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Hi all, just thought id update you on my collection of mentmores.. still a few to collect and have a few spares as well. would love to see your collections of mentmores for the 30's. kind regards Rick

Need help with the ID of this Parker button filler pen. I have looked at the Parker website and am not sure at all of the model. We're in the process of sac replacement on it. The writing on the clip has a Patent date of Sept. 10, 1916 or 1918. Any help from the knowledgeable experts would be most appreciated. Thanks very much!

Hi All Sorry haven't been on here in a while... I have been busy trying to research some of my mentmores!!! I don't think they are dimplomas; Celestes, Modernes or even Majors. one of the barrels just mentions - Mentmore Made in england here is a picture of mine as well as the colours. best wishes Rick Mentmore colours.docx

I currently have a 1930s Osmia 222 button filler on my work desk which needs a new sac. The barrel is celluloid and the section seems to be hard rubber. It's a rare pen and I need to be extra careful. What I don't know is whether the section is screwed in or only friction fit. Does anyone here have experience with button fillers from Osmia? Any info is highly appreciated.

Hi all, I picked up an old Parker button filler at a flea market recently and I can't figure out what it is. https://parkerpens.net/luckycurve.html#jackknife This makes me think its a Jack Knife, but I really have no idea. Can anyone give me any background info? In case you can't see the (ridiculously huge, sorry) photos, here are a few details: It has a 2 imprinted on the blind cap. Just 2, nothing else.The nib says PARKER PEN MADE IN USA with the number 6.It has a lucky curve imprint on the barrel with a long string of numbers I can't make sense of. It's longer and slimmer than a Duofold Jr. Thanks in advance!

A while back I bought a pretty German button filler for a song and by now I restored it completely. Material seems to be a "red and pearl swirl" celluloid well-known in the 1930s. The imprint reads JUWEL Carl Klipperl Frankfurt a/M I could not find any info on this pen. But there was an early German manufacturer, first called Anglo-Amer and later International from the 1920s on which produced a pen with a model name "Juwel". That's the closest I can get. The construction points to the 1930s. Button fillers were rather uncommon in Germany after the piston filler was introduced in 1929. Colourful celluloid was mostly produced for export during that time. The feed is very plain without fins and rather thin. The imprint on the nib reads "WARRANTED / 14car / 1ST Quality" also common in the 1930s for imported nibs from England or the US. Does anyone here know something about it? Any info is highly appreciated.

Hello everyone at the fountain pen network. Today as always I come to ask your advice and share your wisdom and opinions to be able to solve several doubts that I have in my head. I love both modern and vintage fountain pens from the bottom of my soul, most of my feathers are modern and I only have one vintage that is my prized "51" parker. And I've decided that it's time to get another vintage pen but an older one and I've always had the desire to get a vintage fountain pen of ebonite with flexible nib is a great historical piece that I wish to own in my little collection. Now I have the money available to buy one but I have a lot of doubts about which one I should get. I have three ebonite in my sights that I want to obtain but at the moment I can only get one. hese are the fountain pens that I want to get: Parker Jack Knife Safety Fountain Pen - BCHR, Ring Top, Fine Full Flex Lucky Curve # 2 Nib (Excellent, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/parker/duofold-lucky-curve/parker-jack-knife-safety-fountain-pen-bchr-ring-top-fine-flexible-lucky-curve-2-nib-excellent-restored.html------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conklin Crescent 2P Fountain Pen - BCHR, Fully Flexible Fine # 2 14k Nib (Superior, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/other-u-s-pen-makers/conklin-pen-co/conklin-crescent-2p-fountain-pen-bchr-fully-flexible-fine-2-14k-nib-superior-restored.html-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Conklin Crescent 40 Fountain Pen - Large BCHR, Wide Cap Band, Flexible Medium 14k Nib (Excellent +, Restored) https://www.peytonstreetpens.com/other-u-s-pen-makers/conklin-pen-co/conklin-crescent-40-fountain-pen-large-bchr-wide-cap-band-flexible-medium-14k-nib-excellent-restored.html---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I like aesthetically more conklin but my biggest doubt to decide to choose one of these is about filling system of these fountain pens which is better? button filler or crescent filler system or level filler? I understand that both have to change the rubber bag every so often, but I ask about their internal mechanisms which is better, more reliable and robust and which pen is easier to maintain and change the bag.I have already attached the links so that they can see them and help me to take my decision and that they can tell me the pros and cons of these mechanisms

