Paper Mate

[Nadia]

That was going to be a reply to https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=29730 but the thread is locked so here goes.

 

I got this Paper Mate pen as a gift from my mother many years ago, at the second half of the 80s. I thought this was a common pen but I haven't seen Paper Mate FPs in shops and recently saw the above post so I thought to add some info on the pen. That's a pen I've used a lot, a real workhorse. Paper Mate was a brand centered on economical products so I think I wouldn't be expensive at all, and it's also very compact, so it's the kind of pen you can carry always with you without worrying too much for fear of losing or breaking it.

 

http://www.geocities.com/substance19/photos/SANY0721.jpg

 

It's a full metal thing, very solid. It's made of steel with a golden clip and two golden sections at the extremes. The golden parts have resisted perfectly the test of time, the clip is also perfectly solid although I never carry it clipped (more on that later). In the cap is engraved "Paper Mate - W. - Germany -". The body is black anodized metal with a medium golden nib. It uses standard (international) cartridges or converter. Mine included the converter which is a regular converter with "Paper Mate" engraved in it.

 

http://www.geocities.com/substance19/photos/SANY0722.jpg

 

The pen is very slim. Uncapped is 11,8cm long and 9mm of diameter as most, so even being metal it's very light. It's difficult to find FPs as small as this. It works perfectly, now as twenty years ago. I've never had any problem with it. Ink flow has been always steady without getting dry or overflowing, either with cartridges or converter. Writing with it is a pleasure, I'm sure that comparable to many more expensive pens. The width of the 'medium' line is the same as other 'medium' Parker or Rotring pens that I've used.

 

http://www.geocities.com/substance19/photos/SANY0726.jpg

 

The problem with this pen, probably where the low cost shows, is the cap fitting. It's a pressure plastic kind of system that has worn with time so now almost doesn't hold. That means that you can't carry it clipped on a pouch and you have to be careful when transporting it. To me is not a big problem since I carry it a small leather pen case.

 

(Sorry for the poor detail on the photos).

Edited July 3, 2008 by Nadia

[kaos]

I am sure if you check out the Repair forum on this site you will find someone that can fix your problem.

 

If you are interested in fountain pens, this site has a wealth of knowledge to help you pick out a new fountain pen that you will enjoy for many years.

[mr T.]

Paper Mate was a brand centered on economical products so I think I wouldn't be expensive at all, and it's also very compact, so it's the kind of pen you can carry always with you without worrying too much for fear of losing or breaking it.

 

Thank you for your review of this very nice pen. In the '80s these pens were not cheap and are probably the most expensive pens Paper Mate ever produced. They were only marginal cheaper than comparable products from Parker, Waterman or Shaeffer. Where I live, these fountain pens from stainless steel with a (probably) 14k nib were not very common. Plastic Monogram fountain pens with steel nibs (my review can be found here) were more common however. All of these (German) Paper Mate fountain pens were produced for only a couple of years.

[Maja]

Hi Nadia,

Thank you very much for the review! The photos are fine; thanks for including them so we could see what the pen looks like, as it is not a very common pen here in North America

 

I have a plastic-bodied Paper Mate fountain pen (matte black colour) with a steel nib and it is an amazingly reliable pen. It starts up without hesitation even after being in my pen cup for a few days, unused! Wish I could say that about all of my pens...

 

I'm glad your Paper Mate still works after all these years!

[Ondina]

Very good review. I own the same pen and it was my workhorse for years at College. Still performs flawlessly and the nib, well, is simply the best nib I've ever had. No comparison. And I've used fantastic inlaid nibs from Sheaffer, great Pelikan nibs and Lamy's, MB's....this pen is simply something else. Is too slim for my normal taste, but feels great on the hand. The only- and very important problem- is the same than the above mentioned; the plastic inner clip on wears off with use and results in a non working cap. It barely holds in place any longer.

The nib is non marked, it just shows 2 hearts, but even when it looks to me like plated, non solid gold, it sure performs -and outperforms- any of the many gold nibs I've tried. Other thing worth mentioning is that the included converter is a high quality one. Same than Caran D'Ache or Montblanc ones.

 

If anybody knows where to find one, buy it or let me know!. I got the pen as as present when my old marbled student Reform died and even even passing from piston to c/c was certainly inconvenient for a student, the Fpen was so great that I carried a bottle of ink just to use it all the time!.

 

Thanks for the review.

[Tweel]

If anybody knows where to find one, buy it or let me know!

Here, for the moment, is one with gold plating and a non-economical price. I don't have a connection to the seller, but after reading this review, I wish I could buy the pen!

 

-- Brian

[richardandtracy]

This came as a shock to me. I'd only ever associated 'Paper Mate' with disposable fibretip plstic pens. Amazing. Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

 

[Ondina]

If anybody knows where to find one, buy it or let me know!

Here, for the moment, is one with gold plating and a non-economical price. I don't have a connection to the seller, but after reading this review, I wish I could buy the pen!

 

-- Brian

 

Thanks for the link. I assume the pen was not cheap on its day, back at early 80's, but gee z!. It may be worth repairing the cap after all.

[mr T.]

This came as a shock to me. I'd only ever associated 'Paper Mate' with disposable fibretip plstic pens. Amazing. Thanks for sharing this with us.

 

Paper Mate is still a manufacturer of fountain pens. Their current models are the Fountain Mate and the Surpassion fountain pen.

[mompus]

That was going to be a reply to https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=29730 but the thread is locked so here goes.

 

I got this Paper Mate pen as a gift from my mother many years ago, at the second half of the 80s. I thought this was a common pen but I haven't seen Paper Mate FPs in shops and recently saw the above post so I thought to add some info on the pen. That's a pen I've used a lot, a real workhorse. Paper Mate was a brand centered on economical products so I think I wouldn't be expensive at all, and it's also very compact, so it's the kind of pen you can carry always with you without worrying too much for fear of losing or breaking it.

 

http://www.geocities.com/substance19/photos/SANY0721.jpg

 

It's a full metal thing, very solid. It's made of steel with a golden clip and two golden sections at the extremes. The golden parts have resisted perfectly the test of time, the clip is also perfectly solid although I never carry it clipped (more on that later). In the cap is engraved "Paper Mate - W. - Germany -". The body is black anodized metal with a medium golden nib. It uses standard (international) cartridges or converter. Mine included the converter which is a regular converter with "Paper Mate" engraved in it.

 

http://www.geocities.com/substance19/photos/SANY0722.jpg

 

The pen is very slim. Uncapped is 11,8cm long and 9mm of diameter as most, so even being metal it's very light. It's difficult to find FPs as small as this. It works perfectly, now as twenty years ago. I've never had any problem with it. Ink flow has been always steady without getting dry or overflowing, either with cartridges or converter. Writing with it is a pleasure, I'm sure that comparable to many more expensive pens. The width of the 'medium' line is the same as other 'medium' Parker or Rotring pens that I've used.

 

http://www.geocities.com/substance19/photos/SANY0726.jpg

 

The problem with this pen, probably where the low cost shows, is the cap fitting. It's a pressure plastic kind of system that has worn with time so now almost doesn't hold. That means that you can't carry it clipped on a pouch and you have to be careful when transporting it. To me is not a big problem since I carry it a small leather pen case.

 

(Sorry for the poor detail on the photos).

 

I see You're in Barcelona. I lived there back in the '60s, many fond memories. Barcelona, in fact, is where I started collecting fpens. There was a little, 2nd hand, pen shop on Calle Fernando, sort of near the corner with Via Laetana (by the metro station). I wonder if the guy's still there...

 

[Maja]

This nice review reminded me of a previous topic on Paper Mate pens where someone (fellow FPNer "halljer") mentions a connection between Paper Mate pens made in "W. Germany" and Montblanc....

Link to thread topic: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=29737

 

I just checked and that every-reliable black matte plastic Paper Mate of mine is indeed marked "W. Germany"...

Edited July 4, 2008 by Maja

[fatehbajwa]

That's a nice looking pen..........streamlined and minimalistic.......two qualities I like in pens.

[Phormula]

I had the same pen in the '80s. It was my workhorse during secondary school. I lost it at the uni and replaced with a Waterman, but I still regret it. I remember that in those computerless days I was often asked to write long essays and the Paper Mate was simply fantastic. Since then I tried many times to secure one, but there seem to be none around. Mine was the fully chrome version. I also have a pleasant memory of the Paper Mate chrome BPs and RBs of that age. Too bad the company discontinued them to focus on cheap writing stuff.

[georgeb]

montgomerypens.com lists some Papermate fountain pens.

 

http://montgomerypens.com/search_results.asp?collection=Papermate%20Fountain%20Pens

[Phormula]

Thanks!!!

[rockydoggy]

I bought a second-hand stainless-steel (?) Papermate a couple of years ago and found myself using it all the time (I especially liked the smoothness of the nib). Since then, I've picked up several more via eBay, and I don't think that I paid over $20 for any of them--two were NOS and thus in mint condition; another that's currently in rotation is a used gold one with a fine nib (my others all have medium nibs). If you're not in a rush to find one, you might check eBay periodically; they show up there every so often and sometimes at very reasonable prices.

[rwilsonedn]

I have to agree that these Papermates are among the best pens for the money I've ever seen. Mine is every bit as much a pleasure to use as previous posters have described. It really makes one think about the relationship between quality, value, and market success.

ron

[Phormula]

I have to agree that these Papermates are among the best pens for the money I've ever seen. Mine is every bit as much a pleasure to use as previous posters have described. It really makes one think about the relationship between quality, value, and market success.

ron

 

Even if this is not the right forum, I can say the same for their BPs and RBs. And they came with a lifetime guarantee. When I was in secondary school everybody had either a Paper Mate Chrome Executive or a Parker Jotter chrome. This was the "serious pen", used to write during exams. But the Paper Mate BP was far superior to the Jotter. It is really a pity that Paper Mate left the business to concentrate on cheap stuff.

[pajaro]

I have the burgundy one, and have had it since about 1980. It is still near mint, and I have used it from time to time. It writes a perfect medium line. I think it gets rare use only because, at $19.95 purchase price, I preferred to use the more expensive pens I had. Well, you have to at least delude yourself that the more expensive pens really are better than gems like this very nice PaperMate model. Every time I have used this pen I have enjoyed it and been glad I bought it.

 

Then I would go right off and think a Cross Century or MB was so superior. This PaperMate is one of the pens I try to keep in pristine condition. It is slender, but still feels nice in my hand, and writes very smoothly. It's an aging gem, aging gracefully.

[nstlgia70]

Almost anyone who had ever used these high quality products of Papermate is full of praise for them. I just cannot understand why Sanford /New Rubber would discontinue them. It seems that they had bought up a brand just for the purpose of exterminating it, just like what CMP did to the much loved Byte Magazine. I wonder why we consumers had not done anything to make known our indignation to those idiots.