Recife or Airmail?

[toelyn]

Found a pen on eBay that suspiciously looks like an Airmail Wality 69T. It is sold as an eyedropper with a plastic feed and #6/35mm nib. An O-ring on the section. More details on this site:

https://www.recife.paris/en/shop/amber-crystal/. I think Airmail was started in early 1950s, Recife's website says it started in 1930s, but there is no mention of pens at that time. Other pens in Recife's line up has striking similarity to Wality pens. 

 

[tommym]

Interesting!

 

Airmail/Wality seems to have vanished from the pen-making scene a few years ago. I'm not sure what happened to them. The Recife, with its upgraded 35mm nib and plastic feed, seems to be a hotrod version of the original Airmail/Wality, which typically came with a press-fit ebonite feed with the smaller Indian No. 8 nib. GAMA Pens also offers a couple of Airmail/Wality-inspired pens. GAMA's versions maintain the original style press fit ebonite feed with the smaller Indian No. 8 nib.

 

toelyn, can you confirm if your Recife has a press-fit or a screw-in nib/feed assembly?

 

Thanks,

 

Tommy

[Sailor Kenshin]

Pretty sure my Recife has a press-fit nib unit.

[hari317]

Airmail Wality had an export OEM arm. The Walities and Recifes are distinguished by their nib units and clips. However Wality did release a few pens with the export clip seen in the first few pics to the domestic market.

 

Airmail did release some pens with press fit plastic feeders pls check this link.

[jchch1950]

There were some similarities between the Recife pens and the Airmail Wality 69 T, but they had a different price. I was tempted by the Recife but was not sure about the eyedropping system.

[toelyn]

On 11/5/2025 at 9:26 PM, tommym said:

toelyn, can you confirm if your Recife has a press-fit or a screw-in nib/feed assembly?

Thanks Tommy. It has a press-fit system. 

[toelyn]

2 hours ago, hari317 said:

Airmail Wality had an export OEM arm. The Walities and Recifes are distinguished by their nib units and clips. However Wality did release a few pens with the export clip seen in the first few pics to the domestic market.

 

Airmail did release some pens with press fit plastic feeders pls check this link.

Thanks Hari. 
 

2 hours ago, jchch1950 said:

There were some similarities between the Recife pens and the Airmail Wality 69 T, but they had a different price. I was tempted by the Recife but was not sure about the eyedropping system.

The acrylic barrel in Recife is odourless. The eyedropper system was smooth; no burping in my experience. 
 

Price for a new Recife is 100 euros according to their site. That’s ten times dearer compared to the new GAMA pens mentioned in Tommy’s comment.

 

I bought this used Recife off eBay for 10 GBP. 
 

Regards

[tommym]

13 hours ago, toelyn said:

Thanks Tommy. It has a press-fit system. 

 

 

Thanks for the follow-up photo!

 

Tommy

[bugsydog55]

I have also seen these Recife pens show up for auction on Ebay.  Vastly more expensive than a Wality/Airmail of the same dimension.  I think there were still some Gama models at Penhouse and a few other retailers.  Since I live in the US, shipping has costs have exploded making the purchase of small numbers of inexpensive pens virtually impossible.  Perhaps one day things will settle down.

[tommym]

2 hours ago, bugsydog55 said:

Since I live in the US, shipping has costs have exploded making the purchase of small numbers of inexpensive pens virtually impossible.  Perhaps one day things will settle down.

 

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. It's cheaper to purchase a Montblanc now. 😁

 

Tommy

[bugsydog55]

That's a real tragedy.  It's the small mom and pop type businesses that get whacked in the end.  Part of the reason I felt drawn to ebonite eyedroppers in the first place was the knowledge that there was a guy and his family out there someplace working with the bare minimum of tools in a hot and crowded city.  Somehow, some way he was able to produce these amazing things we can ink up and write with.  Makes me happy every time I ink one up.  I have a couple of pen cases full of the things and I am always ready to add to the flock.  Every so often a good deal pops up so I try to be ready.  Other than that, I guess I'm stuck waiting for whatever the new normal might turn out to be.

[tommym]

2 hours ago, bugsydog55 said:

Part of the reason I felt drawn to ebonite eyedroppers in the first place was the knowledge that there was a guy and his family out there someplace working with the bare minimum of tools in a hot and crowded city.  Somehow, some way he was able to produce these amazing things we can ink up and write with.  Makes me happy every time I ink one up.  

 

I was able to close the door on the Montblanc chapter of my life and move on to greener pastures because of that. Thank you, India! 

 

Tommy

[Triplesss]

On 11/4/2025 at 4:17 PM, toelyn said:

Found a pen on eBay that suspiciously looks like an Airmail Wality 69T. It is sold as an eyedropper with a plastic feed and #6/35mm nib. An O-ring on the section. More details on this site:

https://www.recife.paris/en/shop/amber-crystal/. I think Airmail was started in early 1950s, Recife's website says it started in 1930s, but there is no mention of pens at that time. Other pens in Recife's line up has striking similarity to Wality pens. 

 

whats the name/model of the blue pen?

[toelyn]

2 hours ago, Triplesss said:

whats the name/model of the blue pen?

Hello Triplesss,

That's an Airmail Wality 69A with a Kanwrite #6/35mm nib.

[Triplesss]

19 minutes ago, toelyn said:

Hello Triplesss,

That's an Airmail Wality 69A with a Kanwrite #6/35mm nib.

thanks ..