MICRO CERAMIC CO., LTD, Korea (South)
CROWN BALL POINT PEN CO. (Korea South)
SHIN WHA SA CO., LTD. (Korea South)
TOP ENTERPRISE LTD. (Korea South)
MICRO KOREA CO., LTD. (subdivision of MICRO CERAMIC, Korea South)

A bunch of high-quality brands that make fountain pens in the Orient. These pens are widely used within Asia, but are seldom exported overseas though.

Here is the link that I found this list from http://www.ecplaza.net/ecdirectory/list.as...fountain+refill

One more

Jiangsu Wenda Group Co., Ltd. (China)

Settimo Torinese, Italy ("51" clone brand)

Here we go again a few more brands, Everlast, a cheap US brand looks like the last sad products to carry the Conklin name, I found this one in a drawer, I had taken one look at it when it arrived as part of a job lot and had succesfully ignored it until now.
Hamilton, name on a really cheap looking pen in very brittle plastic, came in same job lot, found in same drawer as the thing above.
Hercules, name on a pen in bchr with 14ct warranted nib, thraeds on barrel end for secure posting, long thin thing, anything less like the image of Hercules is hard to imagine, only other one I've seen was listed on e-bay last week.
Howard-Baarn, a name on e-bay with very clear picture of name on clip, looked ok but i got beaten to it so I can't say more.
James, a brand of cheap pens from France.
Lexon, not too bad, decent iridium tipped nib from Germany, 1980's.
Linar, German, mass market piston fillers, no idea how old, I have several pens that look like the one with the name on it, usual plated, iridium tipped just post war, I think by comparison with other known pens.
Mauric, another French mass market brand, made a lot of advertising cheapies.
Minka, no idea where its from but the one I have is a small enamelled metal pen with good quality plated, iridium tipped nib, the whole thing is only just over 3 inches long, named on nib.
Mont Atalant, another of the German piston fillers, another e-bay picture very clear imprint, looked ok.
OMA by the Jewel Pen Co. UK, bchr, nickel plated clip, plated nib about 1920's-30's
and last but not least, the one that got away, I still have the box but he pen was stolen from the stall at an antiques fair, I picked the box up asked the seller how much was the pen, he told me, i opened the box and the the seller consternation and my disappointment the pen had been stolen, the seller described it and to this day I wish i'd got there before the thief, the description was mouth watering and if the quality of the pen matched the quality of the box it was a good one.
Sorry if I have rambled on a bit, but if the names count add them to the Megalist. all the best Oxonian

Oxonian,

Did you have the name for the 'one that got away'?

Gerry

Sorry Gerry, I must have been wallowing in remembered despondency and associated emotions, well actually I just plain forgot, it was Scriptura and according to the label in the beautifully made box, it was Italian. All the best with the megalist, which incidentally sounds like something used to build Stonehenge, no that was megaliths wasn't it, anyway all the best with it, cheers Oxonian (or John to his friends)

Hi,
Allow me to add some Belgian pens, unfortunately none of them exists anymore.
- "Stabil" PF, made as from 1938 till 1974.
- "Pelletier" LF/PF
- "Mercury" LF, made as from 1939 till 1968.
- "Le Merle Blanc" BF/LF/AF (Mabie Todd for Belgian market)

I really appriciate this excellent listing initiative, thanks a lot !

Francis

Hi,

"The King" is another brand we missed. I don't think it is an Omas sub-brand, but it is Italian.

Dillon

In addition to Ingersoll, Charles there is

Ingersoll, Redipoint - completely different company. They were actually started by two Brothers who split off from The Robert Ingersoll and Bro. Watch company.

John

Got 'em on my short list - will be added next major revision.

Thanks John, Francis, Dillon and Johnny.

Still need posts from people who will vouch for pens in the current list. Please consider all blanks as well as those offered by MP, since Max did say that his list contained pens that were suggested by others and not confirmed. We unfortunately don't know which ones they were. A confirmation would be valuable to the data integrity I would think. (the field for 'Contributor - Voucher is the one before the last comma delimiter - for those who may not know what I was referring to above, and is largely filled with MP for Max who submitted the initial lists)

Gerry

Hi,

Dux, Doctor, and Guanleming are a Hero sub-brands.

