I am fond of German pens for two reasons: quality and piston filling. The Elysee does not have the latter but it has the former very evidently.

The Elysee is one of the less well-known pens. They had a short period of manufacture from 1980 to 1991 but that was long enough to establish their very recognisable style. The company was begun by R Dummert in 1925 to produce jewellery including some fountain pens. In 1980, much against the trend of the industry, Demmert applied the resources of the company to the production of fountain pens to meet a concept he had developed.

The earlier pens were very slender as was the fashion in the eighties. This pen, the Elysee En Vogue Cobra, was manufactured between 1992 and 1997 and is a little broader and more comfortable in the hand.

It is in a snakeskin pattern, grey lacquer over a brass base with goldplated trim. The logo appearing on the nib and the top of the cap is a stylised ‘D’ for Dummert. I believe the nib is plated steel. The pen closes with a satisfying snap. The filling system is cartridge/converter and it takes standard cartridges. The company was taken over by Staedtler in 1991 and it is to their credit that the concept of the pen remained the same. The company closed down in 2001 and Elysee joined the list of German brands that have disappeared.