Pens Still Made In Uk As Of 2019?

[Driften]

I would like to get a current production pen made in the UK but it seems like many of the companies are no longer around from the lists I have seen in this forum area. Conway Stewart, Onoto, and YOL all are still in production but are at the high end for price. I know some Parkers were and maybe a few are still made in the UK. Italix only has one model that is really made in the UK where the others use barrels and caps from Taiwan and China. The Italix English Curate is truly English but I don't care for metal sections. Nothing wrong with that to keep the price down, but it doesn't feel like a real made in UK pen that way.

 

I know there are one man shops like John Twists pens who seems to be a great craftsman, but it's not what I'm looking for.

 

Is my only real options to look at vintage pens to find under $200 pens made in the UK?

 

I'm sorry if I missed something obvious in my searching of the forum.

[Cob]

Taking a slight liberty here, as I know very little about modern fountain pens.

 

I would say that buying a vintage pen is no hardship - and despite the recent growth in prices, there is still excellent value to be had well below your price point.

 

I have just bought a decent-looking Swan for £13.50. Fair enough the nib is bent, but that can be fixed - or a replacement found - and I shall have a lovely pen (Mabie Todd is superb) for what might be described as peanuts!

 

On the other hand for laround £100 you may find a really excellent Swan or Onoto.

 

Cob

[northlodge]

You might find that our messy divorce with Europe could just bring a YOL or Onoto into your budget, £1 = $1 might not be so far away.

 

However if you are set on a UK made pen, then value for money is definitely to be had by looking for a New Old Stock example from the 1950's.

[Driften]

Thanks Cob, I might have to do that. All of my US made vintage pens have been sac fillers and I dislike not knowing how much ink is in them. I guess my other issue with my current vintage pens are they are too thin and write too fine, but that was from me buying pens that I didn't know what I was getting back when I bought them over the internet years ago. It's hard to tell from pictures the size of a pen.

 

My taste in nibs these days is western medium to broad. For size of pen a Pelikan m600-m800 is my ideal, but I own a number of Pelikan m200 sized pens and I can use them and expect many vintage pens to be along those lines.

[Driften]

You might find that our messy divorce with Europe could just bring a YOL or Onoto into your budget, £1 = $1 might not be so far away.

 

However if you are set on a UK made pen, then value for money is definitely to be had by looking for a New Old Stock example from the 1950's.

 

I know I've gotten good deals from Cult Pens that were much cheeper then buying here in the US. I have a Faber-Castell Ambition coming in the mail from them in the next few days. I wish I had bought my F-C Ondoro from them and saved maybe $30 over getting it here. They have always been my go to shop for Pelikan.

 

While I have some pens in my collection over $500 my budget is more modest right now.

 

Where is a good place to look for NOS and which brands should I be looking at? YOL seems to make mostly metal pens and I'm currently down on metal sections.

[Fermata]

Also Worcester Pen company

 

http://worcesterpencompany.co.uk/

 

or something very different, Knight Pens of London

 

 

http://www.knightpens.com/

[Driften]

Also Worcester Pen company

 

http://worcesterpencompany.co.uk/

 

or something very different, Knight Pens of London

 

 

http://www.knightpens.com/

 

 

Thanks I will give them a look.

[Fermata]

I guess that you can deduct the 20% VAT for an overseas sale.

[Cob]

Thanks Cob, I might have to do that. All of my US made vintage pens have been sac fillers and I dislike not knowing how much ink is in them. I guess my other issue with my current vintage pens are they are too thin and write too fine, but that was from me buying pens that I didn't know what I was getting back when I bought them over the internet years ago. It's hard to tell from pictures the size of a pen.

 

My taste in nibs these days is western medium to broad. For size of pen a Pelikan m600-m800 is my ideal, but I own a number of Pelikan m200 sized pens and I can use them and expect many vintage pens to be along those lines.

Well apart from exotica such as Visofils, you will not know how much ink is in a Swan - they are nearly all sac type. The same goes for Onotos apart from the odd translucent models.

 

I have wanted a Waterman's Ink-Vue for ages, but they are always expensive, though I saw one with a matching pencil in Silver Ray pattern that went for £177 - and that had a keyhole nib too. Having just purchased a gold-plated Swan set I am too extended at present!

 

I'm afraid I know nothing at all about Pelikans or their nibs so cannot advise on that point. I will say though that with Mabie Todds you have a better-than-even chance of getting a ,lovely nib. Many are flexible (apart from the Eternals which resemble SHeaffer's Lifetime and Conway Stewart Duro nibs) and quite often delighful stubs turn up - I ahve a couple fo these and am keeping them!

 

Good luck

 

Cob

[Driften]

Well apart from exotica such as Visofils, you will not know how much ink is in a Swan - they are nearly all sac type. The same goes for Onotos apart from the odd translucent models.

