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The Esterbrook name marks an important chapter in American pen making. The brand progressed from steel dip nibs to durable, colorful, easily repaired celluloid fountain pens. Its replaceable Renew Point nibs, along with the legendary Dollar Pen and J models, remain sought-after, highly usable fountain pens today.
Behind the great moments of history, there are often simple, everyday objects that remain silent witnesses for posterity. One of the precious relics of the Hungarian National Museum is an elegant fountain pen, with which Dr. József Antall, the first freely elected Prime Minister after the regime change, signed the document that finally ended Hungary's relationship with the Warsaw Pact.
There is no doubt that fountain pens will still exist thousands of years from now. This is guaranteed by the fact that this important achievement of our civilization was not left out of the time capsules placed in the first half of the 20th century. But what will the researcher of the future find in this “Noah’s Ark” of objects — if the well-hidden messages can be accessed at all?
Not long ago I wrote an article titled Stanhope, the Medium Hidden in a Pen, about tiny photographs embedded in pens, glued to a magnifying lens and viewed by holding them up to the light. In this article, I present a Hungarian Stanhope pen with a small window on its side through which we can glimpse the past of Herkulesfürdő (Băile Herculane, now in Romania).
When cataloguing their fountain pens, many collectors use small paper labels to record important information. A Tompens innovation replaces these paper labels with digital ones: NFC tags.
Pairing writing instruments with other devices is a long-established practice. Perhaps the process began with the image-viewing Stanhope devices, which I wrote about here, but a watch was also a common accessory (article here), and there was even a revolver fountain pen (article here). Below, we will discuss a stamp pen with decades of tradition, which is still manufactured today and available as a ballpoint pen, but it has not managed to become popular. Older pieces are quite rare.
Writing has always been an integral part of human culture, and the ways in which people have recorded their thoughts and messages have changed over time. The transmission of ideas was boosted by the advent of the postal service, with the appearance of stamps on letters (1840), which gave rise to the world of stamp art, including mail art as a separate genre (1960). In parallel, fountain pens have followed a similar evolutionary trajectory. I have collected memories of the meeting of stamps and pens.
There are several common threads between the art of fountain pens and watches: both are precision masterpieces, embody timeless beauty, and represent the pinnacle of human ingenuity. Some luxury brands have combined the tools of writing with the marvels of timekeeping. Let's take a look at pen-watches!
Old glass-tipped pens are a real rarity these days. Drop or tap the end of a nib once and the irreparable breakage only adds to the value of the remaining intact nibs. However, you can also buy new glass pens to enhance your handwriting experience, especially if you use them on a sunny day.
