Tell Me What I've Got - Aurora/globus

[amk]

Today was a busy day. A car boot (found two fantastic books but no pens), a rehearsal for a concert I'm playing in on Wednesday, and a visit to the local Tractor Festival. Decided we would drive the pretty way back along the river valley - cooler and shadier which at the moment is a major consideration.

 

And there was a watermill with an antiques shop in it. How could I resist?

 

Of course there were no fountain pens in any of the glass cases....... and I was on my way out when I noticed a handsome desk set with four desk pens. Globus nibs, Aurora mark on the sections, button fillers. Ten euros each? I think I'll grab the lot, though one of the nibs is bust.

http://i.imgur.com/kasVoPHl.jpg

 

So here they are. Aurora I know as I have a few 88s, but Globus I know nothing about at all. Can anyone help me out?

http://i.imgur.com/SjnxUGzl.jpg

 

Also, here's a rather bad pic of the desk set. 'Compagnia di Roma', which apparently was an insurance company, with the Capitoline wolf suckling Romulus and Remus, in bronze. I didn't get the desk set but I can always go back for it; question, of course, what do people think it's worth and is it the same date as the pens, or were these just two lots that got stuck together? The owner said he wasn't sure whether the pens were original to the set or not.

http://i.imgur.com/ktnBO5ll.jpg

 

 

[richyrich]

amk; Nice find!! Globus was an Italian nib maker - usually seen as replacement nibs, like yours, on other Italian brand pens. A quick search on here on FPN and the Italian forums will turn up plenty of references. For the Italian pen geek or italophile, this would be an awesome desk set. Why not just go back and get it - how much were they asking?

[amk]

Thanks for the info on Globus. I wonder what happened to the Aurora nibs?

 

I just tried one of the pens out - simply dipped it in a bit of Pelikan Koenigsblaum haven't got round to resacking yet. Lovely fine nib with a bit of flex and springiness.

 

We didn't talk prices on the desk set... mainly because I had no money left! But I might go back....

[richyrich]

Perhaps like you, I never paid much attention to desk pens, so was intrigued to find these Auroras were button fillers. The coloured bands might be a clue they were for accounting - red, blue, black (?). The broken nib could be the sign of a successful company - always in the black! ;-)

Nice work on your blog, BTW.

[amk]

Thanks very much for the compliment!

 

I hadn't thought of it but yes, colpured bands for accounting - that figures. (Pun intended)

[rpsyed]

Nice find! Have you restored any of those pens? What are your thoughts on the Globus nibs?

 

To any Italian pen collectors, if I understand correctly, Globus was like a 40s and 50s Italian version of Bock or JoWo, providing nibs that would be fitted onto pens made by Aurora, Omas, Columbus, etc?

[LetiziaJac]

Globus nibs were commonly used as replacement nibs. You can find them on any brand of pens. They were part of the stock of any Italian repairman in the late 1940's /early 1950's. They are not low quality and some of them can offer a remarkable flexibility. As regards the desk base, the shape of the pen holders, as far as I can see from the picture, is not unlikely to be Aurora's.

[rpsyed]

Globus nibs were commonly used as replacement nibs. You can find them on any brand of pens. They were part of the stock of any Italian repairman in the late 1940's /early 1950's. They are not low quality and some of them can offer a remarkable flexibility. As regards the desk base, the shape of the pen holders, as far as I can see from the picture, is not unlikely to be Aurora's.

Thanks for the info! I ordered a pen with a New Old Stock Globus nib and was curious to know more about the nibs.

[richyrich]

amk; did you ever go back for that Romulus & Remus desk set? Very cool!