Jump to content


Photo

Why Soennecken?


  • Please log in to reply
33 replies to this topic

#21 Rick Propas

Rick Propas

    journeyman

  • ADVISORS
  • 227 posts
  • LocationSF Bay Area

Posted 19 May 2013 - 08:54 AM

Like all the 111s, it writes insanely well.


For me, this set, recently arrived, may be the best answer to the title of this thread.

Wow, what a gorgeous nib! I bet it writes well too.


Posted Image
Visit The PENguin
rickpropas@comcast.net

#22 piscov

piscov

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 449 posts
  • LocationLisbon, Portugal

Posted 19 May 2013 - 10:48 AM

Vik
Your Rheingolds are marvellous, especially the early one in coral! Very, very cool. But what's the second coral pen? Never seen ...
Christof


+one!!

Fantastic pens. Also curious about the top Coral pen.. is it a Soennecken?



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


#23 markiv

markiv

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 41 posts
  • LocationUSA

Posted 19 May 2013 - 04:36 PM

Vik
Your Rheingolds are marvellous, especially the early one in coral! Very, very cool. But what's the second coral pen? Never seen ...
Christof




Vik
Your Rheingolds are marvellous, especially the early one in coral! Very, very cool. But what's the second coral pen? Never seen ...
Christof


+one!!

Fantastic pens. Also curious about the top Coral pen.. is it a Soennecken?




The top coral pen is equally laden with beauty and mystery. All I know is it is made in England, warranted 14K nib and lever filler.
Posted Image

#24 Christof Z

Christof Z

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 390 posts
  • LocationConfoederatio Helvetica

Posted 24 May 2013 - 06:04 AM

Just wanted to Show you my newest flea market found. It's one of These so called "Swiss Soennecken" wich were made for the Swiss market only. It's an elegant 1950's pen in great condtion and a marvellous and flexible nib. There's no number on this pen, but probably it's a 116 size.

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image

Posted Image







Have a look at this writing sample:

Posted Image



This is one of these pen mysteries I still don't understand. Why did Soennecken manufacture pens for such a small market as Switzerland only?



Christof

#25 soot

soot

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 71 posts

Posted 24 May 2013 - 08:42 AM

Perhaps there were more fountain pen users in Switzerland? Or viewing from a business perspective -- the quantity ordered/demanded from the Swiss market was able to support their own individual line?

#26 Greg Minuskin

Greg Minuskin

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 898 posts
  • LocationTustin, California USA

Posted 25 May 2013 - 03:22 AM

Well, this is a topic I can say somthing to.
....but it's early in the morning here, need some time....
only one thing for now: Soennecken is a very interesting brand with lots of high quality pens but I never would say one single brand is "best" or superior than orhers.I'll come back to this thread during the day.
Christof




Okay, here I am again...

First, Soennecken is one of the oldest German pen brand. They started early with safetys and lever fillers. These are very rare nowadays. Then, Soennecken introduced the famous "Rheingold" push knob filler. First without, but later with inkview. Here es a picture of a very early Rheingold:
Posted Image

...just ignore the Duodold, it's just for size comparison.

The later "Rheingold" is compareable to WAterman's inkview, just knob than lever activated:

Posted Image



The flagship of the Rheingolds has been the "Präsident". Here a picture of a pre war President:

Posted Image



...and a post war Pres.

Posted Image



After that Pelikan introduced the piston filler in 1929, Soennecken started also with pistons in the late 30's. Here's a 507 from this time:

Posted Image

All these Soennecken piston mechanisms look similar:

Posted Image

After WWII, Soennekcen introduced the famous 111, 222 and 333 to compete with Montblanc. The two special things about these are first the click filling mechanism and second the marvellous celluloids like herringbone patterns in different colors or lizard pattern in different colors.

Posted Image

The piston was still the same, the click mechanism has just been added to the filling knob:


Posted Image

If I had to compare Montblanc, Pelikan and Soennecken pens, I'd say that:

-Pelikan had only few different models but lots of different colors.

-Montblanc had many different models but only few colors.

-But Soennecken had lots of different models and lots of colors! They also had a quite cryptical numbering system and it's hard or nearly impossible to get an overview over all this Soenneckens. This may be interesting for some colletors, for others it's just scary...and I would say it is probably impossible to get a complete Pelikan or Montblanc collection but it is surely impossible to get all the Soenneckens.

Fact is, to come back to your question, these 50's made Soennecken are extremely well made pens in very attractive patterns and colors. But again, I never would say that these are "better" than the ones from another brand.



Christof



PS: To make it even more complicated: Soennecken did produce pens only for the Swiss market in the 1950's... Again more different pens! I wrote about that on my endless thread on FPN: S E E H E R E


Oh! I would love the red pen Christof!


Greg Minuskin
greg@gregminuskin.com
www.gregminuskin.com


#27 Will

Will

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 119 posts

Posted 11 June 2013 - 10:50 AM

Could anybody give at least partial history of the 111 and 222 models? When did the clip and trim change?

Edited by Will, 13 June 2013 - 10:46 AM.


#28 tenney

tenney

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 45 posts

Posted 12 June 2013 - 05:54 AM

Oh! I would love the red pen Christof!

Many of us would...

#29 toltotoll

toltotoll

    greenhorn

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 20 posts
  • LocationFrance

Posted 29 November 2014 - 11:16 AM

Why Soennecken ? For this pearly one, which I have troubles identifying though : 

 

axcplk.jpg

10f46k6.jpg

m3uz4.jpg

jb0c4m.jpg

 



#30 Christof Z

Christof Z

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 390 posts
  • LocationConfoederatio Helvetica

Posted 30 November 2014 - 08:36 PM

This is what we call a "Swiss Soennecken", made for the Swiss market in the 50's.
Probably a110.
But there's not much information known about.
I have had similar ones. But only one in this gray platinum celluloid. Not seen very often...
Nice catch.
These are quite reliable pens when brought back to life. A bit on the small side but nice.
c.

ps: just added a picture of same pen in different color:

8489131326_9411d527d0_b.jpg

pps: here's a link to the website of my friend Daniel who is doing research about this topic (and others).

http://www.swiss-pen...g-zu-ch-marken/

...just found an old picture of the other Platinum celluloid pen.

15735167529_19c6fe8be2_b.jpg

Edited by Christof Z, 01 December 2014 - 08:52 AM.


#31 toltotoll

toltotoll

    greenhorn

  • Members
  • PipPip
  • 20 posts
  • LocationFrance

Posted 01 December 2014 - 09:41 AM

Thank you, Christof, for this information and for the link to the very interesting web site.

Never thought there had been so many swiss brands ! I knew about Monte Rosa but not about all the others. 



#32 piscov

piscov

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 449 posts
  • LocationLisbon, Portugal

Posted 01 December 2014 - 10:22 AM

The Tower, Soennecken  Scandinavian market  Sub-brand.

 

IMG_0951.JPG


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


#33 soot

soot

    Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 71 posts

Posted 01 December 2014 - 04:44 PM

The Tower --- they haunt me. I have been conditioned to avoid them like a bad taste to my mouth.

 

Don't get me wrong, they are great pens -- just that my first purchase of Tower pen was a crapper. :(



#34 piscov

piscov

    journeyman

  • Members
  • 449 posts
  • LocationLisbon, Portugal

Posted 01 December 2014 - 06:17 PM

What a bad luck!

I have the opposite  experience, my first one was the 3rd black pen from the right, a The Tower Superior with an HUGE and fantastic nib, I was hooked on them since.


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





1 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users