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Thread: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

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    Default Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    I've become enthralled by ebonite pens. I find them warm and inviting.

    I have acrylics but have decided to concentrate on ebonites (and a few metal pens) going forward as it's more in my personal style and preference. I'm looking for pens to use, not just collect.

    I'm soliciting ideas of what ebonites -vintage and modern- to consider adding to my Indian ebonites. I'd like to cap the prices at about $200-250 for vintage pens. Maybe more for outstanding gold nibs. But any good pens available for less would be appreciated.

    I'm very open to vintage ebonites and am considering both eyedroppers and other ink supply methods. Is there any reason that vintage eyedroppers should not be considered? Perhaps I'm wrong, but eyedroppers seem to be less prone to the problems other vintage supply systems might have.

    Thanks for your input.

    Cheers,

    Sg
    Last edited by sgphoto; March 16th, 2020 at 11:40 AM.

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Namisu makes a couple of models in ebonite. Currently 15% off. (No affiliation, satisfied customer, etc.)

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by sgphoto View Post
    I've become enthralled by ebonite pens. I find them warm and inviting.

    I have acrylics but have decided to concentrate on ebonites (and a few metal pens) going forward as it's more in my personal style and preference. I'm looking for pens to use, not just collect.

    I'm soliciting ideas of what ebonites -vintage and modern- to consider adding to my Indian ebonites. I'd like to cap the prices at about $200-250 for vintage pens. Maybe more for outstanding gold nibs. But any good pens available for less would be appreciated.

    I'm very open to vintage ebonites and am considering both eyedroppers and other ink supply methods. Is there any reason that vintage eyedroppers should not be considered? Perhaps I'm wrong, but eyedroppers seem to be less prone to the problems other vintage supply systems might have.

    Thanks for your input.

    Cheers,

    Sg
    Hello, Ebonite is one of the best materials being used for pens.
    Rightly said, it has its peculiar feel and most appropriate for writing at a stretch.

    The first name comes to my mind when I hear Ebonite and India, it's Lotus pens.

    Am pretty sure you would have heard of these brand, I have purchased quite a few( or maybe a lot) of pens from them.

    Best part, if you have a particular model you desire to get in ebonite, they would do their best to make a custom model for you.

    All the best with your quest !


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by Viktaurian View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by sgphoto View Post
    I've become enthralled by ebonite pens. I find them warm and inviting.

    I have acrylics but have decided to concentrate on ebonites (and a few metal pens) going forward as it's more in my personal style and preference. I'm looking for pens to use, not just collect.

    I'm soliciting ideas of what ebonites -vintage and modern- to consider adding to my Indian ebonites. I'd like to cap the prices at about $200-250 for vintage pens. Maybe more for outstanding gold nibs. But any good pens available for less would be appreciated.

    I'm very open to vintage ebonites and am considering both eyedroppers and other ink supply methods. Is there any reason that vintage eyedroppers should not be considered? Perhaps I'm wrong, but eyedroppers seem to be less prone to the problems other vintage supply systems might have.

    Thanks for your input.

    Cheers,

    Sg
    Hello, Ebonite is one of the best materials being used for pens.
    Rightly said, it has its peculiar feel and most appropriate for writing at a stretch.

    The first name comes to my mind when I hear Ebonite and India, it's Lotus pens.

    Am pretty sure you would have heard of these brand, I have purchased quite a few( or maybe a lot) of pens from them.

    Best part, if you have a particular model you desire to get in ebonite, they would do their best to make a custom model for you.

    All the best with your quest !


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    I have several pens from Ranga that are beautiful - well made and fairly priced. That's part of the reason I'm looking for more! These pens are so nice to write with, comfortable, and fitted with JoWo nibs. Nice colors in rippled and mottled ebonite.

    Noodler Neponset Red Rebellion is another ebonite. The music nib works great.

    Thanks for your input.

    Sg

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Ebonite is my favorite material for fountain pens other than pretty celluloid.

    And since my collection and inventory is 99% vintage, I ended up with a lot of ebonite vintage pens.

    Just a sampling that I took a photo of some time ago. This particular group showcase a type of vintage ebonite material commonly called "woodgrain" ebonite because it's not black and it looks like it has grains like wood:



    As far as your question about the feasibility of vintage eye-droppers, they are still very usable today, if they survive intact for a century or so

    In fact, some of them command high prices.
    Last edited by penwash; March 16th, 2020 at 01:32 PM.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Stunning collection! Thanks for the inspiration.
    Cheers,
    Sg

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by penwash View Post
    Ebonite....
    Oh, that photo hurts my eyes! Lovely!

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Thanks, Carlos. In particular, the Milano looks most interesting and has a vintage look about it.

    Cheers,
    Sg

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    One of the loveliest modern ebonite pens, Syd Saperstein's Decoband Gold Seal oversize in rosewood. Oversize is an understatement. It's almost the same length as a 149, but with the flat top and bottom, it feels more massive.



    He has released a smaller pen he calls the Signature. I really must hold one.

    Last edited by FredRydr; March 16th, 2020 at 07:35 PM.

