Full Version: Valentine pen
I came across a Valentine pen, looked a lot like a Swan 3xxx series. Also had a Swan 2 nib and a Swan style clip, although attached with a top cap rather than the 3xxx type. Does anybody know if there was a connection with Swan or would the nib be a replacement ? Anyway, I didn't buy it and am now having second thought...
Anyway, I purchased it !! A bit of a clean up, straighten of the nib and reseting it, a new sac and it's come up pretty well. It's the first Valentine I've seen, and would appear to be a second tier maker although Parker bought the company. Does anybody know much about these pens, are they common?
Hi Hugh,
Valentine were the company that owned the Newhaven factory that Parker used to start production in the UK in the 1930s before taking it over completely later, in 1945 if I recall correctly ( I wouldn't bet the mortgage on the date). they may be regarded as second tier pens only in that they didn't make so many pens as the bigger companies but they were well made with good quality materials.
There is evidence that the some of the earlier Kingswood pens, this was the brand name used in UK for some Eversharp pens, the Valentine 04 and other contemporary models were made there at the same time and from some of the same materials that were used by Parker for the Victory series 1 and 2 pens, in many cases other than the imprints and the different filling systems on some of the models it is very difficult to tell the different brands apart, the caps can be swapped from one make to the other etc.
To the best of my knowledge there was no tie up at all between Mabie, Todd & co, the makers of Swan, Blackbird etc pens and the Valentine company at any time so it would be almost a certainty that the nib is a replacement. I have seen Valentines with Parker and with warranted nibs as well as with Valentine's own nibs and there is good evidence that when Valentines were returned for repairs that Parker parts were used once the Valentine parts had been used up after the Parker take over so you might findValentines with Parker nibs and even clips.
I hope this helps sort things out for you,
Cheers, John
Valentine were the company that owned the Newhaven factory that Parker used to start production in the UK in the 1930s before taking it over completely later, in 1945 if I recall correctly ( I wouldn't bet the mortgage on the date). they may be regarded as second tier pens only in that they didn't make so many pens as the bigger companies but they were well made with good quality materials.
There is evidence that the some of the earlier Kingswood pens, this was the brand name used in UK for some Eversharp pens, the Valentine 04 and other contemporary models were made there at the same time and from some of the same materials that were used by Parker for the Victory series 1 and 2 pens, in many cases other than the imprints and the different filling systems on some of the models it is very difficult to tell the different brands apart, the caps can be swapped from one make to the other etc.
To the best of my knowledge there was no tie up at all between Mabie, Todd & co, the makers of Swan, Blackbird etc pens and the Valentine company at any time so it would be almost a certainty that the nib is a replacement. I have seen Valentines with Parker and with warranted nibs as well as with Valentine's own nibs and there is good evidence that when Valentines were returned for repairs that Parker parts were used once the Valentine parts had been used up after the Parker take over so you might findValentines with Parker nibs and even clips.
I hope this helps sort things out for you,
Cheers, John
Hi John,
Interesting bit of history, certainly answers a lot of question I had. Given what you've said I think I might have picked up a bit of a bargain (A$20 ~9 pounds) .Thank you for the information.
Regards Hugh
Interesting bit of history, certainly answers a lot of question I had. Given what you've said I think I might have picked up a bit of a bargain (A$20 ~9 pounds) .Thank you for the information.
Regards Hugh
Hugh,
For some history of Valentine, its relationship to Parker and other good Newhaven Pen History, this is a good book to look for:
For some history of Valentine, its relationship to Parker and other good Newhaven Pen History, this is a good book to look for:
Like quite a few of the British pen manufacturers, Valentine were also papermaker's, the company I served my apprenticeship with, I am sure made their Papermaking machine. We definately did work on it in the 70's.
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