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Our Thomas/kaweco's Heidelberg Fountain Pen Museum


Bo Bo Olson

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Our Thomas, pen name Kaweco, in his uncle worked there and stimulated his interest. Thomas is a scholar of German fountain pens.

Thomas/Kaweco's Heidelberg Fountain Pen Museum is in the Altes Rathaus, Handschusheim.

Heidelberg was once the Pen Capitol of the World.....at leas 8 major pen makers were made there. Three major nib makers, Rupp, Osmia/Degussa, Bock.

 

Heidelberg and area only pens.....no MB or Hanover Pelikan and Geha pens really displayed. A few Pelikans in there are some Advertisement, like the cremation Pelikan (I have been ordered to get one.) or the six foot Pelikan pen. .

 

 

I look at Thomas's museum :puddle: , and he says I have much more at home. :bunny01:

The City of Heidelberg refused to let Thomas make an industrial mesh second floor with much more of his collection, because someone could fall down. Some drunk student had climbed to the top of a statue in the Corn Markt and fell off and killed himself. So some drunk monkey man could skydive a story after climbing over the railing. :wacko:

 

I have a few more photos that if one wishes I'll show. Next time, I'll take something to write with. I did show someone who had a modern Pelikan at home what an Oblique Geha was like. Her husband liked it more. Johnny on the spot, I did have my Geha oblique to show off when Thomas mentioned obliques. :rolleyes:

 

I didn't take many pictures of Thomas's inkwell sets. But he has many many more at home and don't need mine with the little label....from the collection of Bo Bo Olson. :(

 

Thomas does the leading lecture himself. None other could. Eventually, I'll write down more of what he said.

I'll put a few of the machines here. I do have more pen pictures..........if anyone has an interest.

 

Already 10 don't care.....I have a certain number of who care's and I delete posts.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0875_zpsamdy42i8.jpg

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0878_zpsqbbshqpe.jpg

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0884_zpsmyknupaa.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0885_zpsjackw46w.jpg

 

I know he has heavier machines....He once sent me a picture of him riding on the Pallet with a nib making machine I think it was that was on a fork lift.

 

A few old :drool: Parkers :puddle: in a small box. The museum, is mostly about Heidelberg pen companies.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0873_zpslfdxi6kz.jpg

 

 

 

A sampler of some old Kaweco pens.....just the slightest sample. The tiny pens are antique safety pens. In Thomas probably the worlds greatest collection of Kaweco. This is just a tiny bit, of the very oldest.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0846_zpsargvtitm.jpg

 

 

Defiantly have to get someone to show up with a professional camera, lights, and stand. :headsmack:

 

Osmia/Boehler pens of which I have 8-9.

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0847_zpskhj6wsxj.jpg

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0849_zpswmj3esvi.jpg

 

I didn't get to ask if the blue flat top Osmia's are "just" the Osmia's or the super expensive Parker -Osmia Duofolds. There were others in the small museum

I find I didn't take any of the room. There will be a next time.

 

More just Boehler pens from a half a shoe box sized box in the back room.

A Boehler lizard.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0867_zpsut3zztzi.jpg More of the Boehler pens laying on the table.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0868_zpsktjjffi3.jpg

 

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0870_zps8aghk9hx.jpg

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Next time I'll take my baby stand and get close ups. I really take too few photos, and my camera eats batteries so I am never sure how many pictures I can take before recharging.

 

The sticks in the first picture, in the wooden stand, is what pens use to be made of; milk plastic, hard rubber and celluloid. Thomas also showed a milk plastic/Casein that was aged for some six months in some acid....so MB snowflakes could be cut out of it. It was a surprise to me that the MB star was once made of that. I didn't ask if it still is.

 

I took too few of the inkwells in often I had something similar.

 

The city really cheaped out.....

I'm a bit angry, I see this as silencing a squeaky wheel, instead of honoring Heidelberg's fountain pen history.

Had it been a beer deckle collection there would have been lots more place made. Something ball point politicians can relate too.

 

Well, I should see it as at least we have a fountain pen museum. It's all the work of Thomas.

All this has to be put into a DVD....

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Bo Bo,

many thanks for the post and the photos!

Did I read right (on the web, from heidelberg.de) that opening hours for the public are every second and fourth Sunday of the month 15-17, or by appointment?

It is definitively worth a visit!!

LETTER EXCHANGE PARTICIPANT

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...............

Did I read right (on the web, from heidelberg.de) that opening hours for the public are every second and fourth Sunday of the month 15-17, or by appointment?

It is definitively worth a visit!!

Hello Redpen

Yes, the opening time is right but.....to tell the truth........the museum is very very small. There are only 2 rooms where years ago the fire fighter engine had been located.

