Innes Cate

Hi All

I recently acquired this button filler fountain pen branded HENLEY CABLES  MADE IN ENGLAND.  

It is fitted with a Conway Stewart nib which maybe an after market to a Warranted nib.   On the face of it the pen looks to be quality made with a screw in section, although the gold fittings lack the quality of the Conway Stewart 58.  

It is a rather stubby pen measuring 112 mm capped and has the same cap girth as a Conway Stewart 58 (see photo) and a slightly wider barrel diameter than the CS 58.   

A google search show HENLEY CABLES CO is still in existence in India.  

Can anybody enlighten me the origin of this pen and who the manufacturers of the pen would have been?  

Thanks

Innes

I won this fountain pen on a local auction site (equivlent of USD65) - THE LINCOLN PEN by NATIONAL PRODUCTS CO, CHICAGO. It is in a lovely mottled dark mahogany coloured hard rubber which is proving difficult to get a like photo.  

A huge size 8 broad nib which writes a very smooth line.

My research show this to be a hard rubber pen and certainly looks like it, but doesn't exhude the typical sulphur smell?

Innes 

I have picked up this Conway Stewart 770 in BHR in a local auction.   Although the cap lip is broken away approx 50% below the cap ring I think it is still a good find for NZD52.50 (approx GBP29.00).   The pen has been well used with weak imprints and plenty of brassing.   The nib, clip and lever are without damage.   The pen sure has a meaty girth at 13.65mm and shapes up well in size against the Parker Duofold Senior.  

My decision is do I leave everything as is with a new ink sac or do a full restoration including reblackening and cap lip repair (if that can be done)?   I'm not sure what its true value would be either as is, or restored?  

Any advice or comments would be welcomed.

Thanks

Innes

Hi All

I recently won this Sheaffer's Balance 1000 in a local auction.   I was drawn to it for the Military Clip.   However when restoring it and cleaning the section, nib and feed I saw the feed start turning white.   My immediate thoughts were Oh no, the water!  

On closer examination the feed looked to be made of a white material, probably plastic.   So off to Google to find that Sheaffer's white feed was a factual event around 1940, but with no definitive answer as to whether it was a factory experiment or a rubber saving decision due to the war.

Apparently either rare or very uncommon?

Hi All

For the benefit of correctness what is the correct colour name for the red English Parker 51 MKI Aerometric (not the burgundy).

I have read a number of articles that refer to it as "Blood Red" or "Rage Red".

Perhaps the UK folk may have an English advertisment or reference that states the colour name?

Thanks

Innes