Soennecken Safety Pen

[chunya]

Hi,

 

I've just picked up this Soennecken safety pen and would like to pick your brains.

 

First, does anyone recognise the model? I've done a search and found one where it is being described 'possibly' a 510

 

Secondly, the only indication that it is a Soennecken is the nib, then is no maker's name imprinted on the barrel, instead it has an imprint that reads:

 

'Eichendorff' and then 'Sepp Schier Wien I'

 

Eichendorff seems to be a name, but the significance of the rest? Can anyone help?

 

Finally, the cap band are a lovely gold plate, but the clip seems to be chrome, so I imagine that it is a replacement.

 

It writes well, and the nib retracts very smoothly.

 

Thanks in advance

 

 

 

Edited May 23, 2015 by chunya

[JLS1]

Well, I can't help with the model, but "Sepp Schier" appears to have been a stationary store in Vienna. (See here:http://www.fold3.com/document/311074230/)

 

My guess is that Eichendorff is probably the name of the person who bought the pen from the aforementioned store.

 

It's a beautiful pen, BTW. Soennecken pens are rare, but their safety pens are rarer still...use it well!

Edited May 24, 2015 by JLS1

[chunya]

Well, I can't help with the model, but "Sepp Schier" appears to have been a stationary store in Vienna. (See here:http://www.fold3.com/document/311074230/)

 

My guess is that Eichendorff is probably the name of the person who bought the pen from the aforementioned store.

 

It's a beautiful pen, BTW. Soennecken pens are rare, but their safety pens are rarer still...use it well!

Very many thanks for that link, and a very interesting doument, and that certainly answers the question of the inscription.... but it did make me wonder what an 'illegal' member of the NSDAP was.

[pavoni]

Hi chunya,

 

I have a small collection of Sonenneken piston-fillers so, whilst I can't help with identifying your Safety, I can confirm that your pen cannot be a 510.

 

I have both a 510 and a 510S. The 500 series were piston-fillers, introduced around 1937-8 and were Soennecken's second generation piston-fillers after the 1306 models.

 

The cap on your pen pictured, and it's cap top, is exactly the same as on my 510, though the teardrop clip is wrong for this cap. I therefore suspect the cap is wrong for your pen.

 

I don't recognise that particular clip among my 44 pens but that isn't to say it might not be right for a Soennecken Safety (in Soennecken I only collection piston-fillers).

 

The nib is beautiful but unfortunately I think it might be wrong for a Soennecken Safety. I only have nibs with this particular inscription on my 1950s Soennecken pens. On all my 1930s and 40s pens the inscription is arranged differently. Soennecken had ceased making Safety pens in 1939.

 

The great news is that the pen works and writes well. Soennecken nibs make for excellent writers and yours looks as though it will be exactly that, so enjoy.

 

I have some old Soennecken catalogues somewhere but (and annoyingly), I can't seem to locate them at the moment. I am currently auditing my collection to post on FPN so, just as soon as I am able, I will see if the catalogues show the Soennecken Safety pens.

 

Pavoni.

Edited May 24, 2015 by pavoni

[chunya]

Hi Pavoni,

 

I was hoping that you might chip in, knowing your extensive knowledge and collection. After posting I searched 510s and, as you say, they were pistons.

Possibly it was cobbled together after the war, or maybe over the years had parts replaced after suffering damage ... The clip doesn't fit perfectly, the ring seems a little too narrow.

Again, thanks a lot for your input.

 

Just occured to me, that because of the siting of the thread high up inside the cap, it would suggest that it was made for a safety, so the cap would also be from 1939 or before?

Edited May 24, 2015 by chunya

[pavoni]

Hi chunya,

 

Interesting point about how high up inside the cap tube the threads are on this cap. I haven't paid much attention to threads in the past.

 

I have just checked my 510(s) and MB's from the same period. I have also looked at my Waterman Safety for comparison (the only Safety pens I have). Whilst the threads in these Soenneckens are quite high up, they are not as high up in as on my Waterman Safety. If yours are as high up in, then the cap tube may well be for a Safety pen and therefore 1939 or before. Either way, it would accommodate that lovely nib.

