I bought a pen from Graeme (smegmegs in eBay) and he sent me another one free of charge as he knew I would be interested in it. Very kind of him.
It’s a Penplas lever filler. I’ve had one or two before that came in lots that I bought but you don’t see them often. It’s very much the Standard English Pen, a lever filler with a clip that is held by a screw. It’s a very simple pen with nothing in the way of decoration. There is no cap band and there is a tiny bit of gold plating left on the clip. The nib is plated and it’s one of those ones with a star on it. I should know what that is but I’ve forgotten.
They were low-cost pens, perhaps aimed at school pupils. They were made by Penplas Industries in Regent Street, London. The company was not in business for very long – 1947 to the early 50s, which may go some way to explaining why there aren’t all that many around. Also, being a cheap pen they probably weren’t highly valued by their owners and were thrown away when they were replaced.
Not a collector’s item then, nor a pen that would be anyone’s first choice for a daily writer. Nonetheless, it’s a fountain pen and remains of interest because it reflects what was commonly used in those days. It lacks bling or even elegance but it was one of the host of forgotten pens that got the job done.
-
Follow
Following
Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
Goodwriterspens's Blog 
Deb –
For me, the best thing about the writing instrument world is encountering fellow explorers (as opposed to how many expensive old pens can I amass and what are they worth). Your visits, over the past couple of days to a couple of lesser-known makers has brightened up my day. To learn – and I will chase both of these names down every rabbit hole I can find – is, truly, a highlight for me; thank you, as ever, for them.
Paul
Thank you, Paul. I think it’s important to get some mention of these lesser-known pens on the web so that people who come across them have at least something to refer to.
Could you please link to smegmegs ? Couldn’t find him on ebay
I can’t give you a direct link. EBay doesn’t allow that. However, if you open the advanced search dialogue and select “find a member” (in the left-hand column) and enter “smegmegs” that will get you there.
That’s what i did.. no results. You can link to his store, i believe?
Which eBay are you searching?
Or one of his items for sale…thanks