The Joy of Collecting
By: David Pepper

History In Your Hand : The Romance of the Vintage Fountain Pen
By: Robert Tefft, MD

Pocket Masterpieces: Japanese Lacquered Pens
By: David Pepper

The Joy of Collecting
By David Pepper

It would seem to be an innate part of our human nature to collect things. The child selecting and picking up pretty shells or stones from a beach is echoing urges which go back to our earliest ancestors. Today people collect virtually anything it is possible to imagine, and for a myriad of reasons. Among those who collect, there are at least two basic types, the “safe” collectors and the “daring” ones.

Safe Collectors go by the book, or the catalog. Whether they collect natural or man-made objects, these must be able to be identified, compared with similar pieces and evaluated accordingly. As a rule, Safe Collectors will tend to acquire mass-produced artifacts or so-called “limited editions” which are mass marketed by the thousands. Esthetic considerations may or may not enter into their criteria of collecting, but popular trends are likely to. In the field of original art and collectibles, safe collectors will tend to have others do their buying for them.

Daring Collectors, too, will ask the advice of experts but will rely much more heavily on their own esthetic tastes. No matter how famous the artist or how rare the object, if the piece in question doesn’t strike a chord within them, they won’t buy it. They find a field of collecting which expresses them and pursue it with eagerness, researching the historical and geographical context, the techniques and materials. They read books, visit museums, meet with others who share their passion. Willing to take the leap, they trust their own judgment and taste.

The Daring Collector tends to focus on one-of-a-kind, original pieces which have a strong personal appeal. His, or her collection might be numerically small, but in terms of esthetic and intrinsic value each piece will be a treasure in its own right.

Little be said about the difference between accumulation and selective collecting: the former produces the largest collections, the latter creates the best.

Indeed, why collect works of art or collectibles of any sort? Above all, one does so for the sheer love of it. There is an intense joy in seeing or handling objects of fine craftsmanship – a spiritual connection which transcends borders of time and culture, making us one with all humanity. In our age of mass-production, virtual reality and alienation from the traditional path of the artist, this ancient connection becomes increasingly important.

Out of love and appreciation come a challenge both esthetic and intellectual – the need to understand what one collects. This enriches the collector’s life even as it creates further challenges and more unanswered questions. There are few dead ends on this road, but many welcome detours for those eager to learn.

One cannot deny, nor would one want to, that there is a considerable financial return with art and collectibles investment. Add this to the very pleasure readily available to the collector’s senses, and those stocks, bonds or gold bars so safely locked away may seem poor substitutes.

David Pepper is a Canadian artist who specializes in the design and fabrication of museum exhibits, sculpture and antique restoration. He can be reached through this web site.

History In Your Hand:
The Romance of the Vintage Fountain Pen
By Robert Tefft, MD

During the past few years, the vintage fountain pen has emerged from a relatively obscure passion shared by a few scattered eccentrics, to become one of the most sought-after items in the collectibles field. This is hardly a surprising phenomenon, however, as antique writing instruments are seductive on at least three separate levels. The most obvious attraction is the aesthetic appeal. Vintage pens come in a wide variety of colors, styles, and finishes, but all share a graceful, elongated shape and show an attention to design and a quality of workmanship which is rare in mass produced items of this decade. Second, antique fountain pens are functional items. With a bit of skill and patience, many styles may be restored to working order and used day in and day out. Once you have experienced the silky smoothness of a gold nib gliding across a page, leaving its flowing trail of intense, real ink, you will never be satisfied with the crude feel or skimpy scribbling of a ballpoint again. Third, there is the sense of nostalgia. Fountain pens were not decorative items set upon a shelf and occasionally dusted. They were used every day by their owners, and retain, as collectibles, a strong sense of personality and individuality. Holding a wonderful old pen, one can almost imagine the business deals that were concluded, the checks paid, and the love letters which may have been composed with its strokes. Collecting and using fountain pens from the past transports the collector back to a time when a person’s handwriting was a matter of pride, when a pen was a valued personal possession to be kept and carefully maintained for years, and when mailboxes were filled with carefully scripted letters full of news and greetings, rather than printed advertisements addressed to “Occupant”.

1883 – 1920: The Eyedropper-Fillers

A fountain pen is distinguished from its predecessor, the dip pen, by one essential feature – it is capable of carrying its own, internal supply of ink. This seemingly simple innovation was, in practice, a great leap forward, as it freed the user from the need to constantly dip into an ink well, and made truly portable writing instruments feasible for the first time. Credit for inventing the first workable fountain pen is generally accorded to a New York insurance sales man, Lewis E. Waterman. In 1883, Mr. Waterman devised a system for ensuring a constant and well-regulated flow of ink from the reservoir to the pen point and established the Ideal Fountain Pen Company. This firm became one of the dominant pen manufacturing companies and is still in business today.

The earliest fountain pens did not feature levers, plungers, or other self-filling mechanisms. The barrels of these pens were merely hollow tubes, sealed at the lower end and threaded internally at the upper lip. The threads held a separate piece, the “section”, which was drilled to hold the nib and the “feed”, a small usually slotted, piece which helped to conduct ink to the pen point. The section could be unscrewed, allowing the barrel to be filled with writing fluid by the use of an ordinary eyedropper. The section and nib were generally covered by a cap, which protected the delicate point, and helped to prevent ink from drying in the pen between users.

