Gester

Ges and Ter are the two rivers merging at the city of Torelló, the hometown of the pen company Súper T. Putting both names together, the company founder Manuel Portus got the name for one of his creations: Gester. Four different Gester models were produced –20, 40, 60, 80— albeit with a number of variations along their thirty-something years of existence.

This is the review of a recently purchased Súper T Gester from around 1970—a model 20 with a steel nib.


1. Appearance and design. (9.0/10)
This is a very appealing pen with an original design. Although originally inspired by the Parker 51, Manuel Portus managed to make a very distinctive tool. This Gester is made in navy blue plastic, with clip and cap ring in steel.


The clip deserves a close attention. It is made with a single piece of folded steel. This design was originally conceived for the model Olimpia (1960) and later adapted to the higher end Gester. This detail shows that this particular gester 20 was made around 1970.


2. Construction and quality. (8.5/10)
This pen is solidly made with good quality plastic. All the elements fit well. The piston –yes, this is a piston filler— works flawlessly despite its 40 years of age.

Certainly, one could demand higher appealing materials, but the model 20 was the entry level to the Gester pen.

Cap ring signed as "SUPER T GESTER".

3. Weight and dimensions. (9.0/10)
This is a light pen with an excellent balance, especially if unposted. Average in size, its girth is comfortable on the hand.

Dimensions:
Length capped: 134 mm.
Length open: 122 mm.
Length posted: 149 mm.
Diameter: 11 mm
Weight: 18 g


4. Nib and writing performance. (7.5/10)
This entry level pen has a very correct steel nib. It is smooth and has a very good and pleasant flow. Very rigid, no hint of giving under pressure.


The advertisements of the Gester pen in the 1950s spoke of up to 20 different nib points, but nowadays there are few chances to find them in the second hand market.

October 1956 ad. The last paragraph speaks of 20 possible nibs. Advertisement collected by Grafopasión member Claudio.

5. Filling system and maintenance. (8.5/10)
This is a piston filler. Unfortunately, there is no window to check the how much ink is left inside. On the positive side, section and barrel can easily be decoupled by unscrewing them. This eases the cleaning process and allows an easy access to the piston.

The thin metallic ring separates the section from the barrel. The inscription reads "SUPER T 'GESTER' TORELLO ESPAÑA".

6. Cost and value. (7.0/10)
Súper T pens were not cheap at their time. Some Gester models were more expensive than the luxury Parker 51. But Súper T pens were good quality tools.

New Old Stock Gester 60 from mid 1960s with the price sticker on it. 750 pesetas was a small fortune. In comparison, a Parker 51 at that time cost about 500 pesetas.

After years of oblivion, Súper T pens are becoming popular among Spanish stylophiles and the demand is increasing. However, it is still possible to find them for less than €100 in excellent condition.

The conclusion is that I could buy a good quality writer for an acceptable price.


7. Conclusion. (49.5/60=82.5/100)
Very well constructed pen with a reliable piston system. Smooth, but stiff nib with an excellent flow.

My thanks to fellow Grafopasión forum members Alberto, Claudio and Olga.

(Súper T Gester 20 – Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki)

Bruno Taut
(Madrid, November 17-21th, 2010)
[labels: Súper T]

Torelló

Spanish fountain pens are basically unknown outside Spain. Their history, actually, has not yet been written and it might very well be the history of a frustration—that of the inability to generate any successful industrial enterprise. But among those failures and frustrations some pen companies created very interesting products in Spain.

Such was the case of the company Súper T, based in the city of Torelló, in Barcelona province. Manuel Portús Ribas created this company in 1942, and it was active until 1976, five years after the death of its founder.

October 1953. Súper T ad of pen models 20, 40, 60, and 80. Collected by Grafopasión member Claudio.

Súper T manufactured basically two models, named Gester and Olimpia. The first is known to be in production since 1943. There were four basic versions of it –20, 40, 60 and 80—, three of which remained in the company catalog until the mid 1970s. The very luxurious Gester 80 –“a gift for a prince”, the ads said— had a solid gold cap and disappeared from the catalog around 1957. That model is now very rare and highly sought after by collectors.

