CS have a confusing array of numbered pens, some have the addition of a name.

Most obvious, and perhaps best known, are the Dinkies. It may be assumed that these are so named to hint at their extremely small size (apparently for shirt pockets initially but later concentrating on the handbag). With such a wide variety of sizes in the Dinkie range one wonders the purpose of the Pixie.

The Dandies seem to be more masculine small pens, perhaps so-called due to the wide and colourfaul range of patterns and materials.

The Shorthand pens are, actually, quite large and with nice nibs, and we would assume were specifically designed for fast note taking.

Another are the Duros, we might conclude that the pen name came before the introduction of the famous nibs. Its been suggeted these were made to be more durable, the Duro nibs being thought to be thicker than usual.

However less obviously descriptive is the Scribe. Not a bad name for a pen, but why are certain pen numbers represented by the Scribe range of pens? (As I understand it the Scribes were the 'everyday' type pens.) Similarly why are certain numbers also called the Universal and the International. Why aren't more names associated with the popular pens (like the Executive)? Was there ever more than one, say, International available at any one time?

Why were other popular models not named (CS12/14/15, 58, 388 etc)

Anyone with any ideas? (before I ask why were some called 'The Conway Pen'!)


Greg

Possibly surprisingly, the Pixie range were not particularly small pens - the smallest was, I think, about the size of a Dandy and most of them were rather larger, what I would call 'normal' size pens, though they may have been a little slimmer. One oversight in Jonathan's list is lack of diameters, though I suspect he has no appetite for going round and re-measuring all those pens! Despite appearing in the UK price lists for most of the 1920s, CS Pixie pens are still hard to find. The name was ultimately picked up by Wyvern (more sensibly) for their small pens.

One interesting name Greg didn't mention was 'Speedy Phil'. On some nicely illustrated 1920s boxes, a boy sitting astride a flying pen is saying 'I'm Speedy Phil', no doubt alluding to how easy and quick it was to fill a lever pen (as opposed to an eyedropper). The name was resurrected in the late 50s for the 74 which ironically probably had one of the most unreliable filler systems devised by CS!

Andy