Eyedropper-filled fountain pens were produced in three basic styles:

The “straight holder”: In this earliest version, the pen cap and barrel were of equal diameter. The section featured a sharp step from larger to smaller diameter just above the threads, and the pen’s cap fit over the narrower, upper part. This design was easy to machine, but the abrupt stepdown in the diameter of the section made gripping the instrument a bit awkward.

The “taper cap” type: Introduced around 1890, this design was quite similar to the straight holder style. The barrel was slightly shorter, however, and the cap was elongated and tapered to a graceful point. This modification gave the pen a beautiful, balanced look, and improved the feel of the pen while writing, but did nothing to relieve the uncomfortable grip.

The “cone cap”: Introduced around 1893, this design featured a section which tapered smoothly from larger to smaller diameter, rather than having the troublesome step of the previous styles. The pen’s cap was of a slightly larger diameter than the barrel, and its inner walls were tapered to fit snuggly over the streamlined section.

Eyedropper-fillers were made almost exclusively of a material known as hard rubber (tradenamed “Ebonite” or “Vulcanite”). This substance, prepared from natural latex and sulfur, was durable, easily machined, and resistant to corrosion by ink. Unfortunately, hard rubber is very difficult to color, so pens made of this material are generally limited to black, orange, or orange and black mottled.

As if to compensate for the lack of brilliant colored pens, manufacturers of the day offered a variety of eyedropper-fillers with magnificent overlays in silver, solid gold, gold-filled, and aluminum. Some were filled with slabs of mother of pearl, or inlaid with precious and semi-precious stones. These early, fancy eyedropper-fillers are, for many modern collectors, the pinnacles of fountain pen design. The combination of superb metal-working and extreme scarcity is almost irrestible. The most successful producer of high quality overlay eyedropper-fillers was the L.E. Waterman Company of New York City. The company’s 1908 catalog lists no fewer than 118 different sizes and styles of fancy eyedropper-fillers. Some of the most beautiful patterns are the Indian Scroll, with its Art Nouveau scrolls and flowers, Repoussé, densely covered in Victorian blossoms, the Pineapple, with its stylized fruits, Grecian Scroll, and Art Nouveau design of swirls and leaves, and the Rose and Lily Heavy Flower Patterns, covered in magnificently-worked foliage and blossoms. Waterman was known particularly for its silver and solid gold overlays. The number of gold-filled pens produced by this firm seems relatively small, by comparison, and the Waterman pearl-sided pens seem a bit plain when placed alongside the firm’s magnificent silver repoussé designs.

In quality of workmanship, though not in sales volume, Waterman was rivaled by the George S. Parker Pen Company, which had been founded in Janesville, Wisconsin in 1888. Perhaps the most famous Parker design was the Snake pen. The elaborate overlay, in either Sterling or gold-filled depicted two snakes on both the cap and barrel, their coils sinuously intertwined in a sinuous, open pattern. The eyes of the serpents were set with tiny red or green stones. Though the Parker was, by far, the best-known of the Snake pens, similar pieces were produced by L.E. Waterman, A.A. Waterman, Paul Wirt, and J.G. Ryder.

Even rarer than the Snake is the Aztec or “Awanyu” pattern, which was made only Parker. This straight holder style pen featured an overlay with the head of an American Indian in full headdress, worked in great detail and very high relief, on both the cap and barrel. A total of only four to six Aztecs are known to exist. Also taken from an Indian theme is the Parker Swastika pen. This cone cap piece was supplied in both gold filled and Sterling, and with two different backgrounds. Less than a dozen of all styles are still known.

Pens trimmed with shell seem to have been one of Parker’s specialties. These were offered in a variety of designs, covered in either mother of pearl, abalone, or a combination of the two. The shell slabs themselves cold be smooth, grooved, or corrugated into an attractive rippled design. The most common of the pearl-sided models was the Number 15, with a pearl-covered barrel and a cap finished in gold-filled filigree. More unusual examples are the Model 46, featuring a gold-filled, chased taper cap, the Number 47, a cone cap style with a deeply repoussé cap. The pearl slabs on the 47 bulge slightly toward the lower end of the barrel, giving the pen its nickname, the “pregnant Parker”.

Although the Parker and Waterman eyedropper-fillers are the most widely recognized, the turn of the century saw over 300 other pen manufacturers operating in the United States. A number of these were producing very ornate and well-finished items, including such firms as Mabie-Todd (Swan), Aiken-Lambert, Paul Wirt, John Holland, Williamson, and Arthur A. Waterman. Slightly below this group in quality, but collectible, nonetheless, were Caws, Carey, Mooney, Century, Edison, Laughlin, Perry, Edward Todd, J.G. Ryder, and Weidlich. Although the “Golden Age” of the eyedropper-filled pen was from 1883 until about 1915, these items continued to be manufactured until at least 1925, catering to the tastes of the more conservative pen buyer who did not yet trust the new-fangled self-filling pens.

1900 – 1925: The Safety Pen

Although the eyedropper-filled fountain pen successfully eliminated the constant need for an ink well, these pens were, in all truth, only mildly portable. The caps were held on only by friction and were prone to becoming dislodged in pocket or purse, allowing for a very messy accident. The earliest attempt to solve this problem was a device known as the “safety pen”. In this design, the nib of the pen could actually be retracted into the pen barrel when not in use. The upper lip of the barrel was threaded, and a distinctive, short cap could be screwed securely in place. A cork stopper glued to the inner top of the cap provided an ink-tight seal, and the pen could be carried without fear leaks.

