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

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    Senior Member penwash's Avatar
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    Default What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    Let's expand our repertoire of FP lore/knowledge together.

    Either vintage or modern pens, from time to time you'd hear about (or bought from ebay) a brand so obscure that you wonder if anyone else know about it. Share and tell us what you know (or don't know) about it. Not limited to one, of course, the more the merrier.

    PS: Bonus point if you actually have the pen and can share a picture of it.

    A Master List of the brands mentioned in this thread has been compiled by our own Jon Szanto, and you can now benefit from his effort by going HERE. Thank, you Jon!
    Last edited by penwash; March 29th, 2021 at 09:07 PM.
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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    If one can think of it, doesn't that make it less obscure?

    I'll think about this and get back to you later...
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    Senior Member penwash's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    If one can think of it, doesn't that make it less obscure?

    I'll think about this and get back to you later...
    I was hoping that the question is clear enough (it is clear in my scatter-brain), but maybe not

    For example, I can think of a few brands that I know not a whole lot of people have heard about.
    That brand is still obscure, right? But at least I know it and I can tell others in this thread. Now, as the result of this thread, I hope that some brands will became less obscure.

    The other motivation for this question is that I'm curious as to how widespread everyone's knowledge is (are?) regarding brands, maybe a lot of people here thought brand A is common, yet I never heard of it.

    Anyways, just something to think about in these hot (as in blazing hot) days.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Senior Member Deb's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    How about the Silver Arrow? Late forties, probably made in a machine shop that had been doing war work and was looking for a new product.



    Sadly, this was not it. I have seen just three in the last fifteen years.
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    Well, Deb caused me to think back on a pen I've wondered about a few times, never having seen one live. There were certainly variations over the years but the ones that make me curious are known by this moniker:



    This was the unique nib style created by the Scottish pen company Macniven and Cameron. These days any upturned nib gets called a "Waverly" (even, retroactively, the Sheaffer Triumph conical nib), but there is a distinct style to the originals, which I believe began life as a dip nib product. Lovely things:



    Well, these are just a side fascination I've never had any connection with save for reading about and a few photos.
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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

    I like pens from behind the Iron Curtain. Would any of those count? Or is this question limited to modern brands? Are we talking boutique or custom pens? Or are we talking standard manufacturing?

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    Senior Member penwash's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    Quote Originally Posted by Waski_the_Squirrel View Post
    I like pens from behind the Iron Curtain. Would any of those count? Or is this question limited to modern brands? Are we talking boutique or custom pens? Or are we talking standard manufacturing?
    As I already mentioned in my original post, either vintage or modern brands are welcome.

    To expand that even further, any pens made anywhere in the world is welcome. Also not limited to mass-produced pens, I would like to know any custom pens (different than kit pens), limited run production pens, etc.

    After all, the goal of this thread is for us to learn together about something we didn't know before, Deb and Jon already gave me education on two pens I've never heard before.
    Last edited by penwash; July 24th, 2018 at 06:34 PM.
    - Will
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    What about this a "Brecon Professional" fountain pen. This is mine at least bought it off fleebay 2 weeks ago it has a section like a Montblanc 622 and has a gold nib. I can only find one other mention of the brand (on FPN) someone wondering what they had bought.


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

    That Brecon Professional is a very interesting pen, top pen. I can't find anything useful about it.

    Jon, that's a magnificent leaf-shaped M&C nib that you show. I've had many of them over the years; some flexible, others firm. some with the tilt to the tip, others without, They are very beautiful and practical nibs. I used to pick those pens up for a song, now they fetch serious money and rightly so.

    Here's one I would like to know more about, if any of our Dutch members see it:



    It's a Winstona and it's a Dutch piston filler. That's all I know about it.
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    The first pen we ever restored was a Federal, and ugggglyyyyy....yellowish-ivoryish beater, that had at least ten different ink colors stuck in it, and took a size NINETEEN sac.

    I love it.

