I thought I'd post a couple of pictures of my Parker 61s. Both are capillary fillers from EBay.

First of all, here's the EBay photo for one of the pens, so I really didn't know what I was getting.



The pen arrived yesterday, it's a US Parker which was apparently purchased in 1961. The auction description said that one of the end jewels was missing - it wasn't, it was just hidden under lots of black ink. As for the inside, I wonder if someone had just filled the barrel with ink, I was able to pour ink out of that and the cap before I started cleaning the pen.

A good bit of cleaning later and I've got a very nice pen with a fine nib. The other black and gold pen was also an EBay purchase and is an English Parker which can be a bit tempremental at starting, but has a nice medium to broad nib.

In case anyone is wondering, they're sitting on top of my 1880's Ebony and Mother of Pearl writing box.

Now I just need a decent macro lens!

Really nice picts and beautiful pens! Always love when I can bring back an "old friend" to use. Can we see some picts. of the writing box as well?

Paul

Nice pics! Thanks for sharing them.

Shaun

Yes! Thanks for sharing!

Paul, here's a couple of quick snaps of the writing box. A while ago I got our furniture conservator to do a minor repair on it and he was amazed when I said I always used it when I was writing letters. He said lots of people have them because they look nice, but he'd never actually come across anyone who used it in the way that it was intended to be used.

Hi Carrie,

Thank you for sharing those beautiful pen pics with us, and that writing box looks marvelous. It is the first time I see one! Thanks!

Warm regards, Wim

Wim, if you do an online search you'll be amazed at how ornate (and expensive) some of these writing boxes are. I've got two, my other is walnut with brass banding, but is not the nicest of boxes and quite heavy, so I replaced it with the one you see. It's definitely a well used box, both before I bought it and by me, I like the fact that it's a beautiful object as well as very practical.

Just a couple of links

A brief history - http://www.hygra.com/writing.html

Look at the tools inside this box - http://www.hygra.com/wb/wbhausburg.htm

I like your 61s Carrie, but I especially like the writing box, like all these nice things, they were made to be used and therefore should be.

Regards,

Jim

Jim, I decided I needed a writing box before I got interested in fountain pens. Somehow using a writing box and a fountain pen looks so much better than using a writing box and a biro. Now if someone wants to give me lots and lots of money I could start collecting writing boxes as well...

Carrie, I like your style, very nice pens and the writing box is superb. Nice desk as well BTW. The English certainly have it when it comes to style. Nothing like a trip to London, a leisurly breakfast at Simpsons on the Strand followed by a trim and shave at Trumpers.

Carrie,

A bit of advice please, what should I expect to pay for a say user grade writing box/slope? Need to do a bit of study as I think I want the type of thing that folds open and becomes a writing slope and has storage underneath? Not sure if that is classed as a writing box or slope or a hybrid.

I am moving to a new office in Feb, which means that 90% of the clutter moves out of the home office so I get a lot of space back, so that means I can have my home office back for social and domestic rather than all work as it is now. Which is why I thought that a Victorian? box/slope would be good?

Don't know if I have this right as my knowledge to date is from your post and The Antiques Roadshow.

Jim

Both P61s and the box are very tastefull choices

The p61s have a timeless elegance and a clever filling system, while that gorgeous writing box invites anyone to sit at it and enjoy it's presence while writing

Carrie, that 61 is a brilliant looking pen as is your box. Thanks for sharing your pics.

Jim, I'm not clued up on what current prices are for writing boxes. You do get a lot sold on EBay, but I wouldn't buy that way, there's too much you really need to see up close to check on condition. I did a lot of looking around before I bought either of my writing boxes and found that the quality of boxes varied considerably .

I've no idea of the date of my walnut and brass banded one. I bought it for using and so was just looking for something very cheap - it was £100 about 6 years ago. It has leatherette on the slope (horrid) and had no key for its lock (my dad cut a key to fit the lock). It's larger than the box I've photographed here and heavier, the latter being the reason I wanted to get a smaller box. I do tend to write with the box sat on my knee.

The ebony box was £170 and I bought it at the antiques fair at RAF Swinderby (hope I've given its correct name, it does get nicknamed Swindleby because not all of the stallholders are as legitimate as the writing box man I bought from ). I liked the look of that box because it's ornate and yet also practical. It's got very heavy duty hinges and also a heavy duty lock. Also, it had two "catches" to hold the slope in position when the box is closed, so many boxes just have one catch or little brass clip - I always think the latter look cheap. I thought the two catches were good because you'll see so many boxes where the wood is warped. Look at the bottom pics on this page - http://www.hygra.com/wb/wbnwb05.htm - you'll see the slope is actually made up of three pieces of wood. That's how the box should be constructed, in a lot of cases the slope has been replaced with a single piece of wood and that's not as strong.

There used to be a website for an antique shop in Warwickshire which gave details of what to look for in a writing box, as well as things to avoid, but I can't find the link.
Might be useful for an idea of some prices - http://www.portobelloroad.co.uk/specialist/boxes.asp
We used to go to Newark quite a bit for work and there's other antiques fairs from the same organisers. No idea what the others are like, but Newark is the biggest in the country, you go first time and walk round in a daze trying to take it all in, next time you go you learn how to focus. We were lucky, on our first visits we had a couple of antiques experts with us, but even so it's quite a daunting place just for its sheer scale! Haggling is a must. http://www.dmgantiquefairs.com/

That writing box is beutiful Carrie ! Thanks for sharing.

Jim, if you cross the channel, you can also find the French cousins of those, les Ecritoires. Some are compact and have a folding slope, such as the one at the top left of the picture, and were mainly used by Navy officers. Others are desktop versions.

Man, now I _know_ I've found my people. Not so long ago I was poking around that hygra site looking at this Captain's box, and here you guys are talking about writing boxes!

My wife just sighs and rolls her eyes at me. "Yes, dear, that's a very nice ink colour." or "You wouldn't _really_ carry a box like that around with you, would you?"

Carrie, does your box have any of those cool secret compartments? (The captain's box in the link above is a bit extreme, but lots of the older desks I've seen have a secret compartment under the pen tray/inkwell.)

Ryan.

Thanks for the detailed reply Carrie and thanks to Denis and Ryan too.

From the posts from Denis and Ryan, I think I like the idea of a sort of military one. Coming from a Naval family, the idea of Navy Officers writing desk does appeal. If it was designed for shipboard use, then it would have to be compact and robust, just about right for me. I could even take it with me on my boat!! Don't know where I could fit it in as it ain't the QE2

Think that I maybe need to do a few antique fairs this summer

Jim

Jim, writing boxes have military and naval origins in the 18th century before they became some of the more decorative and ornate ones you see at later dates. Sounds like they're definitely suited to you. As for antiques fairs, do them in the freezing cold in February (even better if you get snow!), fed up and cold stallholders not doing much business means they're more likely to knock prices down.

Jim, writing boxes have military and naval origins in the 18th century before they became some of the more decorative and ornate ones you see at later dates. Sounds like they're definitely suited to you. As for antiques fairs, do them in the freezing cold in February (even better if you get snow!), fed up and cold stallholders not doing much business means they're more likely to knock prices down.

Good advice Carrie!

Trouble is that we are moving offices in Feb and a big trade show in March so time is short, April might be my earliest window, but let's see what happens.

Thanks,

Jim