Edison Pens's Herald
Aug. 25th, 2008 06:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
deirdreI don't post much here about my pen obsession, because I have other outlets for that.
There aren't many pen makers left who make pens, especially fountain pens, in the U.S. -- in fact, it might surprise you to learn that there are more pen companies in France, Germany, or Italy than there are in the U.S. Or that traditional U.S. brands like Parker and Waterman are now made in France. Sheaffer and Cross are now made in east Asia (except for the Sheaffer Valor, which is made in Italy).
There are a few pen companies left in the U.S. Of them, Bexley's the largest maker.
Conklin, the pen company formed by the inventor of one of the earliest fill systems, died and was recussitated. Most of their pens are made in east Asia, but a few of their more expensive pens are made in the U.S.
There are a couple of other pen companies with home addresses in the U.S. that don't manufacture pens here: Taccia, Monteverde, Think, Krone, and Retro 51 come to mind.
However, my friend Brian Gray of Edison Pens actually makes pens in the U.S. using his bare hands. Okay, and a lathe. And he buys the nibs and some components from other sources, that's true.
You can now oooh and awww over his latest:
The material is cumberland a.k.a. ebonite a.k.a. hard (vulcanized) rubber, which feels nice and light and warm in the hand. It's my favorite material for pens.
Here's some other ebonite pens. One of Brian's (a Glenmont) is fifth from the left:
There aren't many pen makers left who make pens, especially fountain pens, in the U.S. -- in fact, it might surprise you to learn that there are more pen companies in France, Germany, or Italy than there are in the U.S. Or that traditional U.S. brands like Parker and Waterman are now made in France. Sheaffer and Cross are now made in east Asia (except for the Sheaffer Valor, which is made in Italy).
There are a few pen companies left in the U.S. Of them, Bexley's the largest maker.
Conklin, the pen company formed by the inventor of one of the earliest fill systems, died and was recussitated. Most of their pens are made in east Asia, but a few of their more expensive pens are made in the U.S.
There are a couple of other pen companies with home addresses in the U.S. that don't manufacture pens here: Taccia, Monteverde, Think, Krone, and Retro 51 come to mind.
However, my friend Brian Gray of Edison Pens actually makes pens in the U.S. using his bare hands. Okay, and a lathe. And he buys the nibs and some components from other sources, that's true.
You can now oooh and awww over his latest:
The material is cumberland a.k.a. ebonite a.k.a. hard (vulcanized) rubber, which feels nice and light and warm in the hand. It's my favorite material for pens.
Here's some other ebonite pens. One of Brian's (a Glenmont) is fifth from the left: