Meteore

Meteore fountain pen by a French pen manufacturer "La Pluma de Oro" was the rage in 1920s as they made very high quality nibs. This pen with 14k solid gold trim and semi-flex nib in marbled ebonite was a star of 1923. The other great pens by Meteore after the success of this pen were Pullman and Safety. 

This Meteore 62 has a shamrock shaped side filler with Meteore 
etched on it. The cap and barrel also has Meteore, D&D, Paris, Unis 18 France and 62 printed on it. I have cleaned out the pen, buffed it slightly and re-sacked it. Now it is writing like a dream. 

The cap and barrel also has Meteore, D&D, Paris, Unis 18 France and 62 printed on it. The company, sadly closed down in 1956, as it could not withstand the ball-pen onslaught.

I have cleaned out the pen, buffed it slightly and re-sacked it. Now it is writing like a dream. 

Pelikan Souveran M600

Pelikan is a German, yet Swiss-incorporated manufacturer of fountain pens and other writing, office and art equipment, credited with the invention of the differential-piston filling method. Their "true" history began with the model "100" and the modified 100N (both fountain pens), which sparked the genesis of the company's distinctive styling.

The modern-day range includes a flagship line called the Majesty, a sterling silver and palladium plated fountain pen, rollerball pen and ball pen. The more popular Souverän (meaning Sovereign) line consists of the very small M300, small M400, medium M600, large M800 and oversized M1000. Pelikan is notable for manufacturing many of their pens using Cellulose acetate, instead of the more modern plastics used by most other major pen makers.

There is also a more modest "Classic" (née Traditional) line of pens, which is really an extension of the Souverän line. They are mechanically very similar, but less elaborately decorated, and shipped with gold-plated stainless steel nibs, rather than the solid gold nibs of the Souverän pens. This line includes the 200 and 150. The Souverän and Classic lines are also notable for their easily replaced nibs, which are mostly interchangeable. Many of the pen models are also available as ballpoints, mechanical pencils; their model designations have the same number as the corresponding fountain pen, but a different prefix letter. M for the fountain pens using the piston filling mechanism; P for the fountain pens which take ink cartridges, K for ball pens, R for rollerball and D for mechanical pencils. Pelikan is also a manufacturer of Limited Edition pieces, their first being the acclaimed "Blue Ocean" Demonstrator in 1993 leading to current 'Eternal Ice'.

Pelikan also makes entry-level fountain pens and fountain pens for school pupils, for example "Pelikano" and "Future,". Pelikan's entry level fountain pen ink is called Pelikan 4001, while it has a higher grade ink called Edelstein Ink. Pelikan also makes Pelikan Fount India, a deep black Indian ink which, unlike most Indian inks, can be used in fountain pens. It is very water-resistant.

My Souveran M600 with 14 k broad nib

Parker Duofold

The Duofold is the pen that actually made the Parker Company one of the greatest pen-manufacturers of the world. Until the Duofold few pens were made of anything but black rubber. Parker found a method to make the rubber in a red-orange colour, and when the pens began to sell they really sold. The Duofolds had their world premier in early 1921. Within a few months the Duofold was the best selling high priced pen on the market. the red Duofolds was something of a risky venture since Parker previously, in the early 1900's, had tried marketing a red pen, the Red Giant, which was disastrous. Especially the cap proved very brittle and the guarantee became very expensive. The production came to an abrupt halt.

In 1928 the cap bands on the Senior and Junior Duofolds were split into two to match the Lady, which broad band earlier had been split into three. The overall design, however, stayed the same.

Here is my 1928 Parker Dufold Senior, "the Big Red", with a medium 14k nib...a wonderful inheritance!

Ganesh - The Divine Scribe

Ganesha, the elephant-headed one, is one of the most popular deities of India. All auspicious events begin with an invocation to him. He is invoked before an act of business or trade, or before laying the first stone of a new building.

Ganesha is usually portrayed as having the head of an elephant and the body of a huge-bellied man. In some depictions he is standing, whilst in others he may he dancing or sitting. As with the iconography of other Indian deities, the number of heads or arms an image of Ganesha possesses may vary. Ganesha is often shown wearing a serpent for a girdle and riding a mouse.

Significantly, unlike other deities of the Hindu pantheon, there are no strict rules or canons binding the form his worship may take. He may be revered in any form. Ganesha is addressed in hymn and prayer by many different titles such as Vinayaka (remover of hindrances), or Vakratunda (of the twisted trunk). Prayers to Ganesha ask for the removal of obstacles from the path of the devotee, and for success in one’s endeavours.

Ganesha is considered to be the Lord of letters and learning. In Sanskrit, the word buddhi is a feminine noun that is variously translated as intelligence, wisdom, or intellect. The concept of buddhi is closely associated with the personality of Ganesha, especially in the Puranic period, when many stories stress his cleverness and love of intelligence.

The most interesting story concerning Ganesha is the belief that he was the scribe who wrote the Mahabharata. Maharshi Ved Vyas was instructed to write the epic by the Gods. He wanted it to be written down by the most knowledgeable one in the universe. Lord Brahma asked Maharshi to visit Lord Shiva and beg for his son SIDDHIDATA GANESHA to be allowed for the task. Lord Ganesha had a clause: While reciting the verses, if Ved Vyas stopped for a while, and Ganesha would have to stop because of the same; he would terminate his writing of the epic and Maharshi would have to search for another writer.That is, Maharshi would have to recite the entire epic at one go, without pausing at all.