Dillon

Got 'em.

Gerry

Here's my renumbering and addition of a few pens. Note we're over the 1000 mark.

Best.

Gerry

Hi Gerry, I can vouch for the following makes because I have either got them in front of me or I have owned them in the recent and recorded past if that is any use to you? here goes;-

Centropen-Czechoslovakia, whether Czech or Slovak can't say-50's, i saw several on a visit relatives in Poland
Champion-Austria-lever filler-20'/30's
Diplomat-Germany-piston filler-30's-?50's poss later
Excelsior-Germany-p/f-30's poss into 50's
Geha-Germany-p/f-30's-50's
Luxor-Germany-p/f-30's-40's poss later.
Senator-Germany-p/f-40'-50's poss later, connected to Diplomat, same deer over mountain logo on both.
Tropen-Germany-p/f-30's-40's.

Also there is the brand Imperator, not in the Megalist another German,p/f doing its best to look like a 50's Pelikan, and Tchaibo another piston filler, probably from Germany but I haven't had chance to get a close look yet, another on trying to look like a 50's Pelikan but probably made more recently than that judging by the presentation box, that looks as though it might come from a long way further east than Germany.
I can also vouch for Soma, France, l/f,b/f's with funny concertina sac, not a very nice system.
Unic, and their sub-brand Stylomine,France, b/f, nice nibs to use, crappy plating.
Ratnam, India, e/d, wing sun copy of Sheaffer Triumph nib, mine is 1947 but the company is still going today.
Then there are the British brands,
Summit,UK, brand by Curzon's,l/f,30's-50's.
Stephens,UK,l/f, made by company who made their own ink, ink better known than the pens.
Mentmore,UK,l/f, 20's-50'smade pens under several names inc. Platignum 50's-70.


I don't know if that is the sort of info you meant by vouching for a brand but I hope it is of use. I'll go and have another scout about and see what else I can come up with, it keeps me out of trouble.
Oxonian.

I am assuming that no one needs to vouch for makes like Dupont, Nettuno et al, the unusual but well known makes

I'm working on a customers pen right now & don't see it on the list. It's a BCHR "Skidmore Pen" Made in Toledo Ohio.

It's a nice pen with nickel trim & fitted with a sweet #2 Waterman's flexi nib. The nib is more likely than not a replacement.

Dennis

That's exactly what I mean about vouching for a pen. Although not exactly a pedigree.. the process removes the problem with large lists collected from other lists - an uncertainty about whether the name is just a propagation of an earlier mistake made in some transcription. Although Max did a wonderful job of getting the list started, he did mention that there were contributions by many people, and he wasn't sure whether they all were correct. Now I'm importing that llist, and am one degree removed from Max's references. So, I think the list is improved by recording pens people have owned or seen and are willing to state that. I don't want to take anything away from an original submitter - so I'm concentrating on those pens in Max's name or without a contributor. For the others, I might consider having two names recorded.

Anyway, I thank you very much for taking the time to put together your list, and will spend the time to get it into the list.

Although I'm not an Access expert, this is looking like an Access application just begging to be implemented. It can easily be ported anytime as Access works well with Excel, and would start off running...

But I digress (and I of course would have to seek permission before venturing into that territory) <_<

Of course, you're right about the well known makes - I assume no one will doubt Parker exists. <_<

The question arises when I see a Ford and a Ford's. Currently I leave both, but since one person owns up to a Ford's - that gets the nod for a verified sighting. The other remains questionable...

I want to thank you specially for your contributions John, it's making my work both easier and pleasant, as we seem to be making considerable progress. You, Johnny, DWL, Dillo, Fontainbel and a few others are really making a difference.

Should anyone want my short form Excel Spreadsheet for input, I'd be happy to provide it, as it makes my job even easier if you submit that way. Along with the short form, you will obviously recieve the entire spreadsheet with all the entries to date. But you do need excel - preferably 2000.

Gerry

Hey Dennis - good catch. It'll fall just before Skidrow Pen...LOL.

I've got it on my new short list...

Thanks,

Gerry

Hi Gerry, it looks like both Ford's and Ford will have to stay I have a definite Ford,l/f,UK late 20's by appearance and materials, cheers Oxonian

There you go <grin>.

