Hoover De Luxe

[SmoutKa]

Hi all,

 

I posted this message on the Japanese forum. And they tell me to look here. So, can you help me?

 

Hello,

I have an old pen on my desk. Found it decades ago in a drawer at home.

The barrel says 'Hoover de luxe' and 'fountain pen'.

 

Nib inscription 1st quality 14k 585

Grey striated celluloid, button filler.

 

Dipping tells me it has quite some flex, and writes nicely. It is my only old FP, so I can't compare it.

 

FPN search teaches me: Japanese, 2nd tier brand, or maybe Italian, 3rd tier brand, 1930s?

 

My questions: there is no movement in the button, so it doesn't fill. What should I do?

There is a split in the cap. Must be possible to fix.

 

And last but nog least: I am a curious guy. Could I open the pen myself? I'd love to see what magic the button should perform.

 

Karel

[Beechwood]

Hoover was or is a Chinese pen maker, they were around in the 1980s at least, I bought a Parker 75 Cisele that had been copied by them, it was as useful as a chocolate teapot.

 

However the plastic used on your pen doesnt look Chinese at all so perhaps made elsewhere.

 

A repair to the cracked cap, through the threads, plus the sac repair may cost more than the pen can be worth

[sanpei]

Italian small brand, made in Settimo Torinese, your example looks like to be a early fifty model,

I think ink sac is frozen so pressure bar doesn't move, cap crack can be fixed of course,

necessary bit of time and skill.

[AltecGreen]

SmoutKa, your question is turning out to be a great topic.

 

 

We know have one claim that the pen is Japanese and one that the pen is Italian. Also, someone now says there is a Chinese company making Hoover pens. That makes four different countries with a brand called Hoover (Japan, Italy, Netherlands, China).

 

 

In this case, I'll defer to Sanpei. The pen to me is European and the pen does fit a 1950's Italian pen profile although Dutch pens from this era would have the same look since many were imported from other countries.

 

I now want to see pictures of Hoover's from all four countries. :roflmho:

[SmoutKa]

You know, the problem is: all internet pictures of these pens get hoovered away...

 

SmoutKa, your question is turning out to be a great topic.

 

 

We know have one claim that the pen is Japanese and one that the pen is Italian. Also, someone now says there is a Chinese company making Hoover pens. That makes four different countries with a brand called Hoover (Japan, Italy, Netherlands, China).

 

 

In this case, I'll defer to Sanpei. The pen to me is European and the pen does fit a 1950's Italian pen profile although Dutch pens from this era would have the same look since many were imported from other countries.

 

I now want to see pictures of Hoover's from all four countries. :roflmho:

[rwiker]

I have two Hoover pens: a Hoover 886 button filler in burgundy marble (which I'm guessing to be celluloid), and a Hoover 782 aerometric filler in some sort of black plastic. The latter is in pretty sorry shape, but it is clearly stamped with "Made in Denmark".

 

The plot thickens :-)

[tringle]

I have a Hoover 784, I installed a Sheaffer Feather Touch nib, and this piston filler writes beautifully! I believe this pen is Dutch.

 

Troy

[betweenthelens]

What an amusing mystery. One person says Chinese, another Italian, another Dutch. It is a lovely looking pen.

[sumgaikid]

I would agree with Altec Green--the pen looks Italian to me. Japanese

pens have a certain look about them that distinctly says it's Japanese.

Also too,the nib would probably be steel and have a V-shaped cutout

for the "hole" instead of the round or heart-shaped hole. Finally,the

celluloid used wouldn't be typical of Japanese pens of the 50's--Italians

yes;Japanese no.

 

 

 

John

[MarcShiman]

I'm not sure I'd say Italian - its rare that you see "Deluxe" as a description or the words "Fountain Pen" on an Italian made pen, particularly from a small shop. My guess is Danish (not Dutch). It sort of has that English Parker Duofold shape that so many Danish pens looked like, and the plastic was something Penol used quite a bit.

 

By the way, that split looks like it is the seam. It can be fixed, BUT - very expensive relative to the value of the pen, and it will probably make it impossible to ever post the pen, and you'll have to be very careful tightening the cap again. There are probably better pens worth investing in.

