11 replies to this topic

[Innes Cate]

Hi - I recent acquired this mottled red hard rubber fountain pen.  

The imprint on the barrel is:  

1st line - PARAMOUNT

2nd line - MADE IN ENGLAND

 

Questions:

Is this a Mentmore pen?

What year of manufacture?

Obviously this is the wrong clip - does this pen in fact have a clip?

Best method to unscrew the tight blind cap to remove the pocket clip?

 

Any information is appreciated

Innes

 

 

[Peterg]

Mentmore did make a Paramount pen in the 1930's  but the nib and section look distinctly un Mentmore to me

[Widget]

Hi Innes can't help with type of clip but if you read National Security Vis a Tank on Page 3 of British pens posted by Widget (me) on 21st Jan 2014 there is some good advice re. removing top of cap and you can see my before and after clip. I attempted the cap band at a later date so it matched the clip. I'm now experimenting mixing different carats eg. 14ct 18 ct., rose gold. At least I was until the 'goldy' machine decided not to work. Under investigation at the moment. I think I need a new wand this 1 doesn't get hot.

[Innes Cate]

Thanks for the references - should do the trick

[Deb]

Yep, it's a 1930 Mentmore Paramount.  Good find - they don't turn up all that often.  As this cap doesn't have any internal metal parts you can use water to loosen and wash out dried ink.  Heat to the top of the barrel will help to get the stud unscrewed.

[Innes Cate]

Yep, it's a 1930 Mentmore Paramount.  Good find - they don't turn up all that often.  As this cap doesn't have any internal metal parts you can use water to loosen and wash out dried ink.  Heat to the top of the barrel will help to get the stud unscrewed.

 

Thanks Deb - mission accomplished.   Do you know if this pen has a pocket clip or clip-less?

[Deb]

In those days, many manufacturers offered the clip as an optional extra, so it could be either. 

[Paul S.]

these mottled and rippled reds are always attractive - very nice pen Innes.

 

I have a Platignum De Luxe b.f., picture attached, and probably from the same decade, with what appears to be an identical shaped/coloured clip which measures something like 36 mm.               Very dangerous for beginners like me to be dogmatic - all to easy to come unstuck - but looking at my not-very-big-collection of Mentmore and Platignum, it would appear that these two brands kept very much to their own range of clip and cap designs etc., in the ordinary course of events that is.               No telling how this red Paramount acquired what may well have been a clip that looks to have been intended specifically for the Platignum range.             Again, looking at my smallish collection of Mentmores, the only example which has a pen-related nib is the INK-LOCK - the others have nibs stamped either Mentmore or simply Warranted - so perhaps it's unusual to find pen-named nibs like this Paramount.                      I'm envious - this may be an uncommon nib.

Out of my couple of dozen or so Platignums, I don't think there is a single pen-named nib.

 

Mentmore clips mostly seems to have a more refined, often gilt coloured appearance, compared to Platignums which are mostly chrome coloured, rather basic and - as far as the pre WWII examples go - look to be without any name or monogram - quite different to the Mentmore (and Spots), which are usually named on the clip, even on quite early examples.               There are some exceptions which most of you will already know  -  i.e. some of the ribbed Diploma clips are without a monogram and I notice that the Mentmore INK-LOCK clip is without name or monogram.

It's just possible that the ball-ended clip design is one pattern where these two brands may well share a common design - but again the Mentmore clip carries a monogram, which the Platignum does not - thus differentiation the two brands.  

 

Of course there are exceptions to every rule, and my collection of both names is possibly too small to be reliable for some of the statements I've made  .........no doubt Deb is already sharpening her pencil in order to put me right:)

 

The other point I would make relates clips on early pens, and in particular to the query from Innes in questioning whether his Mentmore would have originally had a clip, and

I hope Deb will allow me to add to her invaluable comments already posted.

Am I correct in suggesting that pens such as this red marbled Mentmore with a screw-in blind stud on the cap, would have been sold with a clip, and it's only those pens from the '20's and early '30's (or earlier) that were made without a separate blind cap stud, where a clip would have been optional?           I'm thinking of the rather common ball-end design of clip that was a push fit onto the cap, and produced by a variety of makers  ..........................   just to quote a couple of examples - I have one called 'Swan Clip' (MADE IN ENGLAND - and which carries Rd. No. 676026) on a Waterman, and another is marked 'CLIPPER'  (from M. T. & Co. MADE IN ENGLAND) on a Boots pen.      

British Design Rd. 676026 dates to around April 1920, and this would look to be about the right date for the pen in question.    

 

Please do comment, and put me right  -  I'm very new at all of this, and probably stand to be corrected on a lot of things.              thanks for looking:)

 

P.S.   sorry, can't find the 'paperclip', so unable to attach my picture                  

Edited by Paul S., 18 January 2016 - 08:33 AM.

[Innes Cate]

P.S.   sorry, can't find the 'paperclip', so unable to attach my picture                  

Paul - it's a bit of a mission but this is how I do it...

1. Go to GALLERY and create an album for yourself, then follow the instructions to add your photo.  Then to add that photo to your Post:
2. Bring up the photo and click on 'Options' in the black box to upper right
3. click on BBCode will be at the top of the box that pops up
4. you then copy and paste into your post - your photo will be there

Innes

[Paul S.]

thanks very much Innes  -  regret to say I'm useless at technology - I think it just surprised me that I couldn't find a paperclip.                Later today will attempt your instructions - fingers crossed.

[Deb]

I can only quote the example of Conway Stewart, where clips appear to have been optional up to World War II. And yes, that's with pens that have screw-in studs.

In this instance, the accommodation clips are something of a red herring. They were made for rather earlier pens.

[Paul S.]

thanks Deb.                    Well, obviously I've failed dismally with the picture  -  it's attached but way too small............   however, hope it's adequate for you to get the gist of what I was meaning about shape/design/colour of the clip.

I will try again to master this business of attaching images.