The Burnham 65, made in England in the 1940s, was the largest pen of the range, and the most expensive.
This fine example is finished in marbled green/black and features a Gold filled 7mm. wide cap band, clip, lever, and cap stud bearing a stylised 'B'. The Gold filling, which is noticeably heavier than that on the rest of the range, has held up very well.
The 14Ct. Gold nib has a heart shaped breather hole and the imprint is in cursive script, it reads:
Burnham
14Ct.
Gold
Osmiridium
The last line indicates that the nib is tipped with an alloy of osmium and iridium.
The pen has been fully restored and tested. The filling system was fitted with a new, size 19 ink sac, it works well with just one operation of the lever, and takes up a good volume of ink.
The 14 Ct. Gold nib writes with a smooth medium line, it has a soft feel and gives a little line variation. It is a comfortable, well balanced pen and a very 'easy' writer.
The Burnham 65 was more than twice as costly as the 'base' Burnham pen when it was produced, as shown in the 1949 advert, the last photograph. It has been suggested that it was produced to compete with the Conway Stewart no. 60, to which it bears more than a passing resemblance.
At 15.8 cm., well over 6 inches, in length when capped, the Burnham 65 is a very long and impressive pen with proportionate girth. It is not a common model, by any means, and a 65 in such excellent condition comes along very rarely.