In the mail and thought I'd share some pictures . Ka-Bu- Co according to the seller is the German Office Supply Company Kaut - Bullinger & Co and this pen is made by Osmia . It is the same as an Osmia 226 so is their large pen . The clip is a very nice but uncorrect replacement so I will be on the lookout for a correct one . #6 Broad flexible nib . Here are a few of the sellers pictures . Eddie PS: Forum wont let me post the other two pictures for some reason . I tried resizing by 50 % but it still won't accept them .

Just won this and was wondering if anyone knows their history . Have read that they were Dutch made but the nib is marked Brussels .

Anyone have one of these ?? New one to me . I just bought it from Wasupen on ebay this morning . Any info will be much appreciated . All pictures are from the seller as is the writing sample . Thanks Eddie

Dear fountain pen people, First time post, lifetime fountain pen writer. I have recently inherited a few fountain pens from my grandmother. One is a mint condition parker 45 with her name engraved, a nice memory to own. The other two pens are a little more complex to describe, they are I’m guessing of a 1940’s design. Pictures below. One is an ebonite button filler with a missing pressure bar inscribed 'Luxor'. The other is a blue celluloid candy stripe lever filler, again with my grandmothers name engraved and the word 'Alfa'. Both pens are missing sac’s and more importantly, missing feeds and nibs. I did a little measurement of the sections and I have to believe that both pens would have had a feed that is about 4mm in thickness. I know there are plentiful replacement nibs available, but as you will know, they are all starting at 5mm or ar a #5. As it is now, I have two broken fountain pens that are, at best, a nice memory. However, I am a daily fountain pen user and I would much rather see these pens restored and added to my routine, maybe as a flex pen, a daily writer or even fill one up and use it in the office. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I recently purchased a Caws vintage button filler from Yesteryear's Fountain Pens on eBay (no affiliation). It was described as from the 1930's, and restored. I thought I'd ink it up and take it for a spin. First impressions (1-10): 7. The pen is tiny. I knew this from the sale description, but its hard to wrap your head around such a dainty pen. But the marbled jade green is very striking. It's nice looking tiny pen, with a tiny gold nib, in great condition. Appearance and Design (1-10): 8. Getting over the size, this is a standard designed pen, with a very nice color and well proportioned. Though it feels very light, it has stood up to many decades, and is doing great. Can't argue with the design in that regard. The metal clip shows wear mostly on the balled end, but is otherwise rather prestine. The metal band has lost some of its plating, but is still shiny. Weight and Dimensions: No score. This pen obviously was designed to be small, and well, it succeeds. Nib and Performance (1-10) 8. The nib has an engraving of a bird and the words Trade Mark Caw. The nib is sunk into the section such that "CAW" is only half visible. It is not stamped with any gold designation, but given it's age and that there is not evidence of plating loss, I'm guessing it's at least 14K. It is a very small nib, with a very fine point, though there is no size marking. It's also so amazingly we and smooth. It writes amazingly. I have not tried to flex it, but it takes almost no pressure to get a consistent line. Filling System (1-10) 6. It's a button filler, that has been fitted with a new sac. It seemed to fill easily. I'm guessing it will be a bear to clean though. Cost and Value (1-10) 8. For a restored vintage pen that writes great, I feel the $37 was a great value. I had been searching for a Caws pen for a while, and seeing this one come up was exciting. Given it's size, I don't think this will stay inked and in my rotation often. But it's fun to try it out, and have it in my collection. Conclusions: A cool little, functional, attractive piece of pen history.

