Hey everyone, all of the new contemporary pens are hard to resist, but my main interest are antiques from the 1920's, so I'm looking for some information about what I should be seeking out on ebay. Basically I'm looking for two pens. First, one that I'd use at work, and I'd like this to be something that someone typically would be using at the office circa 1925 or so, although it could be a slightly fancy version of that, nothing that back at the time would evoke odd stares because of the overly extravagant pen you were using.. I'm thinking something an office worker or perhaps up to professional would use day in and day out, as I intend to use it for the exact same purpose.

Secondly, a special pen, one that perhaps a doctor, lawyer, upper management might use, one with some flair.

Criteria: must have been available for sale in the 20s, so if it first came out in 1905 but was still selling in 1925, that's just fine. Secondly, I don't plan on paying more than $100 for a pen, particularly the 'daily use one', so something that now, as then, is affordable enough that I wouldn't be dipping my nib in an inkwell of my own tears if it walked away from my desk drawer. The 'special' pen can be closer to the $100 mark however.

Anyway, although I've been perusing the posts, I'm really not sure what percentage of fountain pens were 'not quite ready for prime time' compared to the pens of today, or which ones were reliable and fashionable.

Earlier 20's preferred over later, as a pen that came out in June of 1929 is stretching the 'roaring 20's pen' moniker.

Any help much appreciated!

Hi,
I think a Waterman, probably a Waterman 52, would be the most likely pen for both options - a nice plain one for office work, and an exotic precious metal overlay one for pre-Depression conspicuous consumption. Unfortunately getting a nice, working example for less than $100 is pretty difficult (if anyone knows otherwise, point me to the source!). The "Big Red" Parker Duofold is another pen from the period, but is also generally quite expensive. Basically anything in black hard rubber evokes the 1920s for me, and there are plenty of no-name BHR pens floating around out there for less than a Waterman - you might look out for one of them.

You might find this link interesting - it's a timeline of typical pens.

Let us know what happens!

Price is why you don't go for the Waterman. Sheaffer is your choice here as in 1925 Sheaffer's radite flattop was the pen to have and they were taking over the market in a big way. A black Sheaffer 8C should be achievable at $100. A fancier pen is going to cost you more no matter who made it.

Roger W.

First thought; wouldn't a proper dizzy Charlestoning flapper just borrow a pen from a chap rather than trouble herself with carrying one?

Now, to seriousness; For the office, Waterman, Sheaffer and Parker in a solid colour (a prospering man of business might look into one of the Waterman ripples or a Duofold in one of its festive colours), and apart from serious geeks like us, one flat-top will seem much like any other, so don't be too worried about a slight anachronism. A 1932 model will seem to the layman much like a 1921 model of just about anything.

For flair; a metal overlay or mother-of-pearl cladding for any of the above makes (or Wahl, for that matter), or one of the more eye-catching colours of Parker Duofold (all of which were available by 1926). Any of these are apt to be pretty expensive, and it may be useful to look at the sites of restorers if you're spending a pile of cash anyway to get one that you can be assured of function.

edit-- Just noticed the sensible price limitation at the end of the initial post. That pretty much wipes out the seriously flair-filled items, so I'd also suggest a Sheaffer 3-25 or 5-30 as looking right, fitting the timeline, and being achieveable without the lacrimose writing fluid.

Hi there,

As regards the work pen: another vote for a Sheaffer flattop in sober black Radite. It seems to meet all your requirements, and a reliable user should be obtainable at a non-astronomical price. Would a lower-level office worker have used a large Sheaffer Lifetime? Probably not; but a "professional" very likely would have.

As for the fancier pen: I tend to agree that a precious-metal overlay would be the ideal choice (no Waterman pun there), but you would have to be lucky to locate a nice example within your budgetary limits. Showy celluloid patterns and colors might also work, but note that these will put you squarely in the latter half of the decade. The iconic red hard rubber Parker Duofold would offer extravagant color and historical correctness, but a good specimen will definitely stretch your budget. (A red Permanite Duofold would give you much the same look at a somewhat lower price; but note, again, that these debuted in 1926.)

As an aside: when Parker reintroduced the Big Red as a ballpoint some years ago, one of its print ads featured a 1920s-inspired illustration of - what else? - a flapper, doing a spirited Charleston with her tuxedo-clad beau.

