What's Up At Christof's

[daenghafez]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7264/7842910744_812bf19589_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7842911412_a4c2b84115_c.jpg

 

 

PS: just another picture for comparison. Same period same appearance...

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7797665786_2a9c423bb9_z.jpg

 

 

I really adore this stealth Pelikan 100.. Also I'm a fan of this VW split 1952..

[DavidHandmade]

Christof, you spoil us. Such a fabulous series you are treating us to. :clap1:

 

Yours is certainly the most eagerly anticipated post to look out for. Thank you for sharing your fantastic collection of pens, supplemented with excellent commentary, super photography and drawings. You deserve a forum all of your own!

 

Pavoni.

 

+1 !!

 

- just found this thread. Christof provides not only great photos of wonderful pens and artistic expression, but an ~Education~, as well.

 

Thanks, for the great work, Christof!

 

Regards, David K.

[tenney]

It's a pleasure to read and see what Christof is doing... and to purchase items now and then too! Thank you!

[christof]

Thanks to all of you for the nice comments. Soon, I'll come back with more stuff.

...and, it seems that I have (at least) one satisfied customer too!

 

Just a quick note and a picture for the end of work...

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7251/7873126778_b1e8fe9213_c.jpg

 

Usually, I do not collect boxes and original packaging, but couldn't withstand when this nice Pelikan 100N box came along. My 101N loved his new home on first sight...

 

Have a good evening.

Edited August 27, 2012 by christof

[christof]

Here comes just two pictures more. I never was that fond of the tortoise Pelikan (I prefer the black ones, some of you know that). But in a serious colletion, this color shouldn't lack I think. So I picked up the one and other, here and there. Recently I took them out for a picture. Here the "real" Tortoises:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7129/7879787596_e429efd815_c.jpg

 

And here, added two of the striped Tortoises:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7879786346_3f5f7f79a9_c.jpg

 

But this one I like most. It took me more than one year to find one:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/7880053186_cb13cb73ee_c.jpg

Edited August 28, 2012 by christof

[dcpritch]

Those are just beautiful pens, Christof. Thanks so much for continuing this thread and showing us pieces of your "findings".

[tenney]

But this one I like most. It took me more than one year to find one:

That's a great looking pen! Congratulations.

Please tell us more about it

[christof]

But this one I like most. It took me more than one year to find one:

That's a great looking pen! Congratulations.

Please tell us more about it

 

Well, what can I say about this pen....?

 

It is a Pelikan 100

The color of the binde is called brown or tortoise

the pen is made of celluloid and hard rubber, the ink window is quite dark,

the pen has probably been made around 1938 because of the logo on the cap top (it's the new one)

I have not tested it but the nib seems to be a smooth an flexible M

Everything seems to be correct on this pen, just some signs of use and age.

Here is a similar one with an old cap logo: click here

This are pricey pens as you can see... and not found every day. I am glad that I got one for my collection.

Here is a bigger picture:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8426/7880053186_eea3dc2dc6_k.jpg

Edited August 30, 2012 by christof

[tenney]

Thank you. It looked like it might be a 100, but the color looked like a very special tortoise. From the .ch site, this is indeed a very expensive pen.

[christof]

Thank you. It looked like it might be a 100, but the color looked like a very special tortoise. From the .ch site, this is indeed a very expensive pen.

 

I don't think that Pelikan made pens for the Swiss market only during that (prewar) period. I also am not sure about the original name of the color. I doubt that this binde has been sold under the name Tortoise, not in combination with black cap and mechanism. The real Tortoise version of the Pelikan 100 was called 101 and had a RHR cap or a tortoise cap.

[christof]

15. the Swiss connection III

 

Switzerland is a well known country for lots of things like mountains, chocolate, watches, tax-saving advices, and so on, lot's of things as said. But one thing, Switzerland is NOT known for is definitely fountain pens.

 

Okay, there is Caran d'Ache, but Cd'A didn't made any fountain pens before the 70's. Cd'A is famous for pencils and crayons, not for fountain pens.

 

But there have been several very small manufacturers in the past. Some are still known, some not. One of the rather known one is Monte-Rosa. Not the Montblanc-Monterosa but the Dimmler Monte-Rosa, made in Zurich before WWII. After the war, Fritz Dimmler, the owner of the Monte-Rosa company had to resign from the brand name Monte-Rosa after years of judicial dispute with the famous company from Hamburg, Germany. Since then, the name has been used for Montblancs student and economy line...