The first safety-style pen introduced in the United States was made by the Moore Non-Leakable Fountain Pen Company of Boston, M.A., and was introduced in 1900. This pen enjoyed a modest success and, in 1908, the giant L.E. Waterman Company introduced its own version of the safety pen. A wide variety of plain and fancy models was offered between about 1910 and 1925, and the line was continued in limited production through World War II. A few of other firms entered the safety pen market, including Caws and Aiken-Lambert, but he design was never as popular in the United States as in Europe. Across the Atlantic, a huge number of safeties were produced and sold by such notable makers as Montblanc, Soennecken, and Kaweco (Germany), Whytwarth (England), Aurora (Italy), and by Waterman’s French subsidiary.

1900 – 1915: Development of the Self-Filling Fountain Pen

Though the early top of the line eyedropper-fillers were elegant works of art and actually wrote well, the process of filling them was inconvenient, and often left undesirable ink stains on fingers and handkerchief. The next logical advance in fountain pen design was the invention of a workable self-filling mechanism. Literally dozens of different designs were contrived and marketed during the decade of 1900 to 1910, utilizing all manner of complicated pistons, pumps, washers, and gaskets. The first really practical self-filling system, however, was the “Crescent-Filler”, patented in 1901 and 1903 by Roy Conklin, of Toledo, Ohio. The simple Conklin mechanism featured a flattened, semi-circular “crescent” which protruded through a slot on the side of the pen barrel. This was riveted to a metal bar inside the barrel and, when the crescent was depressed, the bar would compare a latex sac which held the ink supply. On releasing the crescent, the sac would spring back to its original shape, and the resulting vacuum would draw in ink. A metal or hard rubber lock ring was fitted through the opening in the crescent to prevent the sac from being accidentally squeezed while the pen was in use or in the owner’s pocket. Conklin’s Crescent-Filler line was quite successful, and a great many of these pens were sold in plain and chased black hard rubber. A wide variety of metal overlay Conklins were also offered, with gold-filled examples apparently the most popular, and occasional examples are seen in red and black mottled or orange hard rubber.

For purposes of identification and dating, it is useful to recognize that the early self-filling pens made between 1900 and 1915 share a number of distinctive characteristics, regardless of the specific mechanism or maker. Virtually all of these pens are crafted of black hard rubber, either chased or smooth. Most are relatively slender with small or medium-size nibs. The caps are generally of the slip-on type (rather than threaded), and tend to be rounded at the top. These early self-fillers were clearly transitional models between the eyedropper-fillers and the reliable self-filling pens that were to follow. Nonetheless, the success of the Conklin design firmly established the compressible ink sac as the most serviceable method for holding the ink supply of a self-filling pen, and all of the subsequent mechanisms which appeared during the next 20 years simply provided different arrangements for compressing the sac.

1915 – 1929: The “Flat-Top” Era

The period between 1915 and 1920 saw the arrival of the first crop of truly modern pens. A number of small technological developments combined to bring the fountain pen out of the category of an unreliable and exotic diversion and to make it an essential of everyday business. The screw-on cap became a standard feature, allowing pens to be carried safely in pocket or purse. As an additional assurance against leakage, a hard rubber sleeve or inner cap was invented, which sealed off the nib when the pen’s cap was screwed into place. Sturdy pocket clips were devised to hold the pen in an upright position when not in use.

One important trend during this period was the evolution of new and more convenient self-filling mechanisms. In 1913, Parker announced its entry into this field with the “button-filler”, the first serious challenge to Conklin’s dominance. Parker’s design used a small brass button at the lower end of the barrel to activate the pen’s pressure bar and compress the ink sac. When not in use, the button was covered by a black screw-on blind cap, eliminating the protruding “crescent” of the earlier Conklin design. The button-filler was an enormous success and was featured in the company’s product line for over twenty years. Parker’s fortunes received a great boost in 1922 when one of the company’s branch managers, a Mr. Lewis A. Tabbel, conceived, almost by accident, the idea of making an oversize button-filler out of orange hard rubber. Though the company president, George Parker, himself, felt that the pen was too unorthodox and the public would never pay the outrageous price of $7.00 which had been proposed, he was finally persuaded to have a hundred or so prototypes made up. As soon as these were put out for test marketing, orders began pouring in, and the now-legendary Parker Duofold was born.

Another significant advance in the design of filling mechanisms was made in 1907 by Walter A. Sheaffer of Fort Madison, Iowa. In that year, Mr. Sheaffer patented his idea for a lever-filler, a mechanism which was to become the most successful of all self-filling systems. By 1912, he had established a small factory in Fort Madison, and the W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company ventured forth onto the treacherous ground of pen manufacturing. Over the subsequent decade, Sheaffer was to become one of the pillars of the American pen industry, and the lever-filling concept was to be “borrowed” by dozens of other companies. In 1915, the giant Waterman Ideal Company introduced its own lever-filling mechanism, and the era of the modern fountain pen was on.

In 1919, Parker, Sheaffer, Conklin, and Waterman were joined in their race for supremacy in pen marketing by another contender. The Wahl Adding Machine Company, a well-established maker of office equipment, purchased the Boston Pen Company. They acquired, not only the manufacturing facilities of the smaller company, but, more important, a patent which allowed them to manufacture pens with a lever-filling mechanism. Wahl pens of the 1920’s were fitted with a distinctive pocket clasp, the “Roller Ball” clip. A small ball was mounted at the lower end of this clip in a manner which allowed it to rotate freely. By virtue of this feature, the pen could, at least in theory, be placed in or removed from a shirt or jacket without catching on the fabric. By 1923, even Conklin, the long-time champion of the Crescent-filler mechanism, had begun to produce pens which featured a lever, and, by 1926, the firm finally abandoned its venerable Crescent filler line altogether.