Delta de Oro prize. Photo courtesy of Olga Portus.

The Olimpia model took its name after the Olympic Games in 1960. This pen received the “Delta de Oro” prize of design in 1961 given by the Catalan Associació de Disseny Industrial del Foment de les Arts Decoratives (ADI-FAD). It was on production until the company disappeared.

Ad from September 1953 of Parker ink manufactured in Torelló. Advertisement collected by Grafopasión member Claudio.

During the 1950s Manuel Portus received an offer from Parker to buy the company. Apparently, the American company was interested in the gold plating system used by Súper T—it provided very high quality results on caps. The parties did not reach an agreement, but as a result of the negotiations, Súper T started manufacturing Parker ink –Quink— in Torelló, Spain.

Manuel Portús died in 1971 and the company passed onto his son Juan Manuel. The decline of the company started, coincidentally, at that time. The early 1970s economic crisis and the popularization of ball pens pushed Súper T into reducing production costs. The excellent quality of previous years vanished rather quickly.

Finally, the company closed down in 1976.

My thanks to fellow Grafopasión forum members Alberto, Claudio and Olga.

(Súper T Gester 20– Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki)

Bruno Taut
(Madrid, November 17th, 2010)
[labels: España, Súper T, Parker, fora]

Madrid Pen Shops - November 2010

This chronicle, as that devoted to pen shops in Tokyo, needs a special attention to be of any utility. The updated version can be found on this page in this blog.

Madrid was my city for many years. Now I am just another visitor. A frequent visitor if you would, but a visitor nonetheless.

I started writing with fountain pens in this city. I took probably too many notes with them during my high school and college years. And I received some pens as presents from friends and relatives. But pens were hardly the obsession they are now and I never had the need to find very specialized shops.

But now I do look for pens and getting to write a list of them was almost a necessity.


View Fountain Pens in Madrid in a larger map


Second hand shops.

Anticuario López Linares
http://lopezlinares.com/
I have not visited this shop.

Calle Conde de Aranda 6
28001 Madrid
Tel: 914 351 049

Calle Claudio Coello 60
28001 Madrid
Tel: 915 762 648


Antigüedades El Campillo.
http://www.antiguedadeselcampillo.com/
An antique shop with some pens. Irregular condition.

Calle Fernández Oviedo 8
28002 Madrid
Tel: 915 152 264


Club de Estilográficas de España
http://www.clubestilograficas.com/
High quality vintage pens. The owners are specialized in early 20th century US American pens. Good selection of inks associated to tinteros.com. New pens of the brand Romillopens. English and French spoken.
Repair service available.

Ronda de Segovia 20
28005 Madrid
Tel: 914 619 079


Gráficas Santa Cruz
http://www.gsantacruz.com/
Never visited this shop.

Calle Rafael Calvo 40
28010 Madrid
Tel: 913 082 330


Trade Art S. L. - Julia Gusano
http://www.juliagusano.com/?language=en
Nice shop with lots of vintage pens. The owner is a well known collector of Parker 51. Julia Gusano speaks English.
Repair service available

Calle Zurbano 84 - Segundo patio
28010 Madrid
Tel: 914 417 784


T & T Reparaciones

Never visited. Nominally, a repair center.

Calle Fenelón 18 Local 2B
28022 Madrid
Tel: 659 654 261
email: tonigomez1@hotmail.com



New-pen shops.

Carranza Estilográficas - Papelería Técnica Carranza
http://www.papeleria-tecnica.net/
New pens and an acceptable selection of inks. Very friendly attention. Pens are sold with a 5% discount. As of Novemeber 2010, this shop does not carry Lamy pens.

Carranza 8
28004 Madrid
Tel: 914 486 494


Estilográficas Sacristán
http://www.sacristan.com/
Very traditional shop in Madrid. Specialized in high end pens.

Calle Mayor 27
28013 Madrid
Tel: 913 633 576


Papelería Coplan

Small selection. Some new old stock pens.

Calle Marcenado 34
28002 Madrid
Tel: 914 152 687


Papelería Jomar
http://www.jomarpapeleria.com/
I have never visited this shop.

