The Pitman's Fono pens were made for Pitman's, a company that devised a shorthand writing system. Developed in 1837, this was phonetics based and required use of both wide and narrow strokes to distinguish written 'sounds' so a flexible nib, originally on a dip pen, was a necessity.
There has been much debate about who actually made the various Pitmans models but it appears that a number of manufacturers were used, all Pitmans pens seem to be of good quality. The evidence for this pen being a De La Rue pen is not watertight but is fairly compelling. The style of the pen, particularly the mid cap clip, is very similar to mid1920s Onoto and De La Rue products and the clip is a De La Rue patent, see photo.
The pen is very much an archetypal 1920s English lever filler. It is a 'no frills' pen, clearly designed to last, and do a specific job well, in this case produce a line flexing from fine to broad consistently and efficiently.
It is in excellent condition throughout, the finish is good and the imprint is clear and crisp, as is the engine turned chasing on the hard rubber. The lever operated filling system works well and takes up a good volume of ink, and the warranted 14 Ct. Gold nib writes well. with a little practice the flexible nib would produce impressive calligraphy effects.
The Pitman's pen was intended to be used for long periods of time on a daily basis, probably in a college or office environment. It is very light in weight and, with a posted length of 17 cm. is an extremely long and well balanced pen that is very comfortable in use. It is not a common pen, by any means, and is very collectable.