I really appreciate the mix of vintage and modern pens you have on your channel. Also, the fact that you use your pens is a treat. No white glove treatment. I don't have any pens that you would classify as vintage, but enjoy the in-depth, well researched work you do when presenting your collection.
@@WaskiSquirrel Agreed....Don't show me a pen without a writing sample....For me, your channel is the best is so many ways....It's all about the pens...But, we don't mind learning something new about you through your vids. Happy New Year!
It really is an age of ‘miracles and wonders’ when folks can share such an uncommon interest with likeminded people sprinkled the globe. Thank you for all the heavy lifting you’re doing to make that possible! A very Happy New Year, and best wishes for 2019. (You probably know this already but just wanted to mention that Goulet Pens has the Pelikan vibrant orange on their close-out sale.)
I love love LOVE vintage pens. I have several modern pens that write quite beautifully, but none have the character that a 1950's of 60's pen brings to the table. My favorite one so far is a Sheaffer Admiral Touchdown from 1950. Buttery smooth. I also own a Le Tigre from the 60's, which was a Belgian brand (even though the pens were nothing more than re-branded Conway Stewart pens. Rumor has it this was Winston Churchill's favorite fountain pen brand). I bought it NOS, it was almost 60 years old and had never been inked. And then there is my 1953 Parker Victory, which must be one of the most overlooked vintage Parker pens ever. Lovely little pen. Thanks for the video. You made me bid on a TOZ Penkala on eBay. :)
There is something special about a vintage pen! I really like the sounds of that Le Tigre! And this may be the first of many TOZ Penkala pens for you...
I have no vintage pens whatsoever, that's why I find your videos so interesting. With the shift in European countries (as in the Czech being no more) it makes those pens even more unique. The only thing I have from the Czech is a 1933 VZ24 bolt action 8mm rifle, I can only imagine the history that thing has seen or been through. Anyways, great video and definitely a unique set of pens. Keep up the great work.
Waski very nice selection of the rarer and lesser known vintage beauties.The only vintage pen that i have have that is operable at the moment is my Lamy 25P which is an amazing and attractive slim pen very well made and i think it would suit your tastes. If you ever get the chance to get one you should snap it up i don't think you will be disappointed. I must say i do like the grey colour of the plain Jane Cora and find it rather attractive for some reason. Also the sound the Cora piston makes when turned reminds me of the sound of the old cork piston rings. I wonder out of all the seasoned fountain pen collectors out there how many of them have owned a Parker "45" at one time or another. Thanks again for another amazing choice of vintage pens and video and see you on the next.
I would bet the 45 is in a lot of collections. It's a good pen and was made for a long time. The Lamy 25P sounds interesting. I have a Lamy 27 that I like.
As for Romanian foutain pen brand's there is Flaro and they produced fountain pen's until the 90's after that they restrict the activity and they reorient to the production of other things . But there is an more recent and much smaller producer of fountain pen's (Post 2000) in Romania and that is Poienari (Lucian Poienari ) .
You are the one person most responsible for my burgeoning love of classic vintage pens. As I’ve said before, if I were any good at properly tinkering with, fixing and restoring old pens, I’d actually buy more vintage. This looks like a very fine top 10, by any standards and tastes. I have not too many vintage pens yet, but I’ll nevertheless list a personal top 10 that spring to mind after watching yours here. Mine are, in random order: Aurora 88 Aurora 98 Aurora Hastil Aurora Duo Cart Waterman Ideal 52 Waterman Taperite Parker 51 Parker Duofold Sheaffer Clipper (Snorkel filler) Kaweco Dia 02
I'm honored if this has brought you happiness! These vintage pens were amazing and it's people like you and me to continue to enjoy and appreciate them. I grow more faith in my repair ability as I continue in this hobby. And you have some great pens in your list. The Aurora 88 is a personal favorite!
