Conway Stewart Duro No. 30
1934-1937
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
This is one of the classic Conway Stewart Duro pens, properly called The Duro Pen No.30, made from 1930-37. It is from the latter years in that range because it has the diamond-shaped clip. The 30’s were made in about a dozen colors; this one is the marbled green with black veins to go with the black crown and tassie. It is a good-sized pen, at 13cm long capped and 1cm wide just below the cap. The two cap rings and clip are very shiny, without tarnish; the clip’s high points are missing a bit of plate. The pen is in very nice condition overall, with no significant scratches or nicks, although it has certainly been used. It is bright and clean, a pretty pen. This is a button-filler, and the button is quite strong. The imprint is faint but complete; the patent imprint just above the blind cap is barely visible but also present. It fills quite well, which is important for this pen, since its Duro 40 14K gold nib is 1.3mm wide! As you can see from the writing sample, this is a major league wet broad writer, but it’s English, so is not a flex nib. I’d strongly recommend using this pen with a blotting card…you’ll need one. This pen comes with a contemporaneous Conway Stewart box, with guarantee and filling instructions.
Price: $165 Sold