What is the oldest pen you have used???

[chris burton]

I have a couple of Franklins (eye droppers) that date from the 1890's. They get inked on occasion, but the oldest pens that see regular use are Montblancs and Pelikans from the 1930's.

[woodwindmaster06]

Thanks for all of the posts the responce has been amazing, I can not get over people having pens from the 1890s still!

 

I would like to know how to date vintage pens?? What sites do a good job of covering this. Just provide any and all info on dating a fountain pen.

 

Thanks in Advance

[TMann]

Most of my collection is made up of modern pens, but I have four vintage pens:

 

1. a Parker 51 aerometric

2. a Parker 51 SE (coming)

3. an Eversharp CA ballpoint

4. an Eversharp Skyline ballpoint (coming)

 

I can probably look up the age of all of these little guys, but I think that they're mostly from the 1950's.

 

TMann

[Maja]

My oldest pen? I think it's probably a BHR Sheaffer flat-top (lever-filler) or a Rexall eyedropper....

 

I love this thread!

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

It was that cute little Waterman 3V! Thanks TMann!

 

Dillon

[Blade Runner]

Mine is a black and pearl Gold Bond Stonite with a big and smooth #8 fine nib, one of my favorites. It was wonderfully restored by Richard Binder.

I believe the pen is from the 1940s.

 

Regards,

Jeen

[zxc]

Probably my Swan S.F. 1 flexy nib...guessing it's from the early 1900?

[Larry T]

I have an A.A. Waterman no. 30 from around 1905. Red mottled hard rubber twist filler with a flexible fine nib. I'm about to send it to Richard for a tune up.

[Glenn-SC]

A Parker BHR both nib and barrel marked "Lucky Curve" not marked Jack Knife or Doufold.

[woodwindmaster06]

I have just dated my vintage pens and here are the ones that I currently have:

1: Sheaffer Balance: dating from 1936 to 1945 (2nd most flex in collection)

2: Sheaffer Triumph: dating from 1945-1949

3: Pelikan 140: Dating from 1952-196 (Most flex in collection of pens)

 

Quick question: on marked nibs that say flex or semiflex or superflex is there a great deal of difference between the degrees of flex???

[Mary P]

The oldest pen that I have and use is a 1923 BCHR SHeaffer with a fine, flex nib. I use the en only at home. Flex nibs aren't practical for me at work though I enjoy using them sometimes in personal correspondence.

[revdem]

My oldest pens in use are:

 

1. Parker big reds - One double band, and one with a raised girdle and huge imprint.

2. Sheaffer Flat top -- 1925 ish - nacre - probably the best example of original color I have seen to date. White dot, Medium nib.

3. Waterman 0754

4. 1935 vacumatic standard- burgundy, lock down filler

[aircraft_electrician]

Since this is a fountain pen forum, I'll leave out my 19th century dip pens, which leaves the oldest fountain pens I've used as either my 1928 Sheaffer's jade Radite flat top ring top, or my tiny (3 1/8" long) Wahl gold filled ring top with a #0 nib from the late 1920s. I'm not sure of its exact age, so it could be older or newer than the Sheaffer. Both of them need new sacs, but I have dipped them.

 

Tom

[JeffTL]

My Esterbrook J Transitional (single round jewel, Esterbrook-imprinted clip, "Esterbrook/MADE IN U.S.A" (no registered trademark symbol) barrel imprint) from the mid 1940s is the oldest I have used. My Sheaffer Vac-Fil may be older but it doesn't work.

[Johnny Appleseed]

I just moved my oldest pen back a couple of years - a Waterman 12 that dates to approximately 1900-1903 thanks to a parts-pen lot off ebay from a certain Bpanders (thanks Brian ). It does have a cracked cap, but not so bad it can't be used.

 

Now I just need one of those 1890s Franklins - especially since I was born outside Philadelphia, on January 17th.

 

John