Edited January 21, 2014 by MarcShiman

[SmoutKa]

Nice to see the thread revives!

the fact that one of you has a similar pen, stamped 'Denmark' is a real clue, I suppose. But then again: I am Dutch, my family is Dutch, and apart from a couple of relatives in US, Canada en Australia, I have very little reason to expect international influences. Denmark might be rather close to Holland, but I do not have any connection or any product I am aware of, that is related to Denmark...

 

Can you please post pictures of your 'Hoovers'?

[rwiker]

Top: Hoover 782, black, aerometric-style filler. Broken clip, and a piece missing from the cap lip.

Bottom: Hoover 886, black and burgundy marble, button filler. Reasonably good condition.

 

 

 

 

Nibs: 14K warranted nibs:

 

 

Made in Denmark:

 

[rwiker]

I have no idea why the top two pictures ended came out upside-down. To anybody who wonders about what sort of color-blindness I might have, here's the explanation.

[SmoutKa]

Definitely the same brand: Not only the brandname, but also the font is identical.

It looks like the black one is hard-rubber, the others are celluloid.

 

One vote for China (but as a reference to an 80s copycat-brand - not exactly what this pen appears to be)

Some hint for Japan.

Two votes for Dutch

A vote for Italian

Two votes for Danish

 

Nice puzzle. The evidence for Danish clearly stands out: Two pens with the same brand and style, one of them stamped 'made in Denmark'.

So, Danish it is - until and unless better evidence is brought in, supporting another claim.

[bigben]

Here are the facts: Hoover pens were made exclusively for Miller Pen Co. in Denmark. Pens were made by Mertz und Krell (later Senator) and Osmia and imported to Denmark under the Brand name Hoover.

Miller Pen Co also sold pens with brand name Miller Pen, Orion and London.

Edited April 13, 2014 by bigben

[rwiker]

Here are the facts: Hoover pens were made exclusively for Miller Pen Co. in Denmark. Pens were made by Mertz und Krell (later Senator) and Osmia and imported to Denmark under the Brand name Hoover.

Miller Pen Co also sold pens with brand name Miller Pen, Orion and London.

Interesting - thanks!

 

I was guessing that there might be a connection between Orion and Hoover, as I've seen pictures of an Orion that had a close-to-identical clip to that of my Hoover 886.

 

The Big Ben pens (also Danish) are related to Penol, I think?

[SmoutKa]

Here are the facts: Hoover pens were made exclusively for Miller Pen Co. in Denmark. Pens were made by Mertz und Krell (later Senator) and Osmia and imported to Denmark under the Brand name Hoover.

Miller Pen Co also sold pens with brand name Miller Pen, Orion and London.

Hi bigben,

Interesting! Looks like we finally got some hard information here!

But, since quite some answers had been brought in already - I wonder if you know even more? Maybe some info, wiki or site on the fate of these brands? Where did you find your information?

 

SmoutKa

[bigben]

Interesting - thanks!

 

I was guessing that there might be a connection between Orion and Hoover, as I've seen pictures of an Orion that had a close-to-identical clip to that of my Hoover 886.

 

The Big Ben pens (also Danish) are related to Penol, I think?

No - BigBen is not related to Penol. BigBens were fabricated/imported by Benzon Trading Company in Copenhagen.

Edited April 15, 2014 by bigben

[bigben]

Hi bigben,

Interesting! Looks like we finally got some hard information here!

But, since quite some answers had been brought in already - I wonder if you know even more? Maybe some info, wiki or site on the fate of these brands? Where did you find your information?

 

SmoutKa

I m one of the authors to the book about Montblanc in Denmark and the danish penmarket 1914-1992: www.sternschanze.dk

Edited April 15, 2014 by bigben

[bigben]

Here are the facts: Hoover pens were made exclusively for Miller Pen Co. in Denmark. Pens were made by Mertz und Krell (later Senator) and Osmia and imported to Denmark under the Brand name Hoover.

Miller Pen Co also sold pens with brand name Miller Pen, Orion and London.