Gerry

Thanks Gerry for all of the updating on this. I will try to go through the list and validate what of the vintage stuff I can. There is a lot of info in some of the Fultz articles over at the old PenBid, and a few other places. There is a lot of basic info that can be filled in on some of the better-known companies at least.

Incidentally, there is a lot of room for growth for this. An administrator of another board claims to have a database of more than 2600 fountain pen brands and manufacturers, and from the way they popped up like mushrooms in the early 1900s, I believe it.

John

I don't doubt that there are. We haven't yet scratched the surface of moderns, for example. But for an amateur effort, we've not done poorly with nearly one-half of those numbers.

What makes this different is the fact that it is a genuine co-operative effort of people who believe in the free exchange of information without restriction. That said, I acknowledge the likely advantage of the other database. Nevertheless, it may target the elite without appealing to the more common user/collector. I hope that we can fill that niche without conflict.

I really appreciate your effort to support this initiative John, as well as your measured responses elsewhere. I think you are among the few distinguished people that I think really care about FP's and the distribution of knowledge about pens without regard to attribution, credit or status. Don't know whether that's important in the full measure of things, but it is to me.

Thank you for your offer to assist us in our effort, I appreciate it.

Regards,

Gerry

LF/PP and all the rest is unknown...

Ron

What makes this different is also that this actually has been released to the world, while the other has not - not even with passwords etc. In defense of the owner of that database, he says it is a project that he inherited from someone else who made him promised not to make it public, but he is trying to find a way. So in theory at least it is a matter of honor, not elitism (so far). I am sure, once it is made public, it will have free and open access

The FPN list is probably the only one of it's kind. I think the only other list I know out there is at W-B Pens and Watches, and it is less complete than this (though it has more information on a few brands).




Well, thanks. I try at least. Though since most of what I know about fountain pens I have learned from others, I do try to give the credit to where I learned it from, and lead them there.

John

Has anyone mentioned The Harlin Pen Co?

I found a listing on eBay which shows a clear scan of a pen, box and instructions:

"The Lomond" in 'Mottled-Green'.
Made in Scotland. Patent Rights Pending.
Manufactured by The Harlin Pen Co. Ltd., Glasgow, C.I.

The pen has a polished cap and a hooded nib. Late 1950's - 1960's.

Nope, good find Phthalo.

I've updated the list. Latest batch was from info gleaned from the WES site - all Conway Stewart Associated pens, plus the latest input from readers mentioned above...

We're up to 1191 entries.

Gerry

I've got one I haven't seen in the list.

A BCHR, lever-filler.

'Major Service'

It's imprinted on the clip and the end of the lever fill (similar to Waterman Ideal)

- Mark

Mark, I think you have the record. Shortest time between my revising the list and you submitting a new pen not on the list. 26 minutes.

I have your find on the new short list. Will publish when there are a few more collected.

Thanks,

Gerry

Hi,

More research turns this up

279 (Dux) is meant to be replaced by entry 278.

Wen Zhong and Yong Feng is another Hero sub-brand.

Youth is another Chinese brand that fell apart after Parker sued them and formed into Hero.

Guanleming is not a Hero subrand but it is in China.

Dillon

Hi Gerry, A few more names for the Mega-list, a couple of sightings and a couple that I have just got my hands on,

Artograph, a streamline shaped, 30's looking, l/f. coffee/brown veined plastic,g/p clip etc.
Bardrec, poss. German, a slim parallel sided enamel over metal pen, (looks a bit like a Hastil) Internat'l c/f,conv/f, with Reform nib.Recent addition.
Hoover,de luxe model, b/f, streamlined shaped blue/black laminated plastic, with black end caps, g/f clip and cap. Recent addition.
Justice, flat-top, cream with black veining. l/f, g/p trim, washer type clip, this was an e-bay sighting. I missed the end time due to a phone call. :doh:
Selsdon, UK, BHR/ G/p clip etc, l/f, 1930's looking box and pen, an e-bay sighting. I'll ignore the phone this time.
The Gnome Pen, Aluminium/Aluminum shelled pen, chromed clip etc, b/f an e-bay sighting, no closer inspection planned.


