I am interested in getting a pen made with celluloid but modern, that is, with a cartridge/converter. Are there reasonably priced "modern" celluloid fountain pens out there? If so, where should I look? Thank you in advance.
I am interested in getting a pen made with celluloid but modern, that is, with a cartridge/converter. Are there reasonably priced "modern" celluloid fountain pens out there? If so, where should I look? Thank you in advance.
Depends on your definition of "reasonably priced" and what constitutes celluloid. Celluloids of today aren't quite the same as those of yesteryear, when humans were figuring out how to make "plastics". Pretty acrylics are more common, and "reasonably priced".
I suppose your criteria aren't clear enough to me to make a recommendation. If you could refine them (price is a big factor), folks could offer some really good suggestions (and I'd be interested in what those are too).
"A truth does not mind being questioned. A lie does not like being challenged."
Platinum has a range of 3776 pens made in celluloid. They're not cheap, but more reasonably priced than other brands.
https://www.penchalet.com/fine_pens/...ntain_pen.html
dneal (January 8th, 2023)
In the UK, John Twiss has made some very nice pens out of old celluloid he has tracked down; I have a couple and they're very nice. Might be worth getting in touch with him.
I also have the Platinum celluloids. They do sometimes come up on the evil bay secondhand. Choosing Keeping (again in UK) has pens from Ohnisi Seisakusho which include some celluloids (a lovely tortoiseshell), but they seem to gone over to acetate in a big way these days.
Also look out for Waterman Lady Agathe and Elsa pens, though these might be galalith and not celluloid. They are teeny handbag pens and the converter is a dratted proprietary one that's difficult to get hold of but you do sometimes see them for a reasonable price, particularly if a Lady Agathe has lost its celluloid 'box'.
None of these pens are cheap as chips, though, even if you get a good deal.
dneal: I would say the ceiling price would be in the $100-$150 range but, of course, I would like to spend less. Sandy and amk, thank you for your suggestions.
Hmmm. Seems you have to lean to the Italians - if you're a little loose on "celluloid". They make the nice old school stuff. Omas lucens and whatnot. Most of that is above your price range (and most people, honestly). But they do make a whole lot of beautiful rods of something and turn out a lot of pens.
I've got celluloid Kaweco Art Sports (and once had an 883 Visconti-made piston filler). I'm really enjoying the 80 euro "Classic".
The market is all over the place, and the field has a few gems for not a lot of money. Stipula, for example.
"A truth does not mind being questioned. A lie does not like being challenged."
After investigating the prices for "modern" celluloid pens I decided that maybe "not modern" was the way to go. I purchased a piston celluloid pen at ebay and am awaiting its arrival. The body and nib look good so I guess the only variable which is unknown is the piston filling system. This will be my maiden voyage into how it was done in years gone by (yes I know there are modern piston pens). Once it arrives and I clean it and load in my first "tank full" I will post pictures and my experience traveling back in time.
dneal (January 12th, 2023)
The pen arrived. A good cleaning and a few passes over some micromesh and I now have a very nice pen. The celluloid body feels a little warmer to the touch than modern bodies (acrylic, etc.).
celluloid 1.jpgcelluloid 2.jpg
That isn't celluloid, but Forticel. The section is celluloid, but barrel and cap are not. Sheaffer abandoned celluloid some time around 1947.
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Ron Z, thank you for identifying the material. Well, duh on me for not investigating before buying. Thankfully, the pen cost me a total of $33 and I see that as an inexpensive lesson to be learned. Additionally, the pen is in good shape and writes well and using the piston demonstrated that they are not to be feared. At least I got a celluloid section.
I found this after reading Ron Z. post.
http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/in...n-molded-pens/
Last edited by Roe D Hym; January 18th, 2023 at 05:26 AM.
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