The other major development in pen manufacturing that occurred during the 1920’s was the introduction of plastic as a manufacturing material. In 1924, the Sheaffer Company began marketing a large size lever-filler (the Lifetime pen) made of a marbled, jade green cellulose nitrate. The pen was an enormous success, and within two years, the new plastic (also known by the trade names Celluloid, Herculoid, Pyroxyline, Pyralin, Radite, and Permanite) had become the standard for all but the most inexpensive pens. By the end of the decade, fountain pens were turned out in bright shades of red, yellow, coral, and blue and in stunning combinations such as green-and-bronze and black-and-pearl. Among the major makers, only the arch-conservative Waterman continued to make a full line of hard rubber pens. To compete with the newer plastics, Waterman developed a dramatic new pattern in red and black rubber, the Ripple, which strongly resembled the “pulled feather” pattern that had been popular among Art Nouveau glassmakers. Late in the 1920’s, Waterman also perfected techniques for introducing a wider range of pigments into the hard rubber stock and produced beautiful ripple designs combining shades of light and dark blue, olive with black, and bright red with yellow.

As most manufacturers began concentrating on color and styling, the variety and quality of precious metal pens declined precipitously. Metal overlay work was generally relegated to smaller size “women’s” pens, and the designs were mechanical and uninspired. Again, only Waterman stood with tradition, producing a complete line of overlay pens in a variety of patterns and finishes. Popularity of these elegant pens remained relatively high, with the result that some 80 to 90% all full-size, self-filling metal covered pens found by collectors today are Watermans. The swirling “Filigree” pattern and the hand engraved “Vine” and “Pansy Panel” designs in Sterling, gold, and gold-filled are particularly appealing.

Self-filling pens from the 1915 – 1929, regardless of maker, share certain identifiable characteristics. They tend, first of all, to be larger in diameter than earlier models. As the self-filling mechanisms proved their reliability, the public began to demand writing instruments that not only filled easily, but also that needed to have their ink supply replenished less frequently. That meant bigger ink sacs and, therefore, bigger pens. During the years of prosperity that followed the First World War, customers were also willing to pay the higher prices that the larger pens carried. The styling of pens during this period featured threaded caps and barrels with straight (as opposed to tapering) sides and flat ends. The models of greatest interest to present-day collectors are the larger pens from major companies of the period, and include the Parker Senior Duofolds, the full size Sheaffer Lifetime pens, the Waterman models 56 and 58, Waterman’s silver, gold, and gold-filled overlay lever-fillers, and the Gold Seal Wahl pens. Plastic pens made by the small LeBoeuf company of Springfield, Massachusetts are sought after because of the unusually colored and patterned plastic employed by this firm, and other quality, but lesser known models, such as the John Holland Jewel pens, Chiltons, Carters, Swans, and Moores all have followings of their own.

1930 – 1940: The Streamlined Era

The fountain pen industry was, by no means, immune to the effects of the Great Depression. Many fine old companies, including the John Holland company, Carters, Chilton, LeBoeuf, Greishaber, Gold Medal, and the U.S. operations of Mabie-Todd, failed to weather the tempest. Other firms, such as Conklin and Moore, managed to limp through the Depression, but were so damaged that they would never fully recover. Despite the country’s economic difficulties, this was a period of amazing styling innovation within the fountain pen industry. The first company to break the “flat-top, parallel walls” mold was W.A. Sheaffer. In the summer of 1929, Sheaffer produced its first streamlined Balance pen. This model featured a cap and barrel which tapered in graceful curves to a point at either end, resembling, in overall shape, a submariner’s torpedo. The new model was a great success, and boosted Sheaffer into first position in sales. The following year, Parker brought out a streamlined version of its Duofold pen. Though not so drastically restyled as the Sheaffer line, the new Duofold did include a tapered look, and a blind cap which fit more smoothly into the line of the barrel. The Wahl company countered, in 1930, with its moderately streamlined Equipoise line. The following year, Wahl unveiled one of the most dramatically-styled pens of all times, the Doric. This pen featured a cap and barrel which were not merely tapered, but were also faceted into 12 sides. The reinforcing band above the pen’s cap lip was perforated to form a delicate filigree, a streamlined version of the roller-ball clip was fitted, and an adjustable, interchangeable nib was offered. The attractiveness of the Doric line was greatly enhanced by the fact that they were made from a series of beautifully marbled, black-veined plastic in rich tones of burgundy, gray, blue, or green.

By 1930, even the recalcitrant L.E. Waterman Company was forced to bow to the public’s desire for writing instruments made of plastic. Waterman’s first entry into the field was the magnificent Patrician. Though not so sleek as other pens of the period, the Patrician featured black trim at the ends of the cap and barrel, stepped in a strictly Art Deco fashion, a heavy, classically-styled pocket clip, and an elaborately pierced cap band. Despite the Patrician’s superb styling, it sold only moderately well, and was not enough to elevate Waterman back to the position of dominance that the firm had once enjoyed.

