Chronology

Da FountainPen.


In this page are reported the most relevant events like brands foundation or termination, introduction of new models or dismission of the old ones, creation of technical innovations, variations carried out on the characteristics of the models, realizations of new materials, etc. The events are listed year by year, trying to cover what that happened in the fountain pen history.[1] Chronology is not maintained for pens produced after the '60s because they are of almost of no interest both for the history and the author of this page.

This page is the English translation of the Italian page Cronologia, it's still a work in progress, and I have little knowledge of English. If you want to help just let me know, you can use the contact info in the information link that's in the bottom of all the pages.

1761

  • Kaspar Faber starts a pencil production in Stein, is the beginning of Faber-Castell

1761

  • Joseph Hardtmuth starts a pencil production in Stein, is the beginning of Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth

1813

  • Thomas De La Rue starts its activities, founding a company on his name, that will later produce the Onoto

1832

  • Carl Hornemann starts a paint production factory, is the beginning of the Pelikan[2]

1838

  • first catalog of the Hornemann's Paint and Ink Factory company, considered the official start of Pelikan activities

1842

  • Mallat is founded by Jean Benoit Mallat

1845

1846

  • Richard Cross and E. W. Bradbury begin their activities in the United States

1848

1852

  • Jean Benoit Mallat patents a metallic nib pen

1856

  • Esterbrook is founded as the United States Steel Pen Manufacturing Company
  • Eagle is founded

1862

1863

  • Gunter Wagner joins the Hornemann's Paint and Ink Factory, future Pelikan

1864

  • Jean Benoit Mallat patents the Siphoïde, a fountain pen ancestor

1871

  • Gunter Wagner buy the Hornemann's Paint and Ink Factory, future Pelikan when Carl Hornemann retires

1873

1875

1878

1879

1880

1881

1883

  • Lewis Edson Waterman starts fountain pens production in New York
  • Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik, that will become Kaweco, is founded[3]

1884

1885

  • Cross starts fountain pen production

1888

  • Waterman is incorporated as L. E. Waterman Company

1889

1890

  • Waterman introduces the first desk pen with conical end
  • Eagle create a glass cartridge pen

1891

  • Parker is incorporated as The Parker Pen Company

1892

  • Waterman introduces the tapered models
  • Heidelberger Federhalterfabrik, that will become Kaweco, begins fountain pen production

1894

1895

  • Siebert and Lowen is founded, it's the beginning of Matador

1896

1897

1898

  • Roy Conklin found the Self Fountain Pen Co. with C. B. Gundy
  • Alexander Castell renames the A. W. Faber in A. W. Faber-Castell
  • Parker patents the slip-on cap
  • Pelikan introduces the Pelikan 4001 inks line

1899

1900

1901

1902

1903

1904

  • Waterman introduces its first overlay model
  • Parker introduces a first filler system based on rubber sac squeezing

1905

1906

1907

1908

1909

1910

1911

1912

  • Parker introduces the Jack Knife model
  • the first fountain pens marked Sheaffer were produced
  • Gold Starry becomes a registered trademark
  • Manifattura Pennini Oro per Stilografiche - The Elmo Pen, becoming later Montegrappa, was founded
  • Bayard was registered as trademark

1913

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

1920

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

  • Parker converts all production to celluloid, starting from Duofold
  • Waterman introduces the rippled hard rubber
  • Chilton moves to Long Island and introduces celluloid models
  • Carter starts selling its first fountain pens
  • KWG introduces the Arumia pens
  • Eversharp introduces the Rosewood hard rubber (???).
  • Pilot introduces the Maki-e pens
  • Haro is founded by
  • Pelikan use a new stylized logo with a pelikan feeding four chicks

1927

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935

1936

1937

1938

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

1946

1947

1948

1949

1950

1951

1952

1953

1954

  • Waterman USA ceases production, but Jif-Waterman is still active
  • Conway Stewart introduces the 100 model
  • Pelikan introduces nibs with its logo and starts engraving cap band on 400
  • Montblanc retires the 24x line and introduces the 25x and 26x line
  • Parker introduces the Made in USA imprint on 51 cap
  • japanese nibs aht the JIS (Japan Industrial Standards) mark inprinted

1955

1956

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968

1970

1971

1972

  • Parker introduces dished ends on the 75

1975

1981

Notes

  1. ↑ dates reported here are sometime controversial, when we are aware of this we summarize the uncertainty reporting the alternatives, but you can find the details of the controversies only looking at the detailed pages for brands and models, unfortunately just a few of them have been translated from italian.
  2. ↑ the most part of the Pelikan chronology take as reference the book Pelikan Schreibgeräte 1929-2004, by Jürghen Ditter and Martin Lehmann, we used their indications also when other articles (also those referenced in this site) are reporting discordant dates.
  3. ↑ the most part of the Kaweco chronology is obtained form the information that were published by the company itself ([1], no more on-line) and from the new company history published here.
  4. ↑ the most part of the Sheaffer chronology take as reference the article: A HISTORY OF SHEAFFER PEN AND WALTER A. SHEAFFER ITS FOUNDER, published by the company itself; until noted otherwise this should be considered the source of the info
  5. ↑ information about dismission of models and features are always approximate, because sometime model or feature were ceased from production or from catalogs, but the pens were still sold or produced for still some time
  6. ↑ 6,0 6,1 6,2 6,3 6,4 6,5 6,6 as for most of the italian manufacturers many dates are just guessed, referring more to a period than to a specific year, like the first or second half of a decade, or its mid the beginning or end; for more detail just look at chronology on the Montegrappa page
  7. ↑ 7,0 7,1 7,2 7,3 7,4 7,5 7,6 as the archive of the company was destroyed in 1942 after the bombing of their headquarters, many Columbus date are just guessed, referring more to a period than to a specific year, like the first or second half of a decade, or its mid the beginning or end; for more detail just look at chronology on the Columbus page
  8. ↑ a Pelikan brochure refers to 1926 while Werner Rüttinger talks about 1924, but the brochure refers to 1957 for the two chicks logo, so probably (see also this thread) the brochure refers to a generic year of use and not to the introduction, therefore we choose to use the Werner Rüttinger year.
  9. ↑ 9,0 9,1 9,2 9,3 9,4 9,5 all dates referring to features or models introduction for the Ancora pens are guessed and marked as such, because there are no catalogs or listings with clear data; so the cited year is always an approximation, referring to a wider time period (with two year less or more than the used value).
  10. ↑ referring to second half of '20s.
  11. ↑ Lambrou and others report this date, Jacopini reports around 1933.
  12. ↑ referring to the beginning of '30s; L. Jacopini in La storia della stilografica in Italia talks about 1938 c.a, but G. Fichera notes that the advertizements talks about the Regno d'Italia, so they must be before 1936.
  13. ↑ referring to beginning of '40s.

External references

  • to be written
Estratto da "http://www.fountainpen.it/Chronology"
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