Conklin Endura
1928-32
About This Model
Conklin was one of the early fountain pen manufacturers, starting in the late 1800s, re-forming as a fountain pen manufacturer in Toledo, Ohio in 1901 to market Roy Conklin’s patented Crescent Filler, one of the first modern designs that worked reliably. For the next twenty-plus years, Conklin produced Crescent Fillers and lever-filler pens, introducing the Endura in bright colors and fine metals in the 1920s, until they gave way to the Endura Symetrik in 1929. The Symetrik lines were essentially rounded Enduras, in response to Sheaffer's Balance. In 1931, they finally moved away from the Crescent-Filler altogether to the Nozac as their top line model. Although this first twist filler was a beautiful, successful pen, Conklin's ongoing resistance to change had limited the company’s success, forcing them to sell out in the late 1930’s.
About This Pen
This Conklin Endura Junior set is from 1929 to the early 1930s, in marbled blue celluloid. Although Enduras were around for a good ten years, this one is easy to date because of the celluloid, which was all new in the late 1920s. And, as noted above, the Enduras became Symetriks after 1929, although one generally assumes that some of the earlier model were available for traditionalist customers.
This set is very attractive, and has probably received very little, if any, use in its 95 years. The pen’s ossified sac had no dried ink inside, the barrel was held to the gripping section by a scrap of paper, and there was no ink in the cap. There is some characteristic darkening at the top and bottom of the barrel, and perhaps a touch of deterioration in the barrel at a few points, but with the sac having disintegrated many years ago, the deterioration from the sac’s gassing out certainly stopped as well. The trim is clean and shiny, no missing plate. The spring-loaded clip is strong. The nib is original, and writes a firm fine line with some feedback that was typical of the era, as well as significant shading that one could call flex. This nib wants to be written with by an underwriter, not this overwriting lefty.
The pencil is in nearly perfect condition. Since it carried no sac, it has no darkening or deterioration, and writes perfectly.
This pen and pencil are being sold together as listed, but the pen is available without the pencil for $185. If that happens, I’ll have to keep the pencil!
This pen is not for sale.