Duke Fp - Id Help, Please

June 1, 2015

I'm a new collector, but old user of fountain pens. I've recently been intrigued by the diversity, appearance, and bang for the buck of the Chinese pens. I've bought a few Jin Hao, Wing Sung, Hero, and recently Duke pens, and was favorably impressed with practically everything I've received. A recent auction purchase arrived, and I can't find any markings except the Duke name at the base of the cap, and a hologram design on the flat top of the pen. I'm hoping you experts in this area can help me with more information, and the model number/name of the pen. It seems to be very well made, with probably a gold painted cap/body, and clip and bands in gold plate. The plating is uniform, and the pen posts nicely to the body, resting on the inner band, as shown.

weight: 31 grams with an empty converter

length: 138 mm

I haven't inked the pen yet, but it has a nice balance, and my prior experience with Duke nibs has been positive. I own a couple of their Esteem models, and a wood grain model 962, and they are all smooth writers, with little or no work out of the box. I'm curious about the approximate date of the pen, as well. Looking forward to some interesting comments.

Harry

June 8, 2015

You might check hisnibs.com or isellpens.com to see if you can match it.

June 10, 2015

Thanks for the links, but I came up empty on them. It seems to have been a short lived model, although I find it a very interesting design.

Harry

June 18, 2015

Are there any collectors for the Duke pens? I own a few, not sure how old any of them are, but a couple were sold as "vintage" on ebay. Did a catalog ever exist on what this factory produced, and does anyone have a copy they can share?

I ask, because the ones I own are very good writers, a bit light weight for my taste, but they are comfortable for long sessions of writing. I have found very little written about them, and am always curious about makers that I find making quality things that I can easily afford.

Hoping the community can help me with some answers....