Calle General Diaz Porlier 7
28001 Madrid
Tel: 914 351 895


Papelería Manuel Martín

I have never visited this shop.

Calle Santa Engracia 60
28013 Madrid
Tel: 914 473 571


Papelería Rey
http://www.papeleriarey.com/
High end pens. Hardly any discount.

Avda. Ciudad de Barcelona 144
28007 Madrid
Tel: 914 341 099


Papelería Salazar
http://www.papeleriasalazar.es/
Good selection of pens and inks, but not much technical knowledge. Very polite and attentive service.

Calle Luchana 7-9
28010 Madrid
Tel: 914 461 848


Papelería Técnica Sancer
http://www.sancer.com/
From cheap fountain pens to high end. Some new old stock pens.

Calle Fernández de los Ríos 93
28015 Madrid
Tel: 915 496 344

Calle Fernando el Católico 77
28015 Madrid
Tel: 915 496 344


Romero Papelerías

Out of business.

(Pilot Elite Silver cap pocket pen – Sailor Red Brown)

Bruno Taut
(Madrid, November 13-16, 2010)
[labels: Madrid, mercado]

Heritage 92

Para Kinno-san, amigo.

Pen review: Pilot Custom Heritage 92.

A common complaint among stylophiles fond of Japanese pens is the lack of exciting filling systems in modern pens—cartridge/converter is the system of choice among Japanese companies. The primary exception to this rule are the oversized and expensive Namiki eyedroppers. In recent years, however, some self-filling pens have shown up in the market. The plunger filler Pilot Custom 823, and the piston filler Sailor Realo were these newcomers among the three big Japanese companies. The much smaller company Katoseisakusho also produces some piston fillers, but those pens are seldom spotted in stationary shops in Tokyo.

Such was the pen scene up to this past October when Pilot released another demonstrator pen with a self-filling mechanism—the Custom Heritage 92.

The Pilot Custom Heritage 92.

1. Appearance and design. (8.5/10)
This pen is a perfect transparent demonstrator with silver accents. The 14 K gold nib is rhodiated. Shape-wise, this pen is basically a torpedo with flat ends.

The clip has a new design that departs from the classic ball-ended Pilot clip. There is no inscription on it, and the Pilot brand is signed only on the nib.

The nib inside the cap. The translucent gray sheet is clearly visible.

Inside the cap, the nib is covered by a grayish translucent plastic, probably to hide both ink stains and condensation.


2. Construction and quality. (9.0/10)
Everything fits and works perfectly out of the box. The cap adjusts tightly to the barrel end, and the piston is very smooth in its function.

The pen, posted.

The pen, so far, has little use, but its construction materials look very correct and do not show any scratch.


3. Weight and dimensions. (8.0/10)
This pen is basically a Custom 74 with a piston filling system and flat ends. The Heritage 92 is heavier than its cartridge/converter relative. It is well balanced, especially if unposted.

Dimensions:
Length capped: 137 mm.
Length open: 121 mm.
Length posted: 151 mm.
Diameter: 13.5 mm
Weight: 20 g (dry).

Custom 74 and Custom Heritage 92, side by side.

4. Nib and writing performance. (7.0/10)
This pen, as the Custom 74, uses size-5 14 K gold nibs, but only four of the eleven possible points are available on the Heritage 92: F, FM, M and B. I can see no real reasons for this policy. Pilot seems unable to combine exciting nibs with interesting filling systems.

The nib and the feed.

This unit in particular is equipped with an FM nib. Thin, smooth, and with a nicely wet flow. But also rigid and uncharacteristic. There is no problem in swapping nibs among Pilot pens with size-5 nibs other than the possible change in color.

In conclusion, good writing nib, albeit boring; very small selection of nibs.


5. Filling system and maintenance. (8.0/10)
The selling point of this pen is the filling system—a piston filler à la Pelikan. And indeed this pen looks like a Pelikan.

The piston, half way.

The piston knob.

The piston works very smoothly and holds about 1.2 ml of ink, which is only 0.2 ml more than the 1.0 ml capacity of the Pilot CON-70 converter available for most of the Custom series of pens. And this capacity is smaller than that of similar piston fillers by Pelikan or Twsbi. Being a self-filler, this pen is harder to clean than a cartridge converter, but the nib and feed set can easily be removed from the section.