From a technological point of view, the major trend of the 1930’s was the move toward “sacless” filling systems. A pen in which the barrel itself served as the ink reservoir had two potential advantages over designs with a collapsible ink sac. First, as no volume would be taken up by the rubber sac, a larger ink capacity was possible. In addition, if the barrel were made of a transparent material, the user would be able to actually see how much ink was remaining and whether of not filling was necessary. The first modern sacless pen was the Conklin Nozac, which was introduced in 1931. This model featured a piston which could be retracted by turning a knob at the lower end of the pen barrel, thus drawing up ink (similar, in principle, to the modern Montblanc Diplomat). Although the Nozac was an appealing pen, with its 14-sided cap and barrel and its dramatic checkered and herringbone plastics, the aluminum piston mechanism was delicate and unreliable. The line did not sell well, and served only to hasten the financial demise of the once-proud Conklin firm.

In 1933, the Parker Pen Company introduced its own attempt at a sacless design. This pen was first called the “Golden Arrow”, then the “Vacuum-Filler”, and, finally, the “Vacumatic”. Its mechanism used a rubber diaphragm to pump air out of the barrel – the resultant vacuum was then replaced by ink rushing in. The pen was executed in a new laminated plastic with alternating stripes of black and color running circumferentially around the cap and barrel. Colors included grey, red, green, golden brown, black, and, in later years, blue. In the center section of the barrel, the black stripes were replaced by transparent plastic, providing for a “visible ink supply”. The clip, designed by noted New York artist, Joseph Platt, was shaped like an arrow, a symbol which would remain part of Parker’s corporate logo to the present day. Unlike the Nozac, the Vacumatic was a rugged and reliable pen, and immediately caught the public’s attention. Though the line was restyled almost constantly, it would continue in production for over 15 years.

Naturally, Parker’s introduction of a successful sacless pen was followed in rapid succession by competing models. Sheaffer was first to enter the fray, bringing a piston-filled version of its Balance pens to market in 1934. Waterman countered with a new product line, the Ink-Vue pens, which debuted in 1936. These were similar in operation to the Vacumatics, but used a small rubber sac to pump air out of the pen barrel, rather than a diaphragm. They were produced in a striking herringbone-patterned plastic in Emerald-Ray, Copper-Ray, Silver-Ray and black. Wahl also entered production of sacless pens in 1936, introducing piston-filled models in its Doric and lower-priced Oxford lines.

The last year of the decade saw the introduction of a major new line of pens from the Waterman company – the Hundred Year Pen. This lever-filled model, with its sleek, streamlined shape, its transparent ends, and its unique ribbed cap and barrel, was an abrupt departure from Waterman’s habitual conservatism. The overall look of this pen was so radical that it has a strangely “futuristic” feel, even today, and would not be out of place on the Star Wars sound stage.

The fountain pens of the 1930’s, like those of the previous decade, are in considerable demand among today’s collectors. Perhaps the most popular items from this era are the Waterman Patricians and Supersize Hundred Year Pens and the oversize Wahl Equipoise pens and Dorics. These models, while beautifully styled and executed, tended to be relatively fragile. The Dorics featured a thin, concave cap lip, which is quite prone to cracks and the Patricians have a rather nasty habit of loosing their clips. The Hundred Year Pen, despite its name, also proved to be a delicate design. The transparent ends on this model have shown a tendency to gradually absorb moisture from the atmosphere, swell, crack, and disintegrate. In consequence, these pieces have become relatively scarce and, therefore more collectible. On the other hand, the piston-filled Dorics and Sheaffers are often scorned by modern pen fanciers, as their complex filling mechanisms are virtually impossible to repair. From a mechanical point of view, the lever-filled Sheaffers and the Vacumatics were, by far, the superior products of this era. These models, however, have survived in such great numbers that their value on the vintage pen market has suffered somewhat.

1940 and Beyond

The decade following 1940 have seen a continued improvement in the sophistication, convenience, and reliability of fountain pens, but writing instruments produced after this date are, with a few notable exceptions, far less collectible than earlier models. During World War II, the production of pens and other non-essential items was seriously limited by a shortage of strategic materials. Design innovations virtually halted, as all of the major pen companies devoted their talent and resources to manufacturing precision parts for the war effort. After the Armistice was signed, the demand for writing instruments soared, but the industry was rocked by the introduction, in November of 1945, of that despicable symbol of the throw-away society, the ballpoint. In addition, this period saw a market contraction in the number of pen makers in this country. Wahl-Eversharp, after enjoying great initial success with its Skyline models, fell into financial ruin by an early and disastrous investment in the unperfected ballpoint technology. The skeletal remains of the firm were eventually bought by Parker in 1954. Waterman saw its market share dwindle until, at last, the United States operation was bought out by the company’s French subsidiary and the corporate headquarters and all manufacturing facilities were moved to Paris. Many smaller makers which had been wounded by the Depression finally succumbed during the tumultuous post-war years, including the venerable Conklin and Moore companies. As a result, the manufacture of quality fountain pens was concentrated in the hands of just two companies: Parker and Sheaffer. Although both firms made superb writing instruments during the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, there was a distinct lack of variety. The twenty-five year period following by three basic lines: Sheaffer’s Touchdown-Filler/Snorkel models, the Parker 51 (the best-selling fountain pen of all times), and the Parker 75. Owing to the huge number of each model that was produced, only a very few post-war fountain pens have achieved any degree of collectibility. The most interesting of these are the Parker 51 Presidential, a solid gold model 51 which was manufactured in quite low numbers and is very scarce today, and three Special Edition Parker 75’s : the Spanish Treasure pen (made from silver recovered from a sunken Spanish galleon), the Queen Elizabeth (manufactured of brass from the propeller of the great ocean liner), and the Americana (a pewter model which incorporates a small piece of wood taken from Independence Hall in Philadelphia in its cap). All three of these Special Edition are limited production models, are numbered, and were sold in special wood presentation boxes.