Maharshi Ved Vyas agreed to this. However he himself put forth another condition: He told the Lord that he would have to understand every hymn, every verse before penning it down. He put this condition with the idea that he would be reciting something very tough; and while Ganesha would be pondering upon its meaning, he would get a scope to take a few moments of rest

However that was not the case with Lord Ganesha. He completed penning down the sacred hymns even before the sage had thought of the next. In the mean time, the pen He used for writing down the verses, began to wear away. Aware of His earlier condition, and not finding out any other alternative, the Lord pulled out his left tusk and used it to complete writing the great epic Mahabharata.

Omas Italia 90

At the end of the First World War (1915-1918), the story and development of OMAS began. Motivated by commercial considerations, the company's founder, Cavaliere Armando Simoni, moved closer to a world for him not yet fully explored: American soldiers had been among the first to make use of fountain pens, and these had been brought into Italy by those service men returning from the front, helping to spread their use. Young Simoni's indisputably considerable skills in the field of precision mechanics led him to set up a service to repair and recondition fountain pens, up to the complete reconstruction of difficult to find components. At a time when the current concept of service networks for international products was unthinkable, he was a true pioneer.

Simoni was often heard to repeat, “A pen must make writing pleasurable.” If writing is the key to a man’s soul then OMAS designs speak about their creator. Simoni was an admirer of Greek culture, as the forerunner of Roman, hence, modern Italian, and pursued his passion for classical studies, in the creation of objects with a balanced design. As well as aesthetic considerations, Armando Simoni had been, since childhood, interested in the mechanics of small-scale apparatus and intricate instrumentation. Convergence of these two passions produced chirographic pieces of archetypal style and functionality: One of his earliest inspirations, the famous twelve-sided Arte Italiana model, reminiscent of a Doric column, is still produced today, and has become a world-renowned classic in the luxury pen market.

In 1925, at age 34, he had accumulated sufficient knowledge of chirographic instruments, and the inks employed in their use, to found OMAS (Officina Meccanica Armando Simoni). Simoni’s love of technical challenges resulted in the endless creation of surprising models; from the fountain pen with two nibs, to the series with the transparent ink holder, to emphasise lucent beauty. These exclusive items demonstrate the creative force of their designer. He was nominated Cavaliere della Corona d'Italia—Knight of the Italian Crown—and thereafter acquired the moniker il Cavaliere.

When the Second World War broke out, OMAS's activities were scaled back, but never stopped, despite the scarcity of the gold required to make the nibs. The use of Permanium, an alloy with comparable technical characteristics, turned out to be a happy substitute for the precious metal. With the end of the war and the industrial recovery, OMAS once again amazed with the legendary 361, a fountain pen with a tapering aerodynamic shape, protected by international patent, fitted with a nib designed to offer simultaneously flexible or rigid writing and even the possibility of drawing.

The new noble status of Simoni was extended to the firm as the small Bologna-based workshop was transformed into a world famous company. When Armando Simoni died in 1958, the OMAS tradition continued under the guidance of his daughter Raffaella and son-in-law Angelo Malaguti. The company philosophy remained unchanged, while the collections were innovative, responding to the tastes of changing times. In 1983, his eighteen-year-old grandson Gianluca joined the company, and immediately demonstrated his natural talent by personally designing the majority of the publicity material. Going on to confirm his abilities, he designed a collection dedicated to his beloved father who had died prematurely.

In 1988, with the IX Centenary dedicated to the 900th anniversary of the University of Bologna, OMAS began a long series of official collections commemorating the most important historical, cultural events of our time: the Treaty of Maastricht, the 3000 Years of Jerusalem, the Return of Hong Kong to China, the 50th anniversary of the FAO, the 50th anniversary of UNICEF, Roma 2000 dedicated to the year 2000, and the Third Millennium, the Soccer World Cup in italy in 1990 to name just a few. The excellent quality and extraordinary inventiveness of OMAS pens sparked the interest of the world-renowned producer of luxury goods LVMH (Moët Hennessy—Louis Vuitton), and in May 2000 OMAS became part of this group.

Today the pens are still manufactured according to the highest standards that have distinguished them since 1925 and with the distinctive OMAS “O” still adorning the cap, in collections such as the instantly recognisable 360, the Bologna, and the Arte Italiana Arco. Extending the tradition of commemorating and celebrating world cultures, and momentous events are recent limited and special editions such as the Aleksandr Pushkin. These and exquisite pieces restate in art and engineering, Simoni’s original philosophy of and for creating, at once, the most elegant and utilitarian scrivening implements.

Here is the Italia 90 with 14k medium nib in jade green, resting at the feet of Lord Ganesh, the scribe of the Gods!

Caran d'Ache

Located in Geneva since its inception in 1915, Caran d’Ache is committed to creating and developing writing and drawing instruments combining the finest materials with the most advanced, innovative skills – including some that are extremely rare, such as the exceptional art of authentic Chinese lacquer done by hand in the ancestral manner.

Caran d’Ache is the pen name by which Russian-born French illustrator, Emmanuel Poiré, achieved worldwide renown in the 19th century. The choice turned out to be a salient one, since “karandash” is the Russian term for “pencil” and in turn comes from the Turkish root “kara tash” which refers to black stone – the origins of graphite.

This natural material found in the mountains of Switzerland gave rise to the first Swiss pencil factory set up in Geneva in 1915. Nine years later, in the hands of its founder, the visionary Arnold Schweitzer, it took the name of the famous illustrator and became known as Caran d’Ache.

The company has manufactured high quality writing instruments for a 100 years now, catering only to the higher income groups and has managed to beat the onslaught of the “ball pens”. The pens are still hand made at the original facility under strict supervision by highly trained craftsmen.