Celluloid

[Namo]

I've always likes celluloid, but recently, I've come to rediscover what a warm and hand friendly material it is. I am stunned by the outragous beauty of the Delta Dolce Vita, but I am especially impressed by a pen I aquired a luttle bit by chance, a Parker Vacumatic.

As I am planning my next buy, I am thinking about getting a celluloid pen.

 

What would be your advice? and why?

 

Thank you for reading.

[DrPJM1]

http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy241/DrMonzon/IMG_3715.jpg

[watch_art]

advice on celluloid? mine would be pick something that you like the looks of - and when you get it be happy. kind of simple advice - but isn't that how celluloid works?

 

it's great stuff and just FEELS amazing.

 

Cheers!

[Jon R.]

I was struck by the use of "friendly" in the original post here. That was the word that sprang to my mind when I first held a celluloid pen. The second was "warm." Nice to see the same reaction from somebody else. I still prefer celluloid above any other pen body material. At first, I assumed celluloid was always expensive. Of course, it isn't. Very nice vintage pens in celluloid are available all the time, it seems, at very reasonable prices.

 

Now if paper were only priced that reasonably. (Ink's somewhere in-between.)

[LedZepGirl]

Get a Parker Duofold, it's a nice piece of warm and silky smooth celluloid.

[eric47]

advice on celluloid? mine would be pick something that you like the looks of - and when you get it be happy. kind of simple advice - but isn't that how celluloid works?

 

it's great stuff and just FEELS amazing.

 

Agreed. And it smells good too....

[hari317]

As I am planning my next buy, I am thinking about getting a celluloid pen.

 

What would be your advice? and why?

 

 

Get a Platinum celluloid #3776. many colors available. The pens are made from Genuine Cellulose Nitrate with the aroma of camphor. Music nibs are also available. The stock platinum nibs are very good. I have bought my pens from an excellent dealer: Jim Sanders of poohcornerpens.

 

Best

Hari

[opus7600]

My favorite celluloid pens include:

- Delta Turchese Meraviglia Stantuffo (Pentime exclusive). Same as a Dolce Vita Piston, but in celluloid rather than resin.

- Parker Senior Duofold. I don't have any in my collection right now, but I've enjoyed the time I spent with the ones I had.

- Eversharp Doric OS. Wish I had an adjustable nib, but the regular old flexible nib works just fine.

- An Edison Herald

[Namo]

Pedro: beaufitul!! I really like the Stipula, but the grip doesn't work that well for me.

 

watch_art: of course I will, but since I don't know every pen that was made untill there are fountain pens in the world, I just want to know about what the others think and would get, and why.

 

JonR: nice to see someone feeling the same about it. There is something very intimate about celluloid that I don't find in any other material, incl. ebonite (and I really like this one!)

 

LetZepGirl: strange: since I've started to buy too many FPs, I've always something "against" Parkers - maybe some kind of European snobery, I don't know. But I have a 51, incredible writer, a 45, still one of the best basic pen one can get, an Vac. Maxima which is, to my big surprise, the pen I use the most right now, and it seems I am overdue for a Duofold... I guess it is the right moment to say that only the stupid doesn't change his mind...

 

Hari: The Platimun is on the list for sure! I wish Pilot would produce something like that, since I really like the con-70. Is there a big difference between the Platinum and the celluloid Nakaya?

 

opus7600: you are responsible for that: it is your Parker that triggered this feeling!! Your pen is now making it in my basic rotation of four! I find the nib exceptionnal, even if not flex at all, and posted, the pen is about the right size. I understand by your saying that the Dolce Vita is not celluloid? I thought it was, and I can't really smell it since the ink I have inside it very smelly (I use it as ED, so there is a lot of ink inside!) The Chaterley pens are relly nice, but I am afraid of the weight of the pen, beceaude of the piston mecanism. The Eversharp is a beauty, but I am pretty sure it is out of my league; well, I would have said the same about the Vac... The Edison is definitly a possibility, and having a pen made by hand is always nice; comparaing to the othes, the price is even right!

 

Thank you all for all your advices - and keep it coming if you will!

[dcpritch]

If you like celluloid then you must consider the Italians!

 

[H. Lime]

Agreed. And it smells good too....

 

Is that just the celluloid nitrate, or also the celluloid acetate?

 

To the OP: how about this green saft Omas (http://www.novelli.it/eng/pensreg/testdiv4.asp?produttore=Omas&modello=Paragon%20Celluloid&cod=Green%20saft%20f.p.&id=2147462761&opdb=1)? The expert could tell you how it writes (I have no clue) but visually, the pattern is really pleasing to the eye.

[Namo]

THe Omas is gorgeous - one more to consider! The Tibaldi is really nice, a little more low profile, but that's a brand I didn't think about. One more to look for!!...

[H. Lime]

Get a Parker Duofold, it's a nice piece of warm and silky smooth celluloid.

 

Are they still being produced, or is it a historical pen?

 

THe Omas is gorgeous - one more to consider! The Tibaldi is really nice, a little more low profile, but that's a brand I didn't think about. One more to look for!!...

 

Well, my first (and so far the only) 'proper' pen is an Omas ogiva, so I'm biased towards them.

