Merz & Krell Piston Fill Pens

September 9, 2017

Hi, Folks!

This is a Merz & Krell piston fill pen in green etched celluloid from the 1950s. It is similar to celluloid used by Conklin in the 1930s. It has a large ink view window in the barrel with a black and clear spiral pattern. The piston knob is accessed by removing the black end cap. The nib is a lightly gold plated Number 2 stainless steel semi flex. There are no makers marks on the 4 13/16 inch long pen other than a half eclipsed sun stamping on the nib. This model is shown in a Merz & Krell Senator / Melbi instruction sheet. Merz & Krell manufactured under contract some Pelikan 120 and 400 models for export. The German company is now known by the Senator name.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/MerzAndKrell_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

September 10, 2017

Hi, Folks!

This is a Merz & Krell piston fill pen in blue cell/brickwork celluloid from the 1950s, an unusual celluloid pattern. It has a large ink view window in the barrel with a black and clear spiral pattern with enough clarity to see through the window, giving a criss cross effect. The piston knob is accessed by removing the black end cap. The nib is a lightly gold plated Number 2 stainless steel semi flex and some of the plating is still intact. There are no makers marks on the 4 13/16 inch long pen other than a half eclipsed sun stamping on the nib.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/MerzAndKrell_1280_02.jpg

Thanks!

September 10, 2017

Thank you for this information...I now know who made this pen.....See scan below......

I've had this for years without being able to identify.........................................................

Fred

September 10, 2017

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Edited September 10, 2017 by Freddy

September 11, 2017

Thank you for this information...I now know who made this pen.....See scan below......
I've had this for years without being able to identify.........................................................
Fred

Hi, Fred - posting one of those today! Thanks!

September 11, 2017

Hi, Folks!

This is a Merz & Krell piston fill pen in gray snakeskin celluloid from the 1950s. It is similar to celluloids used by several European brands in the 1940s. It has a large ink view window in the barrel with a black and clear spiral pattern and if you look closely you can see the piston seal in the window. The piston knob is accessed by removing the black end cap. The nib is a lightly gold plated Number 2 stainless steel semi flex and this example has more plating than most. There are no makers marks on the 4 13/16 inch long pen other than a half eclipsed sun stamping on the nib.

http://penhero.com/Temp/MerzAndKrell_1280_03.jpg

Thanks!

September 12, 2017

Hi, Folks!

This is a Merz & Krell piston fill pen in black celluloid from the 1950s. The blind cap is removed to show the piston knob. The large ink view window in the barrel shows the spiral pattern especially well. The nib is a lightly gold plated Number 2 stainless steel semi flex made by Degussa, whose half eclipsed sun logo stamping is on the nib. There are no other makers marks on the 4 13/16 inch long pen. Degussa was the Deutsche Gold und Silber Scheideanstalt, German Gold and Silver Extracting Company and was in the nib business starting in the 1930s after purchasing Osmia’s nib manufacturing. Some Degussa nibs have the name stamped as well. Apparantly the name Degussa came about as telegraph shorthand for the company's rather long name.

http://penhero.com/Temp/MerzAndKrell_1280_04.jpg

Thanks!

September 13, 2017

Hi, Folks!

This is a Merz & Krell piston fill pen in blue etched celluloid from the 1950s. It is similar to celluloid used by Conklin in the 1930s, though Conklin did not use this blue. The large ink view window in the barrel shows a black and clear spiral pattern. The piston knob is accessed by removing the black end cap. The Number 2 stainless steel semi flex nib originally was lightly gold plated, but the plating is polished off and now shows bright stainless steel. There are no makers marks on the 4 13/16 inch long pen other than nib maker Degussa's half eclipsed sun stamping on the nib.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/MerzAndKrell_1280_05.jpg

Thanks!

September 16, 2017

Hi, Folks!

This is a Merz & Krell piston fill pen in grey green cell/brickwork celluloid from the 1950s, an unusual celluloid pattern. It has a large ink view window in the barrel with a black and clear spiral pattern with enough clarity to see through the window, giving a criss cross effect. The piston knob is accessed by removing the black end cap. The nib was a lightly gold plated Number 2 stainless steel Degussa semi flex but most of the plating has been lost. There are no makers marks on the 4 13/16 inch long pen.

http://penhero.com/Temp/MerzAndKrell_1280_07.jpg

Thanks!

September 21, 2017

Those are all really neat! Thanks for sharing them.

September 21, 2017

Those are all really neat! Thanks for sharing them.

Thanks - It took me a long time to figure out their story given that they are unmarked.

October 1, 2017

Those are some very, very pretty pens.

Degussa nibs....I have in regular flex.....and a number in first stage of Superflex....Easy Full Flex.

Osmia made nibs with the patent Osmium from a Heidelberg professor, a very fine tipping material. Hence the name Osmia. 1932 broke again, Osmia sold it's nib factory to gold and silver maker Degussa. The workers refused to move 45 Km to Pfortzheim so the nib factory stayed in Heidelberg. Could be it stopped making nibs in 1970 or I'd also heard 1990.

Rupp made nibs in Heidelberg from 1922 to 1970.

Bock from 1938 to now.

Osmia had great nibs in both steel and gold. And they are =....it seems all of mine are made by Degussa in I have no Osmia pens from before 1933. Osmia or later Osmia-Faber-Castell nibs with a diamond are semi-flex. If the nib says Supra they are maxi-semi-flex.....the only company that marked it's nibs.

****I do have a MB, Pelikan(2) and a Geha nibs in maxi-semi-flex but are not marked with being more flexible than semi-flex.

They are not superflex. There is a large difference between the flex of superflex and maxi-semi-flex...just like there is a difference semi&maxi.

**** Superflex is not marked either, outside of nib form. I both a 100n Easy Full flex and a wet noodle Soennecken. I'm sure if I chased superflex I could have more.......but having a hand full of Easy Full Flex Degussa nibs did cut my desire down for finding superflex. Half the superflex no names I have have Deguassa nibs.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Bo Bo Olson