During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the manufacturing of fountain pens was essentially a moribund industry. Parker, Sheaffer, and Waterman turned, in desperation, to making ballpoints, felt-tip markers, and other more “modern” writing instruments. Ownership of the companies changed hands repeatedly, and financial losses were staggering. During the past five years, however, there has been a change in the attitude of American consumers. Buyers have, to an ever greater degree, begun to realize that quality is to be preferred over convenience, that walnut is nicer than Formica, and that Limoge is superior to Melmac. In this changing climate, the fountain pen has experienced a remarkable renaissance. The major companies have brought out new product lines, advertising has begun, once again, to appear in national magazines, and the fountain pen is back. For those of us who have, for years, been prowling the flea markets and junk shops in search of gold nibs hidden beneath a blue-black layer of dried ink or the flash of a silver filigree among a box of costume jewelry, it never left.

Robert Tefft, MD is one of the leading collector and experts of Waterman pens. He is the past president of the largest pen club in the world, the Pen Collectors of America.

Pocket Masterpieces: Japanese Lacquered Pens
By David Pepper

Like so many great discoveries, that of the first application of lacquer is shrouded in the mists of at least five millennia. That the very toxic sap of a sumac tree could, under the proper conditions, transform into a benign and durable surface covering must have seemed almost miraculous to the prehistoric Japanese. Recent archeological finds show that hey soon made good use of their discovery. By the 10th century A.D., the use of lacquer was not only widespread, but encompassed a large variety of skilled techniques and treatments. The continued sophistication of the art, with its use of pigments, metal powders, and inlays, reached a peak in the late Edo era (1780-1868). The ceremonial life of the ruling samurai class demanded high-quality lacquered articles of every type for both show and gift-giving, from the palanquins and armaments of feudal lords to the inro and sword sheaths of even the lowest ranking samurai. The wealthy merchant class was equally demanding. Lacquer craftsmen produced furniture, boxes, utensils, and the many personal adornments of a nation without pockets – segemono of every sort, women’s hair ornaments, fans, and portable writing cases. These artifacts were accessible to members of all but the poorest social classes.

Japanese lacquerware first aroused European interest in the late 16th century and, despite the country’s later period of isolation, continued to trickle into the West through the Dutch trade. A second wave of interest developed from the last days of the shoguns and well into the Meiji era (1868-1912). The collapse of the cold feudal society had made available to foreigners, at often ridiculously low prices, a vast store of equipments, furnishings, and “curios” suddenly rendered obsolete.

While high quality lacquered objects and utensils for either ceremonial or household use continued to be produced after 1900, the manufacture of functional personal objects declined drastically as Western dress was adopted in the late Meiji and Taisho eras. The obsolescence of inro, netsuke, and sagemono might have heralded the end of this type of lacquer were it not for the genius of Ryosuke Namiki.

Namiki (1880-1954) developed a vehicle for the lacquerer’s art, which wedded beauty and function in a highly personal, easily transportable form – the fountain pen.

At the turn of the last century, Namiki was a merchant ship’s chief engineer, then a college professor. His fertile mind led him to develop and patent a non-clogging drafting pen in 1909, and shortly after he began making improvements to fountain pens. His first step was to develop a gold and iridium alloy nib, which was subtly adapted to the writing of Japanese characters and script.

By 1915, he had left teaching and entered partnership with several friends. He produced the first Namiki gold nib in 1916 and two years later launched the Namiki Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

At this time, most pen bodies were made of a vulcanized sulfur and rubber compound known as ebonite. Invented in Britain in the mid-1800s and originally called Vulcanite, it was promoted as an inexpensive and durable substitute for ebony. Easily moldable, it was used to make elaborate picture frames, mourning jewelry, handles, and parts for medical and drafting equipment. It quickly became the standard for fountain-pen bodies. However, its rich black glossy surface would fade to brown and turn dull after exposure to sunlight and the elements.

In 1925, Namiki patented the laccanite process, which involved the addition of raw lacquer to the basic ebonite compounds. This produced a permanent glossy black surface which could be used indefinitely without fading or scratching. Many other companies tried unsuccessfully to purchase patent rights to this remarkable innovation.

Using a credo of high quality in both product and customer service, Namiki was highly successful in Japan, but due to much competition against products of high similarity, the company made little headway in increasing foreign sales, particularly in Europe and the USA.

Namiki knew it needed a product that was vastly different from those of its potential competitors. The answer to this dilemma came out of the company’s initial research into the combining of lacquer and ebonite. The company realized that beyond a durable shiny surface, they could add lacquer decoration in the age-old makie technique.

As with the lacquered objects of the past, the Namiki pens share the same qualities of permanence, impermeability to moisture, salt and alcohol and, the immensely variable possibilities of decoration. The great challenge, of course, was creating a unified, balanced, and striking design on the minuscule surface of a pen barrel and cap. There are basically three levels craftsmanship in the lacquer art, starting with those who prepare the base material, then the preparers of the lacquer surface, and finally the highest, the makie-shi, or decorative artists. Only the latter worked on pens.

