General
Thomas De La Rue Ltd began manufacturing the Onoto pens in 1905 and they quickly established themselves in the marketplace. The pens were successful because of the excellent quality. The materials used and their design of the filling system, were as good, if not better, than all their contemporaries including Parker and Conway Stewart. Winston Churchill (WSC) was religiously using Onoto pens and always replaced those pens when needed with the same brand.
Features
The 5601 is a superb example of the Onoto’s “The Pen” finished in marbled black, dark blue and grey. The pen dates from the 1930’s. The Onoto plunger filling system, deliciously quirky and extremely efficient. It has been recently serviced with a new washer and cork seals professionally fitted with an Iridium point as standard. In the clip and trim department, we have 2 gold plated rings for the pen’s cup added strengths. Learning to use the plunger filler properly takes a little time, especially the routine of opening and closing the valve when beginning writing and later when storing the pen.
Comment
When using this pen, one can easily understand WSC the Prime Minister insistence on using Onoto. Finding a good example of 5601 at the right price is not too difficult. I can recommend an excellent service for this fountain pen by Eric Wilson in Edinburgh. We predict the prices of the good condition Onoto 5601 model to increase soon, so do not wait too long.
Ink used: Parker Quink Blue, France/UK
