| Early fountain pens or writing instruments were often | | | | produced the Lucky Curve. Between 1900 and 1915 |
| works of fine craftsmanship. They were designed to | | | | parker produced beautiful gold and silver pens. In 1921 |
| be treasured and passed from generation to | | | | the Duofold was introduced and by 1926 Parker |
| generation. A fountain pen was a personal article that | | | | started manufacturing celluloid pens. In the 1930s |
| expressed not only warm and friendly thoughts but a | | | | Parker's "arrow clip" was adopted and is still the |
| writers unique personality and social status. | | | | symbol of Parker pens today. |
| It was not until the early 1920s that fountain pen | | | | Walter A. Sheaffer designed a side lever filling |
| improvements not only gained in popularity but also in | | | | mechanism in 1907 and by 1920 he was widely know. |
| reliability. There was a real boom in fountain pens | | | | In 1920 he produced the lifetime series which was |
| production during the 1920s and 1930s. However the | | | | guaranteed for life. This pen became the status |
| Great Depression gradually forced many | | | | symbol of its day. |
| manufacturers cut back production or to close their | | | | Wahl-Eversharp was established as a U.S. fountain |
| doors. After World War 11 fountain pen | | | | pen manufacturer in 1914. They initially only produced |
| manufacturers started a slow recovery. During the | | | | mechanical pencils but in 1917 they bought the |
| 1950s and 1960s collectors began looking for vintage | | | | Boston Fountain Pen Company and began producing |
| pens which started a great comeback for fountain | | | | fountain pens. They produced a wide variety of high |
| pen manufacturers. Today, a high quality restored | | | | quality fountain pens and pencils until 1957 when they |
| vintage fountain pen demands a high price. So who | | | | were sold Parker. |
| were some of these early fountain pen | | | | A few other popular U.S. fountain Pen manufacturers |
| manufacturers? | | | | that no longer make pens are: A.A. Waterman |
| The leading maker of fountain pens in the United | | | | (1897-1920), Conklin (1898-1938), Carter (1926-1933), |
| States was Lewis E. Waterman who started the | | | | Chilton (1923-1941), Esterbrook (1858-1971) and |
| Ideal Pen Company in 1884. This company enjoyed | | | | Security Pen (1920-1930). |
| great success and by the 1920s was selling millions of | | | | Waterman, Parker and Sheaffer have been around |
| pens a year. Modern Waterman fountain pens are | | | | for at least 100 years. Find their new fountain pens |
| high in style, quality and very reasonable priced. | | | | and vintage fountain pens on eBay. |
| George Parker built his first pen in 1888 and by 1892 | | | | |