Jump to content


Photo

Recent finds at Porta Portese


  • Please log in to reply
5 replies to this topic

#1 Rocco P

Rocco P

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 208 posts
  • LocationItaly, Rome

Posted 06 September 2015 - 09:51 AM

Porta Portese - Rome's biggest flea market - is good for italian pens, particurarly vintage Aurora 88s. I've bought way too many before enforcing a strict "no more 88s" rule for my small collection.

It's much more difficult to find american pens, but in the last couple of weeks I've managed to find a few: a cf parker 61 (I think it's an insignia); a waterman taperite; a wahl eversharp (gold seal?); a sheaffer touchdown. I've also found an italian clone of the sheaffer touchdown :-) and a Columbus 65 in good condition.

 

Here's the P61. It's very clean and required nothing more than a very light polish (the photo it's from before any cleaning was made):

 

IMG_20150824_104552_zpse9stu9ai.jpg

 

The Waterman taperite is very dirty, but it should clean nicely as the plastic has no damage (the cap will require more extensive work):

 

IMG_20150906_112100_zpsp9y4rpyv.jpg

 

The W-E gold seal is in nice condition, apart from a few plier scuffs on the section. As I've bought it 30 mins ago, I've still to do any work on it:

 

IMG_20150906_112158_zpsy4poxspj.jpg

 

The Sheaffer touchdown is nothing to write home about, but it's a workhorse, and I needed a new user pen to bring to the office:

 

IMG_20150906_113623_zpscyzimrdi.jpg

 

 

The PenCo 53 is a good quality italian pen that brought a lot of legal troubles to the PenCo firm. The first version was a near identical copy of the Sheaffer touchdown. The pen went through three different revisions, with the last one (the one I got) being a piston filler (the crud on the nib was nothing more than old ink):

 

IMG_20150906_111816_zpsra6i5ngf.jpg

 

Lastly, I've also bought a Columbus 65 in very good condition, were it not for a few scratches on the cap lip. It's a very well made piston filler:

 

IMG_20150906_111906_zpstmeo3g68.jpg

 

Edited for grammar


Edited by Rocco P, 06 September 2015 - 09:54 AM.

--

Rocco


#2 Rocco P

Rocco P

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 208 posts
  • LocationItaly, Rome

Posted 11 October 2015 - 01:19 PM

This week, I've bought a Parker 51 and a Waterman. The 51 has a '50, third quarter, date code and a filler with the "press 6 times" line.

 

There were a lot of other pens. A vendor had what evidently was a whole collection for sale, with several early HR pens, including a very nice 42 in woodgrain. Unfortunately, he asked way more than I was ready to pay and, uncharacteristically, he was not ready to bargain on the price.

 

52394c7a-db25-46e8-a897-1e1811014a39_zps

 

Edit: 15 euros for the 51 and 20 for the waterman, Lately, I've been lucky with 51s.


Edited by Rocco P, 11 October 2015 - 01:20 PM.

--

Rocco


#3 FrankBarnard

FrankBarnard

    greenhorn

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 16 posts
  • LocationSan Jose, California

Posted 19 October 2015 - 03:06 AM

Very nice finds. I think I need to start trading you some old American pens for the scarce Italian (and other European) pens here. Anything in particular that you are looking for? Please let me know if you ever find an empty box for an Omas Amerigo Vespuci Limited Edition!

 

I don't have an Aurora 88 yet and I really like your PenCo 53 but I've got plenty of Parkers and Sheafers to trade! I just got my first Columbus this year and would like your recommendations on what shouldn't be missed from Italy.



#4 david i

david i

    ADVISOR

  • ADVISORS
  • 7,515 posts
  • LocationEast Coast USA

Posted 19 October 2015 - 03:51 AM

Nice color on the Wahl.

 

-d


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

Posted Image

#5 Rocco P

Rocco P

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 208 posts
  • LocationItaly, Rome

Posted 01 November 2015 - 12:35 PM

This week, I have found a Parker 61 in its box. The box is quite dirty. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to clean it?

 

I have also bought two Aurora 88s in fairly good shape. One of them still has the original colored plug (used only on early models) that goes on the end of the piston knob and covers the access screw. In this instance, the plug is white, for an extra fine, flexible nib.

 

IMG_20151101_130009_zpsb97vypth.jpg

 

IMG_20151101_130645_zpsilhot9r5.jpg

 

IMG_20151101_130853_zpsv3m7oygk.jpg


--

Rocco


#6 Rocco P

Rocco P

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 208 posts
  • LocationItaly, Rome

Posted 22 November 2015 - 01:32 PM

Continues at this post.


--

Rocco





0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users