The solid and smooth nature of the laccanite pen barrel eliminated most of the preparation stages normally used in the making of the wood-based artifacts such as inro. After initial preparation, layers of lacquer were built up on the pen base to prepare the ground for decoration. This surface could be finished in any number of ways, from plain black through all the many subtle permutations afforded by the makie techniques of sprinkling various colors and grades of metal flakes or powders onto wet lacquer. In each stage of this process, the thin layer of lacquer was cured by a damp atmosphere until thoroughly hard, then polished smoothly with specially cut charcoal pieces. The process was repeated enough times to create a feeling of depth and create a subtle or strong design. During the above process, cut metal foil or shell should be added to the background.

Then came the greatest test of skill for the makie-shi, the crucial finishing of the design. The difficulty here is not in holding the tiny object, but in creating a perfect balance on a design surface of which the artist can never see more than on third clearly at any time.

The actual transfer of the pre-drawn pattern was accomplished by revising the paper and painting in the main lines and forms with lacquer. This was then transferred to the object by gentle, even pressure on the surface of the paper.

Sometimes pens were finished in the togidashi technique, which consists of applying many layers of pigment, metallic powder, and sometimes shell, worked into a smooth design and then covered with black lacquer. The surface is ground down just enough to reveal the hidden design.

Makie, whether low, medium, or high relief, follows the basic technique mentioned above. For takamakie, the highest relief, four, five, or even more layers could be applied. The highest areas were often built up with clay powder and raw lacquer thoroughly mixed and applied with a brush. The final layers of these areas could be made from bengara (iron oxide powder), or other pigments mixed with lacquer. Subtle tricks of perspective were created by varying the thickness of certain areas of the design.

Using cat- and rat-hair brushes, any area down to a hair-thin line could be painted. Sometimes pigmented lacquer was applied in areas as contrast or highlight to the overall design. This pains-taking and repetitive procedure of application, curing, and polishing extended over weeks or even months.

The designs applied to Namiki pens relied heavily on the natural world, with the same combinations and symbolic associations seen in the art of past centuries. As with inro, illustrations of legends, historical scenes, and daily activities of pre-modern Japan are frequent. Dragons especially, as well as other mythical beasts, are relatively common. The Japanese had, even in the late 1920s, been producing art geared to Western taste for over sixty years, and certainly had a very good idea of what among their traditional themes appealed to foreign buyers.

To accomplish his goals, Namiki worked with a team of master makie artists including Koho Iida and Shogo Iijima, with advice from Professor Shisui Rokkaku of the Tokyo Fine Arts School. They produced a splendid array of pen samples that were taken in 1925 by Ryosuke Namiki and his partner, Masao Wada, on a long promotional trip that brought them to Europe, America, and China.

His initial success led to the opening of Namiki offices in London, New York, and the Far East in 1926. This, plus an extensive advertising campaign, resulted in a flood of orders for the pens. Among his new clients were Tiffany’s of New York, as well as Cartier in Paris and Asprey in London. A beautiful color advertisement on an Asprey catalog of that time highlights a superbly decorated takamakie pen featuring the renowned Shinto shrine at Miyajima and its surrounding landscape in minute detail.

Professor Rokkaku recommended that Namiki hire his leading graduate, Gonroku Matsuda (later to become a Living National Treasure), to oversee the production. Only 30 years old at the time, Matsuda was already a master at his art. He taught and encouraged the other Namiki artists, producing both designs and samples to be copied by them, and continued to advise the company for many years. Only one pen from the hand of Matsuda is believed to exist: a brilliant combination of finely cut aogai shell, togidashi and makie work, depicting a demon mask and intricate robe patterns from the Noh play Momijigari.

In England during the 1920s, the Alfred Dunhill firm had gained international renown as purveyors of tobacco pipes, smoker’s supplies, pens, and the finest luxury goods. With stores in prominent locations in London and Paris, the name of Dunhill was synonymous with quality.

Clement Court, the Managing Director of the Paris operation, had a long-standing love for Asian art, especially the art of Japan. In 1927, Setsuji Wada, Namiki’s representative abroad, convinced Dunhill to sell makie pens on a trial basis. Wada and Court were introduced that year, and Court was so taken with the Namiki line that he immediately began importing not only pens but other lacquered objects into his Paris branch. They were sold under the new brand-name of “Dunhill-Namiki”. A strong bond had been forged, and Court’s excellent business relationship with Namiki led to an exclusive 1929 contract giving Dunhill major distribution rights for Namiki pens and pencils outside of Japan. By this time, Dunhill had a retail network in all the best locations in over thirty countries.

One of the first designs to appear in Dunhill’s 1929 pen catalogue was glowingly and accurately described as “a triumph of the lacquerer’s art”. It depicts an ancient Chinese vessel, pennants flying, plowing through rolling waves. The pen displays a wide variety of lacquer techniques with just a hint of Art Deco style. Although some designs were catalogued, many of the finest examples were custom-made orders.

Court became a close and privileged friend of Wada, even staying at his home while in Japan in 1930 on a trip that was to further strengthen the ties between Namiki and Dunhill. While there, he visited lacquer artists’ studios in Tokyo and Kyoto, and was impressed with the artistic excellence and superior qualities of the lacquer pens. He saw these as being the key to eventual success for Namiki, pointing out in a letter that while there were many manufacturers of fine pens in the world, their company held a unique advantage. Court earnestly encouraged them to pursue this combining of modern technological superiority with one of the great art forms of the past.

