Conklin
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 pen is from the mid-1920s, and is a ringtop in black hard rubber, a lever-filled pen. It is Model #26P, designating in Conklin code its lever-filled mechanism and purse size. The barrel and cap are chased, with a delicate wavy design Conklin called “ribbon”. At 4 5/16” long, this is a smaller pen, but it does not feel too small to use without posting. The hard rubber barrel and cap are in excellent condition, without significant scratches or marks, and the chasing is uniform throughout. For some reason the section shows a bit more wear than the rest of the pen, but it is not disfiguring. The lever and gold 1/4” wide cap ring have the appearance of 14K rather than plate, but there is no indication of that. The gold nib is marked “Conklin 2 Toledo”, and writes a wonderfully flexible fine to BB line. The writing sample is by a right-handed writer.
Price: $125 Sold