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Aurora 1980S And 1990S Pens...lots Of Questions


Keyless Works

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I want to get some info on Auroras pens during this time period.

 

First the Optima:

 

Which non-LE models are the most desirable?

 

I know some of the early versions suffered shrinkage. Did this only affect the ones with the original less tapered section? Or was it all the ones with the more plain nib?

 

Was the older less decorated nib larger than the current nib and did it feel any different on paper?

 

Also the cap bands seemed to change as well. Are the ones that say "AURORA" newer than the plain Greek key versions?

 

Lastly, there has been some discussion regarding the material they were made out of. None were real celluloid correct?

 

The Aurora 88:

Recently two older (modern) versions of this pen sold (one here and one on that auction site). These older versions have nibs with decoration like the current model but have longer tines and the only writing on them is "14k". Can anyone comment on how these models write compared to the current version.

 

Also are there any other differences between these older 88 and the modern one?

 

Thank you in advance for any help!

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Can't comment on anything else but the longer tines are meant to be springier. Grab one if you can.

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I have both the current Aurora 88 and 2 of the older 88's with the longer tines. They all have extra fine nibs and they write very smoothly. The older 88's nib is springier than the current 88 which is more like a nail. Also, they are much cheaper (~ $350) versus almost $600 for the current 88's.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The older cap band had AURORA spelled in caps with two black lines, and the newer one has the Greek key pattern in black. I've seen some of the older versions in shops in Italy - especially the red/green colors which were, I believe, part of an Italian flag collection - but I didn't write with them.

I got an older black Optima ca. 1998 (when they were much cheaper, and they threw in a ballpoint with it), and though I like it, the nib around that time seems more scratchy. I actually think that the Aurora quality has slightly improved from the 90s to now. But they were always good pens.

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