The Onoto Lever Pen

This is a handsome lever fill Onoto, probably 1940s. It has an excellent De La Rue 22 nib, medium, wet and with easily induced flexibility. It is noticeably tapered at both ends, has the ‘waterfall’ clip and a neat little black hard rubber tassie. In all respects it appears a very superior pen!

It has a very Watermanesque box lever and in the barrel there’s a hanging pressure bar, also just like the Waterman. The resemblance is so close that it’s reasonable to assume that De La Rue had licensed the patent from Waterman. It’s so typical of De La Rue. They had the best plunger fill system and when they decided to have a lever filler they went for the best there was.

Gorgeous pen. The phrase “they don’t make them like that any more” applies here!

3 thoughts on “The Onoto Lever Pen

  1. I’ve just picked up a gold and brown marbled version of this but with a number 5 nib. Ink sac is kaput but hopefully that shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
    Same single cap band and on the barrel it says “Onoto lever pen London” I’m used to them saying “Onoto the pen London”
    The cutout for the lever is beautifully chamfered out. Not like the usual simple cut.

      1. Great news.
        I picked the set up at quite a reasonable price. The seller sold it as working but it’s not so he’s contributing towards the cost of repair.
        I have a modern Onoto Nickleby from the limited edition. Nothing like the same quality. In fact it’s one of the rare pens I wish I’d never bought.

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