...

 

 

Yea just part of the vintage experience and I should get over it.

[eachan]

I don't know of any current British pens that I would want, but there are many bargains to be had in vintage pens: Newhaven Parker Duofold, Mentmore Autoflow or Stephens Leverfill (as a small selection of examples) are all well-made pens that will give another lifetime of use. If flex is important to you, I would second Cob's suggestion of Swan or Onoto. There aren't many ink view pens among British vintage.

[Driften]

I don't know of any current British pens that I would want, but there are many bargains to be had in vintage pens: Newhaven Parker Duofold, Mentmore Autoflow or Stephens Leverfill (as a small selection of examples) are all well-made pens that will give another lifetime of use. If flex is important to you, I would second Cob's suggestion of Swan or Onoto. There aren't many ink view pens among British vintage.

 

 

Flex is not important, but don't mind a soft nib. I have seen some Newhaven made Parkers it can be hard to tell them from the US made ones when searching. I never heard of Mentmore Autoflow or the Stephens Leverfill so will give them a search.

[bbs]

Thanks I will give them a look.

I have a lovely Worcester Pens pen that's got a really smooth nib. I like their pear logo on the top of the cap too! There's a post somewhere where Brian Edison commends the quality of their work.

[sciumbasci]

Huh, I am saddened to see nobody mentioned Manuscript. I hold them in high regard, and thought they were made in UK?

Their website says so: Made in England.

[kestrel]

 

 

Flex is not important, but don't mind a soft nib. I have seen some Newhaven made Parkers it can be hard to tell them from the US made ones when searching. I never heard of Mentmore Autoflow or the Stephens Leverfill so will give them a search.

In my experience the Newhaven Parker nibs are softer and tend to be a bit broader than their U.S. counterparts. I prefer them to the Janesville nibs. In the listings look carefully at the nib. Newhaven pens have the letter "N" at the base of the feed where it disappears into the section. It's true they are lever fillers but most of my vintage pens tell me they are running low on writing juice several lines before they stop writing.

[Cob]

In my experience the Newhaven Parker nibs are softer and tend to be a bit broader than their U.S. counterparts. I prefer them to the Janesville nibs. In the listings look carefully at the nib. Newhaven pens have the letter "N" at the base of the feed where it disappears into the section. It's true they are lever fillers but most of my vintage pens tell me they are running low on writing juice several lines before they stop writing.

I am surprised to read what you ahve written about Newhaven Parker nibs. I have always found them to be nails, with the very occasional semi-flex. For flexibility I have found the Canadian Parker nibs to be the best generally. One or two Vacs I have had had really quite nice nibs.

 

Cob

[barriep]

I think you would get best value by buying vintage, especially Newhaven made Parkers, 51s, 61s, 65s, 105s ...... Modern Duofolds would probably exceed the budget but plenty of choice in the others, on eBay and from UK online sellers like penamie.co.uk (Brian Toynton. A 105 flighter might suit you as it is fairly chunky and was only made in the UK. As was the 65. And these pens use a converter, including modern Parker converters, so you can then see what ink is left.

Conway Stewarts, Mentmore etc. from the 1950s are good writers and the big Swan 2060 is an almost 149 size pen with a great number 8 nib if you can find one. And lever fillers do have the benefit of being easy to repair.

Edited January 28, 2019 by barriep

[Cob]

[...] and the big Swan 2060 is an almost 149 size pen with a great number 8 nib if you can find one. And lever fillers do have the benefit of being easy to repair.

 

The Swan 2060 has a No 6 nib, not a No 8. The Swan 8 is huge and very rare and by the 1950s had not been manufactured for many years. This photo showing Swan 2, 4, and 8 nibs with their feeds, should give you an idea of the relative size -

 

Cob

[eachan]

In my experience the Newhaven Parker nibs are softer and tend to be a bit broader than their U.S. counterparts. I prefer them to the Janesville nibs. In the listings look carefully at the nib. Newhaven pens have the letter "N" at the base of the feed where it disappears into the section. It's true they are lever fillers but most of my vintage pens tell me they are running low on writing juice several lines before they stop writing.

 

I don't think any of the Newhaven Parkers are lever fillers. The earliest ones are button fillers and the later pens are Aerometric fillers.

[eachan]

I am surprised to read what you ahve written about Newhaven Parker nibs. I have always found them to be nails, with the very occasional semi-flex. For flexibility I have found the Canadian Parker nibs to be the best generally. One or two Vacs I have had had really quite nice nibs.

 

Cob

 

In my experience a proportion of the Newhave nibs have some flexibility, Juniors and Victories especially. In any case, there's nothing wrong with inflexible nibs. Many people like them.