Stunning 1930s Matador 992 EF Fullhalter Celluloid Made In Germany 14K EF Full Flex Nib Piston Fountain Pen Item ID: VAR-088

MATADOR

Manufacturer/Model: Matador/Germany/992 EF
Year of production: Mid to Late 1930s
Filling system: Piston filling
Nib: 14K 585 Solid gold, EF Extra fine size with Full Flex, writes all sizes up to BB
Material: Celluloid pen; Ebonite captop, turning knob and piston shaft; Steel piston rod & spiral; Gold Filled Guilloche Engraved Trimmings & Clip; Amber red with spirals ink window  
Length (pen closed): 126mm; Posted at 141mm
Condition and information: 

We are proud to offer this exceptional pen, a pen from a long lost German pen manufacturer, the Matador company. This company made pens from the early 1900s starting with some amazing safety pens, all the way to the 1970s. We believe the company was located in the west Germany but why they stopped making pens is still a mistery. One thing is clear though, their legacy is some of the biggest in the fountain pen world. The pens made by Matador are some of the best crafted pens ever, every detail is meticulously crafted, everything had to be unique. Even though they were among lesser known pen companies at the time, Matador was one of the vanguards of the pen innovation and design. They made some of the most amazing pens with superb design and unmatched quality, in many ways better than the mainstream pen companies at the time. The pen offered here could not be a better example of that claim. Made in the mid to late 1930s it is nothing short of the Montblanc Masterpiece pens at the time, even better in some respects. The pen is made out of celluloid; hard rubber and ebonite, perfectly positioned gold filled metal band on the cap and even on the bling cap to prevent cracks; on top of that, these are finished with beautiful and precise guilloche patterns; we don't recall other companies doing guilloche engravings on a 2mm wide cap bands. The clip is finished in a remarkable way with a flat rhomboid surfaces, giving it a 3D look. The pen feels, writes and works like a charm. There is a beautiful long red amber window which is decorated with black spirals. To top everything off, there's the nib. They marked most of their nibs with "New York", nobody really knows why, but we believe the nibs were not made in New York, rather in Germany, nor was NY or USA their main market. A super soft flexible nib which will write in the best way pen could write, fine thin lines when gliding on the paper with no pressure, up to double broad with little pressure and even wider. The ebonite feed has a large ink canal which feeds the nib constantly. The whole nib flexes while writing, not just the tines, this is rare on any pen. The piston is smooth, very compact and takes large amount of ink. All parts on this pen are its original, only the cork had been replaced with new O-ring which make the piston operate even more smoothly and ensures no ink leaks. The body of the pen is made out of celluloid, very nice material which feels natural in the hand, and the captop and inner cap sleeve, the turning knob and the piston shaft, i.e. all parts which are susceptible to ink corrosion are made out of the best ink chemicals resistant material - ebonite. The piston spiral is solid metal. The pen is good condition; there are few visible teeth marks on the blind cap as well as some small surface scratches; but no cracks, deformations or other defects. Functionally the pen is in perfect condition, ready to be used. Extremely well built pen by an extraordinary pen company, a truly rare specimen with beautiful design, worth any collection and a true joy for daily use!