What Can Anyone Tell Me About Jowo?

January 21, 2017

I know a lot of people rave about the nibs from this firm and that it is old established but, unlike Bock or Schmidt, I cannot find any website or information about them? Is there a website in German perhaps? Also is it true that they make the Schmidt nibs? Schmidt looks like a big concern so I was surprized to learn that the nibs are not in house.

January 21, 2017

Hello matteob,

Thanks to Mr. Binder and his fine Glossopedia of Pen Terms, we have this...

Ref-1: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/glossary/J.htm

JoWo - (JoWo Berliner Schreibfeder GmbH; pronounced YO-vo) A nib manufacturer located in Berlin, Germany; founded in 1852 as Heintze & Blanckertz to produce linoleum cutters (for linoleum block printing) and steel pens (dip nibs). The company was the first German manufacturer of steel nibs, and beginning in about 1913 had its own rolling mill. Partially destroyed by the bombing of Berlin during World War II, the factory was rebuilt and the company nationalized as VEB Berliner Schreibfeder in 1949. In 1953, VEB began producing butterfly nibs for fountain pens, and in 1955, tipped nibs. In 1994 the company went bankrupt but was reconstituted by two long-time employees, Joachim Hildebrand and Wolfgang Lemme, using the first two letters of each man’s name to form the company name. Today JoWo produces both steel and gold nibs of high quality. Many JoWo steel nibs are marked IRIDIUM POINT GERMANY; but this mark has been tainted by being used in a deceptive fashion on Chinese copies, and it is less used on authentic German nibs than it once was.

Ref-2: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/glossary/S.htm#schmidt

Schmidt - (Schmidt Technology GmbH) A manufacturing company located in St. Georgen, Germany; founded in 1938 by brothers Hermann and Wilhelm Schmidt to produce clock parts. In 1952, the company redefined itself with the entry of Hans Schmidt to become a full-scale manufacturer of writing instruments and parts. Schmidt steel nibs, marked SCHMIDT IRIDIUM POINT, are widely known among users of inexpensive fountain pens. In 1964, Schmidt launched a new division to produce high-precision industrial machinery of the types that the company itself was using to make its writing instruments. In 1969, Rolf Schmidt became Managing Director, and as of this writing, the company is being managed by the fourth generation of the Schmidt family.

And here's some additional information...

* As long as I can remember, it seems to be common knowledge that today Schmidt branded nibs are made by JoWo, but I have never seen proof-positive of this (has anyone else?).

* JoWo the nib manufacturer's contact information (the Web site hasn't worked for ages):

JoWo Berliner Schreibfeder GmbH
Wolfener Str. 36
Berlin 12681 Germany
+49 30 9309948
www.jowo-schreibfeder.de

* Schreibfeder roughly translated means "writing pen".

* Some claim JoWo Schreibfeder the nib manufacturer is related to JOWO Systemtechnik who is a manufacturer of (amongst other things) electrical connectors, primarily for the marine industry. I can see a possible link in metal small parts manufacturing, but personally I have never seen any hard evidence of a commercial link between the two companies (has anyone else?)

JOWO - Systemtechnik GmbH
Lange Wand 12
Delmenhorst Niedersachsen 27753 Germany
Tel: +49(0)4221-916495-0
Fax: +49(0)4221-916495-59
www.jowosy.de
en.jowosy.de/home_en.html

Edited January 21, 2017 by Drone

January 21, 2017

The only thing I've heard about Jowo is their nibs. They sell gold nibs that fit on TWSBI pens. Sorry, I don't know much.

-Flip.

January 21, 2017

* Some claim JoWo Schreibfeder the nib manufacturer is related to JOWO Systemtechnik who is a manufacturer of (amongst other things) electrical connectors, primarily for the marine industry. I can see a possible link in metal small parts manufacturing, but personally I have never seen any hard evidence of a commercial link between the two companies (has anyone else?)

I would say there is no connection between JoWo Schreibfeder and JOWO Systemtechnik

Impressum on the JOWO Systemtechnik states:

JOWO - Systemtechnik GmbH

Johann Woltermann

Lange Wand 12

27753 Delmenhorst

So, looks like in the case of Systemtechnik the name of JOWO came from first two letters of name and surname of one man (Johann Woltermann) as opose to JoWo (Joachim Hildebrand and Wolfgang Lemme).

January 21, 2017

Drone....great post.

"""In 1994 the company went bankrupt but was reconstituted by two long-time employees, Joachim Hildebrand and Wolfgang Lemme, using the first two letters of each man’s name to form the company name."""""""

That explains why I never saw a JoWo nib on any of the old used/vintage pens I got off of German Ebay.

I thought I had somehow missed the boat.

January 21, 2017

Thanks to Mr. Binder and his fine Glossopedia of Pen Terms, we have this...

Seek and ye shall find. Thanks for all that. Inneresting.

January 21, 2017

* As long as I can remember, it seems to be common knowledge that today Schmidt branded nibs are made by JoWo, but I have never seen proof-positive of this (has anyone else?).

I thought it was Bock that bought Schmidt?

Edited January 21, 2017 by jar

January 21, 2017

@sanjinp,

I agree. It seems the German JoWo & JOWO commercial entities are in-fact not linked. So you put that rumor to bed...

For the Record: Link to the JOWO (not JoWo) Telemediengesetz (German Telemedia-Act) compliant disclosure page:

http://www.jowosy.de/impressum.html

Thank you for the clarification

Regards, David