 

The cap top is classic 500 series, short as opposed to the earlier more elegant taller ones on the 1306 and which I would have thought might be on the Safety pens. However, like the earlier tall cap tops, the early versions of the 400 series cap tops had Soennecken's famed eagle inscribed/stamped on it (where MB would have had its white star). The later ones were blank, which I would respectfully suggest is another indicator that the cap is wrong, despite the threads!

 

I must admit however, that, despite being convinced the nib is from another decade, I am intrigued by the fact that the nib retracts smoothly.

 

I must find my catalogues and will get back to you as soon as I have.

 

Pavoni.

[Z-Tab]

My Soennecken collection is miniscule compared to yours, Pavoni, but the placement of the "14 Karat" text makes me think that it might be original. There's an 820 on the big auction website now that appears to have that same style nib.

 

The cap is an interesting mystery. Soennecken made quite a lot of models, with many variations even among the same model line and number. It may be impossible to get a precise match without having a chance to swap it onto another pen.

 

I would guess that the pen is in the 810-820 series. Measurements might make it possible to narrow it down from there.

[chunya]

Thank you, both, for your much appreciated input. I've taken a couple more pics, and they do show just how high the threads are. The photo looking down into it is from the top with clip and cap top removed. Although it looks as if someone has had two attempts at machining the thread.

I've also taken a shot of the cap top, and I can almost convince myself that there is the remains of a figure to be seen, but it's amazing what you can see when you really want to.

The length, capped, is a fraction under 13cm. ... someone has been nibbling at it at some point.

 

 

 

[pavoni]

Hi Z-Tab and chunya,

 

Great additional pictures and I can now see that I was wrong about the cap top. The cap top is ribbed! The double threading inside the cap tube is another bit of intrigue! I was going to do some work today but.....this is much more fun

 

I have a picture from a 1935 catalogue showing the excellent Rheingold button-fillers (1900 series?) with the same nib inscription as yours (crown with parallel Sonnecken, Bonn) so, most certainly it was the case that your nib was around since....1930? and, as the Safety pens are supposed to have ended production in 1939, a good point for that nib and barrel. However, I've just had a look on Penboard.de site for you and, whilst there is a 1922 Safety 205 (barrel engraved) with a different nib inscription there, there is a 1922 Safety 816 ("worn imprints") with the same nib inscription as yours. Also on Penboard's site is a 1932 pushbutton-filler with the same nib. So, whilst that cap is wrong the nib and barrel you have look good to be together....

 

I suspect that Z-Tab is probably right on the model (nice pen on e-bay). As for a lack of inscription on the barrel, unfortunately this happened on Soennecken pens from time-to-time (annoyingly). Either way, an interesting pen you have there.

 

The great thing is that it writes and retracts well. But then Soennecken quality, certainly during this period, could always be relied upon.

 

Pavoni.

Edited May 24, 2015 by pavoni

[chunya]

Found this one on the Bay, being sold in Bulgaria

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161684676691?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[pavoni]

Nice spot chunya.

 

How does it compare to yours?

 

You know, I quite like the look of these Soennecken Safety pens, and I bet they had an interesting and successful history! Might just start adding them to my collection of Soennecken piston-fillers

 

Pavoni.

 

P.S. Forgot to say, I was looking on Google last night (Soennecken Safety Pens) and quite a number of pictures out there of Soennecken pens. Among which were some of my own! And I spotted your avatar!! I was stupidly surprised at my findings............old age?

Edited May 25, 2015 by pavoni

[chunya]

Hi Pavoni,

 

Hard to say from those photos, but apart from the clip (mine I'm sure is certainly a replacement) the cap, barrel and nib look pretty much the same as mine, although his looks slightly longer (but impossible to say for certain) .... I think (apart from the clip) mine looks nicer, but I would say that!

They are nice pens ... well, as I've only the one, this is a nice pen and such a lovely nib. Having said that, I did win a Tower on Ebay last night for what I think was a good price ... it's coming from that part on the map that says 'Here be Dragons' ... so it could take a while to arrive.