@@WaskiSquirrel ..The feeling is entirely mutual. Discovering your channel over two years ago has been a god-send to me. There’s a whole lot that I truly like and enjoy about your style, presentation and unfailingly great content, indeed your personality, too. Now, I occasionally serially watch some of your excellent old videos of 2-3 years ago. I re-watched your ‘Buying Pens’ video yesterday. That will never grow old and will always remain relevant to a vast majority of us spenders on pens and other things. And yes, it’s really thanks to you that I’ve grown to desire and appreciate the history, timeless beauty and charms of choice vintage pens. Since I intend to buy no new pens ( definitely no new inks) next year, I’ve still allowed myself the small leeway of picking up another vintage or two that comes my way. Or actually I go looking for it. Btw, I’m happy to say that I actually own all the ten pens I listed in my previous post. I have 16 vintage pens. Those ten are my favorites.
@@WaskiSquirrel Alot of people do not know that, and it makes the pens quite valuable. The only differences between these pens and standard Parker 45's are the Presidential ones are felt tipped and are engraved with the President's signature and "The White House". So far the only exception I could find to this is Lyndon Johnson's also had the Presidential seal. You can actually find several of these pens on eBay, and the most expensive ones I have seen are from Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson, but mainly because they sometimes come with a copy of the legislation the pen was used on. The Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson Presidential Libraries also sell what I believe to be replicas of these pens with the Nixon ones costing about $55 and Johnson being $150. Below I have some links if you are wanting to buy some, but just be careful as some do not come with the original boxes www.ebay.com/itm/Parker-Gerald-R-Ford-Presidential-Seal-White-House-Pen-w-Box/223616684422?hash=item341097d186:g:GAAAAOSwu5NdTGBH www.ebay.com/itm/President-Richard-M-Nixon-Parker-45-Bill-Signer-Pen-Presidential-Seal-Box/113740182015?hash=item1a7b7171ff:g:vLAAAOSwI8laKGiI www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-President-Ronald-W-Reagan-White-House-Bill-Signer-Pen-Presidential-Seal/123777664930?hash=item1cd1b947a2:g:~5UAAOSwYS9ZY~73 www.ebay.com/itm/Lyndon-Johnson-White-House-Signature-Pen-Set/362493019433?hash=item5466448529:g:nHQAAOSw2fRb9sg7 www.lbjstore.com/original-parker-eversharp-silver-top-lbj-signing-p.html store.nixonfoundation.org/collections/stationery/products/signature-white-house-pen
@@darkchocolate4643 One, that’s uncalled for. Two, he didn’t really break with tradition. This pen not been in production for years, and they were regular bill signing pens made for President Trump. He decided to go with the custom sharpie instead, because it was much cheaper and considering that depends are supposed to be given away during door signings that cost adds up pretty quickly.
I currently have a selection of the double jewel Esterbrooks (at least one of each model, and all 6 colours), plus I just picked up an Esterbrook H in red and an Esterbrook Flo-Master felt tip that I plan to use as a highlighter. Not a huge diversity of companies, right now, but I'm still looking, always. 😁 Did get my nephew (or more likely his wife) interested enough to get a Sheaffer desk set that I am probably going to be restoring for them. Lever fill ones, and one will probably need a new nib, so that search is going on as well. Love seeing the vintage pens!
Esterbrook made some great pens, and the selection of nibs was amazing. Good for you getting either your nephew or his wife into fountain pens. Glad you enjoyed these rather exotic fountain pens!
These central and Eastern European pens are interesting. Where do you find these? I just dove into the vintage world with a sheaffer balance. I also just ordered a new old stock first generation Eversharp symphony pen pencil set. I’m pretty excited about that. I almost ordered a skyline, but the first generation symphony was really calling my name. It screams late 40s early 50s, and as a teacher, I probably use a pencil more than a pen.
I started finding them on eBay and, sometimes, at Protopens.com. The more I bought, the more I learned how to find them. I hope you enjoy your Eversharp Symphony. I'm a teacher who mostly uses fountain pens. When I want a pencil, I find I prefer the classic wooden #2 pencil.
