Most Iconic Pens - North American Perspective

[beboy]

Hello,

 

I was wondering what would have been the most iconic fountain pens in North America since they have started to be commonly used as a writing instruments, more than 100 years ago. By iconic, I mean widespread and well know pens but also the ones people would longed for once they had enough money to afford them. In other words, iconic pens with gold nibs (sorry Esterbrook). I might be wrong on dates and don't hesitate to correct me if it's the case. You will noticed that after 1980, I only consider the German pen maker Montblanc, since I consider this is the only brand that most of the people not into the fountain pen hobby would recognize (kuddos to their marketing job)

 

Here is my list and approximative dates:

 

Waterman 12 1885-1915

Waterman 52 1915-1930

Parker Duofold 1925-1935

Parker Vacumatic 1935-1945

Eversharp Skyline 1940-1950

Parker 51 1945-1955

Sheaffer Snorkel 1950-1960

Parker 75 1965-1980

Montblanc 14_ 1980-20--

 

What do you think?

[JakobS]

Iconic because a pen possesses a gold nib seems quite subjective, perhaps sales volume would be a fairer benchmark? If everyone wants it, they would buy more of it, over others.

 

Most people call facial tissue Kleenex, not because it's bedazzled with glitter, but because it's available everywhere, works as intended, and relatively affordable for most people that they have subsumed it as a name for all facial tissue....

 

There is also the reality of pen features that transcend single models were in themselves iconic, such as Sheaffer's Triumph nib which was made of either gold, PdAg, or stainless steel, and amazing nibs no matter which material they were made of because of the nib shape.

Edited December 20, 2018 by JakobS

[pajaro]

Who do you mean these pens to be iconic to? General public? Pen users? People really into all fountain pens most people never heard of?

 

How about these:

 

Parker 51 -- pretty well known to most people who used a pen

Parker 75 -- well advertised and even in green stamp catalogues

Montblanc 144 -- pocket jewelry for keeping up with Jones and a pretty good pen

Sheaffer Snorkel -- well advertised and so known to most

Sheaffer school pen -- widely used and apparently used widely

 

Duofold who? Waterman who? Everwho? Some knew them, but hardly iconic unless you are a really into it pen person or one of the well to do members of a Duofold family.

 

The audience seems to establish the icon.

[senzen]

What I consider iconic might not be what you do; for me the vacumatic sure is a design icon, but they seem small and hard to clean pens, so not something I'd get. The other one from that list I did get and is also an icon for me is the 75.

 

Overall Pelikans are my number one fountain pen icon; to keep this civil I will not mention what I think of Montblancs!

[beboy]

 

The audience seems to establish the icon.

 

That's what I meant actually. What pen was the most desirable for the general public of a time period

 

For instance, my father had an Esterbrook pen when he was a teenager in the 1950s, but would have liked to have a Parker 51.

 

Otherwise, I was in the impression that Waterman dominated commercially the first 1/3 of the 20th century and was well advertised in the newspapers. But I might have been wrong.

[Scrawler]

 

That's what I meant actually. What pen was the most desirable for the general public of a time period

 

For instance, my father had an Esterbrook pen when he was a teenager in the 1950s, but would have liked to have a Parker 51.

 

Otherwise, I was in the impression that Waterman dominated commercially the first 1/3 of the 20th century and was well advertised in the newspapers. But I might have been wrong.

I would consider Esterbrook to be iconic. They were everywhere in N. America.

[Bo Bo Olson]

Mid late '50's-@ '66.

Adult pens....real expensive $12- a fortune or more. P-51 or the Snorkel. Rolled gold trimmed wide band Snorkels went for $15 +.. Something that was seen on B&W TV or top magazine's Christmas advertising. Late '60's super expensive sterling silver P-75 for a whopping $22....well mine cost that in '70-71, and a full $18 for the MP/BP...depending on what cartridge one was using. Same width as the expensive $8.00 thin Cross pen. Jotter cost an expensive $3.75. There were Papermate pens that were 'cheap' though still a 'name'.....and free Skill Craft pens if one was connected to the Government.

