Aurora Superna

[zabo]

Hi,

today I went to a flea market and came back with a couple of pens.

One of them you can find it here.

 

The other one is a black Aurora Superna from 1933 in fairly good conditions.

Here are some pictures:

 

 

On the body, just below the cap, there are some scratches and the cap screws in, but not perfectly.

I looked very well at those scratches and it seems there was some figure imprinted that somebody has tried to remove scratching the celluloid.

I can distinguish part of a boxed border and some indistinguishable letters.

It may be some fascist era engraving that was removed.

Does anybody have a clue?

 

On the nib it's written Aurora Torino 6 585% and is a very flexible fine.

 

 

The internal mechanics with the cute end lever filling system works perfecty.

It draws, expels and keeps water and has a nice springy feel.

Now I need to wait for it to dry to try with ink.

 

 

I don't know much more about this pen so I was wandering if you guys could give me some historical help.

 

Thank you

 

 

 

[Dib]

I wish I live in Italy and find such pens on the flea market

[sanpei]

Ma che botta di C... Complimenti!

What a sumgai...

 

Sometimes on FP barrels were placed owner initials or commercial advertisings,

is possible that pen was sold, lost or stolen, the new owner could have tried to

delete the personalization, can you take a close up of scratches?

 

Will write something about Superna history with pleasure, but tomorrow.

 

S

Edited March 15, 2009 by sanpei

[jbn10161]

Outstanding find! Congratulations on your new pen.

[Albertotorinoitaly]

Here you can find some information about the Superna: http://www.fountainpen.it/Superna. Ask for translation, if needed. Here there is an asked price for a celluloid version: http://www.lastilografica.com/AURORA.html. The filling system has been adopted recently for the Aurora Leonardo da Vinci.

Alberto

 

[zabo]

Here is a drawing of what remains of the engraving on the barrel.

All the rest has been removed.

 

>>>Edited to change the drawing and add photo<<<

 

The pen is "unvolved" in the drawing.

 

 

Also some pictures of the engraving

 

 

 

 

 

>>>Edited to change the drawing and add photo<<<

Edited March 16, 2009 by zabo

[dannyboy]

I'm looking forward to sanpei's post tomorrow about the history of this pen! Thanks for posting the pictures of this beautiful pen--I especially like the cap band and would like to see some closeups of it if possible. Congratulations on such a great find!

[zabo]

I'm looking forward to sanpei's post tomorrow about the history of this pen! Thanks for posting the pictures of this beautiful pen--I especially like the cap band and would like to see some closeups of it if possible. Congratulations on such a great find!

 

I'm looking forward to his post too...

 

The cap band looks hand chiselled:

 

 

>>>Edited to change the photograph<<<

Edited March 16, 2009 by zabo

[Bearcat]

 

 

Beautiful, classic pen. You'll have to tell us how little you paid, just to torture us further.....

[zabo]

Beautiful, classic pen. You'll have to tell us how little you paid, just to torture us further.....

 

I thought about it and decided that for mental sanity reasons is better not to disclose this information

[zabo]

This post to inform that I've edited some photographs in the previous posts to better show some detail.

 

I take the occasion to post a writing sample:

 

 

[RevAaron]

Gorgeous pen- great find!

[sanpei]

Promised post will be short as usual, don't worry

Superna was launched on marked on 1937

nice look, nice cap band, new filling system but colors were the same of Novum

made in same period.

 

 

http://i41.tinypic.com/iz16l4.jpg

 

 

http://i40.tinypic.com/21an4g3.jpg

 

As said Superna shows a new filling system, based on a small celluloid ball,

sliding the sphere in two ways the pressure bar push the ink sack.