I have 4 vintage pens. . 1930s Swan Mabie Todd made in England. Self filler (lever fill... The lever is black). A 1940s Waterman's 515 also made in England. My favourite. This Watermans pen I would keep if I could only keep one pen from all of my collection of 120 pens. So light and perfect in every way. I A 1950s Parker 51. Engineering miracle. A Soyuz 65 from the 1980s. Its a Turquoise colour with a hooded gold nib. Writes beautifully. From my USSR collection of fountain pens, watches and cameras. I love the Soyuz.
I have that Soyuz in a different finish. I agree, quite a nice pen. And, of course, the Parker 51 is a good pen. I've never used the two other pens, but I have used other pens by those makers. You're doing well with your 4 choices!
You turned me onto vintage pens and a recent MyUber purchase may be the best writing experience I've yet had (and my most expensive pen). It's a NOS Montblanc Meisterstuck 72 from the 1960s. It's absolutely beautiful, and if all Montblanc pens write like this one, I now understand why they are so expensive. Here's to a new year of pen discoveries ...
I recall that exact pen because I struggled to talk myself out of it. It was beautiful, and the description of how it wrote really appealed. I'm glad to hear it ended up in a good home!
I have less than a dozen vintage pens, but a couple of nice older ones are a Parker Challenger green marble celluloid with a 14K nib, and a Sheaffer Lifetime 875 green striated celluloid with a 14K nib. I like the Lifetime because it has a ladies name gold inlaid on the body, and it makes me wonder about her using it way back in the '30s. I've seen old pens on eBay that have names or companies engraved on them, and if I were a vintage collector I would go for them since they have a connection to those who have passed on before us. But, I want to be able to use my pens without worrying about them being more delicate, plus most are just too petite for me to use comfortably.
It is interesting when you get an engraved name. You have more of a connection to the past. You're right about size: a lot of vintage pens were smaller.
I use a variety of sources. Richard Binder is a great source of information: www.richardspens.com If they're Parker pens, I like parkerpens.net There are more, often created by specialized collectors.
My Dad had a Parker 45 from the 70s. It sat around his computer for decades. I claimed it after he died. Stupidly I sold it back in 2011 to an art student who was working in a stationary store I used to frequent. Red and silver. Nice pen,though I don't use fountain pens. Never should have sold that pen.
I seem to remember you have at least a couple of Garant fountain pens. Were they considered for your top ten list? Maybe they just didn't make the grade. I am still looking for my very first vintage pen. I browse on eBay regularly but am a bit nervous buying a pen that might require restoration or difficult repairs.
One of them would make the grade. The limit is that I only allowed pens which have had a video review. I feel like there will be a lot of pens reviewed out of order this spring. I really wanted to include certain pens! You might look at Yesterday's Pens on eBay. You will get restored pens, but there are some lower cost pens in their offerings. I was nervous about repairs too, and have only slowly gotten into it.
David Anderson It feels like standing at the deep end of the pool for your first swimming lesson, doesn’t it! Why not start by dipping your toes at the shallow end instead, and choose a lever or button filled pen for Your first restauration. My first was an Esterbrook J model that just needed thorough scraping out of the old sac and replacing it with a new one.
I want to thank you for your comment. I am clearing out all my comments older than a few months with this generic comment, but I want you to know that I did read your comment, even if I missed it when it was originally posted.
@@WaskiSquirrel i believe i heard in my first viewing of your vids, that you are from PA....I grew up in The Poconos, but, was originally from Brooklyn, New York...I do consider PA. To be home....Probably lots of Pennsylvanians have a similar ethnic make up...Me, mostly Italian.
I can't stand these vintage pens with brushed metal caps and cut off ends. They bring back painful memories from my school years desperately trying to write with some of those which never really worked out.
My Dad gave me his Waterman fountain pen. Never use it. Terrified to even remove it from the box. lol. Friend of mine has a fountain pen he got in England(he was vacationing). Neither one of us can figure out how it's filled. Very nice collection. Do you collect ballpoints? I must have about 200. I think it's a fetish. No collectibles but I do like pens.