As we seem to have a few retailers specials creeping in to the the Megalist i thought that you might like to add James McLean of 12 Woodside Terrace, Glasgow 3, Scotland who appears to have had pens made for him from about 1910 through 1930'ish, I have just got a large wood grain/ripple finish red/black HR, heavy g/f, lever, clip and top and bottom cap bands with black cap and barrel finials, l/f. I know of 2 other pens bearing his name imprinted on the barrel, so I think it might be safe to assume that he wasn't just a large user of pens and happened to have got his hands on a pen imprinter or burner.

Keep up the good work, all the best
Oxonian.

Hi,

My sister happens to have a hoover deluxe ballpoint and fountain pen set.

Dillon

Was the last an update to the first?

Gerry

# , Name , Branding , Country , Date , Style , Contrib , Notes

Hyde and Co. NY, , USA, 1910?, ED, JC,
From Ebay auction - EYEDROPPER FOUNTAIN PEN-C1910-HYDE &CO-N.Y. GOLD NIB


John

EBOS

Waterford (Irish?)

Christian Dior

Versace (produced by OMAS I believe)

Nortman (English)

Girard Perregaux (Swiss)

Pop-A-Point (British patent)

Van Cleef & Arpels (France)

I don't believe Dux is a Hero subrand at all. Dux is based in Pakistan. I believe they use Hero-inspired designs and may even use Hero nibs, but they are a privately owned company.

Ray

One more:

"Seitow" by Aoshima Mfg. Co. Tokyo Japan.

A very enjoyable 14K nib on a typical japanese eyedropper.

Hi All,

Wonderfully informative list - thanks for all the effort!

By way of thanks, here are a few more (and a couple of emendations).

- Berwick: another inexpensive US make (1940s?). Syringe filler, I believe.

- Executive Secretary: second (third?) tier US make, late 1940s-1950s. I've got a gold-filled (or gold-plated) pen & pencil set, and I've seen plastic pens in this brand as well. My pen is a button-filler with a hooded 14K nib. The barrel is engraved with the brand name and the place of origin: Union, New Jersey. The instructions that came with the set refer warranty claims to the Camel Pen Company, also of Union.

- Hollywood: the examples I've got are inexpensive 1950s US-made LF pens.

- Huron: I've got an oversized black-and-cream flattop lever-filler, black cap and barrel ends, unmarked clip, 14K Warranted #8 nib, c. 1920s. (US make, I assume.) The barrel is marked "The Huron Pen," with the word "Huron" underlined. Decent quality pen.

- Pratic: a French pen; my one example is from the 1920s, BCHR, lever-fill.

- Prosperity: a 1930s Sheaffer sub-brand (although there may well be "Prosperity" branded pens that are not Sheaffers). I've got a couple of lever-fillers, one of them imprinted "Prosperity Pen/Made by Sheaffer."

- Stetson: a pen so branded sold recently on eBay. Here's a link to the listing, for as long as it remains active: http://cgi.ebay.com/THE-STETSON-Fountain-P...tem130024069975
I've also attached an image, below, grabbed from that auction. Barrel imprint: "THE STETSON, Columbus, O." Found in a Diamond Medal box, but I'm not sure that means anything.

I don't know that much can be made of this, but I've got a boxed example of a BCHR pen called simply "The Stylographic Pen" (seems to be US-made). No other maker identification.

I can vouch for "Keystone": I've got a specimen of a BHR eyedropper in the original box. US-made.

I believe a "University" Sheaffer sub-brand (not "Univer") was mentioned in the Sheaffer/Kraker litigation. Has anyone ever seen one? (I've often been tempted to believe that the "Univer" name was created by striking the "sity" from the "University" tool; maybe there was a conflict with another "University" brand?)

I believe "Wanamake" should be "Wanamaker": the great, much-missed Philadelphia department store. The only example I've seen was a rebranded Wearever.

On the subject of department store names, I believe "Supermacy" should be "Supre-Macy"; Macy's used this brand for several of its rebranded items.

I think the proper spelling is "Haolilai" (China).

"Vacuum-Fill" (the Sheaffer sub-brand) should be spelled "Vacuum-Fil" (one "l").

Finally, a question: does anyone know anything more about the "Barrett" brand (New York City)? I gather a gentleman named Barrett (not CE) was a principal in the New York "Liberty" pen company; is this likely to be the same Barrett? (I've got a very nice celluloid combo marked "Barrett Pen-Pencil/New York City.")