Good luck! Sounds like fun. (A nice Packard Twin Six would go smashingly with any of these pens, if you decide to invest more heavily in Roaring 20s accoutrements....)

Cheers,

Jon

Well, since DizzyEdge is one of those chaps who the flappers want to borrow pens from....he should have a suitable one.

I also think of the black hard rubber being the look of 'standard' pens back then....

Thanks for the responses so far, I suppose I could go above $100 for the 'nice' pen. I'm going to check out some of these suggestions.

One of my areas of focus when buying pens is the 1920s and 30s (mostly Sheaffer, but some Waterman and Parker too). Most of your 1920s pens are going to be some kind of a flat top design. Art Deco, with its emphasis on vertical, straight lines, was in anyway.
No pen better represents the 1920s than the Parker Duofold Flat Top. It's big, flashy, and expensive.

The most cost-effective alternative is a Sheaffer Flat Top. These pens are also of very high quality.

A more conservative option would be a Waterman 52- these are usually a plain black item with a flexible nib. If you like flex, this is the way to go.

If you like flex, but black is a little too muted, look for a Red Ripple Waterman from the later 1920s. These tend to be more expensive than plain black 52s, but keep an eye out. The point coloring system is friendly too.

If you like super flex look for a Mabie Todd Swan from the New York production line.

If you want to go cheaper- look into no name brands with 14k Warranted nibs. These pens are often quite nice, very 1920s in style, but lower in price. I have a pen called a "Burrows" that is a no-name store brand. It is actually a wonderful pen, with a nice Warranted nib on it. Look for terms like BCHR or ebonite as clues here to help guide you. The dating on these is a bit harder, but there were many lower priced makers with decent pens.

Finally if 1929 is in play look for the very early long-clip Sheaffer Balances. I realize this is at the very end of the period, but I think these are great pens. I have an early Sheaffer Balance that I particularly like. The Lifetime nibs can be rigid and smooth- perfect for regular work writing. Tehcnically the 20s didn't end until Dec 31, 1929, but the stock market crash that fall was the big change point. If it's pre-crash, it's still 1920s if you ask me.

Other pre-1920s can include

Waterman PSF series
Waterman Safety series
Parker Jack Knife
Sheaffer Hard Rubber
Boston brand ebonite pens

The Waterman #52 was a very common early pen used as a daily writer. There was also the Parker Jack-Knife Safety and the Parker Duofold. Sheaffer made flattops (I forget the exact name). They're not exactly cheap, but you might get lucky. All those pens were available in, or before, the 1920s.

It's a very interesting thread this, I must admit. I hope you find the pens that are right for you, I'd love to see them!

Interestingly you can still get a Sheaffer Flat Top Senior or a Parker Duofold (Jr. or Sr.) in discolored Jade for decent prices. What really drives the price engine for these vintage pens is the collectors' market, and since brown jade is really a negative for them, the price is often substantially lower than other colors (and A LOT lower than good Jade). The drawback, of course, is that the coloration is pretty ugly once it has reached that stage. But if the celluloid is still in good condition structurally, then discoloration shouldn't harm the functioning use of the pen.

I have a Waterman 52V that I am kind of looking to sell.

PM me for details.

You probably should post in the Classifieds then...

Regards,

Gerry

In the 1920's my Grandmother bought the Onoto shown in this post: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=40712

My grandmother graduated with a degree in History in 1924 and bought herself this pen to celebrate (according to my dad's vague reccolection - it was before he was born). The pen is hallmarked either 1924 or 1928 (can't really read that bit of the hallmark properly). I suppose my grandmother could have been called a flapper - she was an independant, educated, single woman with a job, though thinking of the rather staid little old lady I can remember as a 'Flapper' is difficult.

There are occasional Onotos of this shape on UK E-Bay, mostly from BHR at prices of around £25-£45. I've seen 2 gold ones like this up for sale, finally selling for £275 and £515.

Be warned: They are fiendishly flexy. I dipped my gran's pen and frightened myself with how much the nib moved under my normal writing force (being used to Parker 51's & 61's).

Have fun with your search.

Regards

Richard.