Famous people's pens

[Lloyd]

I saw this pen today. Albert Einstein's Waterman..

He kept the box?

[carlos.q]

He kept the box?

Apparently. But he became famous for thinking outside of it.

[peterg]

Winston Churchill used an Onoto, I was approached this summer to supply one, for a film about him with Brian Cox playing the part of Churchill. Part of the filming the filming took place in Edinburgh,Scotland (my home town), perhaps the reason to approach me to supply their prop.

There are official references to Churchill preferring to use the Conway Stewart stylo during WW2

[peterg]

The famous Ron Jeremy uses a Sharpie to sign autographs for the women that he meets at the various conventions that he travels to throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. I own a few bottles of Ron Jeremy's own rum (Ron De Jeremy Rum) that he personally signed with a Sharpie.

So does a (in)famous President

[eckiethump]

There are official references to Churchill preferring to use the Conway Stewart stylo during WW2

I have read that they had to specially make the CS stylos for Churchills use ?

[Karmachanic]

Corbusier. No idea what pen that is.

 

 

[Arcadian]

Corbusier. No idea what pen that is.

 

le corbusier 1959.jpg

 

I had no idea that that special, thin paper used by architects was fountain pen friendly.... I thought it was only good for pencils.

 

- P.

[AAAndrew]

Corbusier. No idea what pen that is.

 

le corbusier 1959.jpg

Definitely a Sheaffer, possibly a snorkel.

[chunya]

He kept the box?

 

 

Apparently. But he became famous for thinking outside of it.

 

Brilliant

 

 

I recently posted questions about an interesting safety pen in the Repair and Mabie Todd forums as the cap was stuck onto the barrel and the pen had been incorrectly catalogued back in 1997 (which came with the pen) as a Mabie Todd (with the gold overlay there was no maker's name apparent, so even without an MB nib someone probably took an ill-informed guess). Thankfully I managed to remove the cap and FPNers on both forums also identified it as an early Kaweco possibly made for Johann Faber, which looking at its provenance actually makes more sense.

The original catalogue had 30 Lots (including this pen) as coming from the two Danish Royal Palaces; what I found difficult to understand was just how and why items belonging to the Royals could find their way in to a Public Auction.

My inherent mistrust of what I often read in Auction catalogues led me to do more research on the pen and I've just received a lengthy and informative email from the Curator of the Royal Danish Collection (thank you Peter), and there is now little doubt that the pen belonged to King Christian X of Denmark, and it is inscribed with the date 15/6 1912 the day he was proclaimed King of Denmark, so may have been gifted to him to commmorate the event.

I think that King Chritian X qualifies as a famous person, and I can have the pleasure of sitting here holding it and wondering what it had been used to write and to whom.

 

Edited September 10, 2018 by chunya

[theunwittingphilosopher]

Does someone know if Jean Paul Sartre or Albert Camus used Fountain Pens....

 

 

 

 

Curious about this myself, I conducted an image search online as well as keywords in Camus' notebook for any mention of a writing instrument. to no avail. What I have discovered, however, was the difficulty of differentiating a cigarette and a writing instrument in their portraits. The search continues.

[peterg]

Famous or infamous, he certainly had a penchant for Esterbrook pens

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/hansons/catalogue-id-hanson10170/lot-b4232a4b-771c-46cd-bb12-a9d200fa78eb

 

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auction-catalogues/hansons/catalogue-id-hanson10170/lot-200e8f17-97af-479b-a45b-a9d200fa7b1c

Edited January 14, 2019 by peterg

[adim]

I have just found out that Dr. Oliver Sacks used to enjoy writing with his Montblanc 149 in gold trim, inked with Montblanc Midnight Blue.

 

In this clip he shows the pen:

 

 

Here also you can see two Montblancs on his desk:

 

And here you can read a personal story in which the ink is mentioned: https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/swimming-with-oliver-sacks

Edited January 16, 2019 by adim

[Arcadian]

 

 

 

Brilliant

 

 

I recently posted questions about an interesting safety pen in the Repair and Mabie Todd forums as the cap was stuck onto the barrel and the pen had been incorrectly catalogued back in 1997 (which came with the pen) as a Mabie Todd (with the gold overlay there was no maker's name apparent, so even without an MB nib someone probably took an ill-informed guess). Thankfully I managed to remove the cap and FPNers on both forums also identified it as an early Kaweco possibly made for Johann Faber, which looking at its provenance actually makes more sense.

The original catalogue had 30 Lots (including this pen) as coming from the two Danish Royal Palaces; what I found difficult to understand was just how and why items belonging to the Royals could find their way in to a Public Auction.

My inherent mistrust of what I often read in Auction catalogues led me to do more research on the pen and I've just received a lengthy and informative email from the Curator of the Royal Danish Collection (thank you Peter), and there is now little doubt that the pen belonged to King Christian X of Denmark, and it is inscribed with the date 15/6 1912 the day he was proclaimed King of Denmark, so may have been gifted to him to commmorate the event.

I think that King Chritian X qualifies as a famous person, and I can have the pleasure of sitting here holding it and wondering what it had been used to write and to whom.

 

 

 

Oh, wow! That is quite something! I must confess a slight envy ;-)

 

- P.

[Barry Gabay]

Found this photo last month in the Wall Street Journal magazine (WSJ Magazine). South African artist & illustrator William Kentridge with something interesting in his pocket, a Montblanc 149.

[peterg]

I have read that they had to specially make the CS stylos for Churchills use ?

The story is that Churchill preferred the stylo for writing on official documents because of its fine line. They were out of production and not on the Board of Trade's approved list of pens so Conway's had to assemble the pens from parts specially for him.

[Lloyd]

I have just found out that Dr. Oliver Sacks used to enjoy writing with his Montblanc 149 in gold trim, inked with Montblanc Midnight Blue....

Thanks, I enjoyed these!

Edited January 17, 2019 by Lloyd

[sidthecat]

I was lurking on eBay (a self-destructive habit, potentially) when I saw a card of Gillot pens called “the Tit Quill”, a tiny, sharp-pointed nib that was the favorite of illustrator Edward Gorey. He’d buy them up whenever he found them, so of course I had to buy one.

Stay tuned: I suspect they’re totally inflexible and very, very fine.

[Tasmith]

The pen US Admiral Chester Nimitz used to sign the Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri:

 

 

[Donald2]

Have any famous people used anything else other than a fountain pen?

Edited March 5, 2019 by FountainPenGuru

[AAAndrew]

Have any famous people used anything else other than a fountain pen?

Most, actually, since the fountain pen was only widely used for about 60 years. There have been famous people before and after fountain pens.

 

People are mainly interested in finding those who preferred fountain pens. Some writers prefer pencils, or typewriters. And many, many books were written with quills and dip pens.