31 replies to this topic

[haywoody]

(double post due to glitch - sorry)

Edited by haywoody, 10 September 2013 - 04:40 AM.

[Christof Z]

Here comes the update:



First I’d like to apologise to all who felt bored to this thread. May be, this pen , or brand is just not well known enough for guessing games. But I felt encouraged by the last issue oft he pennant, where this brand is mentioned.



The pen is a German made Orthos, manufactured by Josef Lamy. I’d like to quote from Paul Eranos Article in the pennant from summer 2013:



„…The company was established in 1930, a few years afterParker employe Josef Lamy was sent to Germany to help Parker expand ist foreignmarket. Parker’s efforts included the purchase of the Osmia company; but whenParker parted with Osmia, Josef Lamy remained in Germany to establish his owncompany under the name Orthos…“



So this pen seems to be one of the first Lamys. But the most interesting thing in my opinion is that Josef Lamy did not copy the design of any Parker pens. He clearly did choose a different design, the design of certain Wahl Eversharp pens of that period.





Here are some better pics:




















Now, perhaps it’s you who can help me to date this pen more precisely. Taking account of the fact, that it was no longer allowed to produce pens with gold nibs after 1939 in Germany, this pen has been made between 1930 and 1939. But the clip design is clearly the one of the Doric of the second generation. Now, it would be interesting to know when did Wahl Eversharp change its clip design. This would help to get a more precise period of manufatcure of my Orthos.



So thanks for your patience and help in advance.



Christof

Edited by Christof Z, 10 September 2013 - 08:25 AM.

[Widget]

No need to apologise I ,probably like many others, thoroughly enjoyed this post and have learned quite a lot not just about Lamy. I'm sure some of these ever so clever pen people on this board can help you fill in gaps.

[AZuniga]

I should say Orthos crossed my mind since Christof's hint pushed me to a new reading of the last Pennant...
I was not convinced because when I bought the set I include here, long time ago, it was attracted
by its very curious clip...
It does not have an original nib but a Parker one, and I believed the seller (most probably a mistake but I used to believed them most of the time)
that it was manufactured by Parker...

Thanks to Christof I have clarified it..

[Christof Z]

Very cool set Ariel! Thanks for showing. Now we could construct theories about Orthos, Josef Lamy and his relationship to parker...


...for example: Perhaps the first pens that Josef Lamy produced under the Name of Orthos have been copies of Duofolds. Maybe he bought some of the remaining Duofold nibs which left over at Osmia, after Parker sold the Company... and maybe Parker intervened and prohibited this, and that's why Lamy changed the design to Doric or Equipoised copies...who knows.

Do you have another theorie? And more important: do you have other pens from Orthos?



Christof



PS: we should meet when you are the next time in Zurich.

Edited by Christof Z, 11 September 2013 - 09:56 AM.

[AZuniga]

Very cool set Ariel! Thanks for showing. Now we could construct theories about Orthos, Josef Lamy and his relationship to parker...


...for example: Perhaps the first pens that Josef Lamy produced under the Name of Orthos have been copies of Duofolds. Maybe he bought some of the remaining Duofold nibs which left over at Osmia, after Parker sold the Company... and maybe Parker intervened and prohibited this, and that's why Lamy changed the design to Doric or Equipoised copies...who knows.

Do you have another theorie? And more important: do you have other pens from Orthos?



Christof



PS: we should meet when you are the next time in Zurich.

There is certainly a lot to learn from those pens... Unfortunately that is the only Orthos I have, I had almost forgotten it until I read the name in Paul's article but then came your post and I started thinking of a deeper search...
No theories at this point but I am sure you are right to think about this relationship Parker-Osmia... I know at least two good collectors of Parker-Osmia.
We have to continue searching, it is part of the fun in pen collecting...

Ariel


ps. I will be at the Europe shows late this month and October, Zurich around 12 October, I will let you know...

[David Nishimura]

That clip was introduced on the economy-line Dorics quite early (by 1932, as I recall), so it isn't so helpful in dating this Orthos. More helpful, I think, is the cap band treatment, which is copied from Parker's Duofold Deluxe -- but I can't remember the exact year of introduction (in the 1932-34 range, though).

The copying of the Equi-Poised shape is especially interesting in a German pen; Wahl seems to have inspired the most emulation in Italy, but German tastes clearly ran in a different direction.

[Christof Z]

1378951973[/url]' post='28441']
The copying of the Equi-Poised shape is especially interesting in a German pen; Wahl seems to have inspired the most emulation in Italy, but German tastes clearly ran in a different direction.

I absolutely agree. That's what makes me thinking this pen could be interesting to show here. I do not have that much of ca.1935 German made pens in my collection, but the ones I know are different, not American style related.
Pelikan 100Soennecken PräsidentIBIS Montblanc Kaweco and Soennecken Reingold (two on top)

Edited by Christof Z, 12 September 2013 - 05:48 AM.

[AZuniga]

I am including here some more cap bands that could be helpful for this topic




In this second image it is obvious the relationship between a Soennecken and a Wahl...

[Rick Krantz]

cool post

I LOVE THE GUESS WHAT IT IS POSTS!

Keep them coming!

We should have a separate forum just for that!

BTW, I was so far off! I could only think "Gold Bond"

Rick

[David Nishimura]

Although the ultimate source of the Greek key design on the Soennecken's cap band was surely Wahl, I do think the derivation may be indirect. The Soennecken band is single, not triple, and the meander pattern is quite different in its treatment -- much more classical, less stylized. Indeed, it looks much more like how Italian penmakers such as OMAS and Aurora re-interpreted Wahl's meander.

[Will]

(I thought it was Italian.) Very cool! thanks for the information. It is a lovely pen!

Edited by Will, 15 September 2013 - 01:30 PM.