Classic Pens History

[RitaCarbon]

After some of our FPNers expressed their interest in Classic Pens, I met with Andreas Lambrou and he provided me with very interesting materials about his limited edition pens that I want to publish here.

 

 

 

Classic Pens CP Family of Sterling Silver Limited Editions

By Andreas Lambrou

In 1989 the limited edition market was in its embryo stage. Classic Pens Limited in England offered a repair service, the book "Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern" was published. This was after ten years research and considerable help from five pen collectors from England, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, the book was a group effort. Today, there are many books documenting pens, these works are in the main labors of love by pen collectors around the world.

 

 

The work on the book gave me enough knowledge to seek out pen models for customization and start to build the CP Family. Imagine you are a director of an international pen company and you get a call from someone little known in the industry wishing to customize your flagship pen as a sterling silver limited edition. I got many polite refusals!

 

 

At last hope! The development and technical director of Sheaffer UK was willing to listen. His office in Hertfortshire was a short driving distance from our workshop in Essex, when I got there Mr. Ray Bailey enthusiastically showed me experimental Targas in different finishes. I cannot describe to you my feelings in words! As a collector those prototypes were simply phenomenal and overwhelming. For the first time I saw more than 200 different finishes of one pen model! After my initial shock, which I am sure Ray saw, he described some of his favorite pieces. I liked and admired the prototypes with guilloche patterns. I heard for the first time the name Murelli, apparently an engraving company located outside Paris, France with whom Ray had developed those designs. Little did I know that over the next 20 years a strong friendship and working relationship will develop between Murelli and Classic Pens, so much so, I would name the CP8 series in honor of the Murelli Family. There were so many engraving patterns, yet my eyes kept going back to a design which I felt stood out head and shoulders above the rest, Ray called it Vannerie. Without hesitation, I asked him if we could adopt this design for CP1. The Classic Pens dream of customized sterling silver limited editions was about to come true!

 

 

In 1990, we launched the CP1 Targa in sterling silver with the Vannerie (Basketweave) pattern. The series was 250 fountain pens with gold trim to compliment the gold nib. This feature became a standard for the CPs. Sheaffer gave us exclusivity of the design for the Targa in sterling silver. After the CP1 was launched, they made a short run of about 500 Targas in gold plate Vannerie for Harrods of Knightsbridge. They also developed a variation of the design for their Targa in 18K solid gold.

 

 

The CP1 was first offered to UK pen collectors in a Sheaffer box for $275, discounts were not the norm at that time. A few months after the launch, Sheaffer had the CP1 on their stand during an exhibition in Tokyo and sold 30 of them our first export order! With the CP2 launch in 1993, we made exclusive hand made boxes for the series, a similar box in red was created to house the remaining CP1s we had left.

 

CP1 Targa, photos courtesy Jim Mamoulides

 

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4057/4306959187_963733744d.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/4307701192_93c0e745cb.jpg

 

The CP1 pens housed in hand made gift boxes specifically designed for the series.

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Our first ever advertisement appeared on the back cover of the 10^th Anniversary issue of the Writing Equipment Society (WES) magazine. It shows the CP1 with the leather edition of Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern. We used the motto Classic Values with all our ads in England.

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2748/4307701236_6180e141eb.jpg

With the CP1 under our belt, I began to search for pen models to develop the CP2. Manufacturers were more amicable with the idea, one company even agreed on principle. I went to the meeting full of hope which evaporated in thin air the minute they gave me more details. Even though the pen model was and still is very popular, I just could not see Classic Pens undertaking a CP2 project in 1993 with 10,000 pens!

 

 

Ray knew I was searching for a pen model, he suggested we consider the new Crest for CP2. I admire the vintage slim Snorkels with the streamlined form and Triumph tubular nib and felt the rebirth of this famous model would be the perfect compliment to the straight shape Targa with the inlaid nib. It would be in fact the start of a CP Family with flagship pen models, offering a variety of pen forms and nib designs. So, the Crest was chosen for the CP2.

