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Conway Stewart

scratchy

By scratchy
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scratchy Extremely Rare

scratchy

Posted
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I was pleased to receive the Autumn newsletter from Martin at The Writing Desk http://www.thewritingdesk.co.uk but was a bit concerned to learn of the Conway Stewart workshops about to be abandoned

 

It's hard for me to know what to say on Conway Stewart, as I've never held one. But last week I discovered there's an fp guy living in town with a mahoosive collection of many different fps and perhaps he may have one I could look at.

 

But are fps a luxury item? My own letter writing and sketching is fairly sporadic as I'm not always inspired. At the moment I feel like the world is in a state of emergency and for the life of me I cannot seem to prioritise a single thing.

 

What I will say is that I've seen a juxtaposition of solidly made artistic buildings and products which have stood the test of time, and what I can only describe as disposable, hastily made items designed merely for profit. Whilst I can understand the attraction of making a quick buck, there's no real satisfaction to be derived therein from either the manufacturer or the customer, leading quickly to a loss of sales and repeat customers.

 

On a side note, I noticed that there seems to have been a spate of murders in Plymouth, the city in which Conway Stewart is based, although I don't have access to the actual statistics, just what Google tells me. In such a gloomy atmosphere, it is very difficult to create anything resembling quality. If there was even one person willing to guard the workshop and brand I would be regarding them as heroic

 

After all, "when it's gone, it's gone"

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Pelikan M1000 (black) B Nib

Bexley Simplicity bronze GT B nib

Pilot VP blue/GT B nib

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twissy Rare

twissy

Posted
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Not sure this is the correct forum, but I'm glad it turned up here otherwise I would probably have missed it!

 

The Conway factory is now already closed, and all assets sold off. It was (and is) a shame it all happened so quickly. It was announced in the press on a Thursday, and the following day all the assets had already been photographed and placed on an auction site to be sold by the following Thursday. The shame was that a few of us found out that if we had been in the know two days before the announcement we could have bought the company for a similar amount to what was paid for it back in 2010. All the assets are now gone, but I believe the brand name is still owned by the same person.

 

The auction was a bit of a bun fight (as most are I suppose), and it later transpired that within the "community" we were bidding against each other. I think you can expect to see some "new" Conway pens appearing that will be made using the existing parts that were purchased by individuals. I have already been contacted by a few (and have contacted others myself) asking "have you this part"?

 

I must admit, I do wonder if the brand will resurface in the future, and hope that it does, hopefully with the first pen being branded the Phoenix!

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twissy Rare

twissy

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In a way this might be also the right forum if you consider conway stewart made their pens by hand but yeesh that price tag...

 

I'm afraid they were turned out by CNC machines (I now have the machine code for the majority of the parts). There may have been a small amount of hand finishing. Of course, there was some artisan work carried out with silver overlays, and also the enamelling on the silver pens.

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Matlock Collectors Item

Matlock

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Posted (edited)

There is an interesting article in the latest Writing Equipment Society Journal which maps out what happened at CS and lays a few ghosts to rest, well worth a read.

Edited by Matlock

Peter

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rvthof Extremely Rare

rvthof

Posted
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I like to read the Conway Stewart related articles in the latest Journal (#100)

but can't find a way to order this Journal in digital form as a PDF.

 

Does anybody know where to find such an item?

 

Thanks

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Matlock Collectors Item

Matlock

Posted
Posted

I like to read the Conway Stewart related articles in the latest Journal (#100)

but can't find a way to order this Journal in digital form as a PDF.

 

Does anybody know where to find such an item?

 

Thanks

 

Try contacting the membership secretary, Ian Williamson on membership@wesonline.org.uk (latest journal is #101)

Peter

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scratchy Extremely Rare

scratchy

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Thanks for the replies, though who knows if the expertise for continuing to make these pens may continue? If it's a case of remarkable silversmithing I happen to know of someone locally by the name of Malcolm Applebe, capable of doing such work at least.

Sailor Professional Gear GT B Nib

Sailor Sapporo GT F Nib

Pelikan M1000 (black) B Nib

Bexley Simplicity bronze GT B nib

Pilot VP blue/GT B nib

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AJ50 Rare

AJ50

Posted
Posted

I like to read the Conway Stewart related articles in the latest Journal (#100)

but can't find a way to order this Journal in digital form as a PDF.

 

Does anybody know where to find such an item?

 

Thanks

Don't think they do a digital version but it would be interesting if they did.

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oregano Vintage

oregano

Posted
Posted

Perhaps someone would be kind enough to post a pdf pf the four pages on Conway Stewart? I know, then we wouldn't be buying the issue, but it would be nice! :P

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______Zaphod_Beeblebrox Vintage

______Zaphod_Beeblebrox

Posted
Posted

I'm afraid they were turned out by CNC machines (I now have the machine code for the majority of the parts). There may have been a small amount of hand finishing. Of course, there was some artisan work carried out with silver overlays, and also the enamelling on the silver pens.

So does that mean you can make pen similar to the old CS without the name attached to it? The my favorite the Belliver pen with the added metal to give it weight?

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