Wondering what's the right way to fill a button filler, as in how many times do I push the button and how fast or slow? Received a beautiful old Thrift Time button filler; the button springs freely and I can hear the pressure bar moving when I push the button but I didn't want to force the pen open to inspect the sac so I don't know its condition. So I thought I would try filling the pen with plain water to test it. When I dipped the nib into the cup of water and pushed the button a couple of times, much to my surprise green ink came out (I had run the dry nib over my fingertip and on paper too, to gauge its smoothness and no ink had come out then.) I couldn't tell if it was maybe just dried ink on the feed or some in the sac that was reconstituted with the water drawn up. So, I took it to work and used it for a couple of hours (very light use) before it ran dry. I have repeated the process today, this time with the object of fully flushing the pen to put in new ink. I'm not sure, though, of the proper way to operate the filler. I'm assuming I just immerse the nib completely in the ink and push the button several times but rapid pushes or more push and wait, push and wait? It doesn't seem to be pulling in a lot of liquid now. When I fill it with several pushes then hold it against a paper towel and push the button a few times, I get a large wet spot then 2or 3 smaller ones then nothing, which doesn't seem like a lot. No liquid comes out of the back of the pen (at the button), btw. Thanks in advance for any advice/tips/pointers.

Mr Manoj Deshmukh is an artist who sculpts incredible pens. The acrylic resins he sculpted for me were cast to my request. His pens are large pens with beautiful asthetics and balance. The nibs and filling systems are as desired by you as he offers a very large amount of customisation. I bought three pens from him. All pens have Schmidt B or M nibs. lava and Tikona are Cartridge -Converter fillers. The first was black, red, yellow and gold resin which resembles a lava flow hence the name Lava... The second was Tikona (triangular in Hindi) in blue acrylic.. And the latest is this green and gold acrylic button filler with sterling silver trim... All these pens have cost between US$75 to 80. They are not only a pleasure to write with but also head turners. Here is a pictoral review of these pens. They can be bought at www.fosforpens.com ... The pens come in a beautiful wooden box shaped like a book with lid held down by an elastic band... The Lava... The Fosfor Tikona...a symphony in blue! The latest is this green and gold Button Filler, reminiscent of the 1930s Duofolds and other button fillers...it comes with sterling silver cap rings and clip... These pens are absolutely wonderful and genuine peaces of art since each is a bespoke pen and no 2 are alike perhaps.

Hello, I would like to purchase Parker button filler Duofold jr. What should be its reasonable price range for a daily user? I am perplexed with so many different types like UK< USA, Canada. Thank you.

I've recently become custodian of this blue plastic(?) 10-sided button filler, and thought I'd run it past the forum on the off-chance that anyone knew anything about it. It's clearly of lower quality - there are voids in the surface of the barrel where the white has not mixed in sufficiently with the blue, for instance, and the pressure bar is one micron away from being tin foil - but it has a certain charm. 134mm capped 121mm uncapped 156mm posted 11.5mm barrel diameter (flat to flat) Translucent yellow button and ink window, the latter marked "4". (Mould number, I assume?) Nib is steel, tipping worn to a decided foot, ebonite feed. The only identification on it is the nib, and yes, I appreciate that may mean nothing, but it's all there is. It's not terribly clear, so pardon for inflicting an "artist" rendering of it in case it helps. To me it looks like mountains...? Anyway, any suggestions, pointers, wild stabs in the dark, reminiscences over how awful the one you had was, etc, all welcomed. Thanks, Al

Hi. I got this National Controllor button filler pen of an auction, but the filler leaks a little around the button. Does anyone know how to fix this? It is a really nice pen with a nice flexy degussa 14k nib. /Pether

Hello! I am hoping you good folks can fill me in on the history (or lack thereof) concerning this recent purchase. I am aware that the Osmiroid 35 nib was often used as a quick replacement on pens, but I am more interested in the body of this pen. I have been unable to find any reference to what appears to be a rubber body (?)....let alone a button filler. Any thoughts? Was this cute little thing someone's Frankenpen? Osmiroid_button_001 by Pira Urosevic, on Flickr Osmiroid_button_002 by Pira Urosevic, on Flickr Osmiroid_button_003 by Pira Urosevic, on Flickr Osmiroid_button_004 by Pira Urosevic, on Flickr

I have a vintage Parker 51 that is button filled (there is no sac, just a little tube that the ink rides up when you press the button repeatedly under the blind cap) and it has decided to act up all of a sudden. This pen has never caused me any issues and has always been a somewhat dry writer. Yesterday I inked it up and the ink ran straight out through the nib - literally ran out of it. I checked under the screw off grip to see if the nib housing had any cracks but there are none. The nib housing is a reasonably tight fit and no ink comes out at the seam. The ink is flowing out from the nib. I can't figure out what is causing it. Has anyone any ideas or, if they have a come across this before, a possible fix?

