What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

[penwash]

I don't believe I've shown a Remington here before.

Usually pens from this brand are quite beaten up. But this one is amazingly preserved, even the celluloid has not darkened to the degree that is typical with this celluloid color, and yes, I found an ossified ink sac inside, so that supports my suspicion that not all darkening of the celluloid can be attributed to the ink sac "gassing".

I call this one "The Ghost Koi".



The scribble beneath the pen is my tuning the 14K Eversharp nib that I upgrade this pen with.

EDIT: Looks like I need to tune how I spell "tuning", oh the irony...

[MarcoA64]

A few months later and I find that Remington has been mentioned in this forum. I have found one, piston filler I guess, which looks in good cnoditions and am curious to know if somebody knows anything about it. I know that remington had a diverse production industry. I know that Whal sold the adding machine division to Remington, but there is no mention AFAIK about Remintgon making pens and if so a time frame in wich they did, or if they were give aways to Remington's type writer buyers or seomthing similar.
Somewhere I read they are a tier-3 pen product but ....
Thank you
Marco

[eachan]

For what it's worth, Partridge & Cooper made the Remington Ever-Flowing stylo as early as 1883. It isn't known whether they made pens or how long they lasted.

[penwash]

A few months later and I find that Remington has been mentioned in this forum. I have found one, piston filler I guess, which looks in good cnoditions and am curious to know if somebody knows anything about it. I know that remington had a diverse production industry. I know that Whal sold the adding machine division to Remington, but there is no mention AFAIK about Remintgon making pens and if so a time frame in wich they did, or if they were give aways to Remington's type writer buyers or seomthing similar.
Somewhere I read they are a tier-3 pen product but ....
Thank you
Marco

Pictures?

If yours was made in the US, I doubt that it would be a true piston filler (like, say Pelikan).

About tier-3 or whatever tier, I couldn't care less about those labels when applied in too broad of a sense.

I absolutely won't waste my time restoring junks, but there are so many pens that some collectors look down their noses just because of the brand, that are actually and objectively excellent pens after restored.

[eachan]

A few months later and I find that Remington has been mentioned in this forum. I have found one, piston filler I guess, which looks in good cnoditions and am curious to know if somebody knows anything about it. I know that remington had a diverse production industry. I know that Whal sold the adding machine division to Remington, but there is no mention AFAIK about Remintgon making pens and if so a time frame in wich they did, or if they were give aways to Remington's type writer buyers or seomthing similar.
Somewhere I read they are a tier-3 pen product but ....
Thank you
Marco

Pictures?

If yours was made in the US, I doubt that it would be a true piston filler (like, say Pelikan).

About tier-3 or whatever tier, I couldn't care less about those labels when applied in too broad of a sense.

I absolutely won't waste my time restoring junks, but there are so many pens that some collectors look down their noses just because of the brand, that are actually and objectively excellent pens after restored.

I couldn't agree more. Will. The pen should be evaluated, not the brand. The tier system is the result of lazy thinking.

[MarcoA64]

Photos are from the ebay auction.

This is what the barrel imprint says:

Remington.png

I think it is a syringe filler as can be probably seen from this photo

Remington2.png

The seller says that it has a Velvet touch nib, it should be original Remington. There is really no info on this producer anywhere, AFAIK

To be honest I never heard of the term 'third-tier' pens. I relyed what I had read.
For me all pens are interesting. 'third-tier' are not sought as much as 'mainstream' pens and this is very good for my pockets :-)
I will not want to sell them anyway in the future.
Marco

[penwash]

Yes, that is a syringe filler.
The tricky part is to find an o-ring that would match the dimensions of the original seal. Although now that I think of it, a seal punched out of synthetic cork may work better.

For the most part, these vintage syringe fillers have brittle or weak threading on the blind cap, and they don't survive restorations.

The term 3rd-tier is commonly used to imply lower budget production. I have no issue with the actual definition or the usefulness of the term, because of course, there are vintage pens that are made cheaply, and therefore the build quality is poor.

But just as often, the term is being used as a really broad brush, so much so that some pen people I know feels "embarrased" in liking a particularly good pen, just because some collectors decided that the brand "belongs" to the 3rd-tier group.

It's good that you have no such issue. There are some really excellent pens are out there for us to enjoy, just educate ourselves to separate the truly junk vs good ones.

[MarcoA64]

Hi Will, I will give it a go if it needs fixing. Hopefully I will not break it. In case I find it out of my capabilities I'll send it to somenoe who has better skills than me. In the worst case scenario I can always use it as a dip pen.
Thank you for your contribution Will and Eachan, as usual vey valuable :-)
Marco

[eachan]

The problem (or one of the problems) with the tier system is that it can condemn an entire brand for the sake of a few poor pens when the majority of that maker's output is good. For instance Steinberg in Fountain Pens (1998) includes Burnham in a list of low-value pens. Burnham brought out a series of pens aimed at the school market in the post-war period but was a manufacturer of many excellent models then and earlier. That's one example among many. Lazy thinking, as I said. On the other hand Waterman would be recognised as first tier for its output before WWII but made middling quality thereafter. So which is it?

[MarcoA64]

I have found a bit of info. The "Federal Trade Commission" in 1938 said that the name Remington could not be used. The proper name of the company is "Travelers Pen Co. Inc" owned by John F. Sullivan
There is an article on a Miami paper of 1937 but you have to register and pay to access it.
HTH
Marco

[Scrawler]

Yes, that is a syringe filler.
The tricky part is to find an o-ring that would match the dimensions of the original seal. Although now that I think of it, a seal punched out of synthetic cork may work better.

For the most part, these vintage syringe fillers have brittle or weak threading on the blind cap, and they don't survive restorations.

The term 3rd-tier is commonly used to imply lower budget production. I have no issue with the actual definition or the usefulness of the term, because of course, there are vintage pens that are made cheaply, and therefore the build quality is poor.

But just as often, the term is being used as a really broad brush, so much so that some pen people I know feels "embarrased" in liking a particularly good pen, just because some collectors decided that the brand "belongs" to the 3rd-tier group.

It's good that you have no such issue. There are some really excellent pens are out there for us to enjoy, just educate ourselves to separate the truly junk vs good ones.

These Remington pens are not really built to be easily repairable. I found that the plunger from 3ml syringes could be adapted to repair the piston. It requires the use of epoxy to build up the shaft for the rubber part.
remandnat.jpg

[MarcoA64]

can the plunger be removed completely from the back? is it screwed in or not?

[Scrawler]

can the plunger be removed completely from the back? is it screwed in or not?

No. They have to be completely disassembled.

[MarcoA64]

so you unscrew the section and push the whole thing via the front. It isn't like on a Parker Vacumatic

[MarcoA64]

The pen has arrived. I filled it with water a couple of times to check the seal was still working. It drew water both times and I didn't notice any passing behind the seal. Filled it and started writing immediately without hesitation. Nice nib and smooth, maybe a medium, as there is a fair amount of ink on paper. A curious pen with a 'funny' history behind it.
Marco

[Scrawler]

so you unscrew the section and push the whole thing via the front. It isn't like on a Parker Vacumatic

Not a bit like a Parker Vac. The section is shellacked in to prevent ink going out between the barrel and section. You have to dissolve the glue and remove the section.

[penwash]

The pen has arrived. I filled it with water a couple of times to check the seal was still working. It drew water both times and I didn't notice any passing behind the seal. Filled it and started writing immediately without hesitation. Nice nib and smooth, maybe a medium, as there is a fair amount of ink on paper. A curious pen with a 'funny' history behind it.
Marco

This thread is for showcasing pens from obscure (relatively unknown brands to the owner of the pen).
So you're free to tell us more about this pen.

However, the restoration side of it, is a better fit in its own thread, which I recommend you to start under the Restoration sub-forum, since you and Scrawler may be on to something that can inform all of us.

[MarcoA64]

@will, what I had to say on the pen, writing experience and photos, I did. I'm attaching two more pics, one the cap clip's engraving and a close up of the nib.

Remington cap.png

Remington nib.png

HTH
Marco

[pajaro]

I was enjoying this interesting pen.

[Scrawler]

Is Ta Tung obscure?

tatung.jpg