Penexchange

Answer 10
Author: viola

Good morning all around!
Thanks for all the information!!
Greetings
And a nice week,
viola

Answer 11
Author: Frodo

Hello Thomas
The experience FFF made a few years back is something I can relate to. It wasn’t about conservative thinking, so to conserve and preserve old things, it was a question of the company’s own history.
1998 I asked if they might not make an exhibition on the Heidelberg filler industry in honor of the 100th birthday of C.J. Lamy. There was no reaction to this request (and I asked a few times). Only when I handed in my catalogue personally did I get a short note from Mrs. Oblau with the same citation: Our company philosophy is future oriented, so we do not care to archive historical material. We hereby send you your original material back.
Even putting the words „Company“ and philosophy“ in one sentence is disputable, but it was a real kick in the behind. Even years later in conversations at the paper world there was no change in their reaction. I don’t want any presents, or want to sell something. I only wanted to offer something and get information in return. But I also do not want to dwell on it too much or get brought off my own belief that Lamy is the worldwide most important individual writing device company. It is possible that the company takeover by Dr. Manfred Lamy caused a historical breakage, leaving the past behind. Of course I would respect company internal or family reasons that are none of my business. But in general the following still holds stand: only those who know the past have a future.
A short time ago – maybe due to the new executives – a new thinking has begun. This can be seen in the new web-site design of the company. On one of the pages the company history with the most important dates is shown in written form and pictures. On another time line the special Design pens are shown.
http://www.lamy.com/content/unternehmen%20...%20x_ger.html
I think leading executives read in to our forum from time to time and would be glad for more discussion.
Greetings
Frodo

Answer 12
Author: Thomas Baier

Thanks Frodo for your fine information.
Pre-Christmas greetings

Thomas

Answer 13
Author: Zollinger

Dear colleagues

On the search for information on old Lamy models you do have a real problem in the WWW. As design interested collector I had to make this experience myself.

The Lamy company doesn’t carry the whole responsibility for this. Other filler companies show the same gaps on their Internet pages.
Pelikan has almost complete information on this topic due to collectors like
Werner Ruettinger or Martin Lehmen, to name two.
The same can be said of Montblanc and others.

On the contrary I have to say that on my research of Lamy PROFIL I received complete information from Lamy customer service (Thanks again Mrs. Kiessling!)
My article can be read here: http://www.penexchange.de/forum_neu/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=2640

The article also appeared on the American FPN:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=126523

Following that I got mail from an enthusiast from the USA, Steven A. Proctor. He told be he is busy with creating a Lamy product virtual show case. He’d be happy for any kind of help. The page is still in the making: http://lamy.sproctor.com/

Last but not least I want to refer to my own collection that I have catalogued and published over flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3597148783/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3406496420/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3856211674/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3502916071/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3509271149/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3877259051/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3521637439/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3545265108/in/set-72157613118942791/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30169694@N08/3544456945/in/set-72157613118942791/

I think only with the help of many, so much information can be collected. Collectors and interested parties are called upon to pitch in. It is too simple to want the company to take over this role. It in fact really has to look ahead and create new products, and market them. Or its name will really soon be history….
Zollinger

Answer 14
Author: Zollinger

Can someone tell me how to insert a link?

Answer 15
Author: Saarlaenderin

Look here:
http://www.penexchange.de/forum_neu/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3239

Answer 16
Author: Zollinger

Thanks

Answer 17
Author: Frodo

Hi Zollinger
I am in email contact with Mr. Proctor now too. I first got on to him for translating and inserting articles from penexchange that I wrote into his webpage, without asking. This was about details of the early years of Parker /Osmia connection, when Lamy was CEO of Parker Inc. Heidelberg. I thought only very few Americans could read German texts, maybe someone helped him. It wasn’t disputable so we agreed that I would be included as co-author. The rest of the early Lamy history is still under discussion; so no half truths are published facts have to be included. His website was copied by a Chinese website right away. It seems to be that copying is seen as a form of cleverness there. In the end the basic work is only used to pep up Ebay offers. I like my friend Dirk’s suggestion more and more: to only publish things in print and in low numbers.
Greetings
Frodo

Answer 18
Author: Zollinger

Hello Frodo

Sorry you had such bad experience. I always experienced it the other way around. I always met with helpfulness when in contact with other collectors.
I’m sorry you feel used and tricked, and that you want to leave the Internet. It would be a real loss for less competent collectors such as me, who want to broaden their horizon. A great example of helpfulness to me is Richard Binder http://www.richardspens.com/.

This man does professional filler restoration. The information on his homepage goes far beyond the normal advertisement though.

1. He catalogued and published his whole collection.
2. He made profile pages of the most important fillers and is still doing that
3. He writes repair instructions he publishes on FPN.
