German Fountain Pens

[Bruno Taut]

Add Elysée, now defunct.

 

Iosepus

[fpman]

More companies:

 

Fend - very rare to find their fountain pens

Mars Staedtler

Herlitz

Rotax

Waldmann (still around)

Goldring-Auhat

Komma

Heiko

Haro (glass nibs)

Kondor

Hebborn

Sphinx

Argument

Sieger

Utilex

Baurichter

Vaccaro (don't know if this is German, saw it on a German pen dealer's site)

Vendex

Nestpen

Kreutzer

Lyra

Raja

Rex Pen

Rodur

Schneider

Imperial (Gerlach & Bezner)

Ripet

[vans4444]

More companies:

 

Fend - very rare to find their fountain pens

Mars Staedtler

Herlitz

Rotax

Waldmann (still around)

Goldring-Auhat

Komma

Heiko

Haro (glass nibs)

Kondor

Hebborn

Sphinx

Argument

Sieger

Utilex

Baurichter

Vaccaro (don't know if this is German, saw it on a German pen dealer's site)

Vendex

Nestpen

Kreutzer

Lyra

Raja

Rex Pen

Rodur

Schneider

Imperial (Gerlach & Bezner)

Ripet

 

 

The Raja piston filler that I have was made in Pakistan.

 

I think Edel was another German pen manufacturer

[Bo Bo Olson]

The China of Fountain Pens; before China.

 

I've been buying FP's for about a year. I have seven companies, had 9, but gave one away to someone needing it(Haro), and swapped the other (Stella).

 

Many of the companies made colored pens....many for export. It is more seldom to find them in colors; in Germany than those dammed Black and "gold", pens.

 

When they do come up in colors, they are over my budget....dam, I'll end up with more black pens than I know what to do with....

[thebz1]

And Montblanc

 

 

 

Yes I know its been mentioned already but I like it so much I just had to mention again :ltcapd:

 

Pelikan needs to be mentioned again also. :ltcapd:

[Kaweco]

The China of Fountain Pens; before China.

 

...............

When they do come up in colors, they are over my budget....dam, I'll end up with more black pens than I know what to do with....

Hi Olson

I am really tired from your incompetent and annoying comments about German pens. Comparing Chinese pens of today with German pens from a century ago shows that you don`t know anything about the German fp history!

And: If you are not able to win an online auction cheap, learn more about bay-sniping. Or better: lift off your Bobo early and purchase some nice pens a local fleamarket or at a pen show in Cologne or Nuremberg.

Kind Regards

Kaweco

Edited May 9, 2010 by Kaweco

[Bo Bo Olson]

Dear Kaweco,

There were cheap pens made in Germany.

There were a great many companies making pens as the lists show.

 

Historically, German workers were very under paid, so the products from 1850 to at least 1920's were under priced. Lets go to 1970, the @ time that the DM got valued under 4 DM to the dollar.

Up to then German products were all economical. Now they are not economical, on that scale.

Now of course, "the workers" are "over paid", ie making a living.

 

 

The Germans made very good products, cheaper than the English, French, back when most US products were second class compared to European products.

I can show you a number of "Now" still big brands like Borker, still survive, where the competition from England and France, died, due to too strong a currency. I was going to use Razors; as a base; but you might not know enough know what were very good brands

 

Once German Cloth was inexpensive and highly rated...cheap workers helped that.

 

The Germans also made cheap junk, cheaper than any one else...ie the Japanese/Chinese of the day.

 

For the longest time, Germany was Japan/China...back before Japan made cheaper stuff taking away the German market, and China that now makes cheap stuff.

 

There are a few expensive $200 Chinese pens....I don't know how good they are compared to other $200 dollar pens...

 

Yes, Soennecken, MB, Pelican were and are still good pens...there were many that were Cheap Pens.

Some could not really establish a solid foot hold in Germany and made pens for Export on the whole, like Tropen, Luxor, the colorful Merlin/Ciba Osmia sub brand, and many other pens.

 

 

Yep, in a whole range of products, including pens, Germans made good, middle and cheap products. With a low valued currency, Vs. The Pound, the dollar, German products were often dirt cheap; like Chinese products are today....including pens.

 

You seem to have problems with mine. Naw...don't got to cheat...now worth the time nor money to buy a cheat...snipe program.

Edited May 9, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[Khufu]

More companies:

 

Fend - very rare to find their fountain pens

Mars Staedtler

Herlitz

Rotax

Waldmann (still around)

Goldring-Auhat

Komma

Heiko

Haro (glass nibs)

Kondor

Hebborn

Sphinx

Argument

Sieger

Utilex

Baurichter

Vaccaro (don't know if this is German, saw it on a German pen dealer's site)

Vendex

Nestpen

Kreutzer

Lyra

Raja

Rex Pen

Rodur

Schneider

Imperial (Gerlach & Bezner)

Ripet

 

Hi,

 

Ripet is czechoslovakian prewar brand.

 

http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/48762/2448088540105163080S600x600Q85.jpg

[sheehmi]

The China of Fountain Pens; before China.

 

...............

When they do come up in colors, they are over my budget....dam, I'll end up with more black pens than I know what to do with....

Hi Olson

I am really tired from your incompetent and annoying comments about German pens. Comparing Chinese pens of today with German pens from a century ago shows that you don`t know anything about the German fp history!