Fountain pens are great, and more rugged than people think. If the pen is a Waterman, I would guess it's either a lever filler (which may need repair work), or a cartridge-converter which would be fairly straightforward. I'm not much into ballpoints. I mostly focus on fountain pens.
What made Czechoslovakia unique in its time, was even then, it was two countries combined in brotherhood. Just the industrial power and might as well as most of the money rested with the Czechs, this created an imbalance and later on brought about the velvet revolution. The second time in recent history for Slovakia to become its own nation and hopefully the last time necessary. I do know that during the 1939-45 era when Slovakia was independent, there were quite a few pen makers, sadly like many of the Czech pen makers after ww2 they were nationalized and brought under the larger brands such as Centropen, KOH-I-NOOR, Rapid and so forth. As of right now I am not aware of any Slovak Republic brands currently producing pens. Sadly most of my Hungarian brands I could mention to you to find are in a very worse for wear state, cracked sections, blown out pistons... well you get the idea.
I got interested in this country outside pens because of the interesting religious dynamics and the wealth imbalance. Interesting to look at history and see why the Slovak Republic is more religious than the Czech Republic. I'll keep looking for Slovakian pens. Vintage is more fun anyway! And I think you're right about Hungarian pens. I have two, but they were a real mess until I worked on them. Luckily no cracks, though one of them has a mysterious leak in the section that I can't locate.
@@WaskiSquirrel It becomes even more interesting when you look at when they (Slovaks) were part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and religious schools were the norm and kept certain nationals such as Slovaks and others educated to a much lower level in order to provide manpower for agriculture, miners, soldiers and the like. The church was really afraid that too educated of a populace would reduce the church's power ( Fun fact, most banks in the Slovak areas at this time and earlier were run by the church) and the empire afraid of a shortage of cheap labor as well as the glue that bound the empire mainly being the church. Then add on Magyarization and we really have several book topics. The church connection in Slovakia was so strong that during 1939-45 the were to sole providers to the Vatican of certain items, not to mention its president Jozef Tiso was a catholic priest as well..... Thank you so very much for your interest in my culture and its pens.
This is really interesting. I had read something about this a while back. That is a problem that the Catholic Church has caused in other places as well. In fairness, generally, the higher the education, the less likely someone is to be religious. And, of course, if the banks are run by the church, that's a lot of power. I hadn't heard that before. I also find it interesting that the religion is so different among the Czechs and Slovaks. The history helps it make sense, but still interesting.
I really appreciate the mix of vintage and modern pens you have on your channel. Also, the fact that you use your pens is a treat. No white glove treatment. I don't have any pens that you would classify as vintage, but enjoy the in-depth, well researched work you do when presenting your collection.
If I can't use them, I don't see much point in having them. And the history is definitely fun.
@@WaskiSquirrel Agreed....Don't show me a pen without a writing sample....For me, your channel is the best is so many ways....It's all about the pens...But, we don't mind learning something new about you through your vids. Happy New Year!
To me, you are a deep person, very inquisitive with varied interests...And a science based way of thinking. Yay!
I love finding lesser known brands from anywhere in the world even asia. Thank you for this top 10.
You're so welcome! I really need to redo this video!
It really is an age of ‘miracles and wonders’ when folks can share such an uncommon interest with likeminded people sprinkled the globe. Thank you for all the heavy lifting you’re doing to make that possible! A very Happy New Year, and best wishes for 2019. (You probably know this already but just wanted to mention that Goulet Pens has the Pelikan vibrant orange on their close-out sale.)
Already closing out on it! Yipe!
Happy 2019 to you as well!
I love love LOVE vintage pens. I have several modern pens that write quite beautifully, but none have the character that a 1950's of 60's pen brings to the table.
My favorite one so far is a Sheaffer Admiral Touchdown from 1950. Buttery smooth. I also own a Le Tigre from the 60's, which was a Belgian brand (even though the pens were nothing more than re-branded Conway Stewart pens. Rumor has it this was Winston Churchill's favorite fountain pen brand). I bought it NOS, it was almost 60 years old and had never been inked. And then there is my 1953 Parker Victory, which must be one of the most overlooked vintage Parker pens ever. Lovely little pen.
