#hardrubber

These are two Marukin hard rubber shut-off valve eye-dropper filler fountain pens.  Marukin was a maker of high-end fountain pens in the 1930s, and these pens featured in the Winter 2006 Pennant article, “Collecting Japanese Pens,” by Stan Klemanowicz. Both pens were made by Kinichiro Kasahara with the mottled red hard rubber pen c. 1934 and the swirled red, black and cream hard rubber c. 1932.  Each has a matching hard rubber section specially shaped to increase tactility when writing.  The clips appear to be sourced from a specialty parts maker as they have generic stampings, WARRANTED and NEW CLIP.  Marukin made its own nibs and each has a 14 karat gold nib marked MARUKIN’S GOLD PEN.  Marukin may have been part of Marukin Shoyu Co., a food maker of one of the top five soy sauce brands in Japan, based on Shodo Island. The logo on the pen boxes matches the logo of the Marukin Shoyu Co.

This is an Evans Self Filler fountain pen in chased black hard rubber c. 1917-1919. It’s about 5 ½ inches long and has a slip on cap and no clip. The design is similar to the Conklin Crescent Filler in that it has a lock ring on the barrel that has to be turned in order to press a push button mounted on a press bar that squeezes an ink sac and fills the pen. The push button is notched to keep it snug against the lock ring when closed and prevent it from moving. The design was patented by William A. Welty of Waterloo, Iowa on October 30, 1906 who then established the William A. Welty Pen Company in 1907. By 1916, through the addition of various investors, the company became the Evans Dollar Pen Company of Waterloo. Advertisements for these pens can be seen as early as 1917 and by 1920 versions with clips, screw caps, white cap tops and junior size pens with red cap tops were being sold under name “The Evans Self Filler Pen Company.” Prices ranged from $1.00 to $2.25. The barrel is stamped EVANS over WATERLOO, IOWA, U.S.A. The gold nib is stamped EVANS over 14KT. over SOLID. In 1918 the Federal Trade Commission issued a complaint against the company for unfair trade practices toward dealers who failed to abide by pricing policy. The company filed for bankruptcy on January 8, 1923 and the assets were sold to Salz Brothers of New York City in June of that year. This pen is available for purchase on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/373921975873 #pencollecting #fountainpen #evans #conklin #crescent #crescentfiller #hardrubber #chased #ebonite #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/CZvAeaJvMjh/?utm_medium=tumblr

This is a Sailor 105th Anniversary Zuisei Limited Edition cartridge / converter fountain pen from 2016. Only 500 pieces were made, offered with a choice of a medium or broad nib. This 6 11/32 inch long pen is handmade from striated blue, black and navy hard rubber in a clipless reuleaux pentagonal shape with SAILOR JAPAN and the edition number marked on the end of the barrel. The cap pulls off to reveal a black section with gold plated collar and a 21 karat gold Sailor nib. Each pen comes in a large decorated paulownia wood box and with a fabric pen kimono. #pencollecting #fountainpen #sailor #sailorpen #sailorjapan #celluloid #zuisei #hardrubber #limitededition #artpen #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/CKnCYJDjDAA/?igshid=6mmj07p90rfb

This is a Carter's model 4125 red-black mottled hard rubber fountain pen c. 1928. According to Ross McKinney's article "CARTER’S Fountain Pens: THE EARLY DAYS" in the Fall 2019 Pennant, the model number is stamped on the base of the barrel and has four "columns" that, on this pen, describe the color 4=red-black mottled hard rubber, the barrel diameter 1=large, the length 2=medium, and the nib 5=nib size. This 5 1/4 inch pen features gold filled trim, including a single cap band, cap top trim bands with black inset, patented spring-loaded clip and patented 90-degree limited excursion lever. The barrel is stamped -CARTER's- over PATENTED over THE CARTER'S INK CO. over BOSTON - NEW YORK - CHICAGO. The gold nib is stamped CARTER over SUPERWEAR over PEN, with Superlife over 5. At the time this pen was made, Superlife nibs were rigid, while the Inx nibs were flexible. Eventually Carter’s changed almost everything to Inx, but the catalog at this point made the rigid / flexible distinction. (Thanks to Ross McKinney). #pencollecting #fountainpen #carter #carterink #hardrubber #pencollectors #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/CBO__EdDMR6/?igshid=1j9ig3tcj8gdp