Edited September 20, 2011 by H. Lime

[eric47]

Agreed. And it smells good too....

 

Is that just the celluloid nitrate, or also the celluloid acetate?

 

To the OP: how about this green saft Omas...

 

While some acetate has a smell, I had in mind nitrate variety. Vintage celluloid tends to have a stronger, at times different, smell to it.

 

Oh if you like you like Saft Green, along with the Paragon there's also the Fahrney's Campidoglio

 

 

Here it again with a couple of other modern commissioned pens in blue saffron and scarlet, and a vintage pearl gray Extra piston filler.

 

 

Well, my first (and so far the only) 'proper' pen is an Omas ogiva, so I'm biased towards them.

 

If you like the cigar-shaped Ogivas and green, there one in Foglie d'autunno celluloid:

 

Vintage maybe? Vintage pearl gray has more depth:

 

There's no modern Omas equivalent of tortoiseshell:

 

Or Arco grey:

 

[heineda]

My vote goes to a Taccia Merit. Gorgous pen and writes like a dream!!!

[AltecGreen]

Here is some celluloid overload. :roflmho:

 

 

 

Some vintage Italians

 

 

 

 

Columbus 102 Transparente

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5217/5484048482_abd30d79b6_z.jpg

 

 

Ancora

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5013/5484046586_b58d452b83_z.jpg

 

 

Montegrappa Extra

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5291/5483452083_72cd6b7be1_z.jpg

 

 

Aurora Selene

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5053/5484045330_e70b19ec86_z.jpg

 

 

Minerva Ellitica

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5205/5329411688_fc82d39bbf_z.jpg

 

 

Minerva Classica

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/5329410992_2b5a7e75fb_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5243/5329410546_a0b74dfb04_z.jpg

 

 

 

Vintage Tibaldi Infrangibles

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5289/5279654842_50c612e65c_z.jpg

 

 

Vintage Columbus

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4054/4587788701_71d62f532c_z.jpg

 

Omas Extra Lucens and Columbus 128

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6123/5916820945_fb9b11e763_z.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

Modern Italians

 

Chatterley Delta pens

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4918869382_15a39a9e81_z.jpg

 

 

Omas Paragons

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4119/4778983656_046bf6ee48_z.jpg

 

 

Bronze Arco

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4778349739_32bbb346b6_z.jpg

 

 

 

Vintage Japanese Pens

 

 

Vintage Pilots

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4588414010_0829538ee9_z.jpg

 

 

 

Vintage Sailors

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4588415032_f2debfb4b3_z.jpg

 

 

 

Vintage Shiseido and Daimaru

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4587792595_3a1ec82821_z.jpg

 

 

 

 

Vintage Americans, German, and British pens

 

Sonnencken, Wahl, and Leboeuf

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6153/6167284505_812571a3d7_z.jpg

 

 

Parker, Wahl, and Swan (ignore the Edison Torlon pen)

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4074/4739501909_0316f18edd_z.jpg

 

 

 

Some Green Merlin 33

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2570/4040341735_16262b649a_z.jpg

 

 

 

MB 144

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4070/4588413226_78c28b6344_z.jpg

[opus7600]

I understand by your saying that the Dolce Vita is not celluloid?

 

The Chaterley pens are relly nice, but I am afraid of the weight of the pen, beceaude of the piston mecanism.

 

Definitely resin on the standard Dolcevita. Quoting http://www.yafa.com/Delta_dolcevita.shtml "CAP & BODY: Delta's signature Black and Terra cotta Orange " DOLCEVITA" resins."

 

My Stantuffo is 42g capped, 30g uncapped. Really not bad in terms of weight.

[Namo]

eric47 and AltecGreen: NONO STOPITSTOPIT!!!! :roflmho:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ok, keep it comin'...

 

 

Well, it seems I do have some research to do...that Columbus 102 is ... oh, ok, it is too much!!

Edited September 20, 2011 by Namo

[Namo]

I understand by your saying that the Dolce Vita is not celluloid?

 

The Chaterley pens are relly nice, but I am afraid of the weight of the pen, beceaude of the piston mecanism.

 

Definitely resin on the standard Dolcevita. Quoting http://www.yafa.com/...dolcevita.shtml "CAP & BODY: Delta's signature Black and Terra cotta Orange " DOLCEVITA" resins."

 

My Stantuffo is 42g capped, 30g uncapped. Really not bad in terms of weight.

 

Thanks for the info!! and indeed, not too heavy. One more to take into serious consideration!

[eric47]

ok, keep it comin'...

 

OK, feeling a little wild....

 

Omas Galileo:

 

Extra Flessibile nib:

 

Omas Urbano VIII:

 

Galileo (with wheeled clip) and Urbano VIII

 

2000 Omas Blue Saffron Paragon and Vecchietti 80th anniversary (2008), which I posted above in another shot. But compare older Blue Saffron to the never version:

 

 

Stipula Etruria 991

 

Some early Viscontis made with vintage celluloid:

 

 

 

Ignore the first 3 pens, which are the same as the above two photos. Pens 4-11, old Vistonti Ragtimes (and a LE set based on them) also in vintage celluloid: