Jump to content

Bexley Fountain Pens


WLSpec

Recommended Posts

I've been eyeing Bexley pens for a while, and from what I understand they are a USA based company that makes pens inspired by vintage designs. However, I heard some stuff about a change in ownership somewhat recently, and I was a little confused. I just want to know more about the company, as I don't know much right now, and as I am considering purchasing one of their pens. So who owns the Bexley company? Are modern Bexley pens different from earlier ones? After doing some searching on FPN, it is clear that many people LOVE their Bexley pens, so I am very curious about them. The Poseidon looks very nice, and it seems to be sold out most places. So what's the deal with Bexley? Thanks for any responses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 41
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • WLSpec

    6

  • Parker51

    5

  • JonSzanto

    5

  • zaddick

    5

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

You've picked the 'worst' time to get interested!

The company has been around for a couple decades, and it was started by a fellow named Howard Levy. He was a well-known pen person and collector, and decided to start making pens that contained quality and appeal for pen folk, marketed (I think) primarily at the collector community. I can't give you a whole lot more than that, and I ended up only purchasing a couple in the last year or so. The designs had never really caught my eye until one or two oversize models popped up. I've actually corresponded with Mr. Levy as he was selling some of his last remaining stock on eBay and ended up answering some questions. He has always had a very good reputation for his product. His pens were coming out when there weren't a lot of small, custom makers, which now there are. I don't know the specifics or the reasons as to why he has let "The Family" pen group take over the brand.

Here's a brief article on the company, from Binder's site. It's dated but would have info you might find of interest.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the earlier Bexleys are really nice pens, particularly those in ebonite.

There are a few threads on Bexley here on FPN, is you search, there is info to be found.

As JonSzanto said though, not a timely interest, many of these pens are in the hands of collectors by now.

The new Bexley seems like a marketing operation (so far one very expensive pen in arco celluloid which looks a bit out of place to me on a Bexley...).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the earlier Bexleys are really nice pens, particularly those in ebonite.

There are a few threads on Bexley here on FPN, is you search, there is info to be found.

As JonSzanto said though, not a timely interest, many of these pens are in the hands of collectors by now.

The new Bexley seems like a marketing operation (so far one very expensive pen in arco celluloid which looks a bit out of place to me on a Bexley...).

Yes, I assumed this isn't the best time. I do see some on PSP used for very reasonable prices and Ebay that look very nice and a lot like the older ones. I'm very curious about the new company though, bc I see they are at pen shows nowadays

 

some new ones are on Goldspot, interesting

Edited by WLSpec
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bexley started in 1993 and made some elaborate and expensive pens with lots of gold or silver until gold prices spiked in the early 2000s. They used mostly gold nibs u tiles about 2006 or so and then switched to steel. Since then there have been a lot of more affordable pens in bright colors. Howard sold a lot of pens on eBay in non standard materials.

 

Last year he sold the company and I hear still makes pens but under his own label and at a much lower volume.

 

I'm a big fan and collector of pre 2006 pens. Part of my collection was put into a thread I have not updated in a while. I should get to it some day, but not much time nowadays.

If you want less blah, blah, blah and more pictures, follow me on Instagram!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, Howard sold his Company as part of his plan to retire, eventually. He currently is still busy with producing pens for others on a contract basis as he retained his production facility, after selling the Bexley Pen Company. This means the new owners could produce examples of Bexley Pens earlier production if they wanted to, but there is no indication that they do plan to resume production of earlier designs at this time; instead they are going forth with new designs. Some of the last of the old production made in Columbus, Ohio is still available at some retailors. The old warrenty still is in effect as the new owners are very honorable and established members of the Fountain Pen Community and recognize that this is the right thing to do. Bexley Pens is not just a name they bought, but a Company with a well earned reputation.

 

Will Howard every stop designing and making pens, unknown.

 

So, if you are ever planning a visit to Columbus, Ohio, contact Howard. He may be planning on being around and likely would,give you a tour and possibly the oppertunity to purchase from him directly one of his new designs. He made a pen for the 2019 Ohio Pen Show under the name Levy's Legacy and he may have some left as well as anything he designs new.

 

Bexley, Ohio is by the way where Howard lives, an unique small city surrounded by Columbus, Ohio on East side of Columbus, Ohio and not where Bexley Pens were ever made. Thought about, yes, but made,,not possible as there was no place in Bexley to place a production facility. Bexley is an affluent bedroom city with excellent Public schools, the oldest Lutheran University in the U.S., Capital University, my alma mater, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, many beautiful churches and synagogues, some very nice shopping and restaurants, a neighborhood Cinema, the Drexel, some nice parks, including one with a very nice city pool and tennis courts on the grounds of Jeffrey's Mansion (which my wife, who was my college sweetheart and I used to walk to), the Governor of Ohio's Mansion, a lot of other Mansions and the humble home of my daughter, son inlaw and most importantly my grandson.

 

Bexley Pens production facility was located on the West side of Columbus in an industrial park.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for this information. Sounds like Bexley pens are going to be hard to come by nowadays, but it can be done. The history of the company is fascinating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for this information. Sounds like Bexley pens are going to be hard to come by nowadays, but it can be done. The history of the company is fascinating.

For your consideration Linda and Mike at Indy-Pen-Dance have made in Ohio..Bexley fountain pens for purchase....https://www.indy-pen-dance.com/Bexley-Fountain-Pens/

And Linda will tune the nib to perfection at no extra cost..unless of course you don't want her to do it......

 

Fred

who has a few Bexley pens..............................................from '93....on..........................

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For your consideration Linda and Mike at Indy-Pen-Dance have made in Ohio..Bexley fountain pens for purchase....https://www.indy-pen-dance.com/Bexley-Fountain-Pens/

And Linda will tune the nib to perfection at no extra cost..unless of course you don't want her to do it......

 

Fred

who has a few Bexley pens..............................................from '93....on..........................

Saw this. Thanks. Are these new?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Saw this. Thanks. Are these new?

Yes!

Redacting: See below.................

 

The good folks at I-P-D have a Sterling Reputation......

 

Fred

Edited by Freddy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, if you want some of Howard's last new production under the Bexley Brand, now is a good time to get it as clearence sales are on and when they are gone, they are gone, except for what may remain in private hands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mr Howard Levy, pen designer extraordinaire is one of the nicest person in the fountain pen world.

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?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have three of my five Bexleys with Mr. Levy right now. The current owners basically forwarded my emails to him re repairs. He’s been great to deal with so far.

 

If you can find one with the gold factory stub, they’re delightful. I also have a really nice fine nib that I quite like. One of my favorite pens that I’m agonizing over as I down size.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of the earlier Bexleys are really nice pens, particularly those in ebonite.

There are a few threads on Bexley here on FPN, is you search, there is info to be found.

As JonSzanto said though, not a timely interest, many of these pens are in the hands of collectors by now.

The new Bexley seems like a marketing operation (so far one very expensive pen in arco celluloid which looks a bit out of place to me on a Bexley...).

Does anyone know exactly who it was sold to? I noticed the new arco pens... they look a lot like ASC pens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone know exactly who it was sold to? I noticed the new arco pens... they look a lot like ASC pens.

 

Yes, this has been written about quite a bit, I thought it was in this thread as well. Rights were sold to The Pen Family and you can see an entry for Bexley on their main page:

 

The Pen Family

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It appears that The Pen Family are doing some "cross-breeding" with Bexley pens. When I first saw this pen, I thought it looked a lot like an ASC.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/BEXLEY-GOLDEN-AGE-ARCO-VERDE-CELLULOID-TRIANGLES-RHODIUM-TRIM-FOUNTAIN-PEN/392702064232?hash=item5b6eddf668:g:u5gAAOSwKtBd3smk

 

I have a Bexley that I bought at the Denver Pen Show a few years back, and I have never been impressed with it. It's really attractive, but the nib is just ok. Of course, I am not a huge fan of fine nibs anyway.

Edited by 5Cavaliers

"Today will be gone in less than 24 hours. When it is gone, it is gone. Be wise, but enjoy! - anonymous today

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

Yes, this has been written about quite a bit, I thought it was in this thread as well. Rights were sold to The Pen Family and you can see an entry for Bexley on their main page:

 

The Pen Family

Dont think that specific fact was mentioned yet. Thank you for informing me.

 

Also very interesting how they own many really respected pen companies now. Conway Stewart, Bexley, OMAS, are 3 respected and loved pen companies that pen family now owns. Molteni I dont know much about.

Edited by WLSpec
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Some of the Bexley designs were outstanding. I don't know why the new owners would not bring them back, maybe with some new materials. I would gladly buy a new Americana or Posidon, even though I own a couple dozen. Bexleys have been part of my daily drivers for about 15 years now. I have a Poseidon White Tea that has been with me on 5 continents. It rides small (short pocket depth), handles big, and has never failed me. Another favorite EDC is the Bexley 56 in ebonite.

...This means the new owners could produce examples of Bexley Pens earlier production if they wanted to...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another favorite EDC is the Bexley 56 in ebonite.

 

Correction: That would be the 56 in celluloid, not ebonite. Actually I do have Bexley ebonites, including a chocolate 10th Anniversary with a custom ground Binder cursive italic that I prefer for sending out greeting cards, get well cards, thank you notes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We will need to wait and see what they decide to do. I agree, some of Howard's designs are definitely worth being produced again, perhaps with new materials or new color combinations.

Howard likes to design pens. He has indicated to me that is what he is interested in, not the rest of the activity.

This means that many of his past designs were not produced in high numbers as they never were aggressively sold. There was one pen that Howard sold in large numbers due to it being uniques to the market, the Multi-Max. Sales slowed down and stopped when competitors entered the market with simialer designs at a significantly lower price point.

And so we are at a unique point in the life of Bexley pens. It's progenitor is an artist free to pursue his art. We can buy some of his new production if we want for as long as he produces it, we can buy his older works and we may be able to buy examples of his older works being produced anew.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...