Here's a review of a vintage Orium Major no.100, by the Wyvern Pen Company. This is a pen I know next to nothing about. http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100withspecs.jpg Lol - is anyone still reading? I bought the Orium for three reasons; the attractive celluloid, the Greek key cap band, and what *appeared* to be the original nib. The first two were as they appeared in the photos. The celluloid is like some sort of alien camouflage from a more vibrant world. The Greek key cap band is my first, and its severity contrasts wonderfully against the celluloid's chaotic earth tones. http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100cap.jpg Seeing the nib for the first time, however, was a hoot - a real face-palm moment. I had assumed the few letters I could discern in the auction photos to spell "Orium". Nope! It's a folded-tip Osmiroid 35 nib. Hah! http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100Osmiroid35nib.jpg With my self-satisfaction duly laughed out of the room, I spun the barrel around, to check the state of the lever, and instead met with a surprise. No lever! Wow, I really did my research this time around. It's a button filler. Appearance During cursory pre-purchase research of the Orium brand, a post by Garnet here on FPN was particularly helpful, explaining that they were Wyvern's mid-level school pens (Wyvern being recognisable to me in a small way, their 'wyvern shooting flames out its maw' logo being fairly memorable). I've taken a photo of the 100 next to a modern school pen, the Lamy Vista, because I find the juxtaposition hilarious. If hypnotic celluloid and Greek key cap bands were a prerequisite of school pens back in the day, well, I say they were on to something! I've taken indoor and outdoor shots to hopefully show how the finish looks in different lighting conditions. Outdoor: http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100withLamyVista.jpg Indoor: http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100032.jpg http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100028.jpg I'm fond of bold imprints, and the more grandiloquent, the better, so the Orium gets gets high readings on my affectation-o-meter. Utterly unnecessary, of course, but it makes me feel like handwriting was endearingly important to these people. I like that. On the meh side, the tab-style clip is quite crude compared to the rest of the pen. I'm not sure if the Orium deserves opprobrium here; this uneven area to the side might be due to damage suffered during the Orium's long years rather than bad stamping. http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100clipflaw.jpg Functionality I've found the Orium comfortable in the hand, I've included (outdoor) shots of the Orium next to a Parker 51 and Duofold AF for scale. As a celluloid pen, it's lightweight, which is to my taste for longer writing sessions. The section is that comfortable flare - ended cylinder my hand favours (though I would prefer it to be longer), and is made of black hard rubber, warm to the touch and grippy. http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100withParker51vacumatic.jpg http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100withParkerDuofoldAF.jpg The humble, folded tip Osmiroid nib is surprisingly smooth and soft, its long tines make it very easy to see where the ink is going too. A BHR feed - which extends a surprising length into the ink sac - makes for ample ink flow. It's all nicely set up, and good enough to make me curious as to how well the Orium's original nib wrote. http://i773.photobucket.com/albums/yy19/flounder2009/Orium%20Major%20100/OriumMajor100writingsample.jpg The tabbed clip feels quite weak, I think its clipping days are over. It stops the cap rolling off a desk well enough. Filling the pen is straightforward, and the button is easily worked one handed. The BHR blind cap only engages the last few turns of the barrel threads, so I have to be considerate of the pen's age when screwing it back in place. Ease of Servicing I've decided to including this as a category, as it can influence decision in an eBay vintage purchase context. The Orium Major 100 is a button filler. Fresh buttons, pressure bars, and ink sacs are inexpensive and widely available if replacement is necessary, so no problems there. The barrel unscrews from the section on a standard lefty loosey thread too. As the ink is kept away from the barrel to section threads, they had never seen sealant, so safely came apart with a little heat. I think I prefer a button filler in a neglected celluloid pen, in servicing terms. Perished, rock hard ink sacs are pretty common in these oldies. In a button filler, there's less scope for knock-on problems to fix. The button just won't move much (in fact, this one was seized solid, rusted into place). Buy a lever filler with the same hardened ink sac scenario, and someone in the intervening years might have bruteforced a bend in the lever, the removal of which is more of a risk and hassle. I'll write a short blog post on servicing the pen soon, are there were a couple of neat surprises I thought interesting enough to explore in more detail. Conclusion I bid on the Orium out of ignorance and curiosity, and found it to have a lot of appealing qualities. There was no real drama getting the ink flowing again, the pen has its charms, and I just plain enjoy the use of it (that's the closest I'm going to get to a 'score'... It's made me curious enough about Wyvern to learn more about the brand; I've since seen similar offerings with the same clip, Greek key cap bands with further rings above and below (very nice!) trellis-style cap bands, and the like. I have found one eBay listing of an Orium with original nib, which looked fairly conventional.