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    One of the loveliest modern ebonite pens, Syd Saperstein's Decoband Gold Seal oversize in rosewood. Oversize is an understatement. It's almost the same length as a 149, but with the flat top and bottom, it feels more massive.



    He has released a smaller pen he calls the Signature. I really must hold one.

    That is a lovely pen. The dilemma is the price of that pen compared to vintage ebonites. I'm not saying it's not worth the price charged, rather it's a balancing act of my perceived value of a modern pen vs a vintage one.

    I suppose that's why many modern acrylics leave me cold. There seems to be nothing beyond the utilitarian about them to justify the price for just another piece of plastic. But that's my opinion and others feel differently.

    Thanks.

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by FredRydr View Post
    He has released a smaller pen he calls the Signature. I really must hold one.

    I didn't know about the smaller one, that should be perfect size-wise. The big one is ... BIG.
    - Will
    Unique and restored vintage pens: Redeem Pens

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by penwash View Post
    Ebonite is my favorite material for fountain pens other than pretty celluloid.

    And since my collection and inventory is 99% vintage, I ended up with a lot of ebonite vintage pens.

    Just a sampling that I took a photo of some time ago. This particular group showcase a type of vintage ebonite material commonly called "woodgrain" ebonite because it's not black and it looks like it has grains like wood:



    As far as your question about the feasibility of vintage eye-droppers, they are still very usable today, if they survive intact for a century or so

    In fact, some of them command high prices.
    Very nice looking I got a Waterman 55 in "Woodgrain".



    I also really love my Conklin Crescent Filler.


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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    If you aren't into hunting down 100-year-old vintage pens (some people aren't), have you looked into the Ranga pen products from Peyton Street Pens?

    Teri Morris, the owner, has offered Ranga products for a number of years, but in the past few years has entered into a partnership with them to make quite a few unique models. Not only do they have a wide array of material choices in the ebonite range, but they are making a lot of pens that take NOS nibs from past pen lines and incorporating them into the model, yielding a very individual experience. The pens come in a pretty wide range of sizes and all that I've either tested or used have been well made, and PSP stands behind what they sell. They are also quite cost-effective.

    I have a few of those, but I still enjoy chasing vintage (including that vintage pun...). The following Moore HR pen came to me in a lot as only the barrel and nib, no cap. Turned out the nib had the tipping chipped off one side, so it sat for a while until one day I had a really nice Sheaffer nib to spare, and it was a *perfect* fit. It's a straight up eyedropper but I had to close it up with a mis-matched plastic cap that just slipped on.

    A couple years passed and then I saw an ad for a Moore Monarch as a "project" pen (classy euphemism for a pen with some serious issues). Barrel had a crack and a wonky feed but... yep, the perfect size cap and the threading is an exact match! Outside of the fact that the barrel is chased while the cap is smooth, they are made for each other. The mix of parts from three different sources makes it a complete Frankenpen but it has that great HR feel and the nib is a joy of a nail. I'm certain it is way less than $100, all in. It just took a long time to come together. (Photo from an ink project a while back)

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Szanto View Post
    If you aren't into hunting down 100-year-old vintage pens....
    While hunting pens "in the wild" at the antiques market five+ years ago, I spotted a grungy-looking dark red and black mottled thing with a bump on the side, up high on a shelf. I wanted to get at it, but the guy I hunt with, who is 6'7", was between me and it, and then he spots it and reaches for it. <sniff!> It was a fair cop. I'm the Conklin crescent guy, so he let me have it later at a very fair price. It's the dark mottled No. 3 with correct hue for these earliest mottled pens, fifth from the left, which is now in Spain with a bigger Conklin collector than me.

    IMG_4756.jpeg

    Here is a view of Pete Kirby's mottled Conklins at a show. Pretty to look at, eh? He has a similar early pen, the No. 2 third from the right.

    IMG_5891.jpeg

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    I always feel the "these pens are gorgeous" comments are a waste of space, but these pens are gorgeous! I love hard rubber, whatever the colour and I'm very fond of chased hard rubber.
    Regards,
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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Jon,

    It was the Ranga pens that really got me interested in ebonites. While I have visited Peyton Street Pens, they were out of the particular model I wanted so that's when I went direct to Ranga. I'll take another look today at PSP and see what I can find.

    Thanks.

    Sg

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    I have to get some of that "Grant Street Weathered Brick" ink. Maybe the next time I am allowed into the US and can come to Florida for a holiday?
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Some of the pens on this thread are really beautiful. However, many of the vintage ebonite pens I've seen available on ebay.co.uk have poor nibs with barely any tipping left. That assumes they had tipping to start with, which they surely must have done if they are gold nibs?
    Regards, Chrissy | My Review Blog: inkyfountainpens

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    Default Re: Ebonite - Vintage and Modern

    Quote Originally Posted by Chrissy View Post
    I have to get some of that "Grant Street Weathered Brick" ink. Maybe the next time I am allowed into the US and can come to Florida for a holiday?
    I don't know a lot about the fellow who runs the business and there is some story behind how the inks get made up. All I know is that they were changing 'formulas' and as such were just letting current stock run out. I would look at their site (google Birmingham Pen Co.) and see if they have any. I've used very little of mine and you would be welcome to the entire bottle if it doesn't become available from them.
    "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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