HELP! Mysterious pen! :)

[OMASmaniac]

HI!

 

 

I've bought this pen last year on ebay from robmorrison, who's also in this forum I guess...

The pen is a vintage one, probably from the 1930s - 1940s, English production.

It's very beautiful (I love it!) but I had never heard the brand before buying it.

 

The name of the brand is "Progress", followed by "Made in England". No other info.

The nib is a "Warranted 1st quality 14k", italic, writes absolutely perfectly, it's really a pleasure to use it.

The celluloid is pearly green and black, rather thick, with beautiful shades of colour, excellent material.

Filling sistem, lateral lever. The pen gives an impression of great soundness, unlikely some vintage pens that look fragile... it's also a rather big pen, considering the period.

 

The overall quality of the pen is extremely good: you wouldn't expect it from an unknown brand, that used non-original nibs. It's really a pleasure to write with it, even as an everyday writer!

 

But the most interesting aspect is the cap: as you can see from the photos, there's a very nice English Tudor rose on the top of the cap, made of enamel on a brass base. I guess it's something rather unique!

 

Considering the pen, its quality, and how much I love it, it would be fantastic to have some information about the brand, "Progress"... does anyone here has ever heard of it? It'd be a real injustice if a company that produced pens of such a good quality falled into oblivion!!

 

I try to upload some photos....

if you know somethink, let me know!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OMASmaniac]

Sorry for the awful quality of the photos! ((

[mana]

I have no information of the manufacturer or the pen but oh my, what a wonderful pen that is!

[OMASmaniac]

I have no information of the manufacturer or the pen but oh my, what a wonderful pen that is!

 

It is, indeed!! unfortunately I only have a mobile phone and a magnifying glass to take the photos

They don't transmit the beaty of the pen entirely! But it DOES really is very beautiful! (and, BTW, I paid it only 70 euros!)

[carlc]

It's a, it's a, err watchamacallit.

 

No idea but very nice indeed.

 

It reminds me of a Mabie Todd but I know nothing of the era and many of the English manufacturers made pens that were then sold by other companies under their brand name (like National Security).

 

It may be one of those types of pen - made by an established manufacturer to be sold by another company under a different name.

[OMASmaniac]

 

It reminds me of a Mabie Todd but I know nothing of the era and many of the English manufacturers made pens that were then sold by other companies under their brand name (like National Security).

 

 

HAH! That's a very good guess! I hadn't thought about this! I need to discover if in the 1930s-1940s there was a company called "Progress" that might have requested some customized pens.... the only strange thing in this case would be the quality: usually, companies that buy pens for advertising their brand tend to use low-quality pens. And the Tudor rose is strange indeed.... mah.... maybe, decades ago, there was in England a chain of florist shops that bought some pens decorated with roses for advertisment!

[carlc]

the only strange thing in this case would be the quality: usually, companies that buy pens for advertising their brand tend to use low-quality pens.

 

Not necessarily - this was not the age of mass production as we know it now and in the inter war years things would have been made to the same standard regardless.

 

Anyway - it's not an advertising pen - it's a rebrand. So not a give away but a pen to be sold.

 

National Security pens were possibly made by many companies (including Conway Stewart, Mabie Todd and Mentmore) but were just branded and sold by British Carbon Papers (as well as their other brand Rosemary). So they would have wanted a quality product.

 

It's like some inks are rebottled inks by another manufacturer (e.g. Bexley ink is rebottled Private Reserve).

 

Edited for spelling errors.

Edited April 30, 2010 by carlc

[Ernst Bitterman]

It's Tudor-tacular!

[OMASmaniac]

the only strange thing in this case would be the quality: usually, companies that buy pens for advertising their brand tend to use low-quality pens.

 

Not necessarily - this was not the age of mass production as we know it now and in the inter war years things would have been made to the same standard regardless.

 

Anyway - it's not an advertising pen - it's a rebrand. So not a give away but a pen to be sold.

 

National Security pens were possibly made by many companies (including Conway Stewart, Mabie Todd and Mentmore) but were just branded and sold by British Carbon Papers (as well as their other brand Rosemary). So they would have wanted a quality product.

 

It's like some inks are rebottled inks by another manufacturer (e.g. Bexley ink is rebottled Private Reserve).

 

Edited for spelling errors.

 

Thanks carlc, sorry, I had completely misunderstood!

Great explanation! Excellent guess!

[OMASmaniac]

It's Tudor-tacular!

 

[penboard.de]

Ciao Fabio,

 

Now your pen is not 100% like this one here, but the Logo definitely is like mine here,

 

see this one:

http://www.penboard.de/pbneu/pb/8163g.jpg

 

 

and here is what I wrote in the description, way back in 1999.

 

Progress Major made by Osmia pushbuttonfiller red and black celluloid Nibsize: 14 K medium Progress nib Condition: excellent Year: 1935

 

Very interesting Osmia Product. Every detail prooves, it is made by Osmia. BUT the pen, and the nib are marked Made in Britain. My guess: pen was assembled in Britain, and could thus be marked made in Britain, to avoid irritations for the English to have to buy a German Pen in 1935.

 

The pen is made from red and black celluloid. style like the streamlined parker Duofold Senior pens.

Osmia did officially produce Parker pens from 1928 to 1930, when they were owned by Parker. These rare Parker pens have the barrel imprint Parker - Osmia Heidelberg. After Parker had sold the company again, Osmia continued to produce pens, similar to Parker Duofold pens. Clear sign to identify an Osmia pen is the very different pushknob mechanism.

 

This pen is fully working, with a fresh rubber inner life. No crack. Imprint on the barrel is still clearly readable, but a little thinned. The cap bands are partly brassed. A rare pen with a rather interesting story, linking the model as well to Parker pens as to the political situations in Europe at that time.

 

You find pens like this in the www.penboard.de database.

 

REgards

Tom

[penboard.de]

Comparing your pen to this red and black pen -

well, my pen in all aspects is made by Osmia.

Your pen,

two aspects mainly - the cap rings and the color of the celluloid.

Osmia never made lever fillers and did not use this type of clip.

 

Plus the enamle work - their own pens had fantastic black and white enamle logos.

 

Best

Tom

 

However, the Logo on the barrel is very similar in both cases.

[OMASmaniac]

Dear Tom,

yes, indeed the logo is the same!

Also the style of the celluloid is EXACTLY the same, in my photos this is not very clear, but they DO coincide perfectly!

It seems that my pen has a much more interesting than I initially supposed!!

I'm in favour of the hypotesis that it's an Osmia production assembled in England to avoid political problems... cool!

Thank you very very much Tom! Meriteresti un premio!

ciao!

Fabio

[carlc]

I'm not political when it comes to pens - I'll take either!

 

Carl

 

Edited to add - glad the mystery is solved!

Edited May 1, 2010 by carlc

[OMASmaniac]

It's beautiful when you discover that a pen bears the signs of History on itself!

That's why I love vintage pens, and this one in particular!

[NoahRMakower]

how much did you pay for it?

[OMASmaniac]

how much did you pay for it?

 

70 euros!