This is an Artcraft black hard rubber fountain pen with a hand engraved wide gold filled cap band c. early 1920s. The front of the cap band has a framed cartouche for personalization that carries around to the back with a flower and leaves design. The breather hole on the back of the cap is much larger than on other brands. This 5 5/16 inch long lever fill pen was made by the Artcraft Pen Company of Birmingham, Alabama. Advertisements from 1921 to 1925 give the company name as Cromer Artcraft, named for Ford Cromer. The barrel is stamped Cromer Pen Company Inc. over Artcraft Fountain Pens over Birmingham Alabama. Centered in the text is an artist's palette with MAKERS OF over ARTCRAFT inside. The gold filled clip and lever have an artist's palette logo with ART stamped inside. The gold nib is stamped with an artist's palette logo and ARTCRAFT stamped inside over 2. This example shows browning discoloration on the cap and barrel and several cracks and a chip missing from the cap lip. #pencollecting #fountainpen #artcraft #hardrubber #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/CEAca64jstn/?igshid=etnvtampdiw

This is a Kraker number 2 red and black mottled hard rubber fountain pen c. 1914-1916. This 4.3 inch long pen is a lever-fill type with the cap, barrel and section of the same hard rubber. It has a white metal clip stamped KRAKER CLIP and PAT. 9-22-14 for Albert Scheible’s Kraker clip patent number 1,111,501. The gold nib is a replacement Sheaffer number 2, not the original Kraker nib. This pen is featured in the upcoming Spring 2020 Pennant. #pencollecting #fountainpen #kraker #sheaffer #sheafferpen #ebonite #redhardrubber #hardrubber #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/B9k5OQsjZwD/?igshid=1ja5269oci6bh

These are two Marukin hard rubber shut-off valve eye-dropper filler fountain pens. Marukin was a maker of high-end fountain pens in the 1930s, featured in the Winter 2006 Pennant article, “Collecting Japanese Pens,” by Stan Klemanowicz. Both pens were made by Kinichiro Kasahara with the left mottled red hard rubber pen c. 1934 and the right pen in swirled red, black and cream hard rubber c. 1932. Each has a matching hard rubber section specially shaped to increase tactility when writing. The clips appear to be sourced from a specialty parts maker as they have generic stampings, WARRANTED and NEW CLIP. Marukin made its own nibs and each has a 14 karat gold nib marked MARUKIN’S GOLD PEN. Marukin may have been part of Marukin Shoyu Co., a food maker of one of the top five soy sauce brands in Japan, based on Shodo Island. The leftmost logo on the pen boxes matches the logo of the Marukin Shoyu Co. #pencollecting #fountainpen #marukin #hardrubber #ebonite #eyedropper #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/B79r9CIjfkV/?igshid=eglb345cvac6

Nathaniel Harter writes a great new an article on "The Begininng of the Kraker Pen Co" for the Spring 2020 Pennant. PCA members should see the new issue shipping in late March. If you are not a member of the PCA, you need to be! This is a Kraker number 2 red and black mottled hard rubber fountain pen c. 1914-1916. This 4.3 inch long pen is a lever-fill type with the cap, barrel and section of the same hard rubber. It has a white metal clip stamped KRAKER CLIP and PAT. 9-22-14 for Albert Scheible’s Kraker clip patent number 1,111,501. The gold nib is stamped KRAKER over 2 over PEN over KANSAS CITY. This pen is featured in the upcoming Spring 2020 Pennant. #pencollecting #fountainpen #kraker #sheaffer #sheafferpen #ebonite #redhardrubber #hardrubber #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/B9YFAipDf9M/?igshid=8t00mo762rla