Soennecken Nibs And Dates

October 6, 2017

I'm trying to establish a timeline for the dates that Soennecken used these Gold and Steel nibs in their pens.

The first one on the left came from a 507 (circa 1938), but I'm curious to find out which year Soennecken first allowed this type of steel nib (crown w/ 3 jewels and "S", all beneath the big "V") - were they an option for their pens as early as 1930? Certainly they were the standard 1938-1945, but when did this particular style end, and when did the appearance of their steel nibs change over to #3 and #4 from left (crown w/ 3 jewels and "S" beneath "Soennecken", and no big "V")? Was it 1947 or later? Does anyone know when that newer style steel nib was phased out?

Regarding the 2 gold nibs pictured: I believe #2 from left was used 1930-1937, and fairly sure after post-war production picked up again around 1947 until the late 1950's. Any thoughts?

The first time I've seen the newer style gold nib (#5 / far right - big "S" superimposed over an "O") is around 1960... but I'm wondering how long this style gold nib was used (?).

- Don Jr.

October 6, 2017

Good luck with this enquiry, Don: I shall find it interesting, myself.

I should also like very much to understand the numeration that Soennecken used to designate the various models and families of their pens, which I find totally baffling, at present. I have models of both 504 and 507 designation, so that I know the physical size went up, apparently, with the last number (510 was presumably the largest in that particular series). I have a 1950s 222 (two of them, actually) and would love a 111; but there <was> an earlier 111 from (I think) 1930s -- and it is tiny! Well, very small, so...perhaps my surmisal, above, was wrong (concerning size and model numbers going up together)?

What sources have you got to recommend, I wonder?

October 8, 2017

Hi Christopher,

I'm most interested in Soennecken's pens from 1930-1945; I've found searching old posts & threads right here on FPN to be extremely helpful, and of course Lambrou's Fountain Pens of the World.

There is an English collector (Pavoni) who frequently posts things here on FPN; he has an older "pinned" post in the Montblanc forum comparing Montblanc and Soennecken pens with some wonderful accompanying photos - if you haven't already seen it, I think you'll find it worth your time.

Additionally, the Italian pen collector's site has a good overview on Soennecken; here's the link to it: http://www.fountainpen.it/Soennecken/en.

October 19, 2017

'43...by or after May of '43 it was illegal to make fountain pens in Germany. That was listed in Kaweco info. The directive came out in March of 1943 taking effect in May.

June 5, 2019

More on this, I have found in documents on on fountainpen.it and in other places about half a dozen designs for nib markings on 14k gold nibs (ignoring Pargo nibs).

On the Rheingold and Präsident, there was a 5-jewel crown in which the two outermost were curved inwards toward the others. Below, sideways, an S, and Soennecken, Bonn. Here and here are examples.

Later, it seems, they simplified this to a 5-jewel crown with simple circles as the jewels and a less complex crown, below which there was only a sideways S, no words. See here on a 111. I have seen this on a 116 and a 309. So it appears to be a post-war thing (except my 116 has a cap with the sun circle as well as rays on the finial -- frankenpen?).

In 1937-38 when the 5xx series was released it came with no crown but the words Soennecken and Bonn on the nib. A poor image of a 510 nib here. I suspect the same design continued after the war while that series was in production.

Next up was a 3-jewel crown which I think was for steel nibs only, like the 416 or 9 or Schulfüllers (an S4 had S4 on the nib).

I have also a fancy S, the last item in the first post here, on a small piston-filler with no type marking but with hard rubber piston knob, no locking mechanism, low-profile cone as the jewel (not cigar shape) with no finial logo. It has a single very thin gold band on the cap. I can not match it with anything I have seen. Tentatively, I call it a 101.

The only Bayard pen I found was marked Bayard, so Soennecken pens presumably stopped their marking at the takeover.