 

Nothing German at all. (outside of cheaper than Parker or Sheaffer Pelikan ink) ....period. not the ugly pens nor the ugly underpowered tiny German cars....a big Benz was not even middle class and vastly underpowered. Rambler was bigger and more powerful. The Dollar was Almighty then....and the DM locked at 4-1 so dirt cheap.

(When the dollar fell from grace, the Benz became more expensive than a Lincoln, so was IN....status said, no more cheap American Caddies or Lincolns. Underpowered cramped Euro cars were IT.....the only Euro car that even reached middle class for inside space was the SAAB.

 

Sheaffer school pen.....P-45. Esterbrook....didn't have one of the pretty '60 and before had one of the ugly metal capped ones.....Wearever, Venus............had all of those stolen.

Fountain pens were bought to start of school...........better pens bought for Christmas, or when one graduated HS or Collage or the company bought a good pen when one retired.

Only the well to do, could or would have more than One Pen. Why? In 8-10 years your brand would have a new up to date pen ready for you.

 

 

I never saw these....in they were in the back of the drawer, needing a sac. Or the nib was worn after 8-10 years of constant use.

Parker Duofold 1925-1935????

Parker Vacumatic 1935-1945????

Eversharp Skyline 1940-1950????.... (I did see the cheap....Wearever class Eversharp that Parker turned that pen into...for a couple years. Why buy a second class Wearever????)

 

And cartridges were just coming in....so why waste money having a pen resacked. After the courts ruled the White Dot of Sheaffer meant nothing for free repair..............free repair stopped.

 

I did know that a white dot on a Sheaffer meant it was a fantastic pen...........I was going to get one when I got grown up and had a full time job.............but in the mean while I couldn't afford cartridges and became a ball point barbarian.

Only took me 55 years to get that Snorkel (wanted one of the rare semi-flex ones I read about onthe com) . 50 for the P-51.

 

 

By many....Snorkel and P-51 and even P-75 are learned on the com............MB is 'now' world known....high status pen......

I'd never heard of an MB before coming to Germany in 1964...Pelikan either outside the ink..

 

.......in the '50-60's MB covered the market, expensive 149, middle class 2xx, school pens 3xx. And cheap Monta Rosa and other real no name sub brands. It was not then a 'world famous' pen.

 

Germany famous, perhaps mainland Euro famous. ..........dammed expensive ugly clunky old fashioned looking, with gold plated furniture cost more than rolled gold furniture on a wide cap band Snorkel (Admiral, President, Saratoga etc)...which was The King of Pens.....ask any American then.

 

Young and foolish, having no idea of industrial costs, was of the ignorant opinion if the piston was any good the American's would make one.................... My God even those ugly Pelikans cost as much as the Great Snorkel...the nerve of them Krauts. (How was I to know the only thing keeping American Fountain pens alive was the cartridge.)

 

We really seldom got outside out Ghetto. Did not like the feel of the Lamy 2000 in '66, looks was OK....but not a Snorkel. At Snorkel prices.

[vicpen123]

To me iconic means representing or defining a time, an era, a trend a fashion or any other distinctive and separable feature.

 

Adopting this interpretation and limiting myself to the pens that I own and know best (Parker) I would nominate the following Parker fountain pens:

 

Lucky Curve

Duofold

Vacumatic

"51"

UK Duofold

45

75

Sonnet

Modern Duofold

 

Each one is distinctive in its own way and represents a time and style that defined fountain pens design be it filling systems, nibs, finish, versatility, ease of use or broad appeal.

 

There will certainly be other brands that are iconic applying this interpretation.

[ParkerDuofold]

Here is my list and approximative dates:

 

Waterman 12 1885-1915

Waterman 52 1915-1930

Parker Duofold 1925-1935

Parker Vacumatic 1935-1945

Eversharp Skyline 1940-1950

Parker 51 1945-1955

Sheaffer Snorkel 1950-1960

Parker 75 1965-1980

Montblanc 14_ 1980-20--

 

What do you think?

