It isn’t always obvious what you’re looking at when confronted with a list of vintage pens on eBay. Take this one: a Chatsworth. Not recognising what it is, you might pass on by. What it is, is a chance to acquire a high quality pen, often at a reduced price because it isn’t known by all the potential buyers.

Chatsworth pens were made for Boots the Chemist, usually by De La Rue, the Onoto people or later by Burnham. The seller identifies this pen as by De La Rue and he may well be right though it doesn’t have the De La Rue sunburst on the lever nor the branding on the nib. At around 1925 it may be too early for these things.

I’m not writing an advert for the pen – that’s not what I do – but I am grateful to eBay sellers who allow me to use their photos and write about these interesting pens. This one is especially interesting to me just because of the absence of the branding marks usually seen on De La Rue Chatsworths. One of the other things that attracted my attention was the outstanding condition of this boxed black hard rubber pen.

Many thanks to Allan (arty4arty) for permission. Pen sale is here:https://rb.gy/ojtoqk