And: If you are not able to win an online auction cheap, learn more about bay-sniping. Or better: lift off your Bobo early and purchase some nice pens a local fleamarket or at a pen show in Cologne or Nuremberg.

Kind Regards

Kaweco

I too find "Bo Bo" (any relation to the clown?) offensive in many of his remarks and I have not read all 7,000 of them

[sheehmi]

No mention of (Graf von) Faber Castell? Tsk Tsk

It's up there

[mirosc]

Ero and Reform.

 

Ero has bought Reform and produced with their methods and models.

 

Other manufacturers, not yet mentioned here:

Mutschler

Rupp

Lindauer

Certo

Columbus (Meissner/Lenz)

Linz (Sphinx was one of his brands)

 

Furthermore I've heard from someone the theory that one of his Noodler's pens (I forgot which one) looks identical to one of his old Mutschler pens. As Mutschler supposedly has sold his moulds and models to Asia (so his information) it might be possible that Noodler's is a global European-Asian-American mix-up... But all unconfirmed rumor.

Edited January 11, 2012 by mirosc

[ticoun]

 

Furthermore I've heard from someone the theory that one of his Noodler's pens (I forgot which one) looks identical to one of his old Mutschler pens. As Mutschler supposedly has sold his moulds and models to Asia (so his information) it might be possible that Noodler's is a global European-Asian-American mix-up... But all unconfirmed rumor.

the noodler's piston filler is made from the moulds of the indian Chelpark Maverick, and its styling does look german. it may be what you are talking about.

[Soot]

add one more: REXOR

[ticoun]

adding Osmia to the list.

[Truman]

Cripes, there sure are a lot of German pens! I'm American but of German decent on both sides of the family. That would be a neat area to collect and one with lots of options.

[dex138]

Worther

http://woerthershop_en.system-shop.at/index.php?aktkat=24

 

 

no affiliation. I happened to find a Compact model... a very unique and interesting pen.

Edited January 12, 2012 by dex138

[georges zaslavsky]

very interesting thread

[Kaweco]

Hello Astroix

It`s an ethernal dilemma with thouse kind of lists:

1.) You always will get a mix of manufacturers and their brands.

Your initial question had been about the manufacturers, that is a good beginning because you can go back to the roots. Unfortunately lots of manufacturers are not wellknowen in the public.

a.)Looking for "KAWECO", the name of the producing firm was Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik Koch, Weber and Co 1899 - 1929 (+ sooner and later, see also (2.)). Their best fountainpen, their "flgship" was named KAWECO, it was a brand besides other of their products like HELIOS, SPORT, PERKEO or MERKUR. The KAWECO became a synonyme for an outstanding fp in Germany in the 10th and early 20th. In the late 20th the firm adopted the wellknown name for their own manufactor name (like many others)

b.)OSMIA was the trade mark of Böhler and Cie., there was never a manufacturer named OSMIA, exept Parker- Osmia, the 2 1/2 years cooperation with Parker. Hermann Böhler was a different manufacturer.

c.) Mutschler was mentioned, he actually was a nearly unknown manufacturer but in his best times he produced much more than Lamy. His trade mark was REFORM. Mutschlers very early brand was MUPFI (sounds a little bit childish in Germany and was deleted after a short time) than CERTO

d.) MELBI later SENATOR was made by Merz & Krell

e.) ELYSEE was made by Dummert

f.) Luxor was made by Hebborn and Co

g.) Matador was made by Siebert and Löwen

h.) Tropen was made by Schroeder etc etc

2.) During the decades the firms - or the trade marks only - could be owned by several different people. Especially when the brand was sucessfull and wellknown but the firm was in financial troubles, the brand "moves".This is important to say, because there are mostly basical changes in structure and quality.

a.) "KAWECO" had 4 very different periods: (1)The very old times 1883 - 1889, (2)The Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik Koch, Weber and co 1899 - 1929, (3)The "Kaweco" in Wiesloch, later in Mühlhausen 1929 - 1996 (4) unil today owned by Gutberlet in Nürnberg. The brands were used in different decades and we got a totally confusion.

b.) The best reputation of "Reform" came from their former manufacturers Heinz & Jung. Mutschler purchased the wellknown brand, ERO tool over the producing capcites.

c.) The great traditional brans like Pelikan (producer Günter Wagner) amd MB (former Simplo filler corp.) are now managed by foreign owners. Only LAMY is pure LAMY, the days of the beginning with ORTHOS and ARTUS is unknown. Actually.

3.)Typo faults like //"FARBER"// and wrong informationes, //Rupp made nibs, no fountain pens// must be deleted.

Never trust historical stories of ebbi- sellers

4. ) There is a huge sum of very small unknown brands

Kind Regards

Edited January 12, 2012 by Kaweco

[Kaweco]

Hello Pen Friends

I must confess, I do not post here very much although I am into fountain pens for many years and an early member of this message board. I am not the "chatter" or "small talk" type and would contribute only, when I really have to tell someting. But it really often occurs, that there is an immediately communication breakdown and the thread disappeares very fast to the 3rd basement of the board. Why this? Are those kind of contributiones boring, annoying, too strange or not strange enough, trivial or not trivial enough?

Kind Regards, Thomas

Edited January 15, 2012 by Kaweco

[lightfeather]

Astoria,

Achim Velte

 

I have not seen a good quality pen from Lindauer!