German Ero

[Bo Bo Olson]

As always great info, Thomas.

I always have trouble remembering the name Mutschler, which you told me about.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[betweenthelens]

Hi Thomas. Thanks so much for the wealth of information (on Goethe as well as on ERO pens) you've provided as well as the photographs of stunning pens. Alas, I am not responsible for the translation of Die Leiden des jungen Werther from German to English.

 

How fortunate you are to have visited Buff's home. I, too, would've been moved by being in such a place. Sometimes, the psychic residue is almost palpable (but I don't mean this in a hokey, New Age way.)

 

When did ERO cease production, and when the brand was taken over by Senator, did the latter still manufacture pens with the ERO name?

 

Thanks again!

 

Hello "betweenthelens"

BTW, an interesting translation of the title from "Die Leiden des jungen Werther". I am far away being a translator but I do not think that I would use the word "sorrow" for the German term "Leiden" . Perhaps I would use suffer, pain or (extremely) tortures. Werther had been the "alter ego" of Goethe himself and Lotte had been Charlotte Buff, one his many girlfriends who he never had been able to come into touch. Her parents prohibited the connection because Goethe had been neither rich nor noble enough for a possible marriage. It must have been downstriking for Goethe. Some years ago I visited the house in Wetzlar/ Germany, where Carlotte Buff had been living. It was really touching to breath the historic air, where "Werther" had been kicked out...and suffered so much. ......Until the next chance came along.

But, sorry, this is a message bord for fountain pens......Yes, ERO is a really nice trademark and the pen you own has a characteristic and successful ERO pattern. After ERO had been taken over by Senator, they kept on making fountain pens in the same pattern. ERO itself had been the follower of Reform (Heinz & Jung) in the ealy 50th, the trademark with its best reputation had been sold to Mutschler.

pic 1 Vintage ERO in red celluloid

pic 2 Colored transparent and eggshell white colored EROs. The shape and the clip reminds very closely to the Pelikan 140, so many collectors think about a sub- label to the producer from Hannover

pic 3 Modern set, possibly one of the last ERO products

Kind Regards

Thomas

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[WrightWrite]

Wow! You're a nibmeister? I like the ink, too. What shade?

I wouldn't go that far. I just saw the basics on how to do it, and figured it was worth a shot, since there's a stone here at the store.

 

That's Akkerman #11 Treves Turquoise. The bottle leaked in shipping, so it's turned into one of our test inks.

 

I had two of these, one just black with a blue ink window, the other red with same blue ink window (but slightly different piston assembly).

Very nice. now I know what my clip is supposed to look like.

[Kaweco]

Hello

ERO was founded in 1958. 2 years after Reform (old) had closed their doors Erich Rodensteiner (= ERo) who had been making celluloid and plastic articles like combes or other EDC stuff came from Ober- Ramstadt to Nieder- Ramstadt (council of Darmstadt/ Germany) and took over the old Reform factory. You can see some pics here:

http://www.muehltal-odenwald.de/geschich/nr/gewerbe/reform.html

ERO ceased production before 1986. Senator did not use the name ERO. The factory halls had been transformed into housings. You can see 2 pics of the old factory here. It is the page of an architect who converted the old industrial architecture into modern living rooms. I like the old iron carriers. (click on the cubes in the middle of the page)

http://www.a-thede.de/en/projekte/architektur/wohnprojekte/kugelschreiberfabrik_ober_ramstadt

Not all of the machinery had gone to trash....a former worker and interrelated of the owner`s family gave me his old turnery machine:

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/Thomasnr/fuumllGeraumlte_zpsf5867a55.jpg

kind Regards

Thomas

Edited July 28, 2014 by Kaweco

[Dickkooty2]

The transformation of the old factory has been very nicely done. I am always glad to see repurposing of an old mill or factory rather than it's destruction!

Edited July 28, 2014 by Dickkooty2

[betweenthelens]

Hello

ERO was founded in 1958. 2 years after Reform (old) had closed their doors Erich Rodensteiner (= ERo) who had been making celluloid and plastic articles like combes or other EDC stuff came from Ober- Ramstadt to Nieder- Ramstadt (council of Darmstadt/ Germany) and took over the old Reform factory. You can see some pics here:

http://www.muehltal-odenwald.de/geschich/nr/gewerbe/reform.html

ERO ceased production before 1986. Senator did not use the name ERO. The factory halls had been transformed into housings. You can see 2 pics of the old factory here. It is the page of an architect who converted the old industrial architecture into modern living rooms. I like the old iron carriers. (click on the cubes in the middle of the page)

http://www.a-thede.de/en/projekte/architektur/wohnprojekte/kugelschreiberfabrik_ober_ramstadt

Not all of the machinery had gone to trash....a former worker and interrelated of the owner`s family gave me his old turnery machine:

 

kind Regards

Thomas

 

Thomas, thank you so much, once again, for the history of ERO and for the great photo and links. Much, much appreciated!

I wouldn't go that far. I just saw the basics on how to do it, and figured it was worth a shot, since there's a stone here at the store.

 

That's Akkerman #11 Treves Turquoise. The bottle leaked in shipping, so it's turned into one of our test inks.

 

Very nice. now I know what my clip is supposed to look like.

