The Papercrafters Fountain Pen c. 1930s

by Jim Mamoulides, February 25, 2022

The Papercrafters Fountain Pen c. 1930s

A really obscure find!

This pen is a puzzler! It is a Papercrafters branded fountain pen in green marbled celluloid from the 1930s. It is possible the pen was made for The Papercrafters, Inc. of Holyoke, Massachusetts. The company was incorporated in 1923 with an initial investment of $50,000 and naming William H. Strain, Jr. as president and Wellington G. Reynolds as treasurer, as announced in the February 21, 1923 issue of Paper. Internet searches of newspapers and books don't turn up much else about the company other than records of sales to various municipalities and schools in New England.

According to the April 28, 1936 Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office the company filed for the trademark E. Z. C. for blackboard crayons, crayons and pencils, claiming use since January 1, 1934 and it was filed January 29, 1936 as number 374,316, indicating the company was at least in the pencil and crayon business. There are no references to fountain pens or mechanical pencils that I could find anywhere.

The Papercrafters Fountain Pen c. 1930s

Who are these guys?

Not much is known about company president William H. Strain, Jr. In the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Berkshire Eagle on September 20, 1921, there is an announcement that he will be marrying Mary Catherine Keegan on September 28 of that year and that the bride to be was presented with a “handsome electric lamp.” There is a little more about the life of treasurer Wellington G. Reynolds. In 1935 he participated in the Miami Sailfish Emblem contest, sponsored by the Hart Hardware Company. He was on the cruiser Miss Peggy III, captained by Gus. F. Sundstrum when one of Reynolds' companions on his first Gulf Stream fishing trip, Charles D. Coe, president of the Reynolds Manufacturing Company of Holyoke, Massachusetts, a paper and paper products manufacturer, caught a 75 pound sailfish. The next year, according to the December 15, 1936, Barre (Vermont) Daily Times, Reynolds had his driver's license revoked for "unreasonable speed."

So what do we have here?

The pen is a fairly ordinary looking 1930s celluloid lever filling fountain pen. It is about 5 5/16 inches long. The cap and barrel are made of sheet celluloid that has been twisted in a spiral to form the tube celluloid. The clip is a plain ball tip type, stamped PAPERCRAFTERS and no other maker’s marks appear on the pen. The cap band has a crude gemstone pattern that is rather sloppily executed. The gold plate is cheaply done, as can be seen on the clip. For some unknown reason the end of the barrel is drilled through as if the pen is intended to be attached to something.

There is one interesting feature: it has a Waterman number 2 nib, stamped WATERMAN’S over REG. U. S. over PAT. OFF. over 2, which I would think is a replacement, as I don't see any characteristics that indicate that this pen was made by Waterman.

Identification guide and features:

If you ever see another one, this is what to look for!

• Green marbled celluloid cap and barrel
• Clip is stamped PAPERCRAFTERS
• Gold plated trim
• Decorative single cap band
• Unknown original nib type
• Total nib grades unknown
• Lever filler
• About 5 5/16 inches long capped

Performance

The Papercrafters Fountain Pen c. 1930s - nib detail

This was one of those proverbial bag of pens finds. It looks like any other 1930s tapered green marbled celluloid fountain pen. Two things do stand out. The very uncommon branding and that the pen has a nice Waterman flexible fine to medium nib. Since the ink sac was solidified to the point of not being usable, the pen was only dip tested. It writes with a wet, smooth line in all directions and flexes with little pressure. Not bad for a pen that might otherwise have been overlooked! I do wonder about the mysterious The Papercrafters, Inc. and the story about why they made this foray into fountain pens.

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References

Angler's Notes, by Erl Roman, The Miami Herald, February 16, 1935, page 23

Official Gazette of the U. S. Patent Office, April 28, 1936, page 744

Paper, February 21, 1923, page 28

The Barre Daily Times, Barre, Vermont, December 15, 1936, page 7

The Berkshire Evening Eagle, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, September 20, 1921, page 6