What Pen Would My Soldier Use?

[dorothynotgale]

Hello, pen historians. I’m writing a fiction story, and I’m hoping you can help me out with a few period details because while I love the modern pens I have, my knowledge of vintage is practically nil.

What uniform-rules-compliant pen is the most likely choice for a very poor US soldier to have purchased in 1943?

I’ve read up a bit on pens with military clips, but am still rather unclear regarding the prices as they would have stood then. Any recommendations you folks have would be a big help.

So, again: inexpensive pen with military clip available for purchase by US servicemen in 1943. What am I?

Thank you,

~DorothyNotGale

PS: Also, information on where to go to learn about likely inks and the performance of the hypothetical pen for sketching as well as writing purposes would be appreciated.

[OcalaFlGuy]

An Esterbrook Dollar pen. You could even make it a bandless one if he bought it that year for story authenticity.

 

There you go.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Edited June 18, 2013 by OcalaFlGuy

[jar]

Most likely though would be a wooden pencil.

[beak]

I second the pencil suggestion. They were literally dirt cheap, and very widely used. Several forms were common that produced an 'indelible' image, and films of the period will often show such pencils touched to the tongue before writing - to moisten them.

[Wahl]

Agree on the pencil, I doubt any soldier would purchase a FP .

[queenofpens]

See Richard Binder's extensive research and discussion on this topic, and he does mention prices of some of the acceptable pens in addition to details on the uniform regs and the required clip design to meet the regs.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/00_refp.htm

[dorothynotgale]

See Richard Binder's extensive research and discussion on this topic, and he does mention prices of some of the acceptable pens in addition to details on the uniform regs and the required clip design to meet the regs.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/00_refp.htm

Thank you for the link. I've already read Binder's info on military clips, and found it very helpful. My question was more about availability and price, if that makes sense.

[dorothynotgale]

An Esterbrook Dollar pen. You could even make it a bandless one if he bought it that year for story authenticity.

 

There you go.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Thank you! I think I will mosey over to the Esterbrook forum to read up on them.

[Voormas]

Depending on the theater of war it could be a Pelikan 100N with a metal nib instead of a golden one. He could have pilfered the pen from a fallen high-ranking German officer or from an overrun command post. Most German soldiers likely used very soft pencils who would write even on wet paper but in an HQ you might find some FP's for signing orders etc.

[dorothynotgale]

Depending on the theater of war it could be a Pelikan 100N with a metal nib instead of a golden one. He could have pilfered the pen from a fallen high-ranking German officer or from an overrun command post. Most German soldiers likely used very soft pencils who would write even on wet paper but in an HQ you might find some FP's for signing orders etc.

That's a very good idea, and one I hadn't thought of. The European theater is definitely involved, and snatching a pen would add some interesting flavor to the character, so I will consider it. Thank you for your help!

[Chris]

I visited the Government War Rooms last year - they had been closed for forty years and untouched in all that time before being reopened to the public. OK the military staff working in there were not out in the field, but there were (almost) no fountain pens in the displays - either pencils (lead, red and blue) or dip pens (red and black ink).

[NedC]

I visited the Government War Rooms last year - they had been closed for forty years and untouched in all that time before being reopened to the public. OK the military staff working in there were not out in the field, but there were (almost) no fountain pens in the displays - either pencils (lead, red and blue) or dip pens (red and black ink).

That just suggests that the Ministry of Defence weren't supplying them to the staff:) If one had a decent pen I'm sure it went home or to one's billet at the end of every shift.

[northlodge]

Agree on the pencil, I doubt any soldier would purchase a FP .

 

Depends whether he was a US soldier..... according to UK myth they were all wealthy, and of course all over here ;-)

[At Midnight]

It cant have a clip that reflects the sunlight - the flash could give your position away to the snipers.

[NedC]

 

Depends whether he was a US soldier..... according to UK myth they were all wealthy, and of course all over here ;-)

Overpaid, oversexed and over over here, the cheeky buggers.

[Sasha Royale]

Very thoughtful !

 

An officer at headquarters might have his own fountain pen. Still, $1.50 was a

day's pay. In a clerical environment, the US Army provided inkwells and dip pens.

Having sat upon several fountain pens in school, an fp wouldn't survive in the

field. Also, Mom has a letter from Uncle Eddie from Saipan. It was written on the

inside of a waxed carbord, C-ration box, in pencil.

[jar]

Get a copy of Up Front and study it closely.

[Chris]

That just suggests that the Ministry of Defence weren't supplying them to the staff:) If one had a decent pen I'm sure it went home or to one's billet at the end of every shift.

 

You may be right NedC, because of course fountain pens would be expensive items and quite rare, but at least one person was so keen to leave when peace was declared they left their sugar ration in the drawer of their desk! Many other personal items were also on display.

Edited June 19, 2013 by Chris

[dorothynotgale]

Get a copy of Up Front and study it closely.

That's on my list for the next time I make a big Amazon order. My granddad still sings Mauldin's praises (understandable, considering the cartoons of his I've seen), and I really want to learn more about the man.

[Ernst Bitterman]

A pencil is more likely from a cost standpoint, but if he gets it in his head he MUST have a pen ("How else is my girl going to get to see V-Mail? I need ink!"), the Esterbrook Dollar is a good bet. If he gets really extravagant, a Wearever Pacemaker fits the bill at $2.75 with a real gold point, but at that price level, he may well want to go for an actual Duofold ($2.95 at the low end), a Waterman Dauntless (also $2.95) or even a Sheaffer Commandant ($4!!), all of which fit the flap rules.

 

If he's buying in England, there were some economy priced Conway-Stewarts, but I don't know the model numbers well enough to suggest something specific.

Edited June 19, 2013 by Ernst Bitterman