Conway Stewart Dinkie Photo Thread

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

Thought I would start a photo thread on Conway Stewart Dinkies since I picked up a few while at the Washington, DC Pen Show. Please post yours!

This is a Conway Stewart 570 fountain pen in an iridescent lilac acrylic c. 1960s. It's a 4 1/2 inch long lever filler with all gold plate trim, though the trim shows heavy plating loss. Some sources date this model from 1964 to 1972. It came in several iridescent colors including blue, red and green, called "Lumina" by some collectors. The acrylic has a strong luminosity from dark to light that changes when seen from different angles. The barrel is stamped Conway Stewart 570 over HOLDER FOREIGN, indicating the cap and barrel were sourced outside the UK, some collectors believe West Germany. The 14 karat gold nib is stamped Conway over 14CT GOLD.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/ConwayStewart570Lilac_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[darazs]

Very nice, not so common sample of a Dinkie - thanks for sharing.

 

Sadly, mine was made od casein and so too much water

[PaulS]

Very nice though I'm not sure that model wise it's technically correct to classify these Luminas as part of the Dinkie group, despite their smallish stature. They look to have replaced the Dinkie range but retained some of the dwarfish size - barrel imprints certainly don't include the word Dinkie, as the real ones had done.

It might be the case that you either love or hate the luminous look of the Luminas - it must be an unusual colourway on pens - my red one here shows an almost neon bright stripe on opposing sides of barrel and cap.

Not that I'd know otherwise, but I see that Steve Hull's opinion on the origin of the 'Holder Foreign' wording is to suggest "...…..probably in Japan".

Aside from the Lumina, the attached picture shows 540, 526M, 550 and 560 Dinkies spanning something like mid '20s to mid '60s - and as a group they look to tick on massively - lots of earlier models must now be hard to find and suspect they're quite a complex group to collect.

I've never tried to write with a Dinkie - were they aimed at people with very small hands, or was the idea simply that they would fit into a handbag? - even the Luminas are pushing it a bit with their small length - but there's no getting away from their cheerful bright colours.

Edited August 17, 2018 by PaulS

[PenHero]

Very nice though I'm not sure that model wise it's technically correct to classify these Luminas as part of the Dinkie group, despite their smallish stature. They look to have replaced the Dinkie range but retained some of the dwarfish size - barrel imprints certainly don't include the word Dinkie, as the real ones had done.

It might be the case that you either love or hate the luminous look of the Luminas - it must be an unusual colourway on pens - my red one here shows an almost neon bright stripe on opposing sides of barrel and cap.

Not that I'd know otherwise, but I see that Steve Hull's opinion on the origin of the 'Holder Foreign' wording is to suggest "...…..probably in Japan".

Aside from the Lumina, the attached picture shows 540, 526M, 550 and 560 Dinkies spanning something like mid '20s to mid '60s - and as a group they look to tick on massively - lots of earlier models must now be hard to find and suspect they're quite a complex group to collect.

I've never tried to write with a Dinkie - were they aimed at people with very small hands, or was the idea simply that they would fit into a handbag? - even the Luminas are pushing it a bit with their small length - but there's no getting away from their cheerful bright colours.

 

Hi, Paul - great info and pic - thanks!! I'll post some more this coming week.

[PaulS]

just to correct my earlier comments suggesting that the Lumina may not have been part of the Dinkie range. Andy Russell has reminded me that the Lumina was in fact intended to be treated as part of the Dinkie series, despite the word not appearing as part of the pen imprint - and this is confirmed in Appendix VI, in Steve Hulls book 'Fountain Pens for the Million - The History of Conway Stewart'. In the Appendix, the Lumina is catalogued as Model No. 570 - Dinkie 'Lumina'.

My thanks to Andy for this information.

[PenHero]

just to correct my earlier comments suggesting that the Lumina may not have been part of the Dinkie range. Andy Russell has reminded me that the Lumina was in fact intended to be treated as part of the Dinkie series, despite the word not appearing as part of the pen imprint - and this is confirmed in Appendix VI, in Steve Hulls book 'Fountain Pens for the Million - The History of Conway Stewart'. In the Appendix, the Lumina is catalogued as Model No. 570 - Dinkie 'Lumina'.

My thanks to Andy for this information.

 

Thanks very much!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is a Conway Stewart 550 Dinkie fountain pen in a marbled green with black veins casein c. 1952-1962. It's a 4 1/16 inch long lever filler with all gold plate trim, though the trim shows moderate plating loss. According to conwaystewartpens.co.uk, there are three versions of the 550. This would be the early version, with a small clip that is part of the cap top ring and the barrel imprint has DINKIE on the top line. Early Dinkies came in blue moire, green moire, marbled plum with black veins, marbled blue with black veins and marbled green with black veins casein. The barrel is stamped DINKIE 550 over the Conway Stewart logo. The 14 karat gold nib is stamped Conway over Stewart over 14CT GOLD.

