What did I spend my pocket money on?

[vermiculus]

5.5" long and 1" wide, apparently a working fountain pen... but what is it?

 

For what I had in my pocket I couldn't resist! The only markings on it read "Foreign", on cap and nib.

 

Any ideas? :roflmho:

[SquelchB]

OH GOD!!!! Is that a pen or just a telephone pole? It looks like one of those Japanese beasts from some 30's...

[ilubiano]

I've one quite like it. It says JUMBO PEN made in japan on the barrel, and the nib is a WARRANTED 14K Plated Made in Japan. It's quite a writer in its own right. Not practical for extended use, due to its size, but it sure is fun to use. Mine lays down a super wet line and the nib is semi-flexible so it works pretty well. I use it for some journal writing sometimes.

 

Not bad for a fiver. I've seen these go into the 40s and 50s on the fleabay. It's an ED so there shouldn't be much done to get it working again. Just remember not to have the valve screwed all the way in or else ink won't flow.

 

As to what it is or who made it, your guess is as good as mine. seems like there might have been more than one company making/distributing these though, which might explain the different markings.

Edited April 23, 2008 by ilubiano

[Shangas]

Holy Jesus! That looks like a cocktail-shaker with a nib! What IS that!?

[dumdummuoi]

:roflmho: That is the most hilarious looking pen I've ever seen! It's so out of proportions it's silly--and I've seen quite a few silly things in my day!

[vermiculus]

I can't wait til it arrives in the post, and will be sure to post pictures of it in action. Though I don't know how I'm going to fit it into the display case I'm making...

 

@Ilubiano: thanks, now I'm even happier - I was skeptical at first!

[ethernautrix]

Um... I wouldn't wear that in my pocket.

 

 

Looks like a prototype for the Tombow Zoom... don't know the name. Looks like it, though.

[vermiculus]

  ethernautrix said:

Um... I wouldn't wear that in my pocket

 

On the belt, perhaps...

[jonro]

That pen was actually used by Godzilla to sign contracts and to annotate script changes while starring in his eponymous films in Japan during the 1950s. Quite a find!

[ilubiano]

Here are some pics i just took of the pen in action, and compared with some other pens for reference.

 

Yes, it is big, but nowhere nearly as big as the first picture made it seem. Still, it is a bit unwieldy for most purposes.

 

 

a writing sample, showing the nib with a bit of flex with some pressure. This pen really does lay down havana brown the darkest of any of my pens. It's super wet. Maybe that's because i leave the shutoff valve slightly open, i'm not too sure. Pardon the messy bit, the pen wanted to blob and i tried to save it, to some minor success. :roflmho:

 

 

here are some familiar pens for comparison L to R: Phileas, 52 1/2V, Wahl sterling silver (this one's about 3.5 inches, for reference), P51, Lamy Studio, and Parker Vac Major

 

 

Finally, posted in comparison the P51 and the tiny Wahl.

 

 

I like it. It's a very good writer for what it is, and when i got it, i really didn't expect it to be more than a novelty really, but it holds it's own, even though it feels like digging a nail into the paper compared to most of my other pens.

 

 

[dcwaites]

I believe that it was mentioned in another thread on the FPN that these were made for people with bad arthritis, who couldn't hold a normal sized pen without pain.

 

It may also be useful in encouraging shoulder writing.

 

 

[Paddler]

That looks just like the "Stubby" I passed up at a flea market on Monday. On the one I saw, the very tip of the nib was bent under at right angles to the rest of the nib. Is yours bent? Will it hold a whole ounce of ink?

 

Paddler

 

[vermiculus]

Nice mini-review there!

Perhaps I should do one later on, and we can get this moved to the right place and listed.

 

Where did you pick yours up, by the way, ilubliano?

[ilubiano]

  Paddler said:

That looks just like the "Stubby" I passed up at a flea market on Monday. On the one I saw, the very tip of the nib was bent under at right angles to the rest of the nib. Is yours bent? Will it hold a whole ounce of ink?

 

Paddler

 

No, the nib is pretty straight and standard, much like any other nib sounds like yours might've been victim of some mishandling. Also, this one doesn't hold anywhere near an ounce of ink. It looks huge, but it's a whole lotta pen. The stuff it's made out of is thick. I think it might be ebonite, not sure. By my measurement, it holds about one and a half 5cc syringefulls. The ones i use for cart refilling. Voodoo math tells me that's just a hair over a quarter of an ounce. Not an ounce, but three or four times as much as my next thirstiest pen, the vacumatic.

 

  vermiculus said:

Nice mini-review there!

Perhaps I should do one later on, and we can get this moved to the right place and listed.

 

Where did you pick yours up, by the way, ilubliano?

A more thorough review would be nice. This was merely a spur of the moment snapping of pictures since i had a camera on hand. I'm pretty sure we're talking a basically identical pen here, simply with different markings.

I picked mine up off of FPN member coolpenz in one of his blowout sales here on the marketplace. I bid on one on ebay had just the day before he made his post , but i was outbid as it went into the 40 dollar range, too much for me. this one came along right after though. Good timing.

 

--Ivan

Edited April 24, 2008 by ilubiano

[vermiculus]

Update: The eBay seller lost it. Yeah - actually lost it! She told me she couldn't find it anywhere in her stock-room (this is one of those 'powersellers').

 

Disappointing, but I did get a refund and she was very apologetic. So sorry, but no review this time :-(

[Wall Street Professor]

I've been looking for a portable pepper grinder that will let you sign for the check at the end of the meal.

[artaddict]

  ethernautrix said:

Um... I wouldn't wear that in my pocket.

 

 

Lisa, you are a card :roflmho:

 

[milkpowder]

LOL! How can anyone lose this pen?!

[macaddicted]

Is it possible for a pen to be morbidly obese?