 

 

.A good friend and CP1 owner who was associated with the Pushkin Prizes suggested we join forces and call the pen CP2 Pushkin. The Pushkin Prizes is a registered charity which encourages the building of cultural bridges between Ireland's diverse traditions, to awaken in young writers an intensified pride in their literary heritage and to nurture that heritage into the future.

 

 

Sheaffer offered us the sterling silver Crest with the Barleycorn and plain band pattern as adopted by them for the silver Crest and later on for the silver Legacy. The series was to be 250 fountain pens. Prototypes were made, the plain cap band was engraved with the Pushkin signature and one of his famous stanzas in Russian "And fingers yearn for pen, pen for paper. A moment…..and verses freely flow!" There were two variations, one with the stanza in two lines, the other in four lines of lazer engraving.

 

 

CP1 Targa and CP2 prototype with Barleycorn and plain bands.

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Looking at the prototypes with Ray, it just did not seem right to lazer engrave the cap band of a standard Sheaffer Crest design and call it CP2. I proposed, if we could have an exclusive guilloche pattern for the series, Classic Pens would be happy to double the edition size to 500 pens.

 

 

 

In 1993, the CP2 Pushkin was launched with the ageless Barleycorn pattern, as a series of 500 fountain pens, at a retail price of $575.

 

 

 

CP2 Pushkin photo courtesy Jim Mamoulides

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4306959297_3e2c2f98ac.jpg

The pens were housed in an exclusive hand made box created by the London family business R&C King. The CP2 box in fact won first prize at the London Olympia Exhibition of 1993.

 

 

 

 

 

The box is elaborate with internal compartments for the Sheaffer Lifetime Guarantee card, box of cartridges and pen. It is small enough to hold in one hand and open with the other hand.

 

 

 

 

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CP1 Targa and CP2 Pushkin

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In 1992, Montblanc launched two limited edition collections, Patron of the Art and Writers Series. The limited edition market exploded, pen companies from around the world rushed to join this new lucrative market. It reminds me of the Californian gold rush! A few years of limited editions launches, we now find ourselves in a market saturated with too many and too costly modern pens.

 

 

 

 

 

A wide variety of pen collections were introduced by major and other pen companies, a few series created and launched, then the collections were abandoned by their makers for something new, something different, to excite the pen fraternity. In fact, there are just three limited edition collections which have stood the test of time. The two Montblanc of 1992, and the Classic Pens CP of 1990.

 

 

 

 

 

The marketing of CP2 was considerably easier than the CP1, the pen was very popular in Asian countries. In particular, Hong Kong and Taiwan, where we established Distributors, each took about 20% of the edition. They placed regular orders, I was very surprised when, towards the end of the series, both countries cancelled their orders once we advised them of the LE numbers available. We had by then sold about 80% of the CP2 pens, the remaining LE numbers were 401 to 499. I found out the hard way, that our two top markets for CP2 vanished overnight, because of cultural superstition of the number 4! With the CP series that followed, we ensured LE numbers were allocated to countries around the world, according to people's cultures.

 

 

 

The CP2 Pushkin series proved popular and useful for Classic Pens, so much so, that for the first time two international pen manufacturers approached us and offered their flagship models for CP3. This happened in 1993 while I was chasing after another model, a Japanese pen launched in 1991 with a great Briarwood series…….and which 10 years later became the CP7.

 

 

 

 

 

More stories of the CP Family and engraving trials with Murelli to follow.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2010 by RitaCarbon

[Bobby Check]

Thank you so much for bringing us Andy's stories. Please encourage him to continue.

 

The history of this company is not as well known as it should be and if we do not preserve this knowledge now, it will be lost.

 

I am really curious about how a pen is designed and the role of prototypes in the process.

 

Now I find I want more of his pens than the one prototype I have.

 

http://www.fountainp...1entry1387259

 

The quest continues.

 

Thanks again,

 

Bobby

[gee09]

Here's a couple of pictures of some Sheaffer Targa CP1 and Sheaffer Crest CP2 Prototypes. I'm sure you will agree Classic Pens and Murelli made some wonderful pens together with Sheaffer.

