Jump to content

AURORA DUOCART The pen with the ink-alarm


gicoteni

Recommended Posts

AURORA DUOCART is a fountain pen of the '50s, acknowledged as one of the first plastic cartridge filled pen (see here in FPN) and probably the first with two cartridges.

post-4615-1211487141_thumb.jpg

post-4615-1211487169_thumb.jpg

post-4615-1211487226_thumb.jpg

 

 

But here I want to show you an odd feature of the Duocart: the sound to alert the user that the ink is near to ending. The device is very simple: a small ball hanging from the bottom tassel inside the barrel. If you have both cartridges fitted, the ball cannot move, but if only one cartridge is in, while you write the ball swings, uttering a tick-tock.

post-4615-1211487297_thumb.jpg

dissected barrel

 

A nice invention complementary to the idea of the double cartridge. In my opinion it was introduced since the Duocart mainly was a school pen and the device was an help to avoid the end of ink during a lesson. But the entire design of Duocart is easy: the oversized barrel to underline the 2 cartridges, the difference of colour between section and barrel and the addiction of this ironic alarm for forgetful schoolboys…

post-4615-1211487444_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

I do not know who is the designer of Aurora Duocart. Some writers of history of Italian fountain pens assert the author is Albe Steiner, a designer working in Italy in that period; he certainly was a graphics and design consultant for Aurora in '50s and 60s, but I could not find in his biography a reference to Duocart invention (only packaging and advertising, as he did for Aurora 88 too). Indeed Albe Steiner was the designer of the Aurora Sele pens line. In this link you can see some of the interesting works of Steiner for Aurora.

Duocart seems to me a variation of Aurora 88: the exact name is "Aurora 88 Duocart", they are similar in shape, the clip is the same (also if a little shorter) of 88 and so the nib and section: probably it was the result of a collaboration among Aurora, Nizzoli, Steiner…??….. I need the help of Aurora experts. Saluti a tutti, Giuseppe

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by gicoteni
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 11
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • gicoteni

    2

  • Dib

    2

  • sztainbok

    2

  • goodguy

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

This is one of the silliest and funniest inventions in pen history but I would love to have this pen.

Edited by goodguy

Respect to all

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Gicoteni

Thank you very much for the interesting article. Giovanni Abrate (Pennant Spring 2006) and Lee Ranitz (WES Journal Spring 2008) wrote about Inge Steiner as designer of the Duo Cart.

I think the later Dou Cart have the imprint "2 Cart"

Best

Dirk

P.S.: In the patent of 1954, no name is given :-(

Edited by Dib

I search for all pens and informations made in Pforzheim, e.g. Sarastro, Fend

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dear Gicoteni

Thank you very much for the interesting article. Giovanni Abrate (Pennant Spring 2006) and Lee Ranitz (WES Journal Spring 2008) wrote about Inge Steiner as designer of the Duo Cart.

I think the later Dou Cart have the imprint "2 Cart"

Best

Dirk

P.S.: In the patent of 1954, no name is given :-(

 

Hi Dirk, than you for you reply. If you visit the link I inserted (it is the link to Archivio Albe e Lica Steiner in Politecnico di Milano – Lica was the wife of Albe, but who is Inge?), you can see a lot of pictures of packaging and adverts for Aurora (for Duocart too) and sketches and pictures of Sele pens, but I cannot see an actual reference to the design of Duocart, that is much more important than Sele. This is why I have some doubt. Ciao, Giuseppe

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello Giuseppe,

A good question: who is Inge ? I think Abrate and Ranitz are wrong. Maggi/Negetti/Nencini told us in their book "Fabulous Fountain Pens" the designer was Albe Steiner. Jacopini called him "Abe" :-)

Perhaps you can call the Archivio Albe e Lica Steiner and ask them ?

Best

Dirk

 

I search for all pens and informations made in Pforzheim, e.g. Sarastro, Fend

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Does anyone know more about the invention of the Duocart's cartridges?

 

If this was the first modern cartidge it made history.

Without the invention of a successful cartridge the FP might well have become extinct.

 

 

 

Solitaire

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anyone know more about the invention of the Duocart's cartridges?

 

If this was the first modern cartidge it made history.

Without the invention of a successful cartridge the FP might well have become extinct.

 

 

 

Solitaire

 

The first modern cartridge (or at least, the first pen which could use both cartridges and converter) is the Parker 45. I think Waterman made some pens which could use *glass* cartridges before.

 

The Duocart is uber-cool though.

 

Juan in Andalucía

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Does anybody know if Aurora made pencils and ballpoints to match the Duo-Cart?

Thank you,

Victor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does anybody know if Aurora made pencils and ballpoints to match the Duo-Cart?

Thank you,

Victor.

 

Never seen of heared about Duo-Cart Pencil or BP in 20 years of Aurora collection, sorry...

 

S

Edited by sanpei

Do you have vintage AURORA or WILLIAMSON,

italian WWII militaria for sale or trade? Please contact me.

 

Looking for 1950'S AURORA 88?

Other vintage italian pens?

 

 

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a624/z900it/zona900eb_zpsc3413dc2.jpgHere's the Answer! www.zona900.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

Probably a silly question, but are there still cartridges around that will fit the Duo-Cart - or even a converter?

 

I'd bet that the short Parker cartridge would fit.

 

My Website

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Probably a silly question, but are there still cartridges around that will fit the Duo-Cart - or even a converter?

 

 

Platinum converters will work on an Aurora Duo-Cart pen, I got one and it works. I found out from another thread in this formum, if you want to see it follow this link, https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/14331-news-for-duocart-users/page__p__130695__hl__%2Bconverter+%2Bduocart__fromsearch__1&do=findComment&comment=130695

Edited by sztainbok
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...