A different issue is the coloration the barrel might acquire in direct contact with inks. Not much can be said as of now as this is a newly released pen.


6. Cost and value. (5.5/10)
In the Japanese market, this pen costs JPY 15000 (plus 5% tax)—JPY 5000 more expensive than the very similar Custom 74 or Custom Heritage 91. The 92’s looks and filling mechanism are more exciting, but the nib selection is also a lot more limited with no possibility to choose music or coarse or soft nibs. And should we want a demonstrator, we could also get the transparent version of the Custom 74.

If compared to other brands, Twsbi and Pelikan offer similar products. Twsbi 530’s price is less than one third of the Pilot´s; and the Pelikan M200 costs, in Japan, JPY 10000 (plus 5% tax). Both of them use steel nibs.

Therefore, I tend to think that those extra JPY 5000 are a steep overprice for a piston whose performance is comparable to that of the converter CON-70.


7. Conclusion. (46.5/60=77.5/100)
Nice looking pen, but the piston filler comes at an extra cost of JPY 5000, and is associated to a very limited number of nibs. Other than this, the Custom Heritage 92 is a nice writer with a good supply of ink.

ADDENDUM March 17th, 2011: A correction was added--the CON-70 converter has a capacity of only 1.0 ml instead of the 1.4 ml some sources claimed, and a careful measurement of the ink deposit showed a capacity of only 1.2 ml.

(Pilot Custom Heritage 92 – Pelikan Turquoise)

Bruno Taut
(Madrid, November 11th, 2010)
[labels: Pilot, Pelikan, Twsbi]

Ink Price

This one is a chronicle bound to become obsolete, although prices in Japan are remarkably stable over the last years. But nonetheless I wanted to offer some information on the costs of inks nowadays.

Ink prices are highly dependent on the market, thus defying globalization trends to homogenize them. A clear case in point are the Pilot Iroshizuku inks—their price in Europe is almost twice that in Japan. Reasons for that? Please, ask Pilot directly.

So, here I am publishing a list of ink prices in the Japanese market. I show only the catalog (MSRP) price. Needless to say, this list is far from complete—there are some other brands for sale in Japan, and there are other presentations of these inks. Among the first, I can think of the Hakase Real Sepia ink at JPY 6300 per 50 ml. Of the second, the recent release of a three-20-milliliter inkwells by Pilot.

Prices in Japenese Yen (JPY) for inkwells. VAT in Japan is 5%. Please, click on the table to enlarge it:

Now it is up to the reader to decide what to do with this information.

(Pilot Elite pocket pen with script nib – Sailor Red Brown)

Bruno Taut
(Madrid, November 7th, 2010)
[labels: tinta, mercado, Japón]

Ink Tankers

(This chronicle has been modified and corrected on March 13, 2012).

My first real encounter with jumbo pens was reported on these chronicles. That was a Platinum-Nakaya –the nib said so— eyedropper whose dimensions were about 35 mm in diameter, and 135 mm in length when capped.

Big enough I thought. Thick to ease the stress on the fingers and not overly big. Its ink deposit could store up to 15 ml—enough to write a very long novel. Let’s not forget that 15 ml of ink add 15 g to the weight of the pen—a significant value indeed.

Two jumbo pens together with a Pilot Super 100. The lengths of these three pens, from top to bottom, are 166 mm, 186 mm, and 132 mm.

The nib of the first of the pens on the previous picture compared to the Pilot music nib of the Super 100. The inscription on the Jumbo nibs reads HIGH CLASS / HARDEST IRIDIUM / USA STAYEL / SPECIAL / PEN. I wonder if "stayel" was a misspelling for steel.

Later, though, I have encountered other jumbo pens that dwarfed that Platinum-Nakaya.

One of the pens showing the safety valve.

All three of them are eyedroppers with safety valves to seal the gigantic ink deposits. Their dimensions range between 150 mm for the New Clip (vid infra) and the 180 mm for the bigger in the group. The girth is also generous: between 25 and 32 mm.

