Wyvern 5C

[dragonq]

Can anyone give me some information about the Wyvern 5C? I bought a bag of pens as a job lot, and it included one of these, unfortunately without its nib. (The other pens in the lot mainly dated to the 1930s.)

 

As the pen seems to be in OK condition, I would like to try and get a new nib for it, and am wondering if anyone can give me some advice as to what might suit.

 

[WhiteStarPens]

Hello dragonq, I recognise that material from C.S!

 

I'm no expert on Wyverns but I've seen similar pens on Barry Rose's website Writetime. If you're not familiar, he has quite a range of English pens. Maybe you'll get some ideas from there.

 

He's a very knowledgeable chap, so perhaps drop him an email regarding the nib and he might be able to point you in the right direction.

 

He also sells rubber sacs etc, if you needed one. I'm currently working on a mauve marble Burnham 56 and he very kindly sorted me out with the right size.

 

Best of luck with your Wyvern, please do update us if you get any further with the restoration!

 

W.S.P

[dragonq]

Thank you for the tip!

[northlodge]

There is an item on ebay at the moment (123594760835 ) that shows a Wyvern 5C with its original nib.

It is known that Wyvern sourced their Warranted nibs from Curzon for an extended period in the 1930's, and this listing would confirm that the 5C production fell during this same period.

 

That might be good news for you as the Curzon "warranted 14ct" roundal design is relatively easy to find... allowing you to buy a cheap black 'national security' or suchlike and swop out the nib.

[dragonq]

Thank you so much! I had seen that very pen in my researches, and know the nib, because another pen in the same job lot has one (which I think is a replacement for an original). It is good to know what the nib actually is. What exactly should I be searching for (ie search terms) and where?

[Wardok]

Paul

Interested to know the source for Curzons supplying warranted nibs to Wyvern in the 30s. Is in in documents, word of mouth (Hannah Finburgh?) or just from observation? Certainly looking at some of my Wyverns, the early ones (1905 - late 1920's) have warranted nibs, the word being in a staple / croquet hoop type shape, then there is the circular warranted you describe and only the later pens have Wyvern (either written or a picture of the mythical creature) on the nibs.

 

I have a box of Finburgh steel nibs and so I suppose I always assumed - without ever really thinking about it - they made their own nibs but the ubiquitous warranted nibs really doesn't support that - and the technology to make steel and gold nibs, although similar, is unlikely to be really transferable.

 

Thanks for the topic - it has helped shine some light on something for me.

 

Simon

[northlodge]

Hi Simon

 

I always suspected this.

 

However, as you probably know I now live / work near Leicester, and a few years back I met someone who had worked for Wyvern on leaving school just before WW2. She recalled that the gold nibs were 'brought in from Liverpool, and were given considerable security". She did not think the factory had ever had a nib manufacturing capability of their own, but of course this type of recollection would not perhaps exclude early nibs - those big McLean pens for example pre-date WW2 by more than a decade.

 

regards

Paul

[LesterPendragon]

Follow up to dragonq’s original post –

I have a Wyvern 5 [n.b. *not* a 5C - so mileage may vary] which came fitted with a Mabie Todd nib. I’ve not removed it, but the nib measures 4.68mm across the shaft where it fits into the section.

Jean Woolf – who doesn’t appear to be online anywhere, but commonly attends the UK pen shows – is a good source for Wyvern nibs. I’m not sure what the protocol is for sharing email contacts here, but hopefully she’ll be at the Chester show on 28 April ’19 and I can ask her to contact you, if that’s helpful…?

[This may have been made redundant by the posts from northlodge and Wardock; but – hey – maybe someone might find it handy in the future…]

xanthias [aka Lester Pendragon]

 

[dragonq]

Thanks xanthias. I have ordered a couple of secondhand nibs and am hoping one of them will fit. If not I may come back to you for the contact.

 

Really appreciate your advice.