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Hi all, I bought a fountain pen and am searching for more information about it now. This is the information I got from the seller: "lady fountain pen, Czechoslovakia around 1935, excellent huntco made in usa alloy tipped fine, length 11.8cm, diameter in center 1.1cm, diameter on top 1.2cm, functional pump" Does anyone knows this brand, this pen? There is "LADY" engraved in the cap, nothing on the clip. on the nib is: "HUNTCO" "MADE IN USA" "ALLOY TIPPED FINE" here is what I found about the manufacturer of the nib: https://patents.google.com/patent/US2030918?oq=hunt+co+alloy+tipped+fine I am also a bit worried about the piston. The pen was empty when I got it. When cleaning it I noticed that it didn't take a lot of water, it didn't held the water either. So no vacuum... After flushing it a few times it did hold more water and kept the water in the pen. Some dirt that came out was ink, (it dissolved eventually), but one tiny bit was floating, so I guess that was cork . After a while filled whith water the pen seemed to hold all the water. So I filled it with ink, and it writes well! Does anyone knows when it is necessary to replace the cork? What if more pieces of cork let go? bye, Nele

For my 1st post I present my latest FP: a black Zenith-2 (a Parker-51 lookalike.) The seller listed the pen, which came with a lovely 2-pen case, as being made in Czechoslovakia. However, other internet pages indicate that Zenith pens were made in the PRL i.e. Poland under Soviet rule. Does anyone here have an opinion as to where they think this lovely little pen was made?

So I too started collecting vintage pens, I guess it's part of the game When thinking about what brand to start with I thought I shall start "at home" and get some old CSSR fountain pens, that's how I got to buy this Centropen 3068 and a Derby. Back when I was at elementary school I "stole" a pen very much like this from my mother (she was a teacher) and I remember I thought how cool this pen was so I was happy when I've found out these are still available from online sources and I got one in fair shape. The same seller had this Derby too, I like the green marble body so I took that one too. A few hours and a bunch of micromesh made the thing and after buffing it up they look quite well. The 3068 writes well, although has a very thin line (I am a "medium nib guy") but one needs to write small letters every now and then What puzzles me is that despite there are collectors of Centropens, Hardtmuths, Koh-I-Noors and their subbrands, I have not found any information on these pens, some history, years of production per type, etc... nada, nix, nothing... so I would appreciate if you know of such a wiki, blog ar person. Now, the ladies (sorry for the quality, I have never thoughts it's such a pain to shoot glossy black objects...): http://i65.tinypic.com/j9m42r.jpg http://i66.tinypic.com/2dj4gol.jpg http://i64.tinypic.com/xkw0sy.jpg

So, I'm really loving the Centropen 100820. I finally posted my video review on YouTube. So, here on this forum, I want to offer my thoughts and some pictures. The pen was made in Czechoslovakia in the early 1960s by Centropen. The company, Centropen, was actually a communist creation. Previously, there were 12 small pen manufacturers in Czechoslovakia, but they were "asked" to consolidate as one in Dačice in the 1950s. So, I think this pen is the product of the wisdom and experience of these manufacturers. In the late 1960s, Centropen got into the lower cost pen market, so they no longer make pens of this caliber. But, wow, I wish they did. I've never used anything like it. The pen and pencil came as a set in a red leather case. I love this case, though I'm a bit nervous about how to preserve the leather. It's attractive and the only branding is inside. http://squirrelscience.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Leather-Case.jpg http://squirrelscience.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Centropen-Branding.jpg This isn't my best writing sample. But, I wrote it on a receipt to show the outstanding flexibility of the nib. It is supposed to vary between "fine" and "triple broad". As far as I can tell, it does. The pen flexes and writes a good line with very little railroading or trouble of any kind. In truth, writing with this pen feels like I'm using a brush. It's that flexible. It's stunning. I thought I had a light touch with fountain pens, but I really had to relearn that with this pen. http://squirrelscience.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Writing.jpg And here is the nib in question. http://squirrelscience.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/The-Nib.jpg The pen itself is made out of a glorious brown celluloid with an amazing chatoyancy. The nib and the trim are not just gold plated. They're gold filled. This means that they don't show wear very well. http://squirrelscience.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/The-Pen-1.jpg The piston filling knob is hidden under a blind cap, like a Noodler's Konrad or some German pens. http://squirrelscience.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Filling-Knob.jpg The pen is remarkable. I knew very little about Centropen before I purchased this one. And now, I'll be on the lookout for more. It truly is a special pen. Check out the video at 3:20 for a closeup, in slow motion, of the nib in action.