Thanks for the video. You made me bid on a TOZ Penkala on eBay. :)
There is something special about a vintage pen! I really like the sounds of that Le Tigre! And this may be the first of many TOZ Penkala pens for you...
I have no vintage pens whatsoever, that's why I find your videos so interesting. With the shift in European countries (as in the Czech being no more) it makes those pens even more unique. The only thing I have from the Czech is a 1933 VZ24 bolt action 8mm rifle, I can only imagine the history that thing has seen or been through.
Anyways, great video and definitely a unique set of pens. Keep up the great work.
Thank you so much for the comment! You describe exactly what I mean. The history and stories of these pens are the real thrill of vintage.
Curious to know your family ethnicity, and if it influences your curiosity of vintage pens.
Waski very nice selection of the rarer and lesser known vintage beauties.The only vintage pen that i have have that is operable at the moment is my Lamy 25P which is an amazing and attractive slim pen very well made and i think it would suit your tastes. If you ever get the chance to get one you should snap it up i don't think you will be disappointed. I must say i do like the grey colour of the plain Jane Cora and find it rather attractive for some reason. Also the sound the Cora piston makes when turned reminds me of the sound of the old cork piston rings. I wonder out of all the seasoned fountain pen collectors out there how many of them have owned a Parker "45" at one time or another. Thanks again for another amazing choice of vintage pens and video and see you on the next.
I would bet the 45 is in a lot of collections. It's a good pen and was made for a long time. The Lamy 25P sounds interesting. I have a Lamy 27 that I like.
As for Romanian foutain pen brand's there is Flaro and they produced fountain pen's until the 90's after that they
restrict the activity and they reorient to the production of other things . But there is an more recent and much smaller producer of fountain pen's (Post 2000) in Romania and that is Poienari (Lucian Poienari ) .
Thank you for two specific brands to look for. I'm especially fascinated that there is a new producer. I will definitely check those out!
@@WaskiSquirrel Poienari has this address : www.poenari.ro/
You are the one person most responsible for my burgeoning love of classic vintage pens. As I’ve said before, if I were any good at properly tinkering with, fixing and restoring old pens, I’d actually buy more vintage.
This looks like a very fine top 10, by any standards and tastes.
I have not too many vintage pens yet, but I’ll nevertheless list a personal top 10 that spring to mind after watching yours here. Mine are, in random order:
Aurora 88
Aurora 98
Aurora Hastil
Aurora Duo Cart
Waterman Ideal 52
Waterman Taperite
Parker 51
Parker Duofold
Sheaffer Clipper (Snorkel filler)
Kaweco Dia 02
I'm honored if this has brought you happiness! These vintage pens were amazing and it's people like you and me to continue to enjoy and appreciate them. I grow more faith in my repair ability as I continue in this hobby. And you have some great pens in your list. The Aurora 88 is a personal favorite!
@@WaskiSquirrel ..The feeling is entirely mutual. Discovering your channel over two years ago has been a god-send to me. There’s a whole lot that I truly like and enjoy about your style, presentation and unfailingly great content, indeed your personality, too. Now, I occasionally serially watch some of your excellent old videos of 2-3 years ago. I re-watched your ‘Buying Pens’ video yesterday. That will never grow old and will always remain relevant to a vast majority of us spenders on pens and other things. And yes, it’s really thanks to you that I’ve grown to desire and appreciate the history, timeless beauty and charms of choice vintage pens. Since I intend to buy no new pens ( definitely no new inks) next year, I’ve still allowed myself the small leeway of picking up another vintage or two that comes my way. Or actually I go looking for it.
Btw, I’m happy to say that I actually own all the ten pens I listed in my previous post. I have 16 vintage pens. Those ten are my favorites.
Fun fact: the Parker 45 was the pen of choice for signing special legislation for US Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush(41).