I came across a fine little Parker gf button filler (84mm long) that is missing its pressure bar. Is there a source for a non-standard size, say 38mm long, or is my only alternative to cut down a 66mm one? Thanks, Jack

Hello again, Everyone! Newbie here again who went out and spent a little money today (and this emoticon would represent my wife: ). This is a button filler stamped /engraved "Webster Chicago" then there's an empty diamond shape, then it reads "Pen - - ILL". The weird part is the stamping/engraving on the underside of the barrel. It appears to have been done at the factory, in the same style, and depth of the other stamping/engraving, only in a larger font. It reads "LILLIE TROJCAK" That is possibly a name (according to "The Google"), and it has me stumped as to why it would be on a pen. The nib appears to be gold, and not plated. It has a heart shaped breather hole. It is stamped "Gold Bond" over "14k" over 'Made in the USA". The bad: This pen is missing it's clip, it has some indentations like someone used to "nibble" on the end (not really chew, but left a few marks) and the ink sack was disintegrated. I removed most of the ink sack, very carefully, and removed the button mechanism to clean the pen (with no damage, I might add!). Question #1: Any idea of what size ink sac a Webster button filler would take? I'd like to keep this one as a writer. Question #2: Where would I begin to look for a replacement clip? Question #3: Is it worth it for this pen? I bought it because I like the colors of the celluloid, to be honest. I'd like to keep it and write with it. Was $20.00 too much to spend on a pen in this condition? Probably..... --Eric

I purchased a NOS pen from eBay. The pen has been fitted with a new sac. It is a button filler The pen initially writes quite wet. However, during extended writing (with no pauses to let the ink dry in the nib) it grows progressively drier until it will eventually not write at all. To get it going again I need to shake the pen, or store it nib down for a while. I have already flushed the pen to no avail. I am guessing it isn't a problem with the nib and feed fit, or the tines, as the pen writes very wet and readily at first. The only explanation I can think of is that there is something preventing the ink from flowing from the sac to the feed at a reliable rate. I am using Sailor Oku-yama which is a very free-flowing ink. What could cause this? Is there anything I can do without taking the pen apart? I have already contacted the seller, who is extremely helpful, but I would rather not send the pen back to him if it can be avoided. Thanks!

Hallo all Dana pens in Tel Aviv has a sale every December. I was there today. I found a beautiful NOS Bexley button filler and bought it immediately. I found a picture of it at: http://www.parkvillepen.com/bexleycollection.html Its an orange cable twist dating back to 1994 and is no. 274 of a limited edition of 1000 with a 14k two tone nib. Unfortunately it came without a box, but you can't have everything. Looking forward to using it Chaim

Dear All, This pen was in a recent auction lot. I don't know which model number should be attached to it or anything very much about it. I'm hoping that those who have far greater experience than I do can provide me with more information. As far as I can tell, the nib is damaged beyond repair and I don't know whether to junk the pen or consider a repair. All info gratefully received! Many thanks in anticipation, S The pen measures 41/4 " or 11 cm capped. It is gold-filled. The top of the clip is marked 'PAT SER 5-16' followed by the Parker name. The only other marking/imprint is at the base of the cap where it reads 'Parker Fountain Pen Gold Filled Patent Pen.' The barrel is engraved with alternating lines and a diamond pattern. There is no engraving on the cap. The pen is a button filler. The feed is a typical 'Lucky curve' type feed (sorry about the poor quality phone photo). The nib is damaged and I don't know whether it is original to the pen.