What is the oldest pen you have used???

[woodwindmaster06]

A couple days ago I picked up some sheaffers from the 1940s thats around 60 to 70 years old, when writing with them am at just amazement that these pens in such a good condition as they are survived this long, it always amazes me at how good condition vintage pens are kept and the astonishingly low prices. I often wonder who used these before me, what their story was I just love vintage pens so much, also because I am 18 years old it is amazing that I have pens that are over 3 times as old as I am.

 

Also I like the heart breather holes, when did companies switch over from the heart to the circle?

 

My question is what is the oldest pen you have used?

[Bill D]

I found a cabinet with a lot of "stuff" of my great uncle's in our basement. Great Uncle Dick was a World War I veteran as a young man and became a newspaper writer and editor in later years. One pen I found there and re-sacked is a mid-1920s Sheaffer Flat-Top with a firm (and smooth) fine nib. It's delight to write with, but it stays at home instead of traveling around with me.

 

There was also a Waterman's Taperite of his from the 1940s that Richard Binder restored for me. It's wonderful to write with and is in my pocket today

 

Bill

Edited November 10, 2005 by Bill Dodson

[FLZapped]

That would have to be the Burgandy Parker 21 I have. Sadly, I'm just not sure how old it is since it came from my grandparent's estate.

 

-Bruce

[Carrie]

Most of my Conway Stewarts that I use on a day to day basis date to the 1950s. The oldest pen I've used is a Mabie Todd Swan Leverless which I think dates to the 1930s based upon overall style (well, the patent dates to 1933.)

[nmb]

Probably a copper Esterbrook which is now sold or a Wearever Pacemaker that dates from the 1940s sometime. I love writing with vintage pens and knowing how old they are, as well as the fact that they often work better than modern pens that cost much, much more. Vintage pens is definitely something that I would love to be more involved in. Thus I'm teaching my self to resac (very, very slowly) and will eventually move on to tweaking nibs. I'm really excited to get something in hard rubber. What's cooler than that, a rubber pen!

[Michael Wright]

I've got, and use from time to time, an eyedropper Waterman 12 which must come from the early years of the 20th C. Very nice it is too, with a lovely flexy nib. But I'm sure there are people using pens made in the very late 19th C.

 

The really good old pens were well made, and are essentially simple mechanisms. They were also made in very large numbers, and some people have a pen but don't use it much (pens were a favourite gift item, for instance). So what we see is a selection from the thousands, and sometimes millions, that were made, many of which got worn out, broken or otherwise trashed.

 

But it's still a wonder to find something older than ourselves that works so well.

 

Michael

 

wishing his knees were in as good condition as his Parker 51s

[Johnny Appleseed]

I have a Waterman 12 Eyedropper that probably dates to 1905-1910. I am not 100% certain - the cap-clip dates to 1905-1910, but somebody may have switched the cap on to a later pen. The barrel is no later than 1927. I don't have it in my pocket today, but did yesterday.

 

I also have a Waterman 13 eyedropper that dates 1910-1917, and a Waterman 12PSF (Waterman's first lever-filler) I bought off of Brian Anderson that dates 1914-1917. All are great writers with flexy nibs, though all needed a little smoothing.

 

The eydroppers are particularly cool for restoration. Rinse, fill, write - no sack to replace or anything.

 

J. Appleseed

Edited November 10, 2005 by Johnny Appleseed

[KCkc]

A couple days ago I picked up some sheaffers from the 1940s thats around 60 to 70 years old, when writing with them am at just amazement that these pens in such a good condition as they are survived this long, it always amazes me at how good condition vintage pens are kept and the astonishingly low prices.  I often wonder who used these before me, what their story was I just love vintage pens so much,  also because I am 18 years old it is amazing that I have pens that are over 3 times as old as I am.

 

Also I like the heart breather holes, when did companies switch over from the heart to the circle?

 

My question is what is the oldest pen you have used?

This should be 2 of my older pens both ED:

1. early 1900s Waterman RMHR 12 with factory flex med italic nib.

2. Waterman 12 BHR with stub (Traded this one and I know it is in a loving home)

with factory flex stub

 

Both do not have heart shaped breather hole, though

 

1. early 1900s Waterman RMHR 12

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/ebaywatch888/IMG_0050.jpg

 

2. early 1900s Waterman 12 BHR with stub

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/ebaywatch888/IMG_0612.jpg

[KendallJ]

My wife's grandmother was over last night, and she said she had something for me. Out of her purse she pulls a 1927 Big Red Duofold Senior. Some brassing, but other than that, it looks in great shape. Only thing is I haven't written with it yet, so it may not count.

