History of A. A. Waterman

Much of the history of this company and its successors remains to be discovered and documented. A. A. Waterman started in business before 1900, experienced a number of transformations and successors and ceased production about 1930. Most of the pens the company produced are collectible

Waterman’s Music and Artists Pens

India ink is more like paint than normal fountain pen ink. It is prized by composers and arrangers for writing music, by artists for sketching and drawing, and by architects and engineers for ruling lines because it dries quickly to a rich opaque and permanent black. The principal ingredients in India ink are carbon black, shellac and denatured alcohol. Once dry, India ink is very, very difficult to remove or redissolve, even in alcohol. The fact that it does not readily redissolve is the reason that India ink cannot be used in normal fountain pens.

History of Corona

Corona started in business in 1923 and ceased production about 1933. Since the company made relatively few pens, all are collectible. Key Persons, Key Dates, Key Events...Janesville, Wisconsin was founded in the 1830s as an agricultural community on the Rock River in south central Wisconsin. Soon, with the building of the American railway system, it became a transportation hub. Janesville is located about 100 miles (160 km) from Chicago and about 80 miles (130 km) from Milwaukee. Both cities were major ports on Lake Michigan but freight moving further west had to go by train. George S. Parker had come to Janesville to teach telegraphy in a school for those seeking railroad positions. His entry into the fountain pen business spawned a sizable group of competitors

The History of Giant Pens

Eventually most collectors see or hear about a monster sized or ‘giant’ pen. They have questions... "When, why and by whom was it made? Why is it so big? Who would buy or use such a pen? Why is it so expensive?" How is a ‘giant’ recognizable? It is really big, much, much bigger than a Duofold Senior, a Montblanc 149, even a Waterman #58. The ‘giant’ is so large that it seems, at first, unreasonable and certainly uncomfortable. It has a very large nib, often #10 or #12 size, and equally vast ink capacity, sometimes more than an ounce.

The First Parker Pen

Often it is hard to separate fact from speculation. I believe the following to be fact. Before founding the Parker Pen Company (1889), George S. Parker worked as an instructor at the Valentine School of Telegraphy in Janesville. He also sold John Holland fountain pens as a sideline. Parker complained (in a magazine interview) that the Holland pens often did not work and that he was obliged to repair and modify them for the purchasers. It was from this experience that Mr. Parker said he learned to make fountain pens and also developed the ideas which lead to his first Patent for a pen feed.

The History of Conklin Pens

The company pioneered the manufacture of self filling fountain pens and is closely identified with its home of Toledo, Ohio. It started in business about 1897 and ceased production after World War Two. Its most collectible pens include the early “Crescent” filling pens (before 1925), metal pens, the large plastic pens of the 1920s and 1930s, and the “Nozac” piston filling pens of the 1930s. The company was also famous for its mechanical pencils and its fountain pen desk sets which were some of the most elaborate on the market.

The History of Pelikan Pens

The business was founded in Germany in the 1830s and entered the pen business in 1929. Most collectible pens include early pens (circa 1929-1940, especially the unusual reptile pattern plastic pens of the 1930s), metal overlaid pens, plus a few recent limited editions. The company continues in business manufacturing pens, inks, artist’s colors, etc