Staedtler Mars-500 technical pen

[mmlife]

Hello

 

This is my first post to the network. My name is Michael and I live in Sydney Australia. I am researching fountain pens with the eventual goal of improving my poor cursive style. I blame university lectures where writing skills came a distant second to scrawling as fast as the lecturer spoke.

 

Browsing through different topics on this network reminded me of a fountain pen I had purchased last year at a market as part of a Staedtler Professional compass set . It appears to be complete with the exception of the larger of the two included screwdrivers. It is in a steel slim line case, metallic blue in colour, and includes a Mars-500 technical fountain pen with a 0.5mm needle. Possibly it was manufactured in the 1970's??

 

The Mars-500 is an attractive black technical drawing fountain pen with gold accents, a yellow staedtler logo button top, a clear blue reservoir and a plunge style filler accessed after unscrewing the base of the body(sorry if my terminology is incorrect). What I would like to know is how to fill it, what style of ink to use and what other accessories may be availiable?

 

If anyone had any information of the whole set that would be appreciated as well.

 

Thanks for any help

 

Regards

 

Michael

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

This, I believe is from the 1960s. Pictures would be helpful. Should you want to sell it, I am right here.

 

Dillon

[mmlife]

Hi Dillon

 

I will add some photos this afternoon. Do you mean just for the pen or both the pen and compass set?

 

Thanks

 

Michael

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

Both would be nice.

 

Dillon

[mmlife]

Hi Dillion

 

Here is the complete set. You can see the felt lining has come off the lid of the steel case.

Edited January 30, 2006 by mmlife

[mmlife]

The pen itself

[mmlife]

The pen dismantalled.

[mmlife]

And this is how it attaches to the other instruments.

[Chris]

I'm sure I'm telling you what you already know - sorry - but this pen is not for writing but for drawing lines of specified widths (and there are rules in technical drawing about this).

 

It can be used for lettering with a stencil, but having tried to write with one, I'd say it will no nothing to improve handwriting skills.

 

I'd hang onto it, but get a fountain pen for handwriting - lots of advice on this site if you care to spend a while simply reading.

 

And welcome....

 

Chris

 

ps the pen you have uses technical ink (from Mars). It dries to a black rock inside the works if not flushed out. I have never tried to use fountain pen ink in these technical instruments so I do not know if it would work or not. It might be too 'thin' and give too great a flow, leading to blobs and so on.

Edited January 30, 2006 by Chris

[mmlife]

Thanks for the welcome Chris

 

I bought this set because I have a bit of a hobby collecting instruments used for measurement, hence the compass set. It was only when I was researching FP's that it triggered my memory about this pen. I asked Staedtler Australia if they could give me any information about the set but even after contacting head office in Germany they were unable to.

 

My goal is to purchase a Sheafer Heritage series FP primarily because it looks like one my Dad owned. Good enough reason for me.

 

Regards

 

Michael

[Kaweco]

removed

Edited April 1, 2007 by Kaweco

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

There we go!! Kaweco!!

 

Anyway, Staedtler customer service is like no other.

 

Dillon

[mmlife]

Thanks Thomas

 

Where do you go to have the pen cleaned with an ultrasonic cleaner?

 

Dillon, do you have any idea about the date of manufacture?

 

Regards

 

Michael

[Kaweco]

remived

Edited April 1, 2007 by Kaweco

[Gerry]

You might have more luck finding a Ultrasonic cleaner at a jewellers, and if you are located in North America, Radio Shack sells them for about $50.00. These low power units are quite useful for FP cleaning, should you get involved in a larger collection.

 

In order to get the purchase past the Audit section at home, it is useful to advertize it as a Jewellery cleaner (which it is) and demonstrating how well it works on rings, watch bracelets, brooches etc. When it's not operating in that mode, a little surreptous FP cleaning will not be noticed

 

The Technical Pen (the more common name for it) was quite popular for note taking as well as drafting when I was in engineering in the 60's. We generally used Koor-I-Noor pens, but they were very similar in design. Rapidograph pens were also available then. They were pretty scratchy in writing unless held almost vertically, but this could be improved significantly by smoothing much like is done for FP nibs. Rounding the outside sharp edge did not change the line width and reduced the scratchiness significantly.

 

A FP version of this type of pen that preceeded both the MARS and KOOR-I-NOR (I think) was the INKOGRAPH, and was referred to as a stylographic pen. It was essentially the same design as the later technical pens, and I believe was sold as a FP, perhaps as early as the mid 1800's. The one I have is a lever filler - unlike most of the technical pens that followed. A history of INKOGRAPH can be found in the link below on Jim Mamoulides web site (Pen Hero).

 

INKOGRAPH also made standard FP's.

From the Pen Hero Site...

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Inkograp...ndardNibPen.htm

 

http://www.billspens.com/billsreprints/ink.../inkograph1.htm

 

By the way, stylographic pens were made by MacKinnon, Conway Stewart and Montblanc as well as others.

 

http://www.vintagepens.com/stylos.shtml

 

 

Gerry