German Ero

[betweenthelens]

This lovely pen was given to me by my friend Tim (tmenyc on here) a couple of months ago. I've been using it as a daily writer, clipped to my Hobonichi planner, and I just love it. It holds a lot of ink (piston filler) and is a dependable pen.

 

The background for the photography is the circa 1920s German book Die drei Ruisdel on the Dutch painter Ruisdel and his two namesakes and Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther.

 

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee513/betweenthelens/IMG_4128_zps550f96ab.jpg

 

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee513/betweenthelens/IMG_4137_zpsc055fc97.jpg

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee513/betweenthelens/IMG_4133_zps00671569.jpg

 

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee513/betweenthelens/IMG_4136_zpsb2212e66.jpg

 

 

Thanks for looking!

Edited July 24, 2014 by betweenthelens

[playtime]

love the interplay of colors:)

[WrightWrite]

Ooh, pretty. I have an Ero in black that I've "borrowed" from my grandmother to fix. One tip of the nib is broken off, so I'll have to replace the nib. It's also unfortunately missing the clip. Doubt I'll find one of those on eBay.

[betweenthelens]

love the interplay of colors:)

 

Thanks so much!

Ooh, pretty. I have an Ero in black that I've "borrowed" from my grandmother to fix. One tip of the nib is broken off, so I'll have to replace the nib. It's also unfortunately missing the clip. Doubt I'll find one of those on eBay.

Thank you! I'd love to see your grandmother's. You never know what you'll find on ebay. Just keep looking. Maybe you should find her another one?

[WrightWrite]

 

Thanks so much!

Thank you! I'd love to see your grandmother's. You never know what you'll find on ebay. Just keep looking. Maybe you should find her another one?

I'll try to get a picture of it either tonight or tomorrow.

There's a pair of nibs up on eBay that I'm watching until I can convince my wife to let me spend the money to get them.

[betweenthelens]

I'll try to get a picture of it either tonight or tomorrow.

There's a pair of nibs up on eBay that I'm watching until I can convince my wife to let me spend the money to get them.

Great on both accounts!

[tmenyc]

Nice pics, as always...the Ero looks a lot better on you than me.

 

Tim

[betweenthelens]

Nice pics, as always...the Ero looks a lot better on you than me.

 

Tim

Thanks, Tim. I do adore the pen. I've inked it with Iroshizuku yama-budo and it is a luscious writer. I've taken to writing poetry in my planner, to-do lists, grocery lists, directions, etc. just to use it on the Tomoe River paper.

[WrightWrite]

Finally got some pictures of mine.

[betweenthelens]

Nice! Thank you for sharing! Is there engraving on the barrel? Also, can't tell from the photo but is it just the iridium that's off the nib or an actual portion of the metal?

[whych]

Does the nib unscrew?

If so, I may be able to get you a nib.

[WrightWrite]

Nice! Thank you for sharing! Is there engraving on the barrel? Also, can't tell from the photo but is it just the iridium that's off the nib or an actual portion of the metal?

It says Ero - Unser Bester in the middle of the barrel, and 407 IRKUS near the end.

 

Does the nib unscrew?

If so, I may be able to get you a nib.

I can remove the nib, but I'm not sure that it unscrews from the section. How much would the nib be? I'm fairly strapped for cash at the moment.

[betweenthelens]

Look at this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Ero-Unser-Bester-Fountain-Pen-Black-Barrel-Silver-Irkus-407-German-Old-/141177240235

 

Photos aren't visible but perhaps it's the same pen?

[WrightWrite]

Look at this:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-Ero-Unser-Bester-Fountain-Pen-Black-Barrel-Silver-Irkus-407-German-Old-/141177240235

 

Photos aren't visible but perhaps it's the same pen?

From the description, it sounds like it.

 

After a little grinding, I got mine into a nice flexible stub/italic. This may turn into a pocket pen, since it's missing its clip.

[betweenthelens]

From the description, it sounds like it.

 

Ero 4.jpg

After a little grinding, I got mine into a nice flexible stub/italic. This may turn into a pocket pen, since it's missing its clip.

Wow! You're a nibmeister? I like the ink, too. What shade?

[FountainPages]

I need to send you on a pen finding expedition for me! That one's a beauty...as are most of your finds.

 

Best Regards,

Ed

[betweenthelens]

I need to send you on a pen finding expedition for me! That one's a beauty...as are most of your finds.

 

Best Regards,

Ed

Hi Ed. Thank you. This one was a gift; however, I've been pretty lucky with respect to finding fountain pen treasures! Looking for anything in particular??

[KBeezie]

I had two of these, one just black with a blue ink window, the other red with same blue ink window (but slightly different piston assembly).

 

The black one was fitted with a "1" nib which had some degree of flex to it, both of them unscrewed the nib/feed unit much like an esterbrook pen.

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/ero/uncapped.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/ero/disassemble.jpg

 

http://static.karlblessing.com/pens/ero/write_photo.jpg

 

The black one worked just fine, and wrote rather well, the red one had a broken piston assembly but was PIF'd to someone who could work on it.

 

I ended up trading the black one to have a leather case made for me ( http://kbeezie.com/green-3-pen-case-by-3wunder/ ), he said he purchased a brand new nib unit from a german auction site and the pen is now a 100 times better for him.

 

Likewise recipient of the broken red one also acquired a new nib for it, and feels the same way, much to the point he's considering sending the pen out be repaired just because of how well the nib functions (it can still sort of be used as an eye dropper, but would require sealing the back a bit).

While I did not keep either of mine, they seem to be underappreciated gems for the going price of around 30-40 on ebay. Both of the ones I received were gifted to me.

Edited July 26, 2014 by KBeezie

[betweenthelens]

Hi Karl. I agree that the Ero seems to be an underappreciated gem. Mine has a 1 nib with a bit of flex, too. Thanks for sharing!

[Kaweco]

Hello "betweenthelens"

BTW, an interesting translation of the title from "Die Leiden des jungen Werther". I am far away being a translator but I do not think that I would use the word "sorrow" for the German term "Leiden" . Perhaps I would use suffer, pain or (extremely) tortures. Werther had been the "alter ego" of Goethe himself and Lotte had been Charlotte Buff, one his many girlfriends who he never had been able to come into touch. Her parents prohibited the connection because Goethe had been neither rich nor noble enough for a possible marriage. It must have been downstriking for Goethe. Some years ago I visited the house in Wetzlar/ Germany, where Carlotte Buff had been living. It was really touching to breath the historic air, where "Werther" had been kicked out...and suffered so much. ......Until the next chance came along.

But, sorry, this is a message bord for fountain pens......Yes, ERO is a really nice trademark and the pen you own has a characteristic and successful ERO pattern. After ERO had been taken over by Senator, they kept on making fountain pens in the same pattern. ERO itself had been the follower of Reform (Heinz & Jung) in the ealy 50th, the trademark with its best reputation had been sold to Mutschler.

pic 1 Vintage ERO in red celluloid

pic 2 Colored transparent and eggshell white colored EROs. The shape and the clip reminds very closely to the Pelikan 140, so many collectors think about a sub- label to the producer from Hannover

pic 3 Modern set, possibly one of the last ERO products

Kind Regards

Thomas

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