 

http://www.sheaffertarga.com/Pictures/images/cp1_pts.jpg

 

SHEAFFER TARGA CP1 PT FOUNTAIN PENS.

 

 

http://www.sheaffertarga.com/Pictures/images/cp2_pts.jpg

 

Sheaffer Crest CP2 Pushkin PT Fountain Pens.

 

Cheers

Gary

Edited January 27, 2010 by gee09

[dannyboy]

Thanks for the marvelous history lesson regarding CP and its development. And thanks to Gary for the extra photos of those prototypes!

[RitaCarbon]

Thank you, Gary, for the gorgeous pictures of Tagra and Pushkin pens.

 

Classic Pens are so classy.

 

Rita

[RitaCarbon]

I am really curious about how a pen is designed and the role of prototypes in the process.

 

Now I find I want more of his pens than the one prototype I have.

 

http://www.fountainp...1entry1387259

 

The quest continues.

 

Thanks again,

 

Bobby

 

You asked very good questions, Bobby, and I'll try to answer them using the info that I received from my interactions with Andy.

 

Classic Pens CP1 to CP7 are based on flagship models of international pen manufacturers. For these pens, guilloche designs with Murelli had been developed. Then prototypes in brass and silver were used to determine the final designs.

 

 

Some prototypes were exhibited at pen shows for testing and evaluation. More recently, Classic Pens organized contests with prizes on Pentrace and FPN, which provide valuable feedback on the prototypes.

 

 

The link below shows the six CP8 prototypes for the contest. Jim Mamoulides has been tremendous with his wonderful photography.

 

 

http://classicpensin.../CP8Contest.htm

 

 

I plan to post the story of CP8, how the Legend was developed over a period of three years and more than 40 prototypes were hand made by Paul Rossi. Then Aquila Brands produced the pens in various acrylics. And after the final minor changes, the sterling silver CP8 came to life.

 

 

I love Classic Pens for the friendly support that they provide to their customers and pen collectors in general. It makes you feel that you are a member of the family. Such personal touch to the fountain business is probably unique in the industry.

 

 

Rita

Edited January 27, 2010 by RitaCarbon

[Stylo]

I really like the Targa CP1. I have an old plain metal (aluminum?) Targa with a crushed cap and torn converter from my school days and I am considering having it fixed. But for the money, I can probably find a nicer version of the Targa, but probably not the CP1 as it is so expensive, yet so beautiful ....

[RitaCarbon]

Just want to add some pictures of Murelli engraving trials. I'd like to get some materials out of Andy to write about the history of these intricate engravings. I hope he will eventually reveal their story, so I can continue to document it here on FPN.

http://imagehost.vendio.com/a/7965980/aview/graving_designs_Moire_Flamme_I_Flamme_II_Diamond_Spiral..JPG

 

These engraving patterns are unique in its quality. The cut is deep enough for super-smooth surface polishing without destroying the engraving pattern. The highest-quality engraving is one of the best features of Classic Pens.

[gross]

Thank you for sharing this history and the insight behind how these Classic Pens came to be. It adds to our understanding and our appreciation of such marvelous creations. While I will never be able to own one of these fantastic fountain pens, I truly feel enriched by the knowledge you have shared. Thanks to you, Rita, and to Andreas Lambrou.

[jameshop7]

I think you've missed the point of the exercise. This isn't first person writing at all. This isn't you being a character, this is a standard essay about someone. If you have to "be" the character, then you can't say "Louisa May Alcott", you have to say "I".

 

 

Thanks

[RitaCarbon]

I think you've missed the point of the exercise. This isn't first person writing at all. This isn't you being a character, this is a standard essay about someone. If you have to "be" the character, then you can't say "Louisa May Alcott", you have to say "I".

 

 

Thanks

 

Yes, you are absolutely right. I had no intention to write anything personal here.

 

It's a history of CP1 and CP2 LE fountain pen models as told by Andreas Lambrou.

[Abhik]

I am speechless! Or say short of words? Thanks Rita.

 

Abhik

[RitaCarbon]

I am speechless! Or say short of words? Thanks Rita.

 

Abhik

 

Thank you so much, Abhik!