I actually did NOT know that!
@@WaskiSquirrel Alot of people do not know that, and it makes the pens quite valuable. The only differences between these pens and standard Parker 45's are the Presidential ones are felt tipped and are engraved with the President's signature and "The White House". So far the only exception I could find to this is Lyndon Johnson's also had the Presidential seal. You can actually find several of these pens on eBay, and the most expensive ones I have seen are from Presidents Ronald Reagan and Lyndon Johnson, but mainly because they sometimes come with a copy of the legislation the pen was used on. The Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson Presidential Libraries also sell what I believe to be replicas of these pens with the Nixon ones costing about $55 and Johnson being $150. Below I have some links if you are wanting to buy some, but just be careful as some do not come with the original boxes
www.ebay.com/itm/Parker-Gerald-R-Ford-Presidential-Seal-White-House-Pen-w-Box/223616684422?hash=item341097d186:g:GAAAAOSwu5NdTGBH
www.ebay.com/itm/President-Richard-M-Nixon-Parker-45-Bill-Signer-Pen-Presidential-Seal-Box/113740182015?hash=item1a7b7171ff:g:vLAAAOSwI8laKGiI
www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-President-Ronald-W-Reagan-White-House-Bill-Signer-Pen-Presidential-Seal/123777664930?hash=item1cd1b947a2:g:~5UAAOSwYS9ZY~73
www.ebay.com/itm/Lyndon-Johnson-White-House-Signature-Pen-Set/362493019433?hash=item5466448529:g:nHQAAOSw2fRb9sg7
www.lbjstore.com/original-parker-eversharp-silver-top-lbj-signing-p.html
store.nixonfoundation.org/collections/stationery/products/signature-white-house-pen
And then that moron with his Sharpie came along. Talk about a break from tradition.
@@darkchocolate4643 One, that’s uncalled for. Two, he didn’t really break with tradition. This pen not been in production for years, and they were regular bill signing pens made for President Trump. He decided to go with the custom sharpie instead, because it was much cheaper and considering that depends are supposed to be given away during door signings that cost adds up pretty quickly.
@@warrenrhinerson6373 Yes, I'm sure he was considering the cost to the American taxpayer when he chose the Sharpie over a fountain pen. *eye roll*
I love the eversharp slim ventura. Such a sound and durable pen. Easy maintenance and use.
Yes, their last truly high quality pen! I've never used one, but I've read good things about them.
I currently have a selection of the double jewel Esterbrooks (at least one of each model, and all 6 colours), plus I just picked up an Esterbrook H in red and an Esterbrook Flo-Master felt tip that I plan to use as a highlighter. Not a huge diversity of companies, right now, but I'm still looking, always. 😁
Did get my nephew (or more likely his wife) interested enough to get a Sheaffer desk set that I am probably going to be restoring for them. Lever fill ones, and one will probably need a new nib, so that search is going on as well.
Love seeing the vintage pens!
Esterbrook made some great pens, and the selection of nibs was amazing. Good for you getting either your nephew or his wife into fountain pens.
Glad you enjoyed these rather exotic fountain pens!
These central and Eastern European pens are interesting. Where do you find these? I just dove into the vintage world with a sheaffer balance. I also just ordered a new old stock first generation Eversharp symphony pen pencil set. I’m pretty excited about that. I almost ordered a skyline, but the first generation symphony was really calling my name. It screams late 40s early 50s, and as a teacher, I probably use a pencil more than a pen.
I started finding them on eBay and, sometimes, at Protopens.com. The more I bought, the more I learned how to find them.
I hope you enjoy your Eversharp Symphony. I'm a teacher who mostly uses fountain pens. When I want a pencil, I find I prefer the classic wooden #2 pencil.
I carry a Sheaffer Tuckaway Crest in brown celluloid filled with Noodler's Walnut every day at work. I get a lot of questions about it.
Sounds good! Yes, these pens catch people's eyes.
I have 4 vintage pens. .
1930s Swan Mabie Todd made in England. Self filler (lever fill... The lever is black).
