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Conway Stewart Scribe 330 fountain pen.

Regular price

Conway Stewart produced the 'Scribe 330' model between 1931 and around 1940.  There were three slightly different imprints and this pen has the earliest of them, dating the pen to 1931/1932.

The pen is constructed in Black Chased Hard Rubber (BCHR), There is some brown patina, I have made no attempt to change it as it is really part of the aging process.  The brown patina is accelerated by exposure to light, so a pen that has been kept in the dark, a box, for example may still retain the black colour.  The surface is good and has a nice finish, the imprint is just legible. 

There is a second imprint which reads 'Education Supply, Oxford'.  I think it highly unlikely that the pens were supplied to schools, fountain pens were relatively expensive items after all.  Most 'state' schools were using dip pens up until the 1960s.  Perhaps the imprint refers to Oxford University or a company that supplied Eton and the like!  

A very distinctive and practical feature of the Scribe is the arrangement of threads on the end of the barrel to facilitate posting of the cap.  In this configuration the pen is a most impressive 16.5 cm. in length.

The barrel imprint reads:

"Scribe" No. 330
Conway Stewart London

Around the barrel 'Made in England' is clearly imprinted.

A new ink sac has been fitted and the pen fills very well.  The 14Ct. Gold nib has some flex giving line variation and character to the letters. 

The Conway Stewart Scribe pen was, as it's name suggests, a practical pen that was designed to facilitate extended periods of writing.  The weight of a pen was a major consideration as the small muscles in the fingers would fatigue with quick, repetitive movements.  The Scribe weighs in at under 12 g., quite an achievement for a full sized, robust pen. 

The balance of the pen is also important, ideally the centre of mass should be close to the 'jaw' between index finger and thumb.  It is no accident that, if the cap is posted by screwing on to the end of the barrel, as it is designed to do,  the centre of mass, and the lever, are exactly in this position. 

At ninety odd years old the Scribe is not recommended as an every day pen to be carried around in a pocket or bag, but it would make an excellent 'signature pen 'to be used for letters, cards etc. or just for the joy of using a genuine vintage, soon to be antique item.






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