Medical pens

[diplomat]

Hi all, I just want to introduce you with three of my pens that have a common story.

 

My father is a retired medicine doctor. It was common, when he was working in the hospital, that salesman would give him cheap ballpoint with engraved or stamped some pharma brand or product to market. My father is a great collectionist, though not interested in FP (rather in stamps whom his house is filled with...) thus he never dispose those pens...

 

Here's one of the drawers of his visiting office(you can click on them to see a larger pic):

 

http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/282/draw02ge8.jpg

 

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/2416/draw01pi9.jpg

 

One day of this summer, when I was visiting and I got plenty of time, I dove myself in this sea of pens and I came out with three exemplares of fountain pens. I think that, besides being very cheap pens, they may be noteworthy for some characteristic they have. Here they are:

 

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/4254/allcv5.jpg

 

The first one, the older of the bunch I think, is a french Stypen. Blood red plastic, curious nib (like a sting of a bee for me) and gold trim. In my opinion should be from the 70s. I never found such a brand on sale here in Italy, but I know is pretty common in France. Maybe some french member could tell me more about the model, year of production etc. It was really dirty and I spent some time in polishing. I learned Stypen carries some non standard cartrige and therefore I never used it.

 

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/3933/stypenba6.jpg

 

The second pen is even more interesting: it is a "vintage" disposable pen (I think from early 80s). I think I remember Pelikan did something like that. Does anybody remember? There is W.Germany imprinted on the barrel. I would be curious to know if there is someone out there collecting disposable FP: how to preserve the ink inside? I did not try to write with it so far (but the ink looks still liquid).

 

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/5978/pelikanoj5.jpg

 

The third is a far more modern pen. It is no name but bears the famous "iridium point germany" nib, that is so common in modern pens. For example look at the next pic: is a comparasion between this "medical pen" nib and an Onoto Tasche: they look the same!

 

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/2373/finalix5.jpg

 

Anyway, I tried this pen at work and - as suspected - it is a good writer, it has a fine (for european tastes, I would say it's more a medium for the japanese out there) line, but is wet and fast on paper. Additionally the pen body is metal, which adds up good weight to the pen, giving a good balanced feeling.

 

Ok, that's all, just wanted to share this.

 

Cheers,

[welfvet]

As a vet we also get inundated with free pens at our conferences. Never been given a fountain pen though, usually the cheapest nastiest ballpoints. Occasionally somthing that writes and has a bit of weight to it. Needless to say there is a ballpoint black hole at work, and within a week of bringing back a haul of dozens of pens we're back down to the one chewed-off, barely functioning leftover!

 

It is common knowledge that the drug and equipment industry understandably heap the best goodies on the medical profession, then the dog and cat vets, and lastly the horse and farm animal practitioners. Reflects the relative turnover.

 

Here's hoping for a half decent FP at the next seminar.

 

Nic

[Maja]

It is common knowledge that the drug and equipment industry understandably heap the best goodies on the medical profession, then the dog and cat vets, and lastly the horse and farm animal practitioners. Reflects the relative turnover.

As a pharmacist (I retired early from the profession a few years ago), we used to get the odd pen here and there, but never a fountain pen. I worked in Canada so I think that's the reason (FPs not as popular as BPs here, generally).

 

Thanks very much for your post, Diplomat. I think the pen are rather neat. Haven't seen a Stypen like that one. You did a good job of cleaning it up, I must say; that red colour is very bright now!

 

[RalphP13]

Interestingly enough, this is exactly how I first became fascinated with fountain pens.

 

During medical school, one of the freebie pens I picked up somewhere was a disposable fountain pen (probably a Pilot varsity). I so loved the pen and the way it wrote that I went to a local office supply store and bought a box of them. This eventually lead to inexpensive cartridge filled pens and a couple Waterman Phileases for residency, now as an attending I’m just out of control.

 

Ralph