Hi everyone,

I've been keenly looking (through the internet) at CS pens every chance I get. I started when someone piqued my interest in the 58.

But now I would like to know what vintage CS pens are the largest. Most information I have found provide various measurements of lengths, but none seem to discuss girth.

If someone could provide some information that would be great. I'm really familiar with the Peli's in the 200, 400, 600, and 800 sizes, so a comparison to them would be really helpful.

Thanks.

I'm afraid I wouldn't know a Pelikan's girth from the length of its beak so I can't do a comparison for you! However, in absolute terms from post war CS and the era of your 58, the 100 (available in black only but with a number of different cap band configurations) is the largest diameter, followed I think by the 77 and then the 60. Of the post war but earlier styled pens, the 45 and 55 would be the largest.

Pre war, probably the Duro 26 is the largest then Duro 23 and 35 models (discounting some of the really early Duros or eyedroppers which are rare and expensive). If you look back a few threads to my post about vintage CS advertising and follow the link there to the Vintage CS blog, you'll see a lot of the pens from the 1930s pictured next to each other, pretty much to scale in most of the pictures, so you can get an idea of the relative diameters from those. Especially useful is the 'fan' image from the 1937 colour leaflet.

Hope this helps!

Andy

[ I'm afraid I wouldn't know a Pelikan's girth from the length of its beak]


A wonderful bird, the pelican,
Its beak can hold more than its belly can.






Greg

Thanks Andy. I've been watching a 600 on ebay which seemed to hover around $50 for a few days. Last time I checked it had doubled in price.

I see that there is a line of Duro pens, and I've also seen numerous mentions of Duro nibs. Is there some connection between the two other that the Duro name?

That 600 is great and quite rare, especially in good condition. There'll be lots of competition.

The Duro range of pens was the CS flagship range of the late 20s and 30s and the Duro nibs were originally fitted to these. Once the Duro pens became obsolete, the name was retained for the nibs fitted to the best quality pens in later years.

Andy