What Is The Oldest Pen In Your Collection?

[Gobblecup]

This John Holland Jewel follows after the Eclipse and the MT Swallow. Dated early '20s in one of his catalogs.

 

 

 

 

But one of my older pens is this Moore Safety, Pat. Sept.8, 1898

 

 

Also have a couple of Edison's that pre-date the Moore, but no pics right now

 

Thank you for sharing that reference!

 

And that's a lovely Moore Safety!

[jbb]

Here's a 19th century writing set. The kind of thing a tourist might have purchased as a memento of their Grand Tour.

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1405/5168944159_83005733de_b.jpg

[stevlight]

I have a Conklin Cresent filler that says on the imprint on the barrel Oct. 28, 01 ---I think that is the patent date--but still pretty old--works great.

Edited October 16, 2011 by stevlight

[DrPJM1]

My earliest are first-year Sheaffer's OS Balance -1929

http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy241/DrMonzon/IMG_1775.jpg

and by the way, I am thoroughly enjoying thatRomeo y Julieta Churchill.

[French]

Compared to some listed here, my oldest is a relative child, an Esterbrook transitional J

[Vintagepens]

How about a Roman stylus in bronze, around 2000 years old?

[pen2paper]

Here's a 19th century writing set. The kind of thing a tourist might have purchased as a memento of their Grand Tour.

 

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1405/5168944159_83005733de_b.jpg

lava?

 

photo please Vintagepen

 

 

[SnowLeopard]

I have two quill pens. The first is a white L-wing pinion swan, the second is an L-wing pinion... ***** feather of exceeding beauty. Btw, both are NOS & very special to me. I just haven't been able to ask their donors/ owners... probably deceased...LOL. The quill knife, I received with these ancient feathers, I'm sure, predates both. They date back, pre- Columbian, I've been told. Their authentication was performed by a major museum curator's team. Can carbon dating be on the slate, I wonder? Perhaps, some day, I'll consider it. I've only written once, a love letter, with the first one. They say, Swans mate for life. They also say that if one dies, the mate never chooses another. I suppose this might be true. The ink contained a certain amount of blood. Of this , I'm quite sure. You ask,... how can I be sure of this? .... I was the donor. Needless to say, I still love her to this second. Got to finish preening. Dinner is at 10 tonight.

Edited October 17, 2011 by SnowLeopard

[kkshadow]

Sheaffer Self-filler, black chased hard rubber, c. mid 1920's. Flexy and wet - very yummy.

[EdBurke]

I have two quill pens from the civil war era tucked into a wooden box that contained my great great grandfathers civil war diary,his 1828 birth certificate and a small number of antebellum coins including an 1827 half dollar which is supposed to be the first half dollar he earned. I have two Holland dip pens that have some sort of ivory colored shafts. One in a spiral design and another that has a long overlay running one-third of the way up the smooth ivory colored shaft. There is also an unnamed dip pen with what is an ivory colored carved feather and a gold ring for the nib to fit into. I have a Waterman BHR with a 1903 patent date and a nib that is unreadable. I also have a few gold-filled mechanical pencils that are probably from around 1912 as my grandfather was in his last year at UI-Pharmacy College at Chicago. He graduated in 1913. Unfortunately his watch, fountain pen and ring were stolen in February 1978 when I was in the graduate program in History at UIUC. Other than that I have a Waterman with a couple of patent numbers with the newest one being a 1905 patent, unfortunately I have not done any research on it among the long lists of patents. The oldest pen I use on a regular basis is a 1925 Parker BHR, I have a Waterman 521/2 in Red Ripple, but I have not used it or any of the other restored 1910s and 1920s pens since I prefer to have those for display only.

 

Rereading this it sounds more impressive than it is.

Ed

 

 

 

 

 

[kestrel]

Absolute oldest is a sterling dip pen reliably dated to before 1840 with a nib of similar vintage. My oldest fountain pens are a near mint MacKinnon Stylograph in its original box dating from the 1870's and a very nice Eagle with its original glass cartridge from the 1890s.

[pen2paper]

Interesting thread, Thanks for sharing your finds, and person history related treasures.

I have a small ring top collection, nothing to brag about, but am always amazed, all over again when I pull out the small gf Wahl that Aaron resacced, and then Susan showed me what the semi-flex feature was capable of producing : ) think ,y Parker rt moire may be a desirable colour, but still not as old, or historically rich as are all of Your contributions. Thanks!

[jbb]

Interesting thread, Thanks for sharing your finds, and person history related treasures.

I have a small ring top collection, nothing to brag about, but am always amazed, all over again when I pull out the small gf Wahl that Aaron resacced, and then Susan showed me what the semi-flex feature was capable of producing : ) think ,y Parker rt moire may be a desirable colour, but still not as old, or historically rich as are all of Your contributions. Thanks!

Those gold filled Wahl ringtops are wonderful writers!

[liapuyat]

I have a Parker Lucky Curve, in black chased hard rubber, that has the patent imprint on the barrel - June 1913. The button filler mechanism no longer works so I use it as a bulb filler. The nib is a firm extra fine.

[lovemy51]

Dollar pen from C H Ingersoll, 1928-9(?), twist nob system.

 

 

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/pens013.jpg

 

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/pens018.jpg

 

made from bakelite.

[richardandtracy]

A 1908 De La Rue, in hard rubber.

Can I ask how you dated your DLR?

I have a couple of Onoto's that are approx 1918-1924, but there is no better way of dating them other than by their overall design that I know of. If you know a better way, I'd love to hear it.

 

I also have a Swan #2 Eyedropper from c1915 & a Blackbird lever filler from c1920. All these early pens are BCHR.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[olivier78860]

A 1908 De La Rue, in hard rubber.

Can I ask how you dated your DLR?

I have a couple of Onoto's that are approx 1918-1924, but there is no better way of dating them other than by their overall design that I know of. If you know a better way, I'd love to hear it.

 

I also have a Swan #2 Eyedropper from c1915 & a Blackbird lever filler from c1920. All these early pens are BCHR.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

I trusted the seller; also, the split feed indicates something really early, which makes me think it's very possible.

[rbadger332]

I have a 1946 Parker Vacumatic Junior. Also happens to be one of my favorites, although that longer I write with my VP, the better it seems to get. It'll certainly give my Vac a run for its money.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Compared to everyone, my old pens are noobies.

 

1929-31 Pelikan clone Black Chased Hard Rubber. Looks just like the 100 from then, no cap ring. I think the ink window would put it at earliest at '31.

 

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/BgMTrDmkKGrHqUH-CMEsNj0IjBLEdKcYTg_12.jpg

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/BgMT3G2kKGrHqMH-CsEsL1SwuF4BLEdtdir_12.jpg

 

Could be though 1940...if so I have three older '38-40 German and three US Wearever from then. A '38 Parker Vac with a '36 Parker Canada factory BB stub.

Edited October 17, 2011 by Bo Bo Olson

[nxn96]

The oldest fountain pen would probably be a Jade Duofold Junior that I think dates from 1927 and an Autopoint pencil from around the same period. Next would be a couple of pre-WWII Vacumatics and Autopoint fountain pens.