Venus Campus Fountain Pen c. 1962-1964

by Jim Mamoulides, January 23, 2010, updated October 9, 2015, and April 17, 2023

Venus Campus Fountain Pens in blue c. 1962-1964

Free Ink to Match the Pen!

What kind of fountain pen could you get for a dollar in 1962? How about a "Pen-N-Ink" combination, with FREE ink that matches the color of your pen? And the ink bottle comes with enough ink for twenty-five fillings! Can't beat that!

The Venus Pen and Pencil Corporation, originally the American Lead Pencil Company of Hoboken, New Jersey, seemed to always have sideline offers in the pen market, originally with pen points and holders. The company sold value priced pens in the 1930s, including the sought after Indian pen and pencil combos. They moved up into higher value and pricier pens in the late 1940s, supported by several pen patents, though these were not peer level competitors to Parker and Sheaffer. The pinnacle was the late 1940s President model with its 14 karat gold nib. It was back to value priced pens in the 1950s and finally school pens in the 1960s. Though the company changed its name to the Venus Pen and Pencil Company in the mid 1950s, its roots were always in making pencils.

Venus Campus Fountain Pens in blue c. 1962-1964

Because Venus did make a few interesting pens, whenever I see them in antique stores and pen shows, I always check them out.

The Venus Campus Pen is a no frills molded plastic lever fill pen with chrome plated trim and a plain stainless steel nib. The earliest date I could find for its introduction is a retailer ad in The Miami Herald on August 27, 1962, announcing a “Pen-N-Ink” combination where the pen and ink color match for a retail price of $1.00, but the retailer discounted to 59 cents. The pen and ink bottle are mounted on a hang card and the tag on the bottle claims, “Enough ink for 25 fillings!” The latest retailer advertisement I was able to find was in the Calgary Herald on October 1, 1964, with the retail price at $1.25 and the discounted price at 89 cents. It could be the price in the USA and Canada were different, or that the price rose from 1962 to 1964.

Advertisement in The Miami Herald, August 27, 1962, page 9-A

It's very unusual to find blister pack marketed pens still in their packaging after more than fifty years, but I managed to find about a half dozen of these blue Campus Pen and ink combination sets. The ink is actually made by Sanford, their Penit brand of washable Royal Blue. I have occasionally found Campus Pens by themselves, and oddly enough, all the examples I have found have been blue. There are a couple of advertisements that indicate that red and green were also offered, and I have seen an eBay listing showing a black Campus Pen without the packaging. I think a neat collection would be one of each color and with each ink bottle.

Venus Campus Fountain Pen in blue on hang card with ink bottle c. 1962-1964

There is very little information on the Venus Campus school pen. I've found very little advertising, no sell sheets, catalogs, or any other ephemera other than the packaging itself, which is undated. I did find an advertisement for the identical bottled Sanford Penit ink that is packaged with the Venus Campus fountain pen, dated September 1953. The advertisement offers nine ink colors at ten cents a bottle. Venus also used the Campus name on wood pencils.

Most of the focus in pen collecting is on higher end pens, and school pens such as this get lost in the shuffle. There is not any catalog or official Venus advertising material I could find on them, not surprising as they were intended for the mass market, and specifically, the back to school market. These probably found themselves displayed on racks at five and dime and drug stores next to Sheaffer Cartridge Fountain Pens.

Identification Guide and Features

Venus Campus Fountain Pen in blue c. 1962-1964

This Venus Campus Pen is a standard size, yet very lightweight pen, weighing 0.4 ounce and being 5 1/4 inches long with the cap on and 6 1/8 inches with the cap posted on the end of the barrel. It's a standard cigar shape, made of injection molded plastic, and you can feel rough edges at the cap top and barrel end where the molding spur was snipped off.

• Cap, barrel and nib section made from injection molded plastic in solid red, green, blue and black
• Clip stamped "VENUS" down the face
• Silver tone trim, probably chrome plated
• Stainless steel nib marked "VERI" over "SMOOTH" over "MEDIUM" over "U.S.A."
• Nib has no tipping material - the ends of the tines are folded over
• Only medium nibs observed
• Cap unscrews
• Lever filling system
• 5 1/4 inches long capped, 6 1/8 inches long with the cap posted on the end of the barrel
• Sold on hang cards with ink that matches the pen color
• Retail price was $1.00 to $1.25, including a 3/4 ounce bottle of Sanford Penit ink

Performance

This is a straightforward lever fill pen, you dunk the section in the ink, flip the lever, count to ten, wipe the section and nib, and write. Venus makes really smooth writing pens, and the medium stainless steel nibs on every example of this model I have seen write very nicely, with a smooth even line. I'm amazed that almost every Venus Campus Pen I have found was nearly or completely brand new and had a soft ready to use ink sac. Like many injection molded pens from that period, they are susceptible to warping if they have been stored in excessive heat, so watch for that in any you consider.

Venus Campus Fountain Pen in blue open, showing nib

These are perfect starter pens. They remind me of the all plastic Wearever Supreme fountain pens from the 1950s. Think about something like one of these for that kid you know who would like a fountain pen of their own.

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References

Advertisement, Calgary Herald, October 1, 1964, page 26

Advertisement, Chain Store Age, Volume 38, 1962, page 90

Advertisement, Drug Topics, Volume 106, 1962, page 72

Advertisement, The Brandon Sun, August 27, 1964, page 16

Advertisement, The Miami Herald, August 27, 1962, page 9-A

Venus Campus Pen-n-Ink Combination fountain pen and bottled ink package, undated

Venus Campus sharpened wood covered crayon pencils package, undated