The Royal Rotary Fountain Pen

[Fuzzyman]

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8461/7987131079_113b4ca008_o.png

 

Earlier this year I found this "Rotary" fountain pen at a flea market. I picked it up along with a couple of Sheaffer cartridge pens for $2. The barrel had an odd white crust on it which I was able to clean off, though it did leave the barrel with some discoloration. It looks like it might have a subtle texture to it, but really it's just staining.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8306/7987140056_d3d017ee47.jpg

 

Now, I have some mad Google skills but I could find no information about this pen. No mention of it on FPN. Nothing on eBay. No information on a Rotary pen company. The pen was made in the USA and based on the color and style of the cap I guessed the pen came from the sixties, but I couldn't be sure. The pointed cap made me wonder if it was a Parker 51 knockoff. It was a mystery!

 

One thing for sure, the semi-hooded nib was a little odd. Almost like they couldn't decide. "Hooded or not? How about sort of hooded?"

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8322/7987140286_51e87b47d3.jpg

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7987140218_0ecd875c25.jpg

 

I filled the bladder with PR Midnight Blues and it puts down a nice, fine line. Surprisingly, it's also one of those pens I can put aside for a week (or two) and it starts right up.

 

I've been using the pen on and off all summer. I figured it was about time for me to post some pictures and find out if anyone on FPN knew what this was. But not before I did one last Google search. And look what I found!

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8177/7987131497_fab3a69324_o.png

 

Now, this doesn't tell me a whole lot except that it was cheap and was probably made in the mid-sixties. That would be a guess since I have no idea how long this model was produced. There were similar ads in the same Sarasota, FL newspaper for Rotary pens going back to 1961, though the style was different with a more traditional nib. My pen was found in New Hampshire, so I doubt that mine came from Badger's. I haven't found any information on a Royal pen company from that era either. So the pen is still a bit of a mystery.

 

Any ideas?

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8450/7987140164_d320a1a0a5_c.jpg

Edited September 15, 2012 by Fuzzyman

[Tberry010]

I can't help with the id but am curious: Is it a lever filler? Does it hold more ink than a 'standard' lever pen of the same era?

[Fuzzyman]

  On 9/15/2012 at 5:52 PM, Tberry010 said:

I can't help with the id but am curious: Is it a lever filler? Does it hold more ink than a 'standard' lever pen of the same era?

No, it's aero-metric with a sac and pressure bar inside. The sac is grey rubber. I don't have any non-catridge pens from that ere besieds this one, but the sac is definitely larger than the ones on my current and NOS Hero and Wing Sung pens.

 

Actually, the insides of the pen threw me off at first, because everything was so clean and shiny. I haven't opened many old pens before, so I'm not sure if that is normal, but it looked to me like it had never been used.

[CAG_1787]

It is weird that there is absolutely no readily available information on a company that obviously produced some significant quantities of pens. Odd, very odd.

[Fuzzyman]

Here are some earlier ads for the same brand of pen. My guess is that you couldn't get the pen for free if you found it for less than $5 any place else in town, because nobody else sold it.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7989434215_fe637677c9_o.png

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8032/7989440422_87ef77d3a9_o.png

 

I guess there was a little inflation between 1957 and 1960. This looks like it could also be the same model pen as mine, but it's hard to tell from this image. Also, the name is "Conklin" but I guess that means that Royal was the actual brand.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7989440540_d720d19fc9_o.png

[Fuzzyman]

Still no luck finding out anything about this pen. Based on the ads I would hope to find more, since they must have been in business for at least ten years. Maybe the they changed the brand for different retailers to ensure that the pen couldn't found anywhere else in the city for the same price. Sold as the Rotary in Pensacola and as something else three towns over.

[Fuzzyman]

Okay, I may have hit paydirt. I was just inspired to search for key phrases in the ad copy and found these very similar ads. In this case I search for "pen holds more ink than any ordinary pen on the market."

 

(Sorry for the links, I can't post images to Flickr from my current location).

 

1939: No brand! But the same sales pitch.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19390831&id=01shAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CIgFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2846,5545241

 

1957: Vue-All brand?

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1697&dat=19571023&id=NeUcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zEUEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1214,5035589

And an FPN link to a Vue-All pen posting. Progesss!

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/4003-vue-all-fountain-pen/

 

1957: Tuckersharpe brand:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1964&dat=19570105&id=_vwiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bM0FAAAAIBAJ&pg=892,769993

And an FPN posting:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/93215-question-about-tucker-sharpe-fountain-pen/

 

In that posting, Richard said:

"Tuckersharpe was founded by Percy Tucker in 1952 and lasted at least into the 1970s. The company was located in Richmond, Virginia. They made cheap pens targeted primarily for promotional use."

 

Could Tuckersharpe be the manufactuer of all these pens? The ad copy and pitch are remarkably similar. Also, the metal "PRESS" lever in this posting looks almost exactly like mine:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/207071-interesting-tuckersharpe-fountain-pen/

Edited October 4, 2012 by Fuzzyman

[Fuzzyman]

From Richard's web site:

 

Tuckersharpe (Tuckersharpe Pen Company, Inc.) A pen manufacturer located in Richmond Virginia; founded in 1952 by Percy A. Tucker, with himself as president, Raymond L. Scott as vice president, Robert J. Steinle as advettising manager, and Barnett Feldman as sales manager. The company produced third-tier fountain and ballpoint pens as well as mechanical pencils, including licensed Roy Rogers ballpoint pens during the 1950s. In 1960, the U.S. Tobacco Company acquired Tuckersharpe and began using its pens for advertising various tobacco produce such as Bruton Sweet Snuff. The company operated well into the 1970s, largely on the success of its 39¢ Tucker Mustang ballpoint. Tuckersharpe fountain pens were slip-cap lever-fillers that featured a clear plastic gripping section. Screw-out nib units, also of clear plastic, were interchangeable with Esterbrook nibs.

[Cain]

Hello, Fuzzyman. I've just bid on a Rotary pen almost exactly like yours, but I was wondering as to the condition of the rubber sac. Has it held up since you last posted, and are there any readily available contemporary sacs that would fit? The seller claims the sac is in good condition, but I'd like to take no chances.

[sethk]

I've got a Rotary as well--a slightly older model, perhaps, judging from the ads here. It came with a lot I purchased, and writes much better than the other 3rd tier and unknown pens in the bunch.

 

Cain, mine appears to have the original sac, and it has held up quite well.

 

Edited July 23, 2013 by sethk

[yiams]

I just found a Rotary almost identical to the photos you posted. Mine appears to be a little deeper green, however. Yours appears to be in better shape. It appears the bladder on mine was glued to the nib section and not glued too well. Just came apart. Has anyone found or used something as a replacement bladder? another type of cartridge or converter?

 

Thank you,

 

Randy

[rwilsonedn]

  On 3/4/2015 at 1:19 PM, yiams said:

I just found a Rotary almost identical to the photos you posted. Mine appears to be a little deeper green, however. Yours appears to be in better shape. It appears the bladder on mine was glued to the nib section and not glued too well. Just came apart. Has anyone found or used something as a replacement bladder? another type of cartridge or converter?

 

Thank you,

 

Randy

 

You should be able to pick up a replacement sac easily from any of several sources that sell them. Check the repair forum for more info.

ron