I have not seen that much original Monte-Rosa pens and I do not collect them, but still, I have one in my collection for patriotic reasons. It's a nice black pen, similar to a Pelikan 100, probably made in the late 30's/early 40's. The piston filler is reliable designed and the original MonteRosa gold nib writes quite nice.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7267/7838438644_3f9143c779_b.jpg

And here, a very old advertisement from 1917.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8453/7928659128_9d7596e94e_c.jpg

 

There is also another brand I know. It's ASKA. The history of ASKA is unknown and the existing pens are so different that it's difficult to say if there has been a real manufacture, or if the pens just have been assembled in Switzerland. Several people I know tried to find out more about this brand. The last thing I heard was that Letizia Jacopini is writing an article about this brand. For the same reasons I own a Monterosa, I own an ASKA as well.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8282/7838437750_020d24e7bb_b.jpg

Well, this color combination wouldn't be my first personal choice... but hey, it's Swiss!

Edited September 4, 2012 by christof

[pmn]

Oh man!

I close my eyes and I still see beautiful 100s flying arround me...

 

Thanks!

[christof]

16. It's fun to compare pens!

 

Okay, here I am again. Had a busy time at work and didn't find the time to post earlier. Hope you understand...

I know that you prefer sketches but this time I only show some pics, nothing spectacular or new, just some interesting comparisons.

One of the main reasons for me to collect pens is to document the different designs of different times and manufacturers. The following pictures should document rather coincidental affinities of completely differnt pens.

 

First is a comparison of a Wahl Eversharp Skyline and a Pelikan 400NN. The same combination of solid Black and Green striped parts is perplexing.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/8008612565_44cbe0f55d_c.jpg

 

Second is a late Sheaffer's Balance and a Pelikan 400NN in Tortoise. Again, the striped material and the streamlined shape of both pens is remarkable.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/8008612413_6b8a7284b3_c.jpg

 

The third comparison is a bit different. Did you ever noticed that the shape of the famous Soennecken 111 clip is quite similar to the 2. gen. Eversharp doric clips?

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/8008617778_af34dd1a0b_c.jpg

 

Probably, there's no reasonable explanation for this, but funny to light on!

 

But let's see what's next...

Edited September 21, 2012 by christof

[Soot]

The third comparison is a bit different. Did you ever noticed that the shape of the famous Soennecken 111 clip is quite similar to the 2. gen. Eversharp doric clips?

Nope! I don't have an Eversharp Doric in my collection to do a comparsion. And I think that's a good thing. One less pen for me~

 

Btw, I finally saw that 115 red platinum in person yesterday, beautiful pen! If you do find another green tin...I'll take another one. LOL~

[christof]

 

Nope! I don't have an Eversharp Doric in my collection to do a comparsion.

 

You could buy one...have a look at my current sales...

[ethernautrix]

Oh, christof, you make the pens even beautifuller. :-)

[bphollin]

Christof, is there any pen you own that doesn't have a story?! What a delight to see updates to this thread.

[christof]

Christof, is there any pen you own that doesn't have a story?!

 

Of course! Don't yours?

 

I think this is a matter of your point of view, probably every vintage pen has a history and a personal story for its owner.

 

 

Oh, christof, you make the pens even beautifuller. :-)

 

Thank you Lisa. What a compliment from a Photographer like you are!!

 

PS: some of my pens and pics will go to the museum… but that's still a secret yet. Pssst!

Edited September 22, 2012 by christof

[christof]

Hi all. I finally found the time to post some more sketches here. And some pics of one of my pens of course. And no, it's not a Pelikan and it's not vintage and there's no precious flexible gold nib, there isn't even a nib...

 

It's my beloved Pentel brush pen! A cheap plastic cartridge filler pen with a brush instead of a nib. Also called pocket brush. Here's a picture of the pen to show you that there isn't that much to show...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8169/8028884195_a32229cd98_c.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8028878626_d7925d4ee6_c.jpg

 

But this is rather interesting I think. It's a sketch done with the brush pen. The drawing dates of that period when one of my sons has been interested in creatures of the deep sea... Yes, the one which loved wales before... I did a whole book of these as a coloring book. But I doubt that you are that interested in deep sea fishes to show them all here...

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/8028882494_35a700d8db_c.jpg

 

But here's another sketch I did with the brush pen. This one dates of a mountain holiday. The interesting thing here is, that the ink which is used by the brush pen is real and waterproof indian ink. So it's easy coloring the sketches with water colors. Hope you like these.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/8028884011_08d083f3ca_c.jpg

Edited September 27, 2012 by christof

[dcpritch]

The pen is great, and the hand using it is quite skilled. Great sketches!