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Progress By Osmia - Germany For Valentine - England


Parcival

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These pens are produced in the early 1930's by Osmia for the English market and sold by Valentine - in 5 sizes and 6 colors. This is the biggest of them - Major, 13.2 cm...


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Edited by Parcival
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I hope Parcival do not mind if I show another Progress and add some information…

 

I have always been attracted by the adventure produced by the association between Parker & Osmia; in such a short time, 1928-1930, it produced such a large amount of different models.

 

Just after that, during the summer 1931, Norman Coomer, since 1925 a Parker salesman established in England some sort of a subsidiary, the Osmia Pen Co. In October the same year this new company offered a large range of Osmia pens, at that time mostly button push fillers and pencils, originated at the Osmia Co. from Dossenheim, Heidelberg, Germany.

Not more than three months later, Mr. Coomer took in his hands the Valentine Co. and renamed it Progress Pen Co. By January 1932, Valentine was producing Progress pens and pencils in Newhaven with other models. The name Osmia was abandoned and replaced by Progress (brand registration 534438 from August 1932) and Osmia Progress became only Progress de Luxe.

The name Valentine as well as the Valentine & Sons founded in Dundee in 1825 by John Valentine but registered until 1907 as producer of Calendars, Christmas post cards, puzzles and other printed matters, is one of the names linked in one or another way and in different periods to the majority of Pens manufactured in Great Britain, very particularly Parker.

Obviously for Parker fans these are not news… most of this information comes from “The English Fountain Pen Industry 1875–1975”, by Stephen Hull (2011).

 

This pen here is a Torpedo Major Progress manufactured in Great Britain. Closed it measures 135 mm (5 3/8 in) pressure button filler as thick as the German Osmia with a nib Progress 14 Ct Made in England. When I bought it I was told it is dated 1933.

 

Even if it is a minor matter, I am always surprised that the nib imprint says Made in England, while the barrel imprint says Made in Britain, maybe fot the English this is quite obvious, it is not for me; one possible reason is that in those years the economical troubles inherited from the Parker-Osmia adventure, Osmia had to sell his nib factory to Degussa. It is also curious because the German Osmia after the Parker adventure only produced a Progress model until 1935, just when Faber–Castell, acquired it.

 

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Edited by Azuniga
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Nice info! The nib of my pen is big, heart hole, warranted - 14 carats - 1St quality. I think it's original and not changed. I expect to get a baby pen like the one in the advertising, in green-black marble.

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