Townsend Collection Display

[mmg122]

The ID of this pen is certainly a mystery. After some searching today, the only brown patterned Cross Townsends I can find are Brown Marble and Brown Diamond Anthrocite. I look forward to the solution to this mystery. On enlarging the photo, the pattern on the pen looks like veins. I've been trying to figure out what to call the pattern to enhance the search. Are there any other Cross Townsend collectors on the forum that could help? I suspect Mr Thoth might be our resident expert. ;-)

[MrThoth]

I've tried searching Copper, Copper Lacquer, Bronze, Bronze Lacquer, Brown, and Brown Lacquer with no luck.

 

Here's a picture of all the red and brown Townsends that I have, lined up for comparison:

 

 

 

From left to right: Cardinal Red Lacquer; Ruby Lacquer; Garnet and then Sienna Lacquer, the unidentified "Copper," Ochre Lacquer, Citrine, Anthracite Lacquer, Carbonite Lacquer. (SKUs omitted to save space, but I can provide them if needed.)

[mivox]

That is a spectacular collection... words can't quite describe my jealousy! lol

[jslallar]

beautiful collection!!

thanks for sharing

my meager (compared to yours) collection has 6 fountains

but it includes a Lapis Lazuli, arguably the most beautiful pen there is

[max dog]

Mr Thoth that was a real treat! Thanks for sharing your impressive collection.

[MrThoth]

Thanx for the kind words, everyone!

 

And I definitely agree that it's hard to beat the Lapis Townsend for sheer beauty.

[Chris]

A lovely collection and thank you for sharing. I wish you success in filling the gaps.

 

My own collection is very much of daily using Townsends and I love them for their simple reliability. I can pick any one of them up and it will write straight away, even if not used for a week or three.

 

One for each colour ink I use frequently, including Firefly, red, blue/black, purple, black, blue (more than one), green/black and sometimes brown too.

 

Might I be so bold as to ask what pen is your daily writer and whether it is a Townsend?

[MrThoth]

My daily writer sort of varies based on mood. I keep several pens in a stand on my desk to pick from, and several others downstairs in my home theater for working on my "fountain pen stories" (as I call them) while watching TV. Right now the selections include:

 

Several Townsends, including a Black Smooth Touch, a Cardinal Red Lacquer, and a 20th Anniversary Platinum

Cross C-Series (Monaco Blue)

Fuliwen F80 (Yellow -- an awesome writer for a $10 pen)

Nemosine Neutrino (Red, with red ink)

Levenger True Writer Metalist (Purple)

Levenger L-Tech (Black)

Levenger Newton (Black Enamel)

Waterman Carene (Purple)

Laban Elegant (Red)

Bexley Poseidon II

 

When I start a new short story, I usually pick a selection of about ten pens suitable to the story and my current frame of mind. As I write I switch pens every page. It makes for a multi-colored story and gives part of my collection a good work-out.

[Chris]

Thank you. I am pleased to see Townsends are in the user list.

 

I can see the attraction of changing pens as you start a new page. It would work at home but in a business meeting it would lead to some odd looks, and it has taken me some time to train everyone else to accept that I use a fountain pen out of choice and not because my laptop has a flat battery.

[MrThoth]

"Hold on one second, Mr. Chairman. It sounds like you're working up to something important, so let me switch to a better pen with bolder-colored ink. Thanks."

[bigkahuna]

 

That is one I can't positively identify, much to my frustration. It's a sort of copper-y or bronze-ish lacquer, lighter in color and different in pattern from the 636 Sienna Lacquer. I've searched every which way I know and can't find any information on it, just a couple of pictures. I am hoping to find an A.T. Cross rep at the DC Pen Show I can ask about it. If not, I'll resort to writing the company. One way or another I'm getting a name and a SKU. The same goes for a couple others I don't have full information on (such as the "Titanium Grey Lacquer" that my collection still lacks).

 

I wish I could tell you where to find one, but this one's the only one I've ever seen on sale during my time as a collector. And until it popped up on eBay I wasn't even aware of the model's existence! If I come across another one I'll let you know.

 

Here are some close-ups of it:

 

Copper Lacquer.jpg

 

Copper Lacquer 01.jpg

 

Copper Lacquer 02.jpg

MrThoth:

 

I stumbled across an fleabay posting of a pen that looks very similar to your copper/brown mystery pen. If you search the bay for "cross chinese lacquer" you should be able to find it. Hope this helps.

 

The description reads as follows:

"Cross" CHINESE LACQUER&GТ Fountain Pen 18k Gold 585 "F" nib w/Black wooden box

The Fountain pen is fully functional.

There is many layers of Chinese lacquer applied to create this stunning pattern.

Lacquer

The resinous sap of Rhus Vernicifera is collected during five months in small bamboo buckets. When it comes into contact with the air, it darkens slightly and takes on the consistency of Latex. Conserved in a humid dust free atmosphere, it separates into different layers of which the best, the top one (" Son-mal-giau " in Chinese), will be used for the final coating of lacquer.

 

At this stage the preparation of the lacquer begins. The craftsmen are extremely discreet about which additives they use whether it is Tong Yeau oil, iron sulphate or rice vinegar. The mystery is even deeper when it comes to coloring: a host of ingredients is used: wood oils and all sorts of cinnabarite powders whose names evoke the art of the apothecary or the alchemist.

 

Country Manufacture – United states.

[MrThoth]

 

 

I stumbled across an fleabay posting of a pen that looks very similar to your copper/brown mystery pen.

 

Thank you very much for the tip! I missed that one on my usual searches because it doesn't use the world "Townsend" in the title.

 

Looking at the pictures the seller provided, I think that's actually a Sienna Lacquer Townsend. But I may ask the seller for more pictures, just to be sure.

[jslallar]

My Townsends

[Flippy]

Beautiful collections, MrThoth and jslallar!

[MrThoth]

Nice collection, jslallar! What's the one with the leaf emblem on the clip -- I'm guessing it's a corporate logo of some sort?

[jslallar]

Nice collection, jslallar! What's the one with the leaf emblem on the clip -- I'm guessing it's a corporate logo of some sort?

thanks,

yes looks like an emblem, in fact it is a maple leaf. no names

[MrThoth]

 

 

it is a maple leaf. no names

 

Must be from the Canadian Secret Intelligence Service. Does it squirt acid, or have a built-in laser?

[jslallar]

 

Must be from the Canadian Secret Intelligence Service. Does it squirt acid, or have a built-in laser?

 

nah, nothing of the sort . it does have a hidden xray camera though

 

seriously though it does look like the Canadian flag

 

I see a couple of your pens too have emblems on them too

 

cross was known for producing pens for companies with coeporate logos, many of which have found thier way into the general market, I have a ball pen with an airline logo too

[MrThoth]

 

I see a couple of your pens too have emblems on them too

cross was known for producing pens for companies with coeporate logos, many of which have found thier way into the general market, I have a ball pen with an airline logo too

 

Yes, there's some information on how Cross got heavily involved in the "emblems for pens" side of the business in the company's official chronicle, Writing History by Barbara Lambert.

 

My best one of these is a pen with the emblem of a 32nd degree Mason. Someday I hope to use it as a pass to get into secret meetings of the World Conspiracy.

[Earthling_007]

Hello FPN! Long time follower, first time poster.

 

MrThoth, I wonder if you'd be kind enough to give details of the pen furthest left in your second of the display close ups? Chrome with horizontal marks by the look of it.

 

Thanks in advance!