Product Description
Type Small-sized fountain pen
Product Name Unknown
Manufacturer and Year Minnesota/Winter-Robbins Co., USA - 1920s
Length 4-7/16" long
Filling System Lever-filler. It's got a built-in protection mechanism - you'll notice in the pictures that the lever bar is in multiple pieces. Use your fingernail to slide the rear piece back towards the end of the barrel, which releases the front part and allows you to fill the pen. The little locking tab helps prevent the lever from accidentally opening in a pocket.
Color Black hard rubber. There was a chasing pattern on the pen's barrel, but it's been worn smooth and only shadows of the patterning remain. Gold-plated trim, including a 1/2" wide cap band.
Nib MEDIUM flexible Warranted 14k gold nib. It's nicely flexible, and we've got a writing sample below.
Condition Excellent condition. There is handwear, and as mentioned above, the chasing pattern is very worn down. The cap surface is smooth. The clip has a lot of brassing. The cap band also has brassing, mostly on the edges, though there are a couple of larger spots as well. The front of the section has some scratches or smoothed down tool marks. The barrel is smooth and largely free of scratching. The imprint is mostly readable. The lever bar has brassing and plating wear.
Minnesota Pen was one of the many labels under which George Kraker (an early investor in Sheaffer) operated. There's a good bit of history about him here and here.