I'm still sifting through my junk boxes, and I hope to be able to add another name or two.

Cheers,

Jon

John Schwab mentioned that there are many CS associated brands. Here is some info.

In the first group there are models that are in the list but you can add that they are Conway Stewart associated brands.

Army & Navy
Barnsley
British Rope
Crawford
County
Devon
Hopkins
Invicta
John Bull
Landy
Maenson
Mosley
Penguin
Quality
Regent
Renown
Repulse
Seal
Simpson
St Michael
Stag
Stovarsol
Suffolk
Write Easy

Second group is CS associated pens that are not in the list.

Chancery
Novocastrian
Perth
Richmond

Finally:

Bantam needs clarification that there are two Bantams one from Wahl Eversharp and one CS associated pen.


All infromation from this source: http://www.ftic.info/Donahaye/ConwayStewar...age10.htm#Landy

Thanks everyone. I guess it is time to do another update. I am kinda busy this week, but will attend to it at the first opportunity I have.

Regards,

Gerry

Hi All,

Just by way of clarification: the "Keystone" brand I can swear to is clearly an early one: I'm guessing 1920 at the latest, and maybe before. But I've also seen eBay listings for much newer pens (c. 1950s?) branded "Keystone." So there may well be multiple pens by that name.

And I did come across one more cheap 1950s-era plastic lever filler: "Alva." Barely worth mentioning, except for the fact that if someone happened to have an "Edison" on hand, and if they could turn up a pen called a "Thomas," it would be possible to put together a three-pen grouping that added up to Thomas Alva Edison.

Cheers,

Jon

The Barrett who was a principal and founder of the Liberty Pen Company in NYC was George Barrett, who is not a known relation of C.E. Barrett. C.E. Barrett did produce a few pens with the Barrett name, but mostly he turned parts that others assembled into pens. I would love to see a picture of the "Barrett Pen-Pencil/New York City". That sounds like it is a George Barrett production.

George also had a patent or two. There are some threads on Liberty here Liberty mentioned and one at Lion and Pen Liberty Pen Thread

John

Hello John,

I'll try to get a picture or two posted. (It may take a day or so - I'm waiting for my new card reader to arrive.)

Thanks for the info, and for the links!

Cheers,

Jon

Hi All,

For anyone who's interested - some photos of the Barrett combo. Top to bottom: closed; open; close-up of barrel imprint; close-up of nib.

Cheers,

Jon

OK, the company Perry that you have in the list is the ancestor of Osmiroid with history that goes back to early 1800 See more info: http://www.berol.co.uk/about_berol_history.asp

Well, here's the latest update. Sorry for the delay. I should be up to date with all the corrections, additions and mods suggested to this point.

Just awaiting Mark's (London) input which, judging by last update's response, is due any minute now...

Regards,

Gerry

Hi Gerry,

I have a few more new ones (and a couple of updates after a bit of research) for the the Megalist but I'll hang on to them for a couple of weeks so that you don't have to do another update for a little while.

<_< The real reason is that I will have to extract them from the various bits of paper that I have them written on.

I'll post them as soon as Martin posts his latest contribution.

Cheers, John

Some details for #1109, Unique:

The Unique Pen Co, Made in England, ?-1958,,,,

Hi saintsimon and Gerry,

A bit of further info on Unique pens. From just after WW2 they were made at the Falcon Pen factory at Neasden on the western outskirts of London which was taken over by Watermans in 1946 but continued to make several different brands besides Waterman. See Andreas Lambrou FPVaM p 97 1989 edition.

Heart (you have it) just and add on info: Geo. W. Heath & Co. Newark, N.J. USA per ebay item #120039002998
A "new" one: The "Rival" Fountain Pen per ebay item 150041544610. Could it be Rivel in your list is Rival?
Another new one, which as Greek I would never use Elgin see ebay item 300035475372.

That Rival might be the Lapham Rival pen by the Lapham & Bogart company. There are references to it at:
Lion and Pen Lapham's Rival and Caw's Dashaway?
Kamakura Pens Francis Cashel Brown article by Ron Dutcher
PenBid Lapham’s Rival, by Michael Fultz


John