A large distance trip for a visit is not recommended.

Kind Regards

Thomas

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I don't know about appointment, but will ask Thomas.

Time is right. The old city hall is right across from the ruined 1300-1400 castle in Handschusheim, across the river from Heidelberg.

 

A few more pictures.

A few nibs....just a few.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0865_zpsiffey3lz.jpg

 

These are those Boehler pens from up. One of the Boehler brothers split the firm Osmia up in 1938. Faber Castell had bought in in '36 and were sticking the nose in a bit deep I'd guess. Faber Castell bought up Osmia either in 1945 as I read only once or in 1950 as I've read a few times. By the end of the '50s all traces Osmia but the diamond on the nib were gone. Boehler made school pens through to or into the 1970's.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0871_zpstfmez6lo.jpg

 

The second inkwell and paraphernalia glass tower, with what the table looks like with out the Boehler pens. The sticks are to be drilled out for pens, hard rubber, celluloid and so on. That microscope can give you one hell of a look at a nib.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0862_zpslk4d81oo.jpg

 

 

This if I'm not mistaken are 'no names'....I can see I need more 'no name' pens.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0872_zpsdsy9ixwh.jpg

 

Just more un-displayed pens. :o Could be I was told but being overwhelmed forgot, on one of the two racks.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0881_zps7vsyzdn0.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0882_zpsnsu68qtl.jpg

 

I've no idea what tool this is.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0874_zpsaspvohxw.jpg

 

If my wife was standing by me she could have told me what exactly is what, in she's a mechanical draftsman who was like all then, trained in a workshop.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0876_zpsnuqqi7vu.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0877_zpsid0hcish.jpg

 

Didn't have time to see which porcelain company made the inkwells. My wife is very knowledgeable, in that in she's been collecting more than forty years.

Thomas has some very nice Art Nouveau. This is mine but only to show the direction of Art Nouveau. (Lamy owned-Artis Bialite pen on it.)

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/IMAG0086_zpsij8ivokl.jpg

The square black glass inkwell to the front is Art Decco....1925- up @1940 max. I have a double one as shown......http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/IMAG0084_zpsnwgvxgd4.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/24ff31a8-d6e4-4451-b30b-1aec4d750650_zpsnijclyxr.jpg

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/fc9f6353-7a19-424b-89ad-2fc69f5dfff8_zps4lq1cwcs.jpg

 

Notice the little anvils....for nibs, like from Kaweco when they made the best nibs in the world outside US Morton's nibs....in they bought the machinery and imported American workers in April of 1914. Then came August and the Americans went home.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0889_zpsaqoqmvb2.jpg

I believe these are celluloid to drill pens out of.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0886_zpsulkcb5cv.jpg

 

Mystery tools ....to me....

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0887_zpsiqfdvglg.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0888_zpsjvwkwxfy.jpg

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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A bit more. A few inks. Thomas said he has much more at home. That is only a few to show what ink came in back then.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0859_zpsmcxouah8.jpg

Some Lamy pens, those on the left the older ones. The son hates the father and refuses to honor him or his pens.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0852_zpssc2tgdy8.jpg

I do have a couple of Artus pens....a couple need to be fixed up, as soon as I get around to it.

 

The more modern ones....including two 2000's and two Persona's a couple of Safaries too....neon eye hurting green. A Persona like mine from 1990 with out the bump in the clip to keep it from falling off the table...and the next must have been the very next year in they put an awkward stick on the clip and not the bump I'd seen on other Persona's. I was very surprised that one of the Persona's, the one from 1990, I checked had a regular flex nib, instead of the nail I had.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0853_zps8nzwp56a.jpg

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0855_zpsktwkabjn.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0855_zpsktwkabjn.jpg

 

 

 

This is a glass nib, safety pen. I took two pictures one of the nib all the way out and one of it a bit inside but not all the way. It is I believe a Mercedes pen. I have a regular one....only one though. Once his ware house was in my village.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0857_zpstwjiaead.jpg

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0858_zpsgvmfali8.jpg

 

Mercedes and early to early '50s Reform pens. Once Reform was top of the line fountain pens, until he closed his factory during the Ball Point Invasion, instead of making cheaper fountain pens. A few years later he sold it to Mulchner(sp) who made the 1745 under the Reform name.

 

The black and gold to the lower right are Reforms....don't know about them above. I saw some real sharp early '50 Reforms that were at least a decade or more ahead of themselves.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0855_zpsktwkabjn.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0856_zpscc9gfyal.jpg

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0856_zpscc9gfyal.jpg

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Luxor and Herlitz...both belonged to Herlitz...I found out today. Luxor and Big Ben were marketed to England and international after the (first war?)

