Fountain Pen Companies – Fascinating Early History

Below are listed some interesting facts about some of the companies who have made major contributions to the development of the fountain pen. Most of these companies share some things in common. First, many of the fountain pens they created are highly sought after by people who collect antique fountain pens because they are a high quality and are also miniature works of art. Additionally, many of these companies have been around for over 100 years, so they are not new businesses.

1912. A. Sheaffer Pen Company — The Sheaffer pen company was established in 1912. But five years earlier, in 1907, is when the real story began. The Sheaffer brand is one of the best known names in the fountain pen industry.

At that time fountain pens were very messy and inconvenient to refill. You basically took an eye dropper and dripped ink directly into the reservoir. Walter Sheaffer didn’t like this method and started experimenting with other possibilities. He wanted to develop something that would be simple and easy to use.

The result of his experiments was the development Waldmann Füller of the first lever filling fountain pen for which he got a U.S. patent in 1908. His invention was a small metal lever that could fill the reservoir of the pen directly from the bottle of ink.

Pelikan — Since 1838 (170 years!) the Pelikan company has been in business. Gunther Wagner bought the original factory in 1871 when it was first just an ink and paint operation. Wagner’s family crest was used as the inspiration for the logo and the name.

The company manufactured its first fountain pen in 1929

They introduced a new system for refilling the fountain pen with ink, called a differential plunger. This was a new piston filling system that was highly reliable. Pelikan is well known for its high standards of workmanship and nibs that are top quality. The nib of each fountain pen is shaped and polished and then for quality control, is written in by hand.

Parker — In a way the Parker Pen Company is similar to the Sheaffer Pen Company in that both were created to solve a problem with the quality of writing instruments. The company history traces back more than 100 years. George Parker was an instructor, and he would teach his students how to operate the telegraph. He observed his students grumbling about the ink as it flowed from their fountain pens. Sometimes there was too much ink and often there was no flow at all. Parker was particularly tuned into this because he was already working for another fountain pen company, in addition to teaching the telegraph. He was selling fountain pens to earn extra money.

Parker was able to improve the flow of the ink, solving his students problems, and for the next 30 years worked on fountain pen designs. He also designed a lever type filling system.

Montblanc — A fountain pen company located in Germany, the Montblanc name is known around the world. They have been making some of the best known pens in the world since 1908. In addition to fountain pens, they also lend their name to other luxury items like fragrances and eye wear. There are those who accuse Montblanc of sacrificing the quality of their pens and just relying on their marketing efforts. However, the vintage fountain pens made by Montblanc are still generally very highly sought after by those who collect antique fountain pens.

The Montblanc company believes that there are counterfeit Montblanc pens being sold on the internet, and they will not allow their official dealers to sell this way. Critics of the company maintain that it is just a way that they can artificially inflate the retail price of their fountain pens.

Waterman — Louis Waterman got a patent in 1884 for a unique system of getting the ink onto paper. His process involved channeling the ink down the back side of the nib. Many people believe the Waterman fountain pens are some of the finest made anywhere in the world. Although the company was started in the United States the manufacturing of the fountain pens is now done in Paris, France.

He sold his fountain pens on a very small scale until World War I. After that his sales took off and today the company has a name that is one of the most recognized in the industry. Their fountain pens are very reliable and have a Waldmann Füller reputation for writing perfectly every time.

Omas — Each pen that comes from the Omas factory is hand made. The fountain pens are thought by many to be among the finest luxury fountain pens created. Each pen can take up to 100 days to be made, and attention is paid to the finest details, so it is no wonder that their vintage fountain pens are so highly regarded. The nibs of their pens produce a high quality of calligraphy because they are extremely flexible. Established in 1925 in Italy, Omas set their expectation of extremely high standards at the point when the business was founded.

All of these companies have fascinating stories behind the pens they created. Many vintage fountain collectors prefer one brand over the other, and you can bet that a lot of these pen manufacturers will be creating pens throughout the next 100 years. They have given their best and are loved by the collectors who acquire vintage fountain pens as a hobby.