5 replies to this topic

[Richard]

So everyone thinks of the Conklin Nozac as the first, and almost the only, successful U.S. piston filler from back in the day? Not true. For the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition (sort of a mini-world's fair), held in San Francisco, the Richter-Leblang Company produced this cone-cap piston filler with a single-acting piston mechanism very similar to the mechanism in Soennecken pens made two decades later. It's a cool piece, purchased from Gary Garner at the Raleigh Pen Show in June 2013.




Only problem, as noted in the instruction sheet, is that it's easy to break. I broke this one exactly as described in the sheet's "Don't do this" warning. It's been epoxied back together, but I'll replace this pen when I find another one.

[George]

How did you break it?

[FarmBoy]

How did you break it?

Exactly as described?

(I know, I'm no help.)

[Richard]

How did you break it?

The instruction sheet warns that the pen is made of hard rubber and that continuing to turn the knob after the piston is down against the feed will break the pen. In my case, the barrel popped apart at the back end, where the piston shaft is held in the pen. You can't epoxy an old hard rubber crack because of oxidation, but a new one is a different story. It's holding just fine for now.

[Shadow Wave]

Not to quibble, but how "successful" was this piston filler if 1) it can be broken that easily, and 2) nobody ever heard of it? Workable, apparently. Successful, maybe not so much.

[David Nishimura]

I've seen these pens before, but not with the instruction sheet or anything to help identify their maker.

Do you think there is any connection with the Manos/Standard piston-fillers out of Austria, and do you think these pens were in fact American rather than imported?