I know Tropen was ordered by the British Army starting with 50,000 pens the first order because the Labor Party refused to allocate any money to build up the bombed out British Pen factories. Most of the factories were bombed out.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0850_zpsaneuiukn.jpg The Cento pens to the right, were made by Reform...and are very solidly made pens... I don't think it was a Reform under brand but it's own. Often big pen companies made pens for others. Osmia did that often enough.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0851_zpsrp2kwkk2.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

The right section is Osmia,

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0851_zpsrp2kwkk2.jpgThe left section is continued Osmia...I just ended up taking two pictures instead of one.

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0849_zpswmj3esvi.jpg

 

No, I did get the overview.......................and that's about it.

Those blue Duofold Osmia pens are rather rare....and even rarer are those marked Parker Duofold, made by Osmia. I guess it was early 1929 Parker bought up Osmia. Lamy became the manager. The Germans had clone Duofolds, or pens that had more ink....not Pelikan in it was just starting but the normal lever sack Soennecken, MB and Kaweco I'd guess. The Germans found the Duofold very expensive and didn't buy it. The Market crash of '29 hurried Parker out of Germany..I don't know if it was still in 1929 or start of '30. The Boehler brothers bought Osmia back, getting a free technology transfer. Lamy went off to make his own pens.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/SAM_0847_zpskhj6wsxj.jpg

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Around the world and bored all but four people. Astounding.

 

No, :thumbup: :drool: Great life time of collecting Thomas. :doh: Thomas is not just a collector, but a Scholar of German fountain pens. I've spent many an hour at the flea market learning, much of what I saw in Thomas's museum.

 

No, that is not flea market machinery. Thomas had to twist arms to get that. He had to twist arms to get as much of a museum as he got.

 

It's too bad I didn't do professional close up work. My battery eating Brownie only does so much when one is in a hurry, with so much to see.

 

Well, when I go touristing, I seldom take a camera...or use it. I get much better pictures done by professionals, with out all the people in the way on Postcards.

And one can see my vacation on half a cup of coffee. There I don't bore people.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Bobo, this is astonishing! Jaw-dropping! What a collection of pens...and it's a delight to see some of the machinery the companies used.

Washington Nationals 2019: the fight for .500; "stay in the fight"; WON the fight

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Marvelous! I lived in Heidelberg for a school year in the 70s, but I confess I wasn't especially interested in fountain pens back then.

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I wonder what the smaller collets were used for?

The factory workers at the turnery did not make complete fountain pens, they made parts which had been assembled afterwards by other workers. Day by day they used the same rods and therefore the same collet. For faster working a revolving turnery had been used where the "clamp in" and "push out" had been done with one short lever push. (pic in front)

For each other rod with different diameter another collett was in need to use.

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/Thomasnr/fuumllGeraumlte_zpsf5867a55.jpg

Kind Regards

Thomas

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There was a lot of room in the middle.....some two tables that would sit 12 people so all in all it's not quite cramped.

All sorts of pen books were on the ends of both tables, I didn't have time to look at.

The back room is a bit cluttered....but I expect it to be less cluttered looking soon enough.

 

I missed taking a picture of the big poster on the dividing wall, with Rupp the nibmaker. He was in normal workingman's cloths. That I'd not expected....don't know why. I only have one Rupp nib. The other three times I saw Rupp nibbed pens, I was LOM or finished second.

 

It's not that Thomas is keeping it going. It was his idea he fought for. It is all, part of Thomas's collection. Just 'a part'.

 

I only have four Boehler pens............and that unsorted half shoe box was so :puddle: .

He had two or was it three full Tortoise of these in the display case. There were many Boehler pens he had that were. :drool:

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/ZL6RrVDHwYC11282498416S_zpsz4g0ib8v.jpghttp://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/ZgfVNU37bloD129390221246P182_zpsltgks4ho.jpg

 

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/B0ijipgEWkKGrHqMOKiUETrJ6spBMvK46y_3_zpsv4xkmvrm.jpg

A view of the top...really like that clip too.

http://i1339.photobucket.com/albums/o707/boboolson1/B0ijkQwmkKGrHqIOKkEOcTqjdZBMvK9hs1Q_3%20-%20Copy_zpshwmbugpr.jpg

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

 

Bo Bo Olson thank you for sharing picture from such an adventure into fountain pen history!

 

Thomas, thank you for making a museum!

 

A grateful fountain pen afficionada and history buff.

 

Keep the picture coming!

Is it fair for an intelligent and family oriented mammal to be separated from his/her family and spend his/her life starved in a concrete jail?

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Wow! This was so cool to scroll through and read about and see photos of fountain pens' history. Thank you for sharing.

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