 

Superna were marked on section only,

two sizes, medium with #2 1/2 or #3 nib

and senior with #5 or #6 nib

 

 

http://i39.tinypic.com/6g8v1d.jpg

 

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/107jjq1.jpg

 

 

http://i40.tinypic.com/2vmwqqv.jpg

 

 

http://i43.tinypic.com/33vg1fc.jpg

 

Superna as often happened in Aurora production was used for advertising purposes,

ads were placed on barrel or on cap top, to keep price low filling system was the

cheaper button filler and usually on section the imprint was

Aurora Torino instead Aurora Superna, but pens were exatly same, in cololors ad finishing

 

 

http://i44.tinypic.com/e5qj51.jpg

 

Deco band with leaves was the novelty of Superna look,

but even if not easy, is possible find examples with greek or three thin rings on cap

 

 

http://i42.tinypic.com/e5jp77.jpg

 

I like Superna's a lot, is for me the on of more elegant celluloid pen of thirtiest.

 

That's it.

 

S

Edited March 16, 2009 by sanpei

[zabo]

Thank you Sanpei for the most interesting historical lecture.

 

The name Superna in latin stands for ultraterrena in italian, extraterrestrial or supernal (in english is easier).

Am I right?

 

Have you identified in any way what remains of the engraving on my specimen?

 

I wonder why the filling system has not been used anymore.

Was it prone to rupture? Was it too complicated?

Do you happen to have drawings on the internal mechanics?

It feels sturdy and it holds a considerable amount of ink, with rapid filling and unfilling.

So far it seems one of the best filling systems I've used.

 

Who has one and who agree/disagree with me?

 

[Albertotorinoitaly]

As far as I know in modern pens this filling system has been used by Aurora again, in the beautiful Leonardo Da Vinci.

 

Alberto

[enricof]

Where the h... do you find these flea markets?

 

I try around here and I find NOTHING of interest.

 

 

 

[dannyboy]

Thank you, sanpei, for a very helpful history of this beautiful model of Aurora. The celluloid on the examples you show is truly extraordinary! I wish I could be in Italy to find such examples of those fine pens, but I'll have to rely on sanpei to supply me with them! Sanpei--you should write a book on the Aurora pen so we could all benefit from your vast knowledge of the subject. And thanks to you Arnolda for the closeups of that beautiful band on the Superna!

[roberto v]

Ok I'll add my .... ehm... Superna?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/fiat2.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/fiat1-1.jpg

It looks like a Superna, but it's the simplified version with a normal button filler. This pen has the FIAT logo on the cap and his original box. Looks like that Fiat bought a batch of these pens to give away to some employees (this one come from the estate or a former plant director) and probably they got them at a cheaper price.

 

Here 2 regular pens in burgundy, standard and OS

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/Aurorasuperne.jpg

 

Tho OS opened

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/aurorasupernared0001.jpg

Edited March 17, 2009 by roberto v

[sanpei]

Superna as often happened in Aurora production was used for advertising purposes,

ads were placed on barrel or on cap top, to keep price low filling system was the

cheaper button filler and usually on section the imprint was

Aurora Torino instead Aurora Superna, but pens were exatly same, in cololors ad finishing

 

Ciao Roberto grazie per le immagini...

 

I quoted myself, thanks to Roberto for posting an exaple of green Superna with AD on cap top,

I found some FIAT Superna in my collector life, about an half dozen all of them were OS green, silly???

 

S

[dannyboy]

Ok I'll add my .... ehm... Superna?

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/fiat2.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/fiat1-1.jpg

It looks like a Superna, but it's the simplified version with a normal button filler. This pen has the FIAT logo on the cap and his original box. Looks like that Fiat bought a batch of these pens to give away to some employees (this one come from the estate or a former plant director) and probably they got them at a cheaper price.

 

Here 2 regular pens in burgundy, standard and OS

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/Aurorasuperne.jpg

 

Tho OS opened

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b181/rvetrugno/aurorasupernared0001.jpg

 

Thanks for these stunning photographs!!! That burgundy one is a beauty! Congratulations on having such fine examples of a the Superna.