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French Stylomine 303 "Mastodonte"

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#1 toltotoll

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Posted 25 December 2014 - 04:22 PM

This is an interesting 303 from the French brand Stylomine. This particular model is called the "Mastodonte" (literally "giant" or "monster") because of its huge proportions. I've put a picture of the 303 with two Waterman's, a 52 and a 56 for scale considerations... Stylomine are known for their innovative filling systems and great ink capacity. The first Stylomine 303 came out at the beginning of the 1930's. The Mastodonte was launched in 1933 and the one presented here, if I'm not mistaken, is an early version.

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#2 piscov

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Posted 25 December 2014 - 05:35 PM

I'm a a huge fan of the Stylomine 303 and that one is an impressive pen! Thank you for sharing.

 

Can you tell us the dimension please? Total length, cap diameter and barrel diameter. I have two oversize 303 but never handled a Mastodonte


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#3 toltotoll

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Posted 25 December 2014 - 09:31 PM

I'm a a huge fan of the Stylomine 303 and that one is an impressive pen! Thank you for sharing.

 

Can you tell us the dimension please? Total length, cap diameter and barrel diameter. I have two oversize 303 but never handled a Mastodonte

Sure : total length is 138 mm ; cap diameter 18 mm ; barrel diameter between 15 and 16 mm...


Edited by toltotoll, 25 December 2014 - 09:32 PM.


#4 piscov

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Posted 25 December 2014 - 09:49 PM

Thanks!

 

If you ever consider selling the pen, please contact me.


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#5 AZuniga

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Posted 25 December 2014 - 11:19 PM

What a beautiful pen, I never saw one before... Thanks for sharing !

If Vasco had not written "if you ever consider selling the pen", I would have..



#6 Paul M

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Posted 26 December 2014 - 10:42 PM

nice!

 

is this a model with a bellows type ink sac?



#7 piscov

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 07:18 AM

Stylomine 303 including the Mastodonte use an accordion sac, a breather tube like the vacumatics  and a small glass cup as filling system. .


Edited by piscov, 27 December 2014 - 10:06 AM.

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#8 piscov

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 11:02 AM

According to Simone Piccardi who runs www.fountainpen.it the Mastodont does not use an accordeon (bellows) sac but a modified bulb filling system with the breather tube. Check here

 

Later in 1938 with Stylomine 303V they changed to the Bellows sac filler showed in the picture bellow. Today it´s hard to find such sac but one can use some bicycle break protectors that are just like these sacs.

 

But according to Alain from artofpen.com the Mastodonte uses the accordion sac(Check here)

 

I have never handled one so I cannot be sure who's correct. If toltoltoll could post a picture of the pen showing the filling system would be great.

 

 

 

gallery_12312_474_682019.jpg

 

This is a Big size pen, a tad shorter than the original 1951 MB 149 and equivalent in diameter.

 

Here is a picture to show it´s size in comparation with a MB 146 and Pelikan 400

 

gallery_12312_474_26805.jpg


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Vasco

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#9 toltotoll

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 01:49 PM

Well, the filling system is missing on mine, so it's difficult to tell... But maybe a few pictures will help however.

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Web sites are indeed contradictory on the use of accordeon sacs, but there's a very interesting site http://web.archive.o.../stylomine2.php listed in the links of fountainpen.it, according to which the accordeon sac was only introduced in 1937 with the 303V. Before 1937, it is said that Stylomine 303 (303, 303B and 303C, including the Mastodonte) were using a system with a rubber bulb. 

The only picture of a restored (and sold) Mastodonte I could find is on that page : 

http://www.atelier-l...cc31784f59d8537

There is no mention of the accordeon sac, but a huge sac ended with a latex bulb had to be made especially for this very big pen. 

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#10 AZuniga

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 03:35 PM

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#11 piscov

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 04:32 PM

@toltotoll

 

Well, looks like we will remain with that doubt until someone else adds new information here. On one hand the assumption of the bulb fill type of mechanism looks to be a good information and I would say that Simone got it from the website you refer in your last post , on the other hand your Mastodonte has all it needs to work with an accordion sac except the glass container that is very easily broken and therefore could be missing.

 

@ Ariel -

 

Your pen is also a 303V and has the same filling system as mine, although yours looks to have the sac modified. The accordion sac probably was damage at some point at the base and was cut in half and an extension was glued from the section to the accordion base. Just not sure if the "new" extension in your pen is a regular sac or a hard tube, any of the later options would do the trick.


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Vasco

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#12 AZuniga

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 05:17 PM

Vasco,

 

You are right ! It has clearly been repaired. The extension is a hard tube, it does not affect the functioning but it does not look right. There is a lot of glue around it too but I have been looking for an original accordion, which as you say is hard to find, before I try something... now, a bicycle break protector is not a bad idea... I should try, thanks for the tip.



#13 piscov

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Posted 27 December 2014 - 05:24 PM

I have near by a bicycle shop, I need to buy 2 for my pens. If you want I can get some extra for you. Just send me your address by Pm.
Modern bikes are starting to use disk breaks so it's getting harder to find those rubber protectors but I believe they still sell them there.

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Vasco

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#14 piscov

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Posted 28 December 2014 - 07:20 PM

Here is an example of the break cable bellows protector I am referring it can de used as a replacement.


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Vasco

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#15 AZuniga

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Posted 28 December 2014 - 11:57 PM

Here is an example of the break cable bellows protector I am referring it can de used as a replacement.

 

It looks perfect for that purpose... !!



#16 Cob

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 09:59 PM

I have had two accordion fillers (Walk Over) and I was lucky in that the pens were unused - in fact I have sold one of them; the system works brilliantly, but of course the breather tube must be present; in the photos above it appears to have been broken off..  The Pen Repair Manual suggests as a fix to use a conventional sac with an external spring - as in the Swan Visofil V.

 

Would the bicycle brake cable shields be sufficiently resilient?  The originals have a certain amount of springiness to them in order to function.  On the other hand if they do work I am delighted to know of this excellent idea!

 

Rgds

 

Cob.



#17 piscov

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Posted 29 December 2014 - 10:39 PM

I believe they will work just fine, they are made of rubber so they shouldn't be very different from the original ones.


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Vasco

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