Conway Stewart “The Universal Pen”
late 1940s
About This Model
Conway Stewart was a major manufacturer of good to great fountain pens in England for a hundred years, from 1905-2005. During the pre-WWII years they sold far more pens than any other brand in England; one major author believes more than all the other companies’ output combined. They were very well-made, good-looking, and great writers with soft, wet, and often flexible nibs. It is interesting that they produced a bewildering quantity of models and colors, including some bright floral patterns in casein during the pre-WWII shortage years.
About This Pen
In Conway Stewart’s circular and impenetrable naming logic, “Universal” was used on a variety of model lines from the 1930s-1950s. This is “The Universal Pen”, a No. 479 late series model, probably from the postwar 1940s, in marbled green and black. It is in truly outstanding overall condition, a description I don’t often use. Of celluloid, it is 12.8cm long, with a domed crown. The dome is in dark, might have been black, hard rubber (vulcanite in England). The trim is in excellent condition, untarnished. The imprint is shallow but complete. This is a very shiny, fresh pen, showing almost no marks of use. The nib is 14c gold, marked Conway Stewart; probably the original nib. It is a wet, soft, wonderful writer.
This pen is not for sale.