A 1940s Waterman's 515 also made in England. My favourite.
This Watermans pen I would keep if I could only keep one pen from all of my collection of 120 pens. So light and perfect in every way.
I
A 1950s Parker 51.
Engineering miracle.
A Soyuz 65 from the 1980s.
Its a Turquoise colour with a hooded gold nib. Writes beautifully.
From my USSR collection of fountain pens, watches and cameras.
I love the Soyuz.
I have that Soyuz in a different finish. I agree, quite a nice pen. And, of course, the Parker 51 is a good pen. I've never used the two other pens, but I have used other pens by those makers. You're doing well with your 4 choices!
You turned me onto vintage pens and a recent MyUber purchase may be the best writing experience I've yet had (and my most expensive pen). It's a NOS Montblanc Meisterstuck 72 from the 1960s. It's absolutely beautiful, and if all Montblanc pens write like this one, I now understand why they are so expensive.
Here's to a new year of pen discoveries ...
I recall that exact pen because I struggled to talk myself out of it. It was beautiful, and the description of how it wrote really appealed. I'm glad to hear it ended up in a good home!
I have less than a dozen vintage pens, but a couple of nice older ones are a Parker Challenger green marble celluloid with a 14K nib, and a Sheaffer Lifetime 875 green striated celluloid with a 14K nib. I like the Lifetime because it has a ladies name gold inlaid on the body, and it makes me wonder about her using it way back in the '30s. I've seen old pens on eBay that have names or companies engraved on them, and if I were a vintage collector I would go for them since they have a connection to those who have passed on before us. But, I want to be able to use my pens without worrying about them being more delicate, plus most are just too petite for me to use comfortably.
It is interesting when you get an engraved name. You have more of a connection to the past. You're right about size: a lot of vintage pens were smaller.
Any online resource for pens you recommend? I inherited several vintage pens
I use a variety of sources.
Richard Binder is a great source of information: www.richardspens.com
If they're Parker pens, I like parkerpens.net
There are more, often created by specialized collectors.
My Dad had a Parker 45 from the 70s. It sat around his computer for decades. I claimed it after he died. Stupidly I sold it back in 2011 to an art student who was working in a stationary store I used to frequent. Red and silver. Nice pen,though I don't use fountain pens. Never should have sold that pen.
I'm sorry to hear that. Yes, the Parker 45 is a great model, and it was the longest lasting of all Parker models.
@@WaskiSquirrel Yeah,I'd like to have it back,but I don't really use fountain pens.
I seem to remember you have at least a couple of Garant fountain pens. Were they considered for your top ten list? Maybe they just didn't make the grade. I am still looking for my very first vintage pen. I browse on eBay regularly but am a bit nervous buying a pen that might require restoration or difficult repairs.
One of them would make the grade. The limit is that I only allowed pens which have had a video review. I feel like there will be a lot of pens reviewed out of order this spring. I really wanted to include certain pens!
You might look at Yesterday's Pens on eBay. You will get restored pens, but there are some lower cost pens in their offerings. I was nervous about repairs too, and have only slowly gotten into it.
David Anderson It feels like standing at the deep end of the pool for your first swimming lesson, doesn’t it! Why not start by dipping your toes at the shallow end instead, and choose a lever or button filled pen for Your first restauration. My first was an Esterbrook J model that just needed thorough scraping out of the old sac and replacing it with a new one.
Awesome spider!
I want to thank you for your comment. I am clearing out all my comments older than a few months with this generic comment, but I want you to know that I did read your comment, even if I missed it when it was originally posted.
Curious to know your family ethnicity....And if it influences your interest in vintage pens
I'm typical of the US: a mix of everything. My family name is Polish, but there is plenty of Dutch, Scottish, and English as well.
@@WaskiSquirrel i believe i heard in my first viewing of your vids, that you are from PA....I grew up in The Poconos, but, was originally from Brooklyn, New York...I do consider PA. To be home....Probably lots of Pennsylvanians have a similar ethnic make up...Me, mostly Italian.