Hi Beboy,

 

Yeah. I think you pretty much nailed it, but I would add the Sheaffer PFM... the Esterbrook Model J... and maybe the Parker 61, being quite unique with its hands-free capillary filler.

 

Be well and enjoy life.

 

 

- Anthony

[ParkerDuofold]

Just to follow-up...

 

I would drop Montblanc since it's a German company... and you are talking vintage, right? Otherwise, I would have to echo Vicpen and add the Duofold Centennial and Sonnet... and maybe a couple more.

 

- A.C.

[kestrel]

Allow me to add the Conklin Crescent, a revolutionary design in self-filling pens and endorsed by Mark Twain. Also the Sheaffer's Balance, the pen that started the streamlining designs in the late 1920's.

[ParkerDuofold]

Allow me to add the Conklin Crescent, a revolutionary design in self-filling pens and endorsed by Mark Twain. Also the Sheaffer's Balance, the pen that started the streamlining designs in the late 1920's.

Check and double check.

 

 

- Anthony

[Mech-for-i]

I think the word iconic would probably need to be better defined in this regard ; and I do agree if we take the wider larger public ; mass public as a basis of audiences , it may be that fountain pen can only claim some fame in certain specific period. Say since the late 50's its not hard to tell fountain pen is no longer the iconic pen .. and even harsher still probably only pre war period counts any ... could we ignore the fact that perhaps the Bic Cristal is more an iconic pen in the 50's ( it was introduced Dec 1950 ) than anything else. And an iconic pens of the 00's 10's & 20's is likely just the standard wooden pencil

 

Fountain pen had always been somewhat a premium among writing instrument even in its hay days ... Pencils , whether its the more premium mechanical pencil or just the standard wooden ones are the more common writing tools and dip pen is still in wide use right up to the 30's 40's so in essence I doubt any fountain pen could be called iconic pen of the period , the Parker 51 likely could claim it for a period just before to just after the war, but that's likely that. All the others, while they could be the Iconic fountain pen of the period for us but hardly the iconic pen of the period a all.

[ink-syringe]

I can't believe that it took till post #11 for someone to mention the Sheaffer Balance. Haha

[EdwardSouthgate]

I'd say the Big Red Duofold . Was popular right from the start and was so much so that most everybody knows the Big Red name . Same for the Sheaffer lookalike . Sheaffer even did a cheap updated pen in the 70's that is probably even better known than the original . Skrip pens too because everybody (almost) who ever owned a fountain pen after the late 50's has owned at least one . This is all assuming by Iconic you mean most recognized by the general public who does not normally use Fountain pens .

Edited December 28, 2018 by EdwardSouthgate

[surprise123]

The most iconic pens would be the ones that are easily recognizable and spoken of long after being discontinued. I think the ticket would go to the Parker 51, which I foolishly took out to write down a room number at an elderly home and caused a guy to start pointing and yelling "DAISY COME QUICK! HE STOLE YOUR PEN!". Turns out Daisy (a wonderful lady) had an identical Aerometric 51 she prized and used daily.

[surprise123]

I'd say the Big Red Duofold . Was popular right from the start and was so much so that most everybody knows the Big Red name . Same for the Sheaffer lookalike . Sheaffer even did a cheap updated pen in the 70's that is probably even better known than the original . Skrip pens too because everybody (almost) who ever owned a fountain pen after the late 50's has owned at least one . This is all assuming by Iconic you mean most recognized by the general public who does not normally use Fountain pens .

 

Duofolds are old, sometimes brittle, pens. Their nibs are often mangled due to age, their button fillers rusted and crumbled away, and the color selection is terrible. The Senior nib is far too big, the Junior's body far too small and stubby. Overall, the Duofold is a failed attempt by a dying pen company.

 

 

 

 

 

Hopefully Duofold prices will go down with this post.