PenAndCo blog

if you are a fountain pen writer, you know for a fact that your pen is a very personal and intimate object and that you would not lend it too anyone.
Our Penandco team has come up with the most daring idea ever...............
To create your own bespoke and therefore unique fountain pen
not only by resorting to exclusive quality craftsmanship but also and above all by taking your wishes into account.

Concept

Everything is possible, you have “carte blanche”: you can choose engraved initials, write text, have an engraved drawing, sign, pattern…no limit to your creativity! We would like to emphasize the fact that the pen will be created according to your wishes. It will be a unique pen, a genuine bespoke creation. You can therefore design the pen of your dreams or offer an exclusive and unique gift for any special occasion that should be remembered (18th or 21st birthday, wedding, any anniversary / celebration, bar-mitzvah , retirement, contest award, token of friendship…). Once you have the idea of the kind of pen you wish, all you have to do is to contact us and our calligraphers will come up with suggestions to make your project come true.

Here is an example, made for one of our customer about Noa and Jonas.

Fine quality work

You can choose between an entirely solid silver engraved pen and a partly solid silver engraved pen – in this case, only the cap will be engraved. Right after the work of the calligrapher, a second craftsman will now carry on the work by etching the pen in order to obtain the desired drawing. This engraving technique has existed for centuries and numerous painters used it. The pen and/or its cap in solid silver are entirely covered with a protective coating material that the artist will then engrave with patience, without touching or damaging the metal. He will then use nitric acid to bring out and engrave the patterns or the drawing in the silver. Several days of work are required in order to obtain such a result. We consequently recommend that you take the design, engraving and shipping delays into consideration when you wish to make an order and encourage you to contact us for further information.

The pen: A Parker 51

The pen:a Parker 51 fountain-pen, with new writing pieces from the 50ies (such as the nib for example) A few lines about this mythical Parker fountain pen, a MUST for pen collectors. At the beginning of the 30ies, due the economic crisis, the competition among pen manufacturers was getting tougher and tougher. Parker had the idea to focus on technological advantage, first launching to market a revolutionary ink that would dry instantaneously, the Quinck (for quick ink)…At that time PCs did not exist and the use of fountain pens was as compulsory as the use of blotting papers. To pursue innovation in writing instruments, the company invested nearly a million dollar to create the Parker 51 pen, a revolutionary pen, the shape and concept of which required almost 23 different pieces, 238 operations in the assembly line – that included 42 manual ones. Its design was very innovative for a 1940 pen. Parker was indeed greatly inspired by aviation: the Lucite, a highly shock resistant material used to manufacture the pen, was also used for some mechanical pieces of aircrafts. Its half-protected/covered nib was especially designed for a longer moisturised use and for an immediate writing. Kenneth Parker, a great advertising man employed by the company, had the idea to name the pen by looking at a “U.S. 51” signpost/board through the window of his office.

1. In 1939, when the concept is ready, the company celebrates its 50th anniversary.
2. Using a number for the name does not jeopardize the branding of the company.
3. It can be used worldwide.

This model was first tested in Venezuela and in Colombia in extremely severe conditions of heat and moisture. The use of people and VIPs such as Harry Truman, Byron Nelson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Norman Rockwell, was instrumental/helped/played a key role in the rapid soaring of the sales. In 1940, when the pen was launched on the market, success was immediate; especially as Parker organised sales challenges where its top salesmen could even win Cadillac cars! Since its launch on the market, this fountain pen has gone through numerous changes (such as: different filling techniques, use of gold, steel, silver…)

To start your pen...just contact us

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