The oldies...

Some of the oldest around...

Pelikan                          1832

Pelikan is a German, yet Swiss-incorporated manufacturer of fountain pens and other writing, office and art equipment, credited with the invention of the differential-piston filling method. Their "true" history began with the model "100" and the modified 100N (both fountain pens), which sparked the genesis of the company's distinctive styling.


A T Cross                      1846

For more than 166 years, Cross has re-invented writing instruments, combining design ingenuity with jewelry-quality craftsmanship. We were America's first manufacturer of quality writing instruments, and that means that we've been making pens people use, depend on and enjoy for a long time. 



Diamine inks                  1864

Ink Manufacturer's since 1864 Diamine Inks relocated to this purpose built 'state of the art' factory in Liverpool in 1925, where they successfully carried on using the traditional methods and formulas for ink production. Over the years the company was taken over many times and relocated yet again, but throughout the DIAMINE TRADE MARK and production methods survived symbolising the finest quality in Fountain Pen Inks, Calligraphy Ink, Drawing Ink and Writing Inks. 

Waterman                     1884

The initial years of Waterman's involvement in pen manufacturing are unclear. The earliest records of reservoir pens date back to the tenth century, with the oldest surviving examples dating back to the 18th. Waterman's improvements on basic pen design and aggressive marketing played a vital role in making the fountain pen a mass-market object.

The key novelty feature of Waterman's first fountain pens was the feed, for which his first pen-related patent was granted in 1884. From the beginning, competition in the fountain pen industry was fierce, both in the marketplace and the courtroom. Despite later company literature that depicts Lewis E. Waterman as a golden-hearted innocent, all evidence indicates that he was a tough, savvy, and innovative businessman.

Parker                           1888

George Safford Parker, the founder, had previously been a sales agent for the John Holland Gold Pen Company. He received his first fountain pen related patent in 1889. In 1894 Parker received a patent on his "Lucky Curve" feed, which was claimed to draw excess ink back into the pen body when the pen was not in use. The Lucky Curve feed was used in various forms until 1928.

Sheaffer                         1908

The year: 1912. The place: Fort Madison, Iowa. Walter A. Sheaffer takes his grand idea of a pen-filling apparatus that utilizes a lever system and, with his life savings, founds the W.A. Sheaffer company.

Pilot/Namiki                  1918

The first PILOT pen was launched in Japan in 1918. At this time, the country was opening up to Western influence and was importing European techniques. Trade agreements and contracts were being concluded and the Japanese, whose writing was not very adapted to the demands of commercial trade, quickly had to simplify the lines of their ideograms. Many pen factories were set up in the Land of the Rising Sun at this time.

Lamy                            1952

In the evolution of Lamy from a small Heidelberg writing implement factory to the market leader and brand manufacturer of international significance, the birth of the Lamy design brand in 1966 was without doubt the most important milestone.