I picked up a Simplo last week, and that has a lovely nib ... I really do love my old pens.

Back to the cricket...

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have what I think is a Soennecken (Wet noodle Bonn 4 but in a different place), because of the nib and the cap band....with no inscription at all...piston pen.

Edited May 25, 2015 by Bo Bo Olson

[JLS1]

Hi Pavoni,

 

Hard to say from those photos, but apart from the clip (mine I'm sure is certainly a replacement) the cap, barrel and nib look pretty much the same as mine, although his looks slightly longer (but impossible to say for certain) .... I think (apart from the clip) mine looks nicer, but I would say that!

They are nice pens ... well, as I've only the one, this is a nice pen and such a lovely nib. Having said that, I did win a Tower on Ebay last night for what I think was a good price ... it's coming from that part on the map that says 'Here be Dragons' ... so it could take a while to arrive.

I picked up a Simplo last week, and that has a lovely nib ... I really do love my old pens.

Back to the cricket...

 

Ah, so that was you who won the Tower Superior? It looked like a really nice pen and I'm glad to see it's going to a good home...

 

I have what I think is a Soennecken (Wet noodle Bonn 4 but in a different place), because of the nib and the cap band....with no inscription at all...piston pen.

 

Post some pictures and we might be able to identify it...or at least drool over someone else's Sonnecken!

[chunya]

 

Ah, so that was you who won the Tower Superior? It looked like a really nice pen and I'm glad to see it's going to a good home...

 

 

Hi JLS1,

 

Yes ...... If it' s the same one I only got sight of it minutes before the end of the auction, and I was a little worried that it looked 'too good', possibly over-restored ... but decided to go for it, and I'll find out when it arrives ... fingers crossed!

[chunya]

The Tower pen arrived today .... amazingly quick as well.

It certainly seems to be a nice pen. The seller stated in the listing that an engraving had been removed, and he seems to have done a really impressive job.

On the turning knob it has a 3 imprint, on the other side of the ribbed section is a B ... I assume that the B means Broad, but what is the 3? Any ideas? Is this maybe the size of the pen, did these not come in 3 sizes?

 

 

 

[pavoni]

Congratulations on your new pen chunya and another great pen for your collection..

 

Whilst I have seen the odd Tower on e-bay, this is the closest I have been to one. Always liked the look of them. From the pictures it looks to be a sizeable pen.

 

Not sure what the '3' on the turning knob would be in relation to but I would guess you are right and it is simply to do with the model size! Seems reasonable to assume the Tower pens might have come in 3 sizes (small medium and large) a bit like the Soennecken 111 and 222 series (Extra, Superior and Lady)....perhaps?

 

There doesn't seem to be a lot of information on these Soennecken Tower pens. Hopefully one of our Scandinavian members can chip in. Seems they would make for an interesting collection, particularly if the collection were supplemented with some catalogues.

 

Please let us know as and when you find out what that number is for. In the meantime, enjoy

 

Pavoni.

[chunya]

Thanks Pavoni ... and apologieds for the photos, by the time I arrived home the skies had darkened (the same skies that saved England at Headingley) so very little natural light.

I did find this on the FPN ... seems there were four Towers.

http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/index.php?/topic/4321-the-tower-soennecken-sub-brand-for-sweden/

[pavoni]

Wow! Thanks for the link chunya. A great start to the day, learning something new about such pens.

[chunya]

Two years later I'm resurrecting this topic and possibly feeling a little foolish. I was using this Soennecken yesterday when a friend called and commented on how interesting the pen was. I then went off on a mini and mild rant about what a shame it was that it had the wrong clip blah ... blah... blah. He asked to look at it, commented that the clip didn't sit right (which I knew), but then went on to suggest I just remove the clip as it may never have had one. I did just that and lo and behold, the whole thing now fits together perfectly ..... I believe, although I may be wrong, this was intended to be clipless.

 

Edited August 1, 2017 by chunya