Court’s experiences in Japan lead to a 1930 contract giving Dunhill virtually worldwide distribution rights for Namiki pens and products.

Returning from his trip, Court brought with him a large and boldly rendered tsuitate (double-sided standing screen) made by Seishou (Seizo Katsuta), who became Namiki’s chief lacquer artist. Executed in heavy, almost sculptured takamakie on a thick copper panel, the work expresses the awesome power of a dragon’s ascent from sea to sky.

At Christmas of that year, Dunhill’s gift catalogues included a colored leaflet featuring fine lacquer products under the Dunhill-Namiki brand name and thus it came about that modern mass-marketing and an ancient art tradition made a most successful marriage.

The pens were sold by Dunhill in four grades according to quality and decoration, with “A” being at the top of the list. Many grade A pens were specially ordered by Dunhill’s elite clients who included royalty, high society, and the leading lights of the arts, theater, and film.

Although the tribulations of World War II brought an end to this successful partnership, the old Namiki company under the Pilot brand name has continued to produce a limited number of makie pens since the 1940s. The best of these equal the old Namiki pens of the 20sand 30s. In the 1930s, other rival companies produced makie pens in Japan, although the Namiki brand headed the list for quality and artistic skill. Since many Namiki and Dunhill records were destroyed in World War II, it is impossible to give accurate figures, but it is essential that only about 1500 grade A pens were produced by Namiki before 1938. Many pens have suffered wear and damage in the ensuing years, further reducing their numbers. By comparison, there are tens of thousands of top quality inro in existence. Of course there are still many pens of the lower grades to be found, but most of the known “treasure-pens” are in private hands.

For many years, there has been a small and devoted body of collectors of lacquered pens, but it has been only in the last ten years that pen collecting in general has made a great upsurge. Now there are large pen shows held at least once a month in major US and European cities.

In 1990, a top-quality Dunhill-Namiki lacquered pen could sell for 3000 pounds sterling, as there was little information or genuine understanding of these remarkable artifacts. Prices have risen slowly but consistently since then. On December 8, 2000, a Number 50 Dunhill-Namiki signed by the master Shogo, decorated in high relief makie with a superb dragon motif, fetched an astonishing hammer price of 165,000 pounds, at the London auctin house, Bonhams. Another Number 50 pen, with a goldfish motif signed by Kasui, sold at a hammer price of 155,000 pounds. It appears that increasing interest in and demand for these miniature masterworks shows no sign of leveling off.

A major encouragement of this interest was the long-awaited publication of the first book ever on the subject, Namiki: The Art of Japanese Pens (published by Pens Unlimited, Toronto, 2000). The book is co-authored by Julia Hutt, Assistant Curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Far Eastern Department, and Stephen Overbury. Ms. Hutt is a well-known authority on lacquer and has published extensively on Far East art. Mr. Overbury is a former investigative journalist and author with a great knowledge of pens and pen collecting.

During preparation of the book, Mr. Overbury obtained rare permission from both the Pilot Pen Company and Dunhill to search through company archives. Collectors world-wide loaned him their precious treasures to be brought to London so that the pens and their inscriptions could be recorded by award-winning photographer Steve Crawley.

The book is full of valuable information on the history of the company, lacquer techniques, and advice for collectors. It contains a gallery of color illustrations of some of the finest makie pens in existence.

Perhaps the most useful part of the book is the section on signatures and kao (written seals) used by many of the Namiki artists. The preparation of this section involved not only painstaking research and cross-referencing with archival material, but also working out which of many possible ways of reading the kanji characters were correct for each artist. In addition, these art names had to be keyed to the everyday personal names of the artists. Many of the signatures were written in script form, providing further difficulty. The result, however, is a rewarding glossary of actual signatures and seals.

With the book’s advent, great interest was aroused. Dunhill’s pre-ordered a substantial number of copies – these were to be part of a limited edition of 2000, hand-numbered. Auction houses, even before publication, began to refer to and quote the book. Anticipation of the book alone caused collectors to push auction prices upwards.

The proposed book was promoted and launched by Alfred Dunhill Limited at the Chicago Pen Show in May 1998, and the pen collecting community immediately began to pre-order copies. Complicated work on the signatures delayed the printing until May 1999, but its arrival generated great interest and acclaim.

For the first time ever, both collectors and dealers were able to do their own research and identification of lacquered pens.

In collecting pens, most of the rules used by collectors of inro and other lacquer art apply. Look for quality of craftsmanship, imaginative and skilled artistic design, and excellence of condition.

Not all makie pens are great masterpieces. Conversely, not all of the best pens were signed by their makers. As with inro and netsuke, examples that have unique features or motifs can be collected in any level of the quality range. The great unwritten rule is, of course, to collect artifacts that “speak” to you – that strike a chord with your own ideas and interests. And there is always the thrill of the hunt – some of those rare lost masterpiece pens could be lurking in places where you would never find a netsuke!

In his 1930 catalogue Alfred Dunhill predicted that the lacquered pens he offered for sale would become highly collectible works of art. They seem to have done so in a way far beyond anything he might have imagined.

David Pepper is a Canadian artist who specializes in design and fabrication of museum exhibits, sculpture, and antique restoration. He started to collect and study Japanese artifacts in 1958, and has written extensively on this subject. His shop in Windsor, Ontario, Okame Japanese Antiques, was established in 1981. Mr. Pepper particularly enjoys carving wood and other materials, and has made dozens of full-sized masks as well as netsuke. Most of these are in private collections.

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