The Crest Fountain Pen Company

[Pickwick]

I bought this pen a month ago on ebay from a seller in Greece for $14.00. The photos showed it to be a direct copy of the P45. When i received it, sure enough it was. The attention to detail is quite remarkable eexcept for the feed and aerometric filler, which incorprates a breather tube. The pen is very easy to dismantle.

 

My parker 45 cap fits perffectly on the clutch. It's a very reliable writer, as comfortable to use as my P 45 and the nib has a slight flex. Even leaving it in a drawer filled for 3 weeks, it didn't dry out and started up first time.

 

The accompanying photo hopefully gives comparisons.

 

I've attempted research into this company to no avail, the box it came in gives no details. We all know the Chinese are notorious for making copies. This one however shows a lot of quality control in it's production. Coming from greece was it a European maker? Or did it in fact make its way fro Asia?

Edited May 9, 2011 by Pickwick

[pkoko]

Looks good and well made... can you link the ebay seller?

[Nonsensical]

I looked it up on ebay, here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-CREST-FOUNTAIN-PEN-CFP-UNUSED-BOX-/280657494913?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41587d8381

Looks like a nice pen.

[nstlgia70]

To date I had not come across any European manufacturers that make knock-offs or imitations of other people's product. The only fountain pens still in production that I had seen which have breather tubes are from China.

[KostasK]

This looks like a '70s product, which apparently was rather frequent in Greece,

because in bazaars and fleamarkets, I keep seeing this Crest pen.

The "45" model is frequent, but there is also a "75" model which clearly states

its county of origin: Japan!

Looks like a 75 flighter (it even has the "stacked coins" top), but the arrow

of the pocket clip is different and it clearly says "CREST", so I don't know

if that qualifies as "Copy" or "Inspiration"!

Indeed most copies were produced in the Far East, but I know of examples of copies

from the '50s to the '70s from Mediterranean countries...

[UltraMagnus]

To date I had not come across any European manufacturers that make knock-offs or imitations of other people's product. The only fountain pens still in production that I had seen which have breather tubes are from China.

The former soviet union used to copy a lot of western products, valves, computers, and yes, pens.

[Tweel]

The "45" model is frequent, but there is also a "75" model which clearly states

its county of origin: Japan!

 

Indeed most copies were produced in the Far East, but I know of examples of copies

from the '50s to the '70s from Mediterranean countries...

FWIW, the first thing I thought when I saw the picture was that the typography, especially "TRADE MARK", looks Japanese.

[Pickwick]

I looked it up on ebay, here's the link: http://cgi.ebay.com/...=item41587d8381

Looks like a nice pen.

 

Yes, it is, in fact it's a high quality product, which surprised me being a copy. Surprisingly I tend to pick it up ro write in favour of my 45. Incidentally the link you looked up is the same seller. He was good to deal with, the Greek stamps he used are beautiful.

 

Regards,

 

Pickwick.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Pickwick

[Pickwick]

This looks like a '70s product, which apparently was rather frequent in Greece,

because in bazaars and fleamarkets, I keep seeing this Crest pen.

The "45" model is frequent, but there is also a "75" model which clearly states

its county of origin: Japan!

Looks like a 75 flighter (it even has the "stacked coins" top), but the arrow

of the pocket clip is different and it clearly says "CREST", so I don't know

if that qualifies as "Copy" or "Inspiration"!

Indeed most copies were produced in the Far East, but I know of examples of copies

from the '50s to the '70s from Mediterranean countries...

 

It's definitely a "45", interesting that it seems to be concentrated in the Mediterranean area, The Crest gives no indication the country it's made in. It's certainly not a cheap copy, and my "45" cap fits perfectly.

Edited May 9, 2011 by Pickwick

[Pickwick]

The "45" model is frequent, but there is also a "75" model which clearly states

its county of origin: Japan!

 

Indeed most copies were produced in the Far East, but I know of examples of copies

from the '50s to the '70s from Mediterranean countries...

FWIW, the first thing I thought when I saw the picture was that the typography, especially "TRADE MARK", looks Japanese.

 

I think your close to the mark,because, the quality shows the attention to engineering detail an edge the Chinese don't have. Also they use Western English names. I recently bought a pen with "Hoover" stamped on the cap, and discovered it was made by Kutsawa. The company no longer exists, but again a well made product.

 

Also I've acquired a "Morison" pocket pen, although it didn't indicate Japan on it; which is better looking than than the Pilot or Sailor version. Discovered the company although not manufacturing are dealing in importing high quality pens into Japan.

[Shangas]

Last time I checked, wasn't 'Crest' a toothpaste brand? I don't fancy brushing my whites with that thing!

[Pickwick]

Last time I checked, wasn't 'Crest' a toothpaste brand? I don't fancy brushing my whites with that thing!

Yes! Proctor and Gamble still manufacture it. Don't think they would go to the length of using a "45" clone as a promotional tool. I have a box of Crest toothpaste in my bathroom cabinet. Rest assured I don't accidentally keep my pen stored in there.

[drjmb]

Interesting. I have a Crest FP that I got 25+ years ago and it was already vintage. Virtual look-alike of the tiger-eye vacumatic and a quality pen. It's a piston fill that I still use frequently. See my topic about IDing Crest.

[Tefolim]

I found some Chinese ads about Crest.

They said Crest was a result of cooperation between Japan and Swiss. Some of the ads said Crest 63 Super and Space were made in Swiss.