catalog from Kaweco/ Germany shows Kaweco establishements with repair shops in Moscow, Odessa, St. Peterburg and Kishinev. So the Russians there surely knew of the modern safety filling fountain pen. Kaweco made gorgeous golden and Tula-silver overlays and it`s possible that the Tsar had one.

A lot of dip- pens from dubious sources in Sofia had been sold under the name of "The Romanov Pen" some years ago

Alas I have not heard from a MB plan to move to Russia during the New Economy Period. MB was not the important brand in the first time.

Kind Regards

 

The article http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/620563/print (in Russian) claims that in 1927 Simplo Filler Pen (they call it Simplo-Fullfeder in the article) initiated negotiations with trade representatives of the Soviet Union in Germany around these matters and these negotiations were going on for quite some time. I didn't find an independent confirmation of this claim.

[Kaweco]

Hello recluse,

thank you very much for the link very interesting, the translator worked a little bit rough but I think I got most of the intrinsic informationes. Surely the dip pen was mostly used in the 20th. My mother, who was born in 1930 in Germany, told me, that pupils needed a permission from the teacher to use fountainpens at school. The major hindrance for using fountainpens was the high price. Stalin used a Pelikan 100. The capitalist!

Kind Regards

Thomas

[stopher]

According to sources deep within the Russian border - Russian royalty always used TWSBI pens.

 

 

The picture looks totally legit!

[Vendome]

That picture is of Prince Michael of Kent.

[Sinistral1]

I can easily imagine the royal and wealthy Russians using French made fountain pens as they were Francophiles in their love of French jewelry and other expensive trinkets like decorative eggs and cigarette cases.

 

I was in Kiev, Ukraine in 1994 working on international adoptions and could hardly believe watching government employees hand copying documents and folding the corners over and tearing a "tab" in the paper instead of using a staple or paperclip. I've often wondered if Office Max has a store in Moscow yet!

 

Maybe if there are any Russian members here, they can provide enlightenment on the subject.

[MisterBoll]

That picture is of Prince Michael of Kent.

 

You ruined it!

[Pickwick]

That picture is of Prince Michael of Kent.

Prince Michael whom I believe became King George the V looked as if he could be the Czar's twin Brother. In fact wasn't there a relationship with Queen Victoria? Before the Bolsheviks arrested the Royal family, The Czar appealed to George the V because he was related pleaded for refuge which he was refused.

 

The picture is definitely the Czar. I suspect the fountain pen has been added, he would never have posed with on!

Edited October 27, 2013 by Pickwick

[Pickwick]

Prince Michael whom I believe became King George the V looked as if he could be the Czar's twin Brother. In fact wasn't there a relationship with Queen Victoria? Before the Bolsheviks arrested the Royal family, The Czar appealed to George the V because he was related pleaded for refuge t which he was refused. he was refused.

 

The picture is definitely the Czar. I suspect the fountain pen has been added, he would never have posed with on!

[Vendome]

Prince Michael whom I believe became King George the V looked as if he could be the Czar's twin Brother. In fact wasn't there a relationship with Queen Victoria? Before the Bolsheviks arrested the Royal family, The Czar appealed to George the V because he was related pleaded for refuge which he was refused.

 

The picture is definitely the Czar. I suspect the fountain pen has been added, he would never have posed with on!

 

I meant the current Prince Michael of Kent, cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and great, great grandson of Tsar Alexander II.

He is a throwback to King George V and Tsar Nicholas II.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Michael_of_Kent

[Sinistral1]

I think that Victoria and Albert were related to both the Russian and German royal families - 1st cousins as the rulers of these three kingdoms. They also were very similar in looks with those beards and mustaches.

[GTOZack]

not sure but I had met a remarkable elderly fellow visitor at a local VFW which was a soviet tanker during WWII, he was part of a T-34/85 tank unit that trumped onward to Yugoslavia in a two prong attack against the Nazi empire.

 

his tank commander had some prized possessions such like german packing tobacco and had a soft side for vanilla flavor. a parabellum 38 pistol. and he always kept a fountain pen at his side( not sure what brand) once he are to sign for the extra fuel and provisions. he pass the pen with his other platoon commanders to get the items together every third day.

 

being from a small town Belorussian farming community, pencils and dip pen are common but there was evident passion for luxury items such thing up above. which is punishable by imprisonment if caught.

but then again during WWII, looting is rampant, trading and buying necessary provisions are usually bought by luxury items if you wanted it right now. (especially medicine) It was a 'Hot Potato' back in communist state.

[MisterBoll]

One thing to keep in mind - most 'royals' are related. All the current Brit ones are originally German.

 

And all but two U.S. presidents can be traced back to the same European royal bloodlines.

[recluse]

Hello recluse,

thank you very much for the link very interesting, the translator worked a little bit rough but I think I got most of the intrinsic informationes. Surely the dip pen was mostly used in the 20th. My mother, who was born in 1930 in Germany, told me, that pupils needed a permission from the teacher to use fountainpens at school. The major hindrance for using fountainpens was the high price. Stalin used a Pelikan 100. The capitalist!

Kind Regards

Thomas

 

It's an interesting article, indeed. It's written in a bit frivolous way (although, the magazine where it was published is legit and, I guess, regarded as one of leading publications) but some facts do check out; for example, opening a line producing Parker knock-offs with the help of Armand Hammer. That later became "Sacco and Vanzetti" factory and one of their basic pens was featured in one of S. Brown videos.

 

And thanks for reminding about fountain pens in schools! I completely forgot about this curious fact. It seems similar strict regulations with regard to fountain pens were in effect in many countries. I even read in some old publication about the demise of handwriting because of fountain pens.

[recluse]

I can easily imagine the royal and wealthy Russians using French made fountain pens as they were Francophiles in their love of French jewelry and other expensive trinkets like decorative eggs and cigarette cases.

 

I was in Kiev, Ukraine in 1994 working on international adoptions and could hardly believe watching government employees hand copying documents and folding the corners over and tearing a "tab" in the paper instead of using a staple or paperclip. I've often wondered if Office Max has a store in Moscow yet!

 

Maybe if there are any Russian members here, they can provide enlightenment on the subject.

 

In 93-99 everything was possible. I wouldn't be surprised if a government agency could simply not have a budget for office supplies for some period of time during those days.

[Florida Blue]

I can easily imagine the royal and wealthy Russians using French made fountain pens as they were Francophiles in their love of French jewelry and other expensive trinkets like decorative eggs and cigarette cases.

 

I think this might be the case. I know the French jeweler Cartier held a royal warrant to the Czar as well as to Britain's Edward VII. Cartier opened a shop in St. Petersburg in 1908, but it closed after the October Revolution.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if Cartier made some writing instruments for the imperial family.