Jim Marshall writes in Collectible Dip Pens, (2003) p. 9, that the earliest gold nib pen he is aware of was "a very rare and early Hawkins nib from about 1840," and there is a photo illustration though no reference to the source of the date. In Collecting Old Writing Equipment, (2014) p. 51, Marshall writes "By the end of the [18th] century, precious metal nibs were being made in England by makers Taylor, Willmore, Pemberton and Jago" with reference to a photo of a silver nib by Willmore. On p. 52, he writes about the problem of gold wearing too quickly until 1836 when practical tipped nibs with rhodium, rubies or "iridium" were available. So, I'd say the 1832 ecclesiastical gold nib passes muster, though it might not have lasted very long! I wonder if those MOP (faux?) holders were available then.
If anyone is weary of looking at the tens of thousands of reservoir fountain pens at pen shows, online or your own desk, I recommend Jim Marshall's 292-page book Collecting Old Writing Equipment, which covers far more than just fountain pens. It's a quick history lesson, too, from cuneiform tablets to quill-cutting machines, and replete with many color illustrations.
Das Boot (The Boat) is a 1981 German film depicting the claustrophobic conditions aboard a WWII submarine. During the movie a young sailor uses a FP to write letters to his pregnant French girlfriend, not knowing if she will ever receive them.
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Great film about the horrors of war which I recommend highly (the film not the horrors ).
Last edited by carlos.q; June 13th, 2019 at 02:32 PM.
In the 1977 biopic "MacArthur", Gregory Peck plays the famous five star general. During the formal surrender scene, the representative of Japan signs with an Esterbrook pen that is handed to him:
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When Peck signs the document he uses a red pen that is not the Parker Big Red MacArthur really used:
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gclv_pen$ (January 2nd, 2024)
Hard to tell from grainy archive footage if this is a Sheaffer with an inlaid nib and a white dot on the clip or just a trick of the light. Either way, the pen in question was used by Stanley Kubrick in a script meeting during the filming of Full Metal Jacket, part of the documentary Filmworker about Kubrick's assistant Leon Vitali (seen standing on the left).
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It looks like a Sheaffer Imperial II Deluxe or a Scripsert. That looks like a short conical nib. + metal cap.
or it could be a ballpoint.
More than likely a ballpoint, though the business end looks off-axis in a way that suggests a nib, as does the angle of address to the page.
Another view:
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There are a few scenes in Plein Soleil (Purple Noon) [1960] where Alain Delon uses an MB 146 or 144. You see him writing cards and letters in one of the opening scenes, then later as he practices forgery and again later on when he puts his talents to practical use. Since this movie is about identity theft and forgery, the camera gives the pen more attention than usual.
Scrawler (July 20th, 2019)
Speaking of writing with gloves ...
In 8 Days: to the Moon and Back, Michael Collins finds Buzz Aldrin's stray Duro marker pen, initially mistaking it for a Fisher space pen.
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Aldrin later uses the same marker pen to reset a circuit breaker in the lunar module.
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Behold the "Montblanc blaster", a classic secret weapon used by old spies who worked for England's MI7. Well, at least if we are to believe the 2018 film "Johnny English Strikes Again". Once you pull off (gasp!) the cap, this MB149 detonates in 20 seconds as a stun grenade.
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I watched “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” last night. In 1946 the heroine can be seen using a red marbled Conway Stewart (?a CS12). There are several other FPS in use in the film but none were clear enough to ID.
Jsbutterfly (October 27th, 2020)
My wife and I were binge watching Agatha Christie's Poirot. The famous detective was using a fountain pen in a couple of the episodes as one might expect from someone living in the 1920's.
The pen looked generally like a Montblanc 146. Cigar shaped. Gold trim. That is, anachronistic.
I picture him favoring something along the lines of a hard rubber Mabie Todd Swan or Waterman with gold overlay.
Last edited by azkid; September 9th, 2019 at 08:01 AM.
Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh) trims a quill in All Is True.
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Another quill and more about that penknife (no spoilers) later on.
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Similar, but no.
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The back page of Sir Paul McCartney's new children's book "Hey Grandude”.
It’s not a movie, TV show or even a real FP, but I think it deserves a mention.
Last edited by PecosPeet; September 15th, 2019 at 02:51 PM.
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