Onoto? De La Rue?

[shufen]

Hello there,

 

I have read through the online history of DLR and also Onoto but, I am still not quite sure, if DLR pens were marketed under Onoto, how come we have vintage pens with only "The De La Rue Pen" marking and without the word Onoto?

 

I am confused. Or, in actuality they were two different companies? I need enlightenment. Many thanks.

 

 

[barriep]

"Onoto" was the brand name introduced by De La Rue for their plunger self-filling pens in 1905. These pens used patents bought by De La Rue and their plunger filling pens were probably the first effective self-filling pens at a time when almost all fountain pens had to be filled by an eyedropper. There is information on the history of Onoto pens on the modern Onoto company website: onoto.com. It seems that the name "Onoto" had no meaning but was just chosen because it was easy to remember and pronounce in many languages. As the Onoto brand became successful pens began being called "Onoto The Pen". This was typically the first line in the imprint with "DeLaRue & Co Ltd London" as the second line of the imprint.

[richardandtracy]

Think of Onoto as a brand owned by T. De La Rue, but not all pens made by TDLR were branded 'Onoto'.

 

I think I remember reading somewhere that pens used within the TDLR company were not branded - I'd speculate in thinking that this might be to reduce the desirability of pinching one & selling it on - Onoto's were expensive & relatively desirable.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[peterg]

Thomas De La Rue were (are) a large firm involved in stationery (including bank note manufacture).

 

Their first pen was the Onoto with a special plunger fill system what was highly thought of, and their main product. Over time Onoto became a brand as the plunger system was used on more pens.

 

DLR expended their pen manufacturing and introduced the De La Rue lever fill pen which ran side by side with the Onoto, plus unbranded pens for other markets, the most famous being the early 'Chatsworth' pen for Boots.

 

As with all things sales are more important than purity and eventually lever fill Onoto pens appeared alongside the De La Rue's.

 

It's difficult to say whether Onoto was a brand or product line as DLR never hid the producer link (like Conway's Universal and International pens) compared with The Savoy which was probably a Lang's sub brand but didn't identify it's origins.