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Beautiful underrated pens or how brand recognition affects collectors and pen value


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#1 piscov

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Posted 17 December 2013 - 12:25 PM

As I think most of us, when I started collecting pens, I only had eyes for the well known brands. I focused first on Parker and Sheaffer and later changed to Pelikan, Montblanc and Soennecken. That has changed a bit over the years and now I also  actively look other less known but equally well built and beautiful pens.

 

In the past I ended up buying some unknown pens, most times in bulk buys only to be able to get "that other known" pen, most times  Pelikans or Montblancs.

 

Brand recognition and scarcity  are probably the most important aspects when it comes to pen value, but  some times they have not better quality, nor are more well build, or even more beautiful, they are only from a famous brand that correctly and methodically built a name associated with quality, prestige and luxury over the years because they started earlier, invested more in marketing campaigns, were more innovative that competitors, or any other valid reason to get a competitive advantage. 

 

I want to start this thread so all of us can show some of the pens we think are good enough and look great enough to be able to stand by their own along side with the famous ones but  are from less known brands or even unbranded pens.

 

I am posting 3 pens that I feel can match any same style and period Pelikan or Montblanc pen in overall quality and beauty but are just not branded or are simply disregarded because they are not from the " big ones"

 

 

1) Unbranded lizard pen, with a excellent piston mechanism. It was a kind offer of pmn, also member here and arrived to me with a section that was not fitting properly, so I machined a new one and installed it. I have also installed a Degussa steel nib.

 

2) Bohler Glorex. arrived to me with a clip all worn and already silver colored because the gilded was gone and with a bad nib, I installed a better looking clip and a 14Kt Degussa nib. Now it writes wonderfully and looks great but still need to sand and polish the section ;)

 

3) Luxor Grand visible G2, already posted this thread - all original. 

 

Share yours also!!

 

Regards

 

Vasco

 

IMG_0987_zps6ebd3435.jpg

 

IMG_0992_zpsa582358f.jpg

 

 

IMG_0993_zpsf778fc42.jpg

 

IMG_0610_zps4e7f4bc6.jpg


Edited by piscov, 19 December 2013 - 09:52 PM.

Best regards
Vasco

simbolo-e-nomesmall2_zps47c0db08.jpg

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#2 Shadow Wave

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Posted 18 December 2013 - 05:44 AM

Those are absolutely gorgeous. :)



#3 wastelanded

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Posted 18 December 2013 - 01:28 PM

Now, how beautiful are those? Thanks for sharing with us! 


"If you light a lamp for someone else it will also brighten your path." ~ Buddha

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#4 markiv

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Posted 22 December 2013 - 03:38 PM

As I think most of us, when I started collecting pens, I only had eyes for the well known brands. I focused first on Parker and Sheaffer and later changed to Pelikan, Montblanc and Soennecken. That has changed a bit over the years and now I also  actively look other less known but equally well built and beautiful pens.

 

In the past I ended up buying some unknown pens, most times in bulk buys only to be able to get "that other known" pen, most times  Pelikans or Montblancs.

 

Brand recognition and scarcity  are probably the most important aspects when it comes to pen value, but  some times they have not better quality, nor are more well build, or even more beautiful, they are only from a famous brand that correctly and methodically built a name associated with quality, prestige and luxury over the years because they started earlier, invested more in marketing campaigns, were more innovative that competitors, or any other valid reason to get a competitive advantage. 

 

I want to start this thread so all of us can show some of the pens we think are good enough and look great enough to be able to stand by their own along side with the famous ones but  are from less known brands or even unbranded pens.

 

I am posting 3 pens that I feel can match any same style and period Pelikan or Montblanc pen in overall quality and beauty but are just not branded or are simply disregarded because they are not from the " big ones"

 

 

1) Unbranded lizard pen, with a excellent piston mechanism. It was a kind offer of pmn, also member here and arrived to me with a section that was not fitting properly, so I machined a new one and installed it. I have also installed a Degussa steel nib.

 

2) Bohler Glorex. arrived to me with a clip all worn and already silver colored because the gilded was gone and with a bad nib, I installed a better looking clip and a 14Kt Degussa nib. Now it writes wonderfully and looks great but still need to sand and polish the section ;)

 

3) Luxor Grand visible G2, already posted this thread - all original. 

 

Share yours also!!

 

Regards

 

Vasco

Nice thread idea! I especially like the snake skin pen.

I will play too. Here are a couple of lesser known pens from Europe. Bermond in tortoise shell celluloid and a Imperial Pelleteir 220 in blue cracked ice celluloid. 

AxmmESZ.jpgjmyT16W.jpg

Here is a German piston filler - Matador Click 325

Y4eBdVF.jpgOU3zsGc.jpg4JuuxB1.jpg

Finally here is a fancy Italian Zemax. 

Ovgq2fG.jpgniyjczL.jpgb1FMabR.jpg

 

Happy holidays and Merry Christmas!


Edited by markiv, 22 December 2013 - 05:02 PM.

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#5 soot

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Posted 22 December 2013 - 06:21 PM


jmyT16W.jpg
 
 
This is one beautiful pen! I really like the fact they are faceted.


#6 markiv

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Posted 22 December 2013 - 07:36 PM

This is one beautiful pen! I really like the fact they are faceted.

Thanks - Imperial Palletier made nothing but beautiful pens based on the few I have seen. There was one listed by Gary Leher (pen#120) and had provided interesting research on its origins. The nib on my pen seems original as it has the imprint 'Palletier'. 

