LeBouef Unbreakable
About This Model
In almost any attempt to classify fountain pens, one has to draw some lines. These pens are those of decent manufacture during the vintage years, did not succeed as business ventures, and have not been handled in sufficient quantity by Timsvintagepens to warrant their own designation. Carter's, Chilton, Dunn, LeBouef, Moore are often thought of as "second tier" pen. LeBoeufs have long been among the most desirable and least available American fountain pens. The LeBoeuf Fountain Pen Company was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1920, and gone by 1933, but in its thirteen years produced beautiful and innovative pens. The founder developed a process of building pens from celluloid tube, rather than sheet and rods, which probably enabled the use of celluloids that were often simply stunning. In addition, LeBoeuf developed a unique sleeve filling method that they marketed in 1931 as “Unbreakable”. LeBoeuf pens are highly desirable, and the larger sleeve fillers are among the most prized and expensive vintage pens one can find. LeBoeuf Unbreakable models are designated by size numbers, from 40 (perhaps lower) for smaller ringtops to 90 (perhaps larger).
About This Pen
As noted in the model description, LeBouef pens are almost uniformly beautiful and rarely seen; it’s hard to believe that they were made so early. This pen is a 90, believed to be the largest size. It is a lever-filler from the late 1920s-early 1930s, fully 5.3″ long capped and just over .5″ thick below the cap edge. It is in beautiful condition, with only a few small scratches and basically zero evidence of use wear in its gold-flecked caramel brown and black marbled celluloid. The four-line imprint is extant if barely legible in the center, and the “90” in the base of the barrel is easily read. Inside the pen, there is a brass sleeve over the sac nipple and barrel grip, a repair of unknown vintage that appears to have been well applied. The nib…is a magnificent, statuesque #8 Mabie Todd (New York) that writes a very smooth, very full and wet medium line. I don’t remember having ever written with a large LeBouef nib, but it’s hard to believe it would be better than this Mabie Todd. In short, this is a very special pen from the Golden Years of penmaking, a rare executive model, priced to accommodate the prior repair and unmatched nib. Enjoy it, use it, care for it please?
Price: $395 Sold