Not Your Average Pen Collection
Visit the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library to see a vast collection of presidential signing pens spanning Kennedy to Obama.
Drippy Musings
Famous People & Pens
31 Famous People & Pens posts. The pens of presidents, writers and spies: Truman's bill-signing pens, Eisenhower's Parker 51, Mark Twain's Conklin Crescent, James Bond's Montblanc. Thirty-one posts on who wrote with what.
Pres. Truman Writes with Sheaffer & Esterbrook
Thanks to a wonderful conversation with a man named Brad P., we received a great insight into the pens used by American president Harry S Truman. Brad reached out to us looking to sell an especially unique item: an Esterbrook dip pen used by Pres. Truman to sign an act to amend the Displaced Persons…
Mark Twain’s Conklin Crescent
Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, owned this house with his wife Livy in Hartford, Conn. Way back in 2013 I wrote a post called “Was Mark Twain the First Pen Pitchman?“. It was the oft repeated story about how author Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, advertised his support…
Resurrecting Vintage Pen Brands
When I first started ThePenMarket.com, I also worked part-time at a brick-and-mortar pen shop in a mall. I was far more familiar with vintage pens than modern, and I was very excited to see that the Conklin Pen Company had been brought back to life at around the same time. I had no idea who…
The Pens that Ended WWII: Italy
Did you know that toys paid for the pen that ended WWII with Italy? For several years, with the help of many readers, I have written about the pens that ended World War II. After solving several mysteries about the pens that ended the war with Germany, I thought this fun and fact-filled segment had…
James Bond’s Montblanc from Octopussy: The Sequel
Two years ago we identified the sterling silver Montblanc 146 used in the 1983 James Bond film “Octopussy.” The film starred Roger Moore, Maud Adams and Louis Jordan…and a certain fountain pen that was modified by Q. The pen in the film holds a very potent acid ANNND a secret listening device. This is one…
Vive la France! The Eisenhower Pen Mystery … Solved!
Five year ago I wrote a story about the pens used to end World War II. Two years later, some historians came to add more details to the piece. Through it all one mystery remained… Geoff Parker took this photo of the actual Parker 51 his grandfather gave to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower that was used…
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Elementary Gift
Most pen fanatics are familiar with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famed author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, having once been an advertising spokesman for the Parker Duofold. However, that was at the end of his life. This Swan eyedropper was once a gift from mystery writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his wife to…
Debra Messing Writes with Montegrappa
Debra Messing, the TV star best known for her roles on “Will & Grace,” “The Mysteries of Laura” and “The Starter Wife,” turns out to be a fan of fountain pens. She once posted on her Instagram account about one of her favorites being a white and rose gold Montegrappa Fortuna. She clearly has incredibly…
President Trump’s Pen of Choice
(DISCLAIMER: This is part of an on-going series of posts and not a political piece intended to stir any ire of pen collectors. Please do not flood the comments section with your love or hatred of the man. It will not be published.) This week we head to Washington for the DC Pen Show! It…
Alexandre Dumas: The Man & The Pen
Alexandre Dumas wrote some of the greatest novels in history. It is difficult not to love “The Three Musketeers,” “The Count of Monte Cristo” and “The Man in the Iron Mask.” Alexandre Dumas is my favorite writer of the 19th century. Nobody comes close to his adventures, characters or ability to capture the human condition.…
Farewell, President Obama
After faithfully serving the country for 8 years, for better or worse, through thick and through thin, President Barack Obama hands the reins over to Donald Trump today. Judging by the uproar online and everywhere else, it will be a sadder day for some than others. However, as we put aside politics for our shared…