You have great taste in Vintage.
I have from PA. I grew up part of my life near Harrisburg, and part of it in the north-central part of the state, right on the New York state line.
@@WaskiSquirrel
I go back to PA. every year to see my dad. I've always liked that state. .....except for the humidity in the summer.
I can't stand these vintage pens with brushed metal caps and cut off ends. They bring back painful memories from my school years desperately trying to write with some of those which never really worked out.
I can understand that. Rest assured that these are good ones!
My Dad gave me his Waterman fountain pen. Never use it. Terrified to even remove it from the box. lol. Friend of mine has a fountain pen he got in England(he was vacationing). Neither one of us can figure out how it's filled. Very nice collection. Do you collect ballpoints? I must have about 200. I think it's a fetish. No collectibles but I do like pens.
Fountain pens are great, and more rugged than people think. If the pen is a Waterman, I would guess it's either a lever filler (which may need repair work), or a cartridge-converter which would be fairly straightforward.
I'm not much into ballpoints. I mostly focus on fountain pens.
@@WaskiSquirrel The pen my friend has has nothing on it to indicate the brand.
What's the pluche animal next to you? Is it a spider?
Not just a spider. It's Lucas!
What made Czechoslovakia unique in its time, was even then, it was two countries combined in brotherhood. Just the industrial power and might as well as most of the money rested with the Czechs, this created an imbalance and later on brought about the velvet revolution. The second time in recent history for Slovakia to become its own nation and hopefully the last time necessary.
I do know that during the 1939-45 era when Slovakia was independent, there were quite a few pen makers, sadly like many of the Czech pen makers after ww2 they were nationalized and brought under the larger brands such as Centropen, KOH-I-NOOR, Rapid and so forth.
As of right now I am not aware of any Slovak Republic brands currently producing pens.
Sadly most of my Hungarian brands I could mention to you to find are in a very worse for wear state, cracked sections, blown out pistons... well you get the idea.
I got interested in this country outside pens because of the interesting religious dynamics and the wealth imbalance. Interesting to look at history and see why the Slovak Republic is more religious than the Czech Republic.
I'll keep looking for Slovakian pens. Vintage is more fun anyway! And I think you're right about Hungarian pens. I have two, but they were a real mess until I worked on them. Luckily no cracks, though one of them has a mysterious leak in the section that I can't locate.
@@WaskiSquirrel It becomes even more interesting when you look at when they (Slovaks) were part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and religious schools were the norm and kept certain nationals such as Slovaks and others educated to a much lower level in order to provide manpower for agriculture, miners, soldiers and the like. The church was really afraid that too educated of a populace would reduce the church's power ( Fun fact, most banks in the Slovak areas at this time and earlier were run by the church) and the empire afraid of a shortage of cheap labor as well as the glue that bound the empire mainly being the church. Then add on Magyarization and we really have several book topics.
The church connection in Slovakia was so strong that during 1939-45 the were to sole providers to the Vatican of certain items, not to mention its president Jozef Tiso was a catholic priest as well..... Thank you so very much for your interest in my culture and its pens.
This is really interesting. I had read something about this a while back. That is a problem that the Catholic Church has caused in other places as well. In fairness, generally, the higher the education, the less likely someone is to be religious. And, of course, if the banks are run by the church, that's a lot of power. I hadn't heard that before.
I also find it interesting that the religion is so different among the Czechs and Slovaks. The history helps it make sense, but still interesting.
God - Love - Kiss - Hope - Effort - Persistence - Happiness
Thank you!
I have a parker 45 that I borrowed from my father.
Those are great pens!
Parker 45 is the best of the batch.
It's a truly great pen!
Pilot Super 200. 🥰
That looks like an interesting pen!
I've just noticed - you never use the [stupid] term "wet noodle". Why? You just don't think a pen qualifies for it or you don't like the term itself?
I don't like the term. And I just can't picture how to get a metal nib to match that description.
First view. Happy new year!
Happy New Year to you as well!