This third jumbo pen is branded as "New Clip". Its length, 152 mm.

I did not have the chance to weight them but light they were not. The ink they could store, of course, is an important factor in the weight and in the balance of the pen. The second of the pens could hold up to 35 ml of ink; the New Clip, 20 ml.

The New Clip's nib compared to the Pilot music nib. The engraving on the former says "Special / Iridium /Pen".

New Clip was one of the brands stamped on the clips manufactured by the company Fukunaka Seisakusho in the 1920s and 1930s. This company also produced some maki-e pens in the 1930s. These jumbo pens might date from some time in the 1930s.

With thanks to Mr. Ishikawa.

(Pilot Super 100 with music nib – Parker Blue)

Bruno Taut
(Madrid, November 3rd, 2010)
[labels: marca desconocida, New Clip, Fukunaka Seisakusho, Japón]

Glamour

Pen review. Platinum Glamour (PGM-3400).

Jumbo pens were a very Japanese product popular in the thirties and forties. The point of their oversized dimensions was to make them comfortable for older people with problems to grab thin –or regular sized— pens. After the war, these pens lost the favor of the market, although they remained on production in small quantities, sometimes intended as souvenirs.

Today’s pen appeared in the Platinum catalog sometime in the seventies. The argument, the company said, was “ergonomically designed for extended writing periods”. Dating the pen precisely, however, does not seem that easy: the nib has a small engraving with the figure 1262, which means December of Showa year 62, i. e. December 1987.

Looking at this pen, we cannot help thinking of the already reviewed Tombow Zoom 828 (the “Egg”). These two pens, though, are not real jumbo pens—they are not overly big but just thick.


1. Appearance and design. (7.0/10)
This Platinum Glamour looks indeed original—short and thick, and with a rugged body. In black plastic and golden rings, this pen seemed to be bounded to become a classic Montblanc-like torpedo, but the rugged surface gives the pen an original appearance.

Now, whether this design appeals to your personal taste is a different matter. I, for one, am not very fond of its looks.



2. Construction and quality. (9.0/10)
The plastic seems of good quality and despite the age of this pen, it does not show much wear. Cap and body fit well both capped and posted.


3. Weight and dimensions. (7.5/10)
This is a short and thick pen. Too short to use it comfortably if unposted. The thickness provides a very comfortable grip.

Dimensions:
Diameter: 19 mm
Length capped: 100 mm
Length uncapped: 87 mm
Length posted: 126 mm
Weight: 27 g

Despite its weight, this pen is very nicely balanced when posted, and this configuration seems the only one apt for writing given its dimensions.

A major disadvantage of this pen is also given by its generous girth—this makes it uncomfortable to carry in any shirt pocket.


4. Nib and performance. (8.0/10)
This pen existed both with gold-plated steel and with solid gold nibs. This one in particular has a 14 K gold medium nib. Interestingly enough, this Platinum nib has the point indication in alphabetic characters, contrary to the usual policy of the company, save for music nibs.


This nib is very smooth and quite wet. At the same time, it is a hard nail with no hint of flex or line variation.


5. Filling system. Maintenance. (8.0/10)
This Platinum pen uses, interestingly enough, short international cartridges instead of those made by the company. Re converters, only those short aerometric ones might fit inside this short barrel.


The barrel is made entirely in plastic, molded in one single piece and with no metal part in touch with the ink. Therefore, there seem to be no problem in transforming this pen into an eyedropper of very generous ink capacity.

Nib and feed can easily be extracted by yanking them out of the section. Therefore, maintenance and cleaning of this pen are very easy.


6. Cost and value. (6.0/10)
This pen is becoming expensive in the second hand market. It is indeed a very nice writer, reliable and dependable. But I wonder how much we are actually paying for the unusual looks. A bit too much, I think.


7. Conclusion. (45.5/60 = 76/100)
As already stated, this is a nice writer in an unusual outfit. Comfortable and well balanced in its main task—writing. The negative elements are the stiff nib, even if pleasant, and the price.

(Platinum Glamour – Waterman Havana)

Bruno Taut
(Tokyo, October 25th, 2010)
[labels: Platinum, Japón]