Onoto ?what Pen Have I Got?

[Love Pens]

I bought what I thought was an Onoto on ebay - silly me.

but I am confused. It seem to have everything that is Onoto like the clip on the cap,

Onoto 33 14ct is written on the nib. I think the feed is right?

except it does have a breather tube into the sac (it takes about a 15 to 16 size sac)

It also has a press metal fill system. (as shown in photo) But I believe that the Onoto only used lever or Plunger systems?

It does not have De La Rue written anywhere nor does it have any mention of where this pen was made. No numbers.

On the end of the barrel it does have the black end but not as big as my real Onoto DeLaRue f/pens.

Also the black finger holder is straight where the Onoto normally flares out a bit.

It does not appear married as everything fits well. It writes nicely.

It has been suggested that Onoto did make some pens in Australia - could it be one of them??

Or is someone making pens with bits from Onoto?

I am hoping that someone can help me with this pen because I like to know models, makes and year of my pens.

 

Thankyou for taking the time to help me.

 

 

 

 

[Love Pens]

This is a photo of the feed and the breather tube.

[Azura]

Looks nice, have you ink it, how is it writes? I bought a slim black one from ebay also, the nib is oblique, scratchy....

[Love Pens]

Actually it writes very nicely

Do u have a photo of your pen and is it the same .. With Onoto 22 on the side??

[PeterBeoworld]

Maybe contact Steve Hull who is writing a book about Onoto De La Rue or Laurence Oldfield.

[Cepasaccus]

I bought an "Onoto No.21" in Australia which is Australian made. It is rather small and a lever filler. On the DLR-like clip and on the nib is written ONOTO.

 

 

[Happy Harry]

Onoto was made under licence in Australia til 1965 ,as such some 10 yrs after Onoto ceased production in the UK. Most likely an Australian model based on 1. All UK made pens are marked as such 2. The filler looks later than '55. 3. These would be common if a UK pen. While Parker called it "aerometric" a number of makers used exactly the same principle of a breather tube to allow the pen to fill to capacity. A nice and interesting pen, not one I've seen before.

[richardandtracy]

I have never seen an Onoto like this one. I suspect Happy Harry may be correct, but there seems to be so little documentation on Onoto's that until Steve Hull's book is published it's going to be hard to get a definitive reference.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Love Pens]

Can anyone tell me how to contact Steve Hull??

If this pen is legit he may be interested in an unusual Onoto 22 M

thankyou

[Love Pens]

Also thankyou Cepasaccus

the barrel and cap look similar but you have a lever fill and Australia on yours - wish I did

it would make it all the more desirable. Mine seems so different with the press bar for filling??

Thankyou for the photo. The photo has given me hope that I really have an Onoto

[Love Pens]

Well done everyone because Onoto was definitely in Australia. This pen was on eBay and it is

an Onoto lever fill made in Australia. Interesting design on barrel and cap .

I have not been able to find out who made these Fountain Pens for Onoto but obviously

some lovely pens.

Who else has Onoto Australia fountain pens?

[Bananabender]

'A company, Norman Baker & Longhurst Pty Ltd, were manufacturing Onoto in Australia under licence when Thomas de la Rue ceased production in the UK in February 1958, and it is known that they carried on manufacture here for a number (?) of years. However, the only Australian made Onoto's I have ever seen, were of rather ordinary quality, and all of the "injection moulded" variety.'

Above is quote from Melbourne Vintage Pens

Edited March 6, 2014 by Bananabender

[richardandtracy]

The Australian made Onoto 3000 & 2000's were to the same high standard as the UK made ones, and as they were made into the 1960's it makes dating them quite difficult.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[Love Pens]

Thankyou Richard for your reply because I was beginning to wonder, after reading from the Melbourne Pen Club,

whether I did have an Onoto, because the pen I have is of a quality, equal to the other UK Onoto fountain pens in my collection.

as the photo shows it has the same flex and it writes similar

The nib and clip are exactly the same as my UK Onoto's (maybe left over stock from UK)

but the feed is different. The Barrel designs of these AUS pens are also different but not, in my view, inferior.

 

I wish to thank everyone for their time and input.

I now feel confident that I have an Onoto Fountain Pen made in Australia in the 1960's

 

 

 

 

 

[richardandtracy]

It's certainly not one I have seen before, but with an 'Onoto' stamp on the side and the clip being correct for a DLR Onoto, I can't see any reason to dispute its origin.

 

The flex on that nib is superb.

 

The nibs are the one point where I think Onoto truly excelled. My plunger 6233 is particularly good and the 3000's I have are better than almost any modern pens I have come across. None of the nibs I have are as flexy as yours (or maybe I'm not courageous enough to press hard enough) but they are absolutely amazing. Your '22' looks like a pen that wouldn't blob as badly as my 6233 - which would be a distinct advantage in a modern office. I do find the plunger fillers, with their inadequate collectors, difficult to live with in the design office I work in. With the insulating effect of the aero style filler and a feed with some collector capability, it must be better.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Cepasaccus]

Btw. on my No. 21 Lever Filler is written: ONOTO PENS (AUST.) PTY. LTD. // No. 21

Edited April 9, 2014 by Cepasaccus

[swanee]

I have just picked up the thread in this forum. (Can't see the logic why Onoto is in the C/S though).

A fellow Aussie, like Love Pens above, I have managed to find some local 'Oz' Onotos.

My apologises for the lack of photos, but they would show:

3x No.11 (#.33 nib),

2x No.14 (#15 nib),

2x No.50 (#15 nib), plus

2 possible (unmarked) No.21 (no.15 nib) (as per Cepasaccus, above).

 

I like particularly the No.11's - they are of good thickness and length at 5.1/8'', a longitudinal split feed, lever filler, good quality GFT, 14ct Onoto nib, 3x cap bands (n-m-n), contrasting black end jewels and the regular ONOTO London clip logo. The pen weight is medium and well balanced, while overall they are solid plus nicely presented in different and quite fetching stripy colours.

Like Loves Pen's No.22, there is no "Made in Australia" on the No.11's nor on No.21's but the No.14's (and 50's) do have, and are of a similar length, albeit with a single cap band but which has been formed into an effective medium band by the merging of 3 single narrow bands! and a smaller 'school' nib. While the No.11's and 21's (a rare colour style) are all new/novel Onoto colours the others smack of the ol' London Town Onoto pearl/marble colours but they are still bright and attractive. Overall, they are all well made, as Onoto has done for many years.

Also found was a No.57 pencil "Made in Aust".

It seems there are still some surprises to be found down here in the Antipodes.

[welch]

I love Onotos. It's good that the Australian component continued to make fountain pens until almost ten years after DLR shifted entirely to printing bank notes and probably bond certificates. I have a couple of Penmasters, UK-made lever fillers, and a half-dozen (or more?) K1 and K4...the hooded Onotonos with piston-filler. More than I should have but I was tempted (became obsessed) with their similarity to the Parker 51.

[quiapo]

Onoto no. 14, in original box, uninked, with soft sac.