[Johnny Appleseed]

1. early 1900s Waterman RMHR 12 with factory flex med italic nib.

 

Based on the clip, I think that one would be 1910-1922. I think the black one could be anywhere from 1903-1928. However, I am far from an expert on these things.

 

That RMHR is .

 

J. Appleseed

Edited November 10, 2005 by Johnny Appleseed

[Sonnet]

I don't have any vintage fountain pens (my oldest one so far is my Levenger Prima which I purchased in late 2002 or early 2003) but reading this thread has gotten me interested in expanding my search.

 

YEARS ago (like, when I was about 10 or 11), I remember finding this old black fountain pen and an old bottle of blue ink. If I remember correctly, I could only write with the pen by dipping it into the ink bottle-- its feed/resevoir system was shot. Unfortunately, I don't remember anything about the possible make/brand of the pen or ink. Also, I had to dig out one of my old journals to look up the timeline which meant I had to READ through some of my old journals [cringes at idiotic 11-year old self]

[Johnny Appleseed]

Only thing is I haven't written with it yet, so it may not count.

 

Dude - if you haven't got it resacked yet, just dip it.

 

JA

[antoniosz]

My oldest specimen is a BHR Waterman 12 eyedropper with a New York star nib. I believe this is from around 1906.

 

Then I have two Waterman 12 POC screw cap eyedropper. I posted about one of them in this article (click here and scroll down for pictures).

 

These pens have some of the most enjoyable nibs I have ever seen.

[Ann Finley]

To be honest, I don't know which pen is the oldest I have! My silver Waterman 452 1/2V is one of the older ones, as is the pen my aunt got for high school graduation in the 1920s. It is a Wahl ringtop, probably gold plated. I've got a green striated flat top that had Royal on the original clip, which broke. When I had the pen restored, the clip was replaced with another old one. I also have a pearl & black, small, pen & pencil set. The pencil looks a lot like a Sheaffer golf pencil from the 1930s, but I don't believe mine is marked. I don't know the date of production for any of these pens; wish it was easier to discover.

 

edited for typo

Edited November 11, 2005 by Ann Finley

[georgem]

The oldest is a 1942 Parker Vacumatic that was restored by Richard Binder. It writes beautifully; I find that I use it a bit more that some of my others.

[KendallJ]

My wife's grandmother was over last night, and she said she had something for me. Out of her purse she pulls a 1927 Big Red Duofold Senior. Some brassing, but other than that, it looks in great shape. Only thing is I haven't written with it yet, so it may not count.

OK, I take that back. I cleaned it up and it's now awaiting a sack, but I have written with it!

[Richard]

The oldest pen I have used was a Victorian dip pen. But since this is the Fountain Pen Network, I'll set that one aside (since I don't own it anyway) and turn to the oldest pen I own, this Rival from the 1890s.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/rival.jpg

 

I bought it from Rich Lott in Raleigh because I'd been looking for a good overfeed pen to shoot for the "overfeed" entry in my site's glossary, and I ended up loving the pen because it's just far enough out there to be cool. It has a very nice flexy nib, even!

 

For those who are terminally curious, here's a link to the glossary entry in question:

 

Glossary: Fountain Pen Bits, Pieces, and Other Stuff (entry on overfeed)

[Mike]

I have a brace of Junior Balances from the mid-1930s, a red Esterbrook of similar vintage, and a strange little celluloid Eberhardt Faber lever filler that I suspect is of similar vintage. Aside from those, most of my pens date to the '50s, with a few modern cheapies thrown in for good measure.

[mr_inky]

For me that would be my BCHR "CRAIG". Something around 1915 I think. Picture "as found".

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/mr_inky/BC14k.jpg

[mr_inky]

The oldest pen I have used was a Victorian dip pen. But since this is the Fountain Pen Network, I'll set that one aside (since I don't own it anyway) and turn to the oldest pen I own, this Rival from the 1890s.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/rival.jpg

 

I bought it from Rich Lott in Raleigh because I'd been looking for a good overfeed pen to shoot for the "overfeed" entry in my site's glossary, and I ended up loving the pen because it's just far enough out there to be cool. It has a very nice flexy nib, even!

 

For those who are terminally curious, here's a link to the glossary entry in question:

 

Glossary: Fountain Pen Bits, Pieces, and Other Stuff (entry on overfeed)

Very nice!