Well, it's a lot nicer than I could do, than I've done (with my Ahab). I love Akkerman ink. I have Passage Blauw.

[WrightWrite]

It was working great, until the cork plunger broke.

 

 

Now I'll have to see about having one made, or trying to make one myself.

[Albinoni]

Beautiful pen indeed, and always love German made stuff, one of my dream cars is a V12 Merc AMG.

 

Btw is that Iroshizuku Yama Budo ink your using, looks like it.

[betweenthelens]

It was working great, until the cork plunger broke.

 

Ero Broke.jpg

 

Now I'll have to see about having one made, or trying to make one myself.

 

Oh no! That's not a good thing. Let me know how it goes, either way. Can you replace that with plastic?

Beautiful pen indeed, and always love German made stuff, one of my dream cars is a V12 Merc AMG.

 

Btw is that Iroshizuku Yama Budo ink your using, looks like it.

Thanks so much, and you are correct; it is yama-budo. It's funny you posted this now as I'm cleaning the pen out this morning and it's taking forever to get a clear stream of water. In fact, I've filled it up and am letting it sit for a while.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Cork is the best.

 

Sand to fit, file the hole out, boil in paraffin and bees wax, then a coat of silicon grease..

Marshall & Oldfield in their second edition of the book Pen Repair, says cork is the best. Even suggest if a '50's MB needs gasket repair, replace the plastic gasket with cork.

 

If you don't want to take the trouble....try a third class repair with a few O rings....you will have to take the pen apart every year or so to re-grease the O rings with silicon grease.

Edited August 13, 2014 by Bo Bo Olson

[betweenthelens]

Cork is the best.

 

Sand to fit, file the hole out, boil in paraffin and bees wax, then a coat of silicon grease..

Marshall & Oldfield in their second edition of the book Pen Repair, says cork is the best. Even suggest if a '50's MB needs gasket repair, replace the plastic gasket with cork.

 

If you don't want to take the trouble....try a third class repair with a few O rings....you will have to take the pen apart every year or so to re-grease the O rings with silicon grease.

Thanks for that. I had no idea. All I know is that my Bayard Safety had a cork seal in need of replacement and I was distraught. (Not terribly so, though; it's all relative. I just wanted to use it right then and there and did not want to have to send it out for repair. However, framebaer on here did an outstanding job replacing the cork, with, I assume, cork.)

[Bo Bo Olson]

I think it's worth re-corking. don't have to worry about it for another couple of generations if used often.

 

The problem is when a pen has sat a generation or so in the back of the drawer. I've got a couple like that, a few Zombied, after soaking for 1 week (one day don't do the trick), got to hold ink. But they need to be filled with water or ink all the time until I find time to re-cork.

[H1N]

HELLO ppl

In my member title, says (near mint) what does it mean exactly?

[lreiley]

• The first posted green ero is exactly like a pen my daughter just got me at an antique market in Italy. In showing it to me, she unscrewed the piston and part of it separated and fell closer to the nib. Anyone have any experience remedying that problem. Would a paperclip do the trick? Is it unuable now? She was so excited to find it...then...

[betweenthelens]

 

• The first posted green ero is exactly like a pen my daughter just got me at an antique market in Italy. In showing it to me, she unscrewed the piston and part of it separated and fell closer to the nib. Anyone have any experience remedying that problem. Would a paperclip do the trick? Is it unuable now? She was so excited to find it...then...

 

Do you mean that the piston has come loose and is visibly sliding inside of the clear section? I hope some Ero experts chime in here. Good luck!

[mhguda]

I am far from an Ero expert, having only encountered one. It was a PiF from Kbeezie; he may know more and be able to help you.

However I thought if you turn the pen upside down, won't the parts sort of sit together again? and if you then reverse the movement that unscrewed the piston, might it not re-engage and come back together?

One other thing with this pen: mine has a nib unit that unscrews, like with Esties. I use it to fill the pen, since its piston is definitely broken - but it still closes off the ink reservoir. And I can move the piston up and down. (but not use it to fill the pen).

[lreiley]

Yes, betweenthelens-that's exactly what happened!

I'll try that Mghuda-I won't get to see it until she gets back from "study" abroad mid December. It seemed to come apart so easily that I feel like it should go back together easily, right?

Edited September 29, 2014 by lreiley

[betweenthelens]

Yes, betweenthelens-that's exactly what happened!

I'll try that Mghuda-I won't get to see it until she gets back from "study" abroad mid December. It seemed to come apart so easily that I feel like it should go back together easily, right?

 

I would think it is fixable. I believe very few pens are beyond repair; it just depends how much money you want to put into it.

How lovely for your daughter to have the opportunity to study abroad.

Keep us posted on here as to how you make out with the repair.

[lreiley]

Well, the pen and my daughter have arrived, and in trying to fix it, I made it worse . Now I can't screw the broken part of the plunger all the way into the pen. Here is a pic..

[whych]

Well, the pen and my daughter have arrived, and in trying to fix it, I made it worse . Now I can't screw the broken part of the plunger all the way into the pen. Here is a pic..

Either the piston shaft has broken off or the seal has come off the end.

The back end of the filler mechanism that you can see at the back of the body is push fit like the Pelikan M200/400.