 

 

Thanks!

[PaulS]

very attractive Jim and a good example with - despite your comments - what looks like overall good plating. Sorry if you've explained this recently, but are you able to describe briefly your method of finishing on the 'plastic' bodies of your pens. It appears you don't go for a high gloss shine - your pens have a matt look, which is pleasing.

[PenHero]

very attractive Jim and a good example with - despite your comments - what looks like overall good plating. Sorry if you've explained this recently, but are you able to describe briefly your method of finishing on the 'plastic' bodies of your pens. It appears you don't go for a high gloss shine - your pens have a matt look, which is pleasing.

I only clean pens with a lightly soapy solution, unless that will harm the finish. I use a jewelers rouge on plated parts and only use polish on solid gold surfaces. They are clean, but not highly polished. Some of my restored pens are polished. And some are from other collectors.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is a Conway Stewart 550 Dinkie fountain pen in a marbled green with brown flecks and veins casein c. 1952-1962. It's a 4 1/16 inch long lever filler with all gold plate trim, though the trim shows moderate plating loss. According to conwaystewartpens.co.uk, there are three versions of the 550. This would be the latest version, with a larger clip that is separate from the cap top ring and the barrel imprint has DINKIE on the top line. Late Dinkies came in nine marbled casein colors. The barrel is stamped DINKIE 550 over the Conway Stewart logo. The 14 karat gold nib is stamped Conway over Stewart over 14CT GOLD.

 

 

Thanks!

[PaulS]

thanks for the comments re cleaning/polishing - another attractive pen. A little information that might be of interest .................

After the mid '70s demise of the original C.S. company, the name was re-Registered in the late 1990s, and pens were again sold under the C.S. brand, and one of those later (2001) pens was a Dinkie in a greenish marbled livery which went under the name of 'Crème de Menthe' - made initially using casein then apparently resin. Regarding this later Dinkie, Steve Hull comments in his book 'Fountain Pens for the Million - The History of Conway Stewart 1905 - 2005' …………. "...………… optional lever-filling mechanism was introduced in all models, except the Dinkie".

This new Dinkie carries a barrel imprint showing No. 557/030, although no idea as to size of production run.

 

information courtesy of Steve Hull's very informative book as mentioned above.

Edited August 26, 2018 by PaulS

[PenHero]

I dug a little deeper and found a reference that indicates the color 550s are all casein. I’m updating the post. https://www.englishpenbooks.co.uk/home/50-years-of-the-dinkie/dinkie-colours/

[billydo]

Dinkie collectors might like to know that there's a comprehensive new book that's about to be launched here in the UK, at the London Pen Show in October I believe. I was asked to shoot the images for the cover, including the one that you see here of the incredibly rare accountants set.

 

Here's a link for more details about the book: https://www.englishpenbooks.co.uk/home/50-years-of-the-dinkie/

 

HTH

 

Neal.

 

[PaulS]

I've realized that in my keenness to reduce my FPN photo folder - to allow me to add more pix - I'd knocked out two or three pix, one of which originally accompanied my post No. 3, above. So, to correct the situation here is the picture again.

[mitto]

Beautiful pens, nice photography. Thanks, Jim and others who posted pictures.

[PenHero]

Beautiful pens, nice photography. Thanks, Jim and others who posted pictures.

 

Thanks!

[chunya]

Dinkie collectors might like to know that there's a comprehensive new book that's about to be launched here in the UK, at the London Pen Show in October I believe. I was asked to shoot the images for the cover, including the one that you see here of the incredibly rare accountants set.

 

Here's a link for more details about the book: https://www.englishpenbooks.co.uk/home/50-years-of-the-dinkie/

 

HTH

 

Neal.

 

That is a lovely photo, and I've never seen an example of those pens before, or if I had then I hadn't realised they were CS's.

 

Here is a nice little set in their original hard case, dating from the 1930's, in a marbled blue schist/black.The pen is a 542, but oddly enough clipless and also shorter than most others I've seen, measuring only roughly 107mm. The pencil is a Nippy with a string of patents listed. I think the 542 had a limited production and is fairly uncommon nowadays.

 

For an 80 year old set they're still looking good.

 

 

[tifh]

Any updates of other dinkies? I love seeing them but haven’t seen much threads about them.

[WhiteStarPens]

1930s peacock #540 with my 18ct repeating (strikes hours and quarters on demand) verge pocket watch made in 1819 by Muller & Sons of Rouen, France. Worlds apart but they make a nice ensemble.

 

Joan of Arc was burned in Rouen... 

[WhiteStarPens]

1930s Dandy (last variation) compared to the Dinkies of the 30s and 50s...