How Old Is My Pen?

[KeiPlay]

Hi, I am new on this forum, well this is my first post here.

I have over twenty fountain pens, which one of them seems to be pretty old, but in lovely conditions. It's an English ePenco, lever filler and screw cap, I bought it three years ago.

It's a little beauty with that nib (well, it's not supposed to be that long).

Here are some pictures:

So, how old should it be?

And how much is it worth?

Thanks

[KBeezie]

What does the nib look like, are there any specific engravings etc?

 

And worth really depends, if it's a steel nibbed third tier pen, chances are it could be anywhere from $5 to $20 depending on the buyer (less since it seems like it needs to be cleaned and re-sac'd)

[peterg]

I have the same pen Kei, except mine is a darker green and it has a replacement steel nib. I think it dates from the mid 1930's.

 

It is an American pen. Epenco was the low end range from the Eagle Pen(or Pencil?) Company.

Edited November 16, 2015 by peterg

[ISW_Kaputnik]

From what I know, which is not a great deal, Epenco were a somewhat lower end line made by the Eagle Pencil Company. 1930s or maybe a little later. It's an attractive old celluloid, and if it writes well, these old third tier pens are nice to have. Do you have a sac in it? May seem like a silly question, but in your picture with the lever up I'd expect to see part of the sac compressed by the pressure bar and I don't. Maybe just the angle. Anyway, a sac replacement is an easy do it yourself fix if it is necessary.

 

What's it worth? I wouldn't like to get much more specific than "not much money", but that doesn't mean it's not a nice pen. A lot of people collect pens from less prestigious makers like this one precisely because they are attractive without costing too much.

 

As a second thought, you can try search completed auctions on eBay to see what people paid for this brand there. May be a slightly distorted view, but it will give you an idea.

Edited November 16, 2015 by ISW_Kaputnik

[KeiPlay]

No, I don't have a sac for my pen, I don't know which size it fits... But sacs are cheap nowdays. I have a question: Do inc sacs need to be replaced, like tires?

[KeiPlay]

I have the same pen Kei, except mine is a darker green and it has a replacement steel nib. I think it dates from the mid 1930's.

 

It is an American pen. Epenco was the low end range from the Eagle Pen(or Pencil?) Company.

Wow, I'm not the only one Does your ePenco writes well? Is it smooth on the paper? I never used it, because I haven't got a sac for my pen...

[ISW_Kaputnik]

No, I don't have a sac for my pen, I don't know which size it fits... But sacs are cheap nowdays. I have a question: Do inc sacs need to be replaced, like tires?

 

Here's a link on sac replacement. I don't know what size yours would take, but some places sell sample packs of common sizes. If you don't let ink dry out in your pen for a long time, an ink sac should last many years.

[KeiPlay]

Thanks Kaputnik

[peterg]

 

You can always dip the nib to see how it writes. My pen has an Osmiroid 35 that was a fairly standard steel nib. It writes clearly but isn't exciting! Still prefer my gold nibs

[KeiPlay]

Wow, that's really similar to my pen, the cap is a copy of mine, just a different colour

[KeiPlay]

P1050989.JPGP1050988.JPG

 

You can always dip the nib to see how it writes. My pen has an Osmiroid 35 that was a fairly standard steel nib. It writes clearly but isn't exciting! Still prefer my gold nibs

Wait, what? Can I change nibs on mine???

Edited November 16, 2015 by KeiPlay

[Sasha Royale]

The lever-fill system was a great invention. It was durable, inexpensive, and easily serviced. Its debut was in the 1930's. By 1940's to 1950's, there were a lot of lower-end companies using the system in budget-priced, everyday pens. I love 'em ! They put fountain pens into everyone's writing hand. Still available are brands such as Wearever, Penco, Venus, American, Arnold, Tuckersharpe, Criterion, and Windsor. I typically pick up cleaned and re-sac-ed specimens for $10 to $15. As 65-year-old, budget-priced pens, there is some risk.

 

Dried ink is the enemy. It will destroy a sac. I picked up a pitted, and corroded Arnold fountain pen for $4.99 . It dates to the 1950's. Never inked, the sac seems fine. The pen is usable. I think that a pen sac, used frequently and flushed regularly, should last for decades.

 

Yours looks very nice.

 

 

Until you replace the sac, or not, there is no reason that you cannot dip the pen and write with it.

[KeiPlay]

I couldn't stop writing random words on the sheet, it's an unforgettable experience, holding a 90 years old pen and writing.. there are no words to describe it. I use Senator ink, I think it is German, I also have a Senator Windsor. Thank you so much Sasha!

[KBeezie]

Wait, what? Can I change nibs on mine???

In theory with some tinkering if you know the size of it and can perhaps find an old warranted (ie: usually generic) 14K nib that might fit the same size. But fiddling with it too much carries some risk such as cracking the grip or the feed, especially if you don't have the proper tools (knock out blocks etc).

[peterg]

Lever pens date back to around the first world war. Steel nibs date to around 1930.

 

In the vast majority of pens you have a friction seal feed which slides into the section with the nib on top. As a result, provided it matches the size of feed (length, circumference), pretty well any nib can be fitted.

 

My pen has a size 18 sac.

[KeiPlay]

Thankyou.

Btw, is my calligraphy good?

[Drone]

I couldn't stop writing random words on the sheet, it's an unforgettable experience, holding a 90 years old pen and writing.. there are no words to describe it. I use Senator ink, I think it is German, I also have a Senator Windsor. Thank you so much Sasha!P_20151116_211400.jpgP_20151116_211419.jpg

 

That ink is actually Senator rebranded original Pelikan 4001 series ink. It is decent ink...

[KeiPlay]

it's the best ink I ever used.

I use it for my senator Windsor, for filling the DUKE, that uses a converter, and I also got a 22K plated beautiful Jinhao, a really rare pen.

Edited November 18, 2015 by KeiPlay

[KeiPlay]

Here is my Jinhao:

And I've got also an Egoist fountain pen, with the certificate of authenticity and other two nibs.

It has a wood barrel and a really heavy cap, made of iron, with some engraved leaves on it, while the barrel's extremity is also made of iron, but with no leaves. It's an Italian artwork...