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Thread: NOS pens

  1. #21
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Here's a classic NOS situation I encountered a number of years ago.

    I was at the LA Pen Show and Fred Krinke (owner of the venerable Fountain Pen Shop in Monrovia) was going to give a talk/seminar about a subject I was unfamiliar with. I also wanted to spend more time in his presence, so I attended. It was the story of the Golden Rule Pen Co., one of the many, many small companies from the early pen era, in this case the 1920s. They were a somewhat successful job shop in NY and wanted to expand to the West coast (details may be a bit fuzzy, don't quote me!) and arranged some sort of deal to open a distribution point out here. IIRC, one of the next things that happened was the stock crash and Great Depression, and it all came to an end.

    However, they had purchased a building or something, and a stationery business had been handed down over the years through a family. At some point, Fred was contacted because there was stock that needed to be cleared out from some facility. He went to examine and found boxes of unopened old pen stock from this time. The biggest batch was a basic lever-fill BCHR pen. He purchased all of this and, coincidentally, had brought a good number of them for sale at his table.

    The majority of the pens did not have nibs installed but he had a supply of Warrented nibs of the era and had fitted them out. What I was looking at, in my hands, was a truly brand new, unused hard rubber pen that had been sealed away from the elements. No degradation, no discoloring, perfect chasing. In many ways, there is nothing remarkable about the pen, it isn't large or high-end, but as it was early in my pen 'education', I couldn't ask for a better example of "what does a black, chased, hard rubber pen look like when it is brand new?"

    As such, I absolutely saw no reason to ink it up. I have plenty of other pens that I can write with, and no pen comes close to this as being a wonderful example of what a pen back then would look like. I keep it just like that, because I can and choose to. And I always think of Fred Krinke when I look at it.

    (Quick phone pic)

    Last edited by Jon Szanto; May 2nd, 2021 at 01:23 PM.
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  3. #22
    Senior Member jar's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Long long ago and in a land far far away I used to haunt small east coast towns for old family pharmacies. When I found one that also had a soda counter I knew I had found a gem. In almost every instance when it was a family owned business and also had a soda counter they also had a display case of old fountain pens, most often now at the far rear inaccessible corner of the store.

    Some finds were a whole card of Waterman CFs with boxes of the CF cartridges, several boxed Parker and Sheaffer pen & pencil sets, quite a few Conklin and Eversharp and Inkograph fountain pens.

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  5. #23
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Thought I should include a link to the other thread - it's HERE

  6. #24
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Imagine keeping a pen pristine for the future, and 1,000 years later some curator in a museum decides to writer with it.

    There's a huge faff on the media that someone is going ot use a writing implement rather than dictate their thoughts into a digital machine.

    The crowd fall into silence as the curator carefully inks the pen - and when they writer with it - they've got a duff nib. Baby's bottom and all that.

    We've got to save the future from duff nibs, by writing with them.

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  8. #25
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    I would use it or I wouldn't buy it. What's the sense in spending all of the money if you can't enjoy it.

  9. #26
    Senior Member Ron Z's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Pen collecting is different than coins in that most of the collectors buy the pens to use them, not just look at the pretty things. There are some people though who will pay more for a mint or NOS pen. Inking the pen (if it hasn't been dipped or filled in the shop) and taking the bands off does lower the value to the first "serious" collector. But as noted, that usually doesn't matter to the average pen collector.
    Last edited by Ron Z; May 3rd, 2021 at 02:46 PM.

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  10. #27
    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Quote Originally Posted by vdiantonio View Post
    What's the sense in spending all of the money if you can't enjoy it.
    Then again, that statement is based on the premise there is only one way to enjoy a pen: use. I think there are other ways, for other people.
    "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: NOS pens

    Was going to say the same thing, but you beat me to it.

    My current dilemma, if we're being specific, is that I am not wholly convinced that I would get any more joy from this Aurora than I already get from other pens. Which suggests moving it along at the best price condition.

  13. #29
    Senior Member mizgeorge's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Quote Originally Posted by Empty_of_Clouds View Post
    Was going to say the same thing, but you beat me to it.

    My current dilemma, if we're being specific, is that I am not wholly convinced that I would get any more joy from this Aurora than I already get from other pens. Which suggests moving it along at the best price condition.
    Do you have another Aurora? Or can you try one of somebody else's? I have three (or maybe four), and two of them I absolutely love - both are fine flessibile nibs and write like a dream. The other, which is a broad flessibile is distinctly 'meh' for me, but I have a swap lined up for it.

    Do you know what the nib is? If it's NOS it should still have it's bottom marks intact and this might help decide?

    aurora nibs.jpeg

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  15. #30
    Senior Member guyy's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Let me know if that swap falls through, mizgeorge. I have a fine flessibile (i think -- the little thingy on the piston knob is gone) but i'd prefer the punta grossa flessibile.

  16. #31
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    I find that I enjoy pen stories as much as I enjoy the stories that come with almost any hobbyist collection. I used to collect antique irises, and the stories completely justified driving from middle-of-nowhere to middle-of-nowhere to view a garden of old varieties tended by the person who collected them all. I had to stop with the irises because I ran out of room. Fountain pens are fortunately smaller. My grandmother collected scent bottles. My grandfather collected button hooks. Another relative collected stamps. My uncle collects hog oilers. Even when I'm not interested in the specific objects, I still love hearing the stories.

    This thread has provided some great stories.

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  18. #32
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    @mizgeorge, my Aurora doesn't have any of those markings. I should note that it is a P model, so the chart likely does not apply. And no, I don't have any other Aurora's nor people near who may let me use theirs.

  19. #33
    Senior Member manoeuver's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    vintage NOS = monkey's paw

    let the doctors fight over them.

  20. #34
    Senior Member mizgeorge's Avatar
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    Quote Originally Posted by Empty_of_Clouds View Post
    @mizgeorge, my Aurora doesn't have any of those markings. I should note that it is a P model, so the chart likely does not apply. And no, I don't have any other Aurora's nor people near who may let me use theirs.
    Take a look on the underside of the section (near the ring). The nib size should be there with the serial number if it's a P or K.

  21. #35
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    The nib size is marked as M. Presumably for medium?

    See this thread - HERE

    The pen was acquired from a very well respected dealer, and I have 100% confidence that if they says it is NOS, then it is.

  22. #36
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    You could post it for trade for a similar pen in excellent condition plus some bonus. A collector of unused pen may be willing to offer a replacement that you can use without guilt plus something worth your while. Win-win for both of you potentially.

  23. #37
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    Default Re: NOS pens

    I can think of two pens that I own and purchased as NOS. They even had the original price stickers on them. I inked them both but I left the price stickers on them.
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