While here I have one more to share. This time a Japanese pen supposed to be made by a Morison Pen Company not related to Morrison of US.

HrGs8dl.jpgTvpPwV2.jpglaPcLZB.jpg

Final image shows the scale of this giant next to a Pelikan 100N

qk61iGe.jpg


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#7 oghistoryteacher

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Posted 24 December 2013 - 01:40 AM

Stunningly beautiful! It's nice to be starting in a hobby where one doesn't have to stick just to the Big Names to find wonderful objects!



#8 Fred H

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 10:19 AM

...Bohler Glorex. arrived to me with a clip all worn and already silver colored because the gilded was gone and with a bad nib, I installed a better looking clip and a 14Kt Degussa nib. Now it writes wonderfully and looks great but still need to sand and polish the section

I have a Bohler Glorex as well, in silver-ray celluloid.  See today's post 24 in the mini-collection thread

 

Fred



#9 piscov

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 10:35 AM

Hi Fred, 

 

I have seen it, its the 3rd from the right isn't it? The clip you have is different from the one mine had originally, and a lot nicer. Great collection of ray celluloids.

 

I am expecting any day a Waterman inkvue Deluxe Silver ( link to FPNuts post)  ray with a #7 pink nib. Hope it arrived this week. I am not a big fan of very fine and extra flex nibs but I am eager to try it out.


Best regards
Vasco

simbolo-e-nomesmall2_zps47c0db08.jpg

Check out "Pena Lusa by Piscov". Pens added on a regular basis!

Link for Vintage Montblanc pens here

Link for Vintage Pelikan pens here


#10 BMG

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 11:32 AM

Beautiful pens, one and all.

 

And I definitely agree that such pens can be every bit as desirable (perhaps even moreso, given the mystery of their provenance) as the better known brands and models.



#11 Christof Z

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 10:47 PM

Not sure if this pens are matching to the topic but here comes my Mercedes!

The first pen is a safety pen. Unfortunately, I am not able to restore this filling system, and the pen lives in one of my drawers...

11758456496_fae9c8d27a_b.jpg
11758449626_4b8033fc0a_b.jpg

Second is a piston filler. Also unrestored. Nice detail is the "clutch ring" on the barrel, which is actually a secure ring to prevent the cap from screwing off the barrel.

11758107254_f704198d5c_b.jpg
11757942663_b613e9d759_b.jpg

Sorry, but that's all what I have to show for this topic.

Christof

Edited by Christof Z, 04 January 2014 - 10:48 PM.


#12 david i

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Posted 04 January 2014 - 11:05 PM

Hi,


I'm not wholly certain of the target of this thread:  High quality small brands that are well recognized (eg. Leboeuf), high quality small brands that have low name recognition, or low quality companies that made pretty pens that can appeal to the eye, or some mix of all that? ;)

 

I will offer a high quality French pen not well known at least to collectors in the USA.  The pen is Unic.   I have seen stunningly lovely examples, many of which have ringed celluloid, which-- as a collector of Parker's Vacumatic-- adds appeal.

 

I bought this one a few years ago at the Philadelphia Pen Show.

 

unic_stripes_bluemagenta950a.jpg

 

 

regards

 

david


David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#13 Newriter

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Posted 05 January 2014 - 02:30 AM

Hello Pen Friends

I have two of these lizard fountainpens from pscov`s initial posting. They are similar but from very different makers #1 a Boehler and #2 a Ripet

This was my first posting here. Thank you for looking

Thomas

snake_zpseb1ffbf9.jpg



#14 soot

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Posted 18 January 2014 - 09:11 AM

One more for the post:

 

The German brand, RUPP ERO (Thanks, Thomas!). Piston filler, styled like the Pelikan 400, where the nib unit can be screw out with ease.

 

12005558624_31cbdcc68e_b.jpg

12005209525_96e366a699_b.jpg

12006024236_8e33d6662a_b.jpg


Edited by soot, 19 January 2014 - 12:22 AM.


#15 Christof Z

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Posted 18 January 2014 - 09:22 AM

One more for the post:
 
The German brand, RUPP. Piston filler, styled like the Pelikan 400, where the nib unit can be screw out with ease.
 


Hi Bob
Funny pen. Cap seems rather Geha inspired than Pelikan, no?
What nib came originally with the pen?
Christof

#16 soot

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Posted 18 January 2014 - 09:56 AM

10875789736_9619406b22_z.jpg

The original nib is one of these 14K lion head nibs. I swapped it out with a spare MB 4 1/2 nib.

 

Now that you mention it, the cap does look more like GEHA than Pelikan. Ha~


Edited by soot, 18 January 2014 - 10:31 AM.


#17 Saleem ali

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Posted 18 January 2014 - 05:40 PM

Goodness is not confined to famous brands only !



#18 Newriter

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Posted 18 January 2014 - 07:34 PM

Hi soot

The fountainpen is an ERO. Rupp was a nibmaker.

Kind Regards, Thomas



#19 soot

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Posted 19 January 2014 - 12:20 AM

Hi soot

The fountainpen is an ERO. Rupp was a nibmaker.

Kind Regards, Thomas

 

Hi Thomas,

 

Thanks for the correction!

 

Bob



#20 Newriter

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Posted 19 January 2014 - 08:32 PM

Hello Bob

Besifes the lion Rupp had another heraldic animal: #1 and 2. the lynx

Rupp_zps2340f1b2.jpg

Kind Regards

Thomas






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