ID help for combo fountain pen / pencil

[foxtail1]

Hi,

 

Does anyone recognize this little guy? The nib says, "Warranted" and "Durium Point, Made in USA." There is also a triangle in the middle of the nib with maybe a numeral 2 in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

Kristi

[Oxonian]

Hi Foxtail,

 

It could well be nigh on impossible to give a definitive identity for this combi. The toughts below are just thoughts and others who know more may disagree with my conclusions and I am happy to stand corrected.

 

It may not have travelled far from home in all its eighty-ish years, there were many makers in the Petersburg area in the 1910s-40s including I believe Arnold, which company at one time was the largest fountain pen maker in the world. Many of the brand names were what are now considered to be 3rd tier manufacturers.

 

There were many inexpensive unbranded pens made for sale in corner shops or whatever, they could be identical in shape, material etc as the company's branded pens or slightly different. The plastics could be the same as used on much more expensive pens and the same as used in other 3rd tier pens from makers as far a part as the West coast through Chicago to the East coast or into the central states from the Canadian border to the Gulf as for a while there was a central supplier for plastics. Warranted nibs could be made anywhere, the Durium mark is seen on the nibs fitted to many brands, Gold Crown, Onward, Southern Pen Co etc. as well as to unbranded pens.

 

Nibs, clips, levers and other plated parts were made by several companies and sold to various pen assembling firms, they could be had branded or unbranded, some unbranded pens can be found that are identical except for the clip shape as though they were put together from whatever was about and available cheaply, others are found that are identical except for the brand name on the clip suggesting that they were made by the same machinery just differing in the name on the clips for that particular batch

 

The material of this pen I have seen used on Weltys, Arnolds, Southerns and several other brands, the short squat heavily lipped and flared shape and form of the section resemble an Arnold pen on which I have just done some work but again the shape can be seen on other brands.

 

So to summarise I would say that the pen was possibly, maybe even probably, made in the Petersburg, Va. area somewhere around 1930-33 ish beyond that I wouldn't like to say anything more definite.

 

Not a huge amount of help I'm afraid but without sitting down and doing a hands on pen to pen comparison with other branded pens it is the best I can do.

 

Cheers, John

[EventHorizon]

Arnold was my first guess. I have more than a few but the problem is that all of them say Arnold or have an "A" on the clip. I'll take a look at them tonight and see if any of them say Warrented on the nib. Those are some fantastic colors BTW

[foxtail1]

Thanks for the help. I looked through all of my books and couldn't figure it out.

 

The colors are nice- better than my photos. The light color is actually translucent.

 

Kristi

[EventHorizon]

I would say a good hit with a jewelers cloth and then some Simichrome will make that pen a stunner. Is the nib in good shape? It looks like it from the pictures.

[foxtail1]

I would say a good hit with a jewelers cloth and then some Simichrome will make that pen a stunner. Is the nib in good shape? It looks like it from the pictures.

 

 

Wow! Yes, it is. I hadn't dipped it till just then. It's an XF (to my inexperienced eye) with some flex.