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English/British Made Fountain Pens?

SimonJamesLucas

By SimonJamesLucas
in Great Britain & Ireland - Europe

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twdpens Collectors Item

twdpens

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The HQ and distribution centre moved from Newhaven to Lichfield (near Birmingham) some months ago. There is a book about Parker at Newhaven called "Pen to Paper" written by Malcolm Troak. As far as I know, the factory is still in Newhaven (although the workforce is down from 1,000 at its peak to about 200 now).

 

The Newhaven factory still produces nibs for, for example, the Duofold but, as AINAN indicated, production has reduced considerably in the last couple of years.

 

Interestingly, there's another thread about Parker's recent history here.

 

Martin

The Writing Desk

Fountain Pen Specialists since 2000

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SimonJamesLucas Extremely Rare

SimonJamesLucas

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Just an update to this post which I hope no one minds me resurrecting. I have put the current manufacturers that I know of into a list along with web addresses. I would welcome any additions and or corrections. I will update it as necessary and hope it is of help to some folk.

 

List Of English Fountain Pen Manufacturers

 

(Currently manufacturing in England)

 

Conway Stewart

www.conwaystewart.com

 

Onoto

www.onoto.com

 

Parker UK

www.parkerpen.com

 

Sigma Pens

www.sigmapens.co.uk

 

Worcester Pens

www.worcesterpencompany.co.uk

 

Yard-O-Led

www.filofax.co.uk/store/yol.asp

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welch Antique

welch

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I don't mind a bit. I just wish I could afford the new Onoto Magna "Writer"

 

Just an update to this post which I hope no one minds me resurrecting. I have put the current manufacturers that I know of into a list along with web addresses. I would welcome any additions and or corrections. I will update it as necessary and hope it is of help to some folk.

 

List Of English Fountain Pen Manufacturers

 

(Currently manufacturing in England)

 

Conway Stewart

www.conwaystewart.com

 

Onoto

www.onoto.com

 

Parker UK

www.parkerpen.com

 

Sigma Pens

www.sigmapens.co.uk

 

Worcester Pens

www.worcesterpencompany.co.uk

 

Yard-O-Led

www.filofax.co.uk/store/yol.asp

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SimonJamesLucas Extremely Rare

SimonJamesLucas

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Isn't Platignum an English brand?

Chinese made and marketed (at least in the UK) by a company called Snowpake. Rather sad because at least one internet retailer was making out that they were British, which they are not.

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SimonJamesLucas Extremely Rare

SimonJamesLucas

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Isn't Platignum an English brand?

 

Platignum is an English brand. Osmiroid is an English brand too.

Osmiriod fountaian pens are no longer manufactured, the factory in Gosport Hampshire was closed by their new owners (Berol I beleive) a number of years ago.

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simonrob Extremely Rare

simonrob

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I've just had a look at the Onoto writer, it's gone straight to the top of my wish list. A shame about the limited colour choice but I'm sure more will follow.

 

They do look nice, but for less than the price of one of those you could buy a couple of vintage Onotos (albeit not Magnas) that look even nicer and have the advantages of a slightly odd filling mechanism (plunger), elegant, long sections, and marvelous nibs which are usually flexible to some degree or other and may also be stub or oblique. (Take a look at the pens at the bottom of this page, for instance - http://writetime.co.uk/onoto/onoto.htm - which look incomparably better in real life than they do here; mine do, at any rate.) It seems to me that modern companies trying to copy ("inspired by") vintage pens have misplaced priorities. What's the point of more-or-less accurately copying the external appearance of an Onoto Magna (or CS 58 or...) if it's going to have a standard generic modern nib and a catridge/converter filling mechanism?

 

Simon

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SimonJamesLucas Extremely Rare

SimonJamesLucas

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Isn't Platignum an English brand?

Chinese made and marketed (at least in the UK) by a company called Snowpake. Rather sad because at least one internet retailer was making out that they were British, which they are not.

Platignum were and English brand but are no longer, the following statement lifted from their website is, I believe, deliberately misleading;

 

´Since 1919 when we began making writing instruments in Britain....´

 

Things like this tend to make me rather grumpy....

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4lex Extremely Rare

4lex

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QUOTE (QM2 @ Mar 1 2009, 10:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Parker is an American company. There is also the new Onoto, but so far they only produce LEs which are quite pricey.

Conway Stewart and Yard-o-Led are the only two big houses with standard production runs.

QUOTE Thanks, yes Parker are American but have a factory in England and from what I can tell their UK market pens seem to be made here so I guess that counts. The brand was British owned for some time until it passed over to Newell Rubbermaid I think.

 

 

Well if you can put a claim to Parker being British because they were British owned you could also argue that Jaguar is Indian company since it is Indian owned.

 

I think its quite difficult in globalised economy to talk about major pen manufacturers being German, American or British. You have "American" pens manufactured in China and Japanese pens manufactured in Taiwan...

Mind you, its all about the branding...

Inked: Sailor King Pro Gear, Sailor Nagasawa Proske, Sailor 1911 Standard, Parker Sonnet Chiselled Carbon, Parker 51, Pilot Custom Heritage 92, Platinum Preppy

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Guernseytim Extremely Rare

Guernseytim

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The new onotos are on my "dream pen when I have an income" list!

 

My new duofold was made in England :)

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______Zaphod_Beeblebrox Vintage

______Zaphod_Beeblebrox

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If you want the best pens made in the entire universe then you need to check out Onoto.

 

If I am not mistaken, even the President of the Universe uses an Onoto Aviator FP.

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Matlock Collectors Item

Matlock

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If I am not mistaken, even the President of the Universe uses an Onoto Aviator FP.

 

Wow. That is some accolade :o

Peter

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RMN Museum Piece

RMN

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Wow. That is some accolade :o

Read Douglas Adams Hitchiker's guide to the Galaxy, and following books. Hilarious.

Then you will get the pun.....

 

I even bet he has 42 Onotos.

 

D.ick

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KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

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______Zaphod_Beeblebrox Vintage

______Zaphod_Beeblebrox

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Not 42 pens, but I do have a limited edition Onoto pen that is number #42.

Edited by Zaphod_Beeblebrox
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RMN Museum Piece

RMN

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Not 42 pens, but I do have a limited edition Onoto pen that is number #42.

I love it....

 

 

D.ick

~

KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

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Matlock Collectors Item

Matlock

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Read Douglas Adams Hitchiker's guide to the Galaxy, and following books. Hilarious.

Then you will get the pun.....

 

I even bet he has 42 Onotos.

 

D.ick

I did get the pun but my Onoto Magna 261 is only number 257 :(

Peter

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RMN Museum Piece

RMN

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I did get the pun but my Onoto Magna 261 is only number 257 :(

So you have an Onoto Magna 257? Unique.... :thumbup:

 

Great pens, btw... especially with a customised nib by Oxonian...

 

 

D.ick

~

KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

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Matlock Collectors Item

Matlock

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So you have an Onoto Magna 257? Unique.... :thumbup:

 

Great pens, btw... especially with a customised nib by Oxonian...

 

 

D.ick

 

Great pen but not as special as the Onoto that my mother used throughout the war when doing fire warden duties in London. It is a little tired and needs an overhaul (she used it as a dip pen towards the end of her life) but it means a lot to me.

Peter

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RMN Museum Piece

RMN

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I would love to see a picture of it. Such a heirloom is always special.

 

 

D.ick

~

KEEP SAFE, WEAR A MASK, KEEP A DISTANCE.

Freedom exists by virtue of self limitation.

~

 

 

 

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