Unic
1950s
About This Model
Unic was one of the major mainstream manufacturers of fountain pens in France for many years. Many hours of searching corporate historical information yielded very little, including a "wayback" listing that described the company (in French) as venerable but little documented. It was organized just after World War I, was a steady producer of decent fountain pens in predictable styling until after WWII. They did produce some decorative models, but never were style leaders. With other firms, Unic closed in the 1960s. Research has not shown a link between the pen manufacturer and the other Unics, most famously the truck brand that later became Iveco.
About This Pen
Someday I’ll find a cache of Unic catalogs so I can put model names and ages to pens, but I suspect I’ll have to return to France for an extended period to perform the research properly, a roundabout way of admitting that I can’t name or date this delightful, elegant little set. My guess is that it is 1950s, in large part because of the ballpoint pen’s original cartridge and the pricing still marked clearly on both fountain pen and ballpoint. Both pens are petite, at 10cm long (fp, before the ringtop), but not tiny; just below the cap, on the overlay, they’re just under 1cm thick. I do not use the term “mint” without proof, but this fountain pen showed no sign of prior use. The accordion sac is surely the original, unstained and supple. The nib is marked “UNIC” in their deco style, and “OR 18Ct”, and writes a smooth, delicate fine/medium with flex. Both pens have the typical Unic script imprint, including quote marks around the name, and are marked with their retail prices, F38,50 and F28,50, respectively. The ballpoint cartridge was replaced with a new Monteverde cartridge, and both pen and cartridge were slightly altered to enable fit. This is a very special set, a perfect present for a ringtop and flex pen fan. Note: all proceeds from the sale of this set will be contributed to the Muscular Dystrophy Society, with acknowledgement of the donation to the buyer.
Price:
$120 $95 Sold