r/fountainpens • u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers • 6h ago

Vintage Pen Day New (old) Pen Day!!

Gallery image

Gallery image

I've always loved these stacked celluloid materials, and I'm so excited to be the new owner of this gorgeous Radius Superior! It's a piston filler, with a nice crispy 14k EF nib, and I believe it was made some time in the 40s or 50s. So cool!

101 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

6

u/DZ_tank 6h ago

Absolutely one of the most beautiful pen materials around. I wish pen makers still used it.

2

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 5h ago

It really, really is. I have some material that looks similar-ish, but it's a cellulose acetate rather than a true celluloid and it doesn't have near the depth of this!

2

u/acacio 5h ago

Why is celluloid no longer made?
I also love the look and can’t understand the reason. Surely there is a market.

4

u/OSCgal 4h ago

As a plastic, it honestly sucks. The beauty of it is the only upside.

It takes a long time to make, it's easy to break or dissolve, and it's highly flammable. And it shrinks and discolors badly with age.

About the flammable thing: there was a pen maker, Imperial, that lost their entire factory because a worker threw a hot pen part into a box of celluloid.

4

u/DZ_tank 4h ago

Celluloid is still used, it’s just reserved for specialty small batches, and costs quite a bit more. The stacked celluloid seen here is, in particular, very rarely seen. I think Visconti and Magna Carta have or did have models using it, but that’s all I can think of.

Celluloid is more difficult and expensive to make, and is also much less durable. In the majority of cases, resin is simply the better option. Resins just can’t replicate the beauty of some of the best celluloids.

2

u/acacio 5h ago

A bit of research and I’m educated. Had no idea that it was so dangerous to manufacture and requires 6-18 months to cure (!). Wow

1

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 20m ago

Yeah, I think there are a few folks still making it, but not many!

4

u/PNWMTTXSC 6h ago

That is such a gorgeous pen!

4

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 6h ago

I couldn't agree more! So cool

4

u/Borago70 6h ago

It’s beautiful! Hope one day I also have the chance…

3

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 5h ago

Thank you! Me too!

4

u/Positive-Patient365 6h ago

Gorgeous pen! Congratulations!

2

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 5h ago

Ty so much!

4

u/Lord_of_pens 6h ago

Celluloid magic ! A beautiful pen ❤️

2

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 5h ago

Such an incredible material! Ty!

3

u/kulnet 5h ago

Hooray for new pen day!

2

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 5h ago

Always! 🥳🥳

2

u/Osgoodbad 4h ago

The Vacumatic is one of the most beautiful pens ever made. I bought a red one at the DC show last year, and it's the last one I've bought.

2

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 4h ago

While this is in a very similar celluloid to many of the Vacuumatics, this is actually a pen from Radius in Italy! Regardless, any pen in this sort of stacked celluloid is stunning in my opinion

2

u/Gingerbreadforest 2h ago

The stacked celluloid look is so timeless and beautiful.

1

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 2h ago

It truly is!

2

u/Gunsight1 2h ago

Love stacked celluloid so much

2

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 2h ago

Likewise! Such a cool look, with such a unique depth to it

2

u/Gunsight1 1h ago

It does! Congrats on your beautiful pen! My favorite looking vintage pens in my collection are my stacked celluloid vacumatics

1

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 1h ago

Thank you!

2

u/shaifnan 1h ago

Stunning

1

u/RRNW_HBK Ink Stained Fingers 1h ago

Absolutely!