Presidential Pens

[jmann]

I just saw the current presidents inauguration on TV again, channel surfing, and saw him signing various documents. Each time he signed a document he used a different fountain pen.

 

I sat there wondering what type of pen he used. I was about to post that question here, when google came up with a nice hit. I'm posting here in case anyone else is interested in what our presidents used for writing. The sites author warns that it's a work in progress, maybe someone on this board can give him some more information.

 

Enjoy

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com/Presidents/Presidents_Pens.html

 

Mike

[OboeJuan]

Wow. That is really cool. Thanks!

 

Kath

[jd50ae]

Very interesting. Thanks...........

[PelikanPenman]

That is interesting, I would have liked to have seen what JFK used.

[cjabbott]

That is interesting, I would have liked to have seen what JFK used.

 

From what I hear, JFK was fond of Esterbrooks. I saw a Kennedy administration Estie desk set once on eBay. It was interesting. His ballpoints from his days as a Senator are also really pretty. Filigree with his name on the side, as I recall.

 

[saintsimon]

I've seen an unused Presidential Cross selectip pen a while ago on ebay.

[WillAdams]

Mont Blanc has a bit on their web site noting that JFK used a 149:

 

http://www.montblanc.com/xml/history.xml

 

``"May I help you, Mr. Adenauer?" - John F. Kennedy helps the German chancellor Konrad Adenauer out of a predicament by offering him the use of his Meisterstück 149 fountain pen.''

 

Photo of a TV screen here:

 

http://www.montblanc.com/media/corporate/history_1963.jpg

 

The JFK library has this bit:

 

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resou...Information.htm

 

``Pens used by: President Kennedy had a Shaeffer pen on his desk that he never used and that did not work. When he signed items at his desk he liked to use pens dipped in ink. If he was signing something with pens that he gave away to visiting dignitaries and other individuals, he liked to use Parker ball point pens that were engraved with his signature. He used an Esterbrook ink pen to sign items from the oval office.''

 

More details here:

 

http://www.archives.gov/publications/prolo...?template=print

 

``Complementing the earlier return of the mahogany table that Kennedy used to sign public laws, executive orders, and international treaties are 29 Esterbrook bill-signing pens, one used 2-fluid-ounce bottle of Sheaffer blue-black Scrip (sic) ink, and a wooden block holder with a large hole for the ink bottle and holes to hold up to 72 pens.''

And here's an interesting page w/ information on (mostly giveaway) Presidential pens:

 

http://www.loringpage.com/attpensetc/penbookupdate.html

 

William

(who has been reading presidential biographies to his kids, but unfortunately few of them mention their writing instruments)

Edited September 7, 2007 by WillAdams

[PelikanPenman]

Will Thanks for the extra information, very handy.

 

The wealth of knowledge on the FPN is astonding.

[Johnny Appleseed]

If you want to troll through a bit of the FPN Archive, here is an interesting post discussing whether the picture of James K. Polk listed on the Presidential Pen Page is actually correct. Kudos to RHR, Maja and a few other FPN oldtimers for their research.

 

President Polk's Pen, What pen is he using in this photograph

 

Ron Dutcher is a member here and sometimes pops in for a comment or two. His Presidential Pens project, Authors pen project, Manhattan Pen Makers project and archives are a fantastic resource for pen history buffs.

 

If you use the search feature you can probably find the post where we discussed the pen McArthur used to sign the treaty at the end of WWII (there was more than one - took some investigating to figure that out).

 

John

 

 

 

 

[Jonathan]

That is interesting, I would have liked to have seen what JFK used.

 

From what I hear, JFK was fond of Esterbrooks. I saw a Kennedy administration Estie desk set once on eBay. It was interesting. His ballpoints from his days as a Senator are also really pretty. Filigree with his name on the side, as I recall.

 

 

Is this what you were thinking of? As far as I remember there are pictures of him using these.

 

 

JFK ebay Pen

[OldGriz]

The current President also has these pens that were delivered to him personally at his ranch... that way they do not have to remain as property of the people as gifts delivered to a sitting President at the White House do.

The pens are a Texas Mesquite Roller Ball and a Texas Pecan Fountain Pen, both in sterling silver fitting hardware.

 

 

[Clive Merrick Morel]

Mike,

 

Thank you for an outstanding post.

[Ray-Vigo]

The oddball pen Jefferson used is quite interesting- it had an almost-modern look to it in terms of construction. It's too bad they weren't able to fit some kind of bladder to it- it could have become a true fountain pen.

 

 

[Wizergig]

I just saw the current presidents inauguration on TV again, channel surfing, and saw him signing various documents. Each time he signed a document he used a different fountain pen.

 

I sat there wondering what type of pen he used. I was about to post that question here, when google came up with a nice hit. I'm posting here in case anyone else is interested in what our presidents used for writing. The sites author warns that it's a work in progress, maybe someone on this board can give him some more information.

 

Enjoy

 

http://www.kamakurapens.com/Presidents/Presidents_Pens.html

 

Mike

 

 

Thanks for posting this link Mike. I have now found something I never knew existed..."The Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation."

 

I have printed these into my StartWrite program, and I have my daughter who just turned 8, writing 3 or 4 a day. I will be printing them in cursive for me to do as well. These should still be taught in school.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Wizergig

[PelikanPenman]

The current President also has these pens that were delivered to him personally at his ranch... that way they do not have to remain as property of the people as gifts delivered to a sitting President at the White House do.

The pens are a Texas Mesquite Roller Ball and a Texas Pecan Fountain Pen, both in sterling silver fitting hardware.

 

 

OldGriz, did you make these? If so, how did you get them to the President? I must say they are nice looking pens.

[OldGriz]

The current President also has these pens that were delivered to him personally at his ranch... that way they do not have to remain as property of the people as gifts delivered to a sitting President at the White House do.

The pens are a Texas Mesquite Roller Ball and a Texas Pecan Fountain Pen, both in sterling silver fitting hardware.

 

 

OldGriz, did you make these? If so, how did you get them to the President? I must say they are nice looking pens.

 

Yes, I made them....

I have a friend who knows the President and lives right near the ranch.... he got the pens to the President for me....

I wanted the President to be able to have these pens for a long time instead of having them sit in some storage room in the White House after he left office.