    There are also a couple of well-beaten, clipless sac-filling no-namers (I did call the first one Jezebel). Penwash gave me the idea for fashioning a roll-stop on these: 'gemstone' chips.

    Maybe I can get pics later.

    Okay...they're bad, but, left to right: Federal, two no name red pens. One's a button-filler.

    Last edited by Sailor Kenshin; July 26th, 2018 at 08:44 AM.
    My other pen is a Montblanc.

    And my other blog is a tumblr!


    And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:

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



    Biltwel is a brand from Chicago. Not a whole lot of info about them, so it's one of those obscure ones. This particular pen shed some light because there is extra inscription on the barrel other than the typical brand name "Biltwel" in beautiful script. Underneath it says Barrett - Tebbel Co. then CHICAGO.
    So now we know that this pen was made in Chicago and the name Tebbel may have some connection with the man who gave the world: Parker Duofold.
    - Will
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    Quote Originally Posted by penwash View Post
    Biltwel is a brand from Chicago...
    Good detective work. BTW: work on a lathe - did you reduce the section diameter or bore out the barrel a bit?
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

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

    I have or have had, various oddballs here: The Standard Pen, another simply called England, three cheap Empress pens - still here (!) Nothing special - all lever fillers, the lot of them. I have an unbranded BHR pen with lever box filler - clearly good quality, but who made it?

    Then there are the odd models from well-known makers - I have a Platignum Capillary pen (no cap) for example, and also one of the rather rare Croxley "Silvern Cap" button fillers with two-tone nib.

    Most obscure though is perhaps my Whitehall Pen - stamped "Mabie Todd & Co"Whitehall 4.jpg

    Cob
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    I posted this obscure vintage French "Old Chap" three months ago in the What-is-your-latest-pen-acquisition? thread.

    DSCN4727.JPG

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    Senior Member penwash's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by penwash View Post
    Biltwel is a brand from Chicago...
    Good detective work. BTW: work on a lathe - did you reduce the section diameter or bore out the barrel a bit?
    I reduced the part of the section that should fit snugly into the barrel. Having done this several times, I really appreciate how careful I had to be. If I were not using a small metal lathe, I won't be able to do this.
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    FPG Donor ♕ KrazyIvan's Avatar
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?

    I have not been able to find much on this Parker "wannabe". It's very well made. It's the "Lucas" by Texas Fountain Pen Company LTD. This post over at the other board makes me think this pen might be Japanese but it does not list the whole name of the company, just Texas, so I cannot be certain. http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...rent-and-past/

    Last edited by KrazyIvan; July 26th, 2018 at 10:22 AM.
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    Default Re: What is the most obscure FP brand that you can think of?



    Found this little gal a while back. Golden Queen. Don't know much about it other than its a metal bodied pocket pen. Button filler with a gold-plated steel nib.

    photographed here next to a Franklin-Christoph 45 for size comparison.

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

    Quote Originally Posted by AzJon View Post


    Found this little gal a while back. Golden Queen. Don't know much about it other than its a metal bodied pocket pen. Button filler with a gold-plated steel nib.

    photographed here next to a Franklin-Christoph 45 for size comparison.
    Does it have a blind cap or do you have to remove the barrel to fill it? I don't see a seam to indicate the former.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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

    I had never heard of these before, but I stumbled across this fountain pen on eBay. It's called a Haro, and has a glass nib. They were made in Germany.

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

    Quote Originally Posted by Kulprit View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by AzJon View Post

    Found this little gal a while back. Golden Queen. Don't know much about it other than its a metal bodied pocket pen. Button filler with a gold-plated steel nib.

    photographed here next to a Franklin-Christoph 45 for size comparison.
    Does it have a blind cap or do you have to remove the barrel to fill it? I don't see a seam to indicate the former.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Fully disassembled:



    The button filler mechanism is encased in the metal tubing that is then covered by the metal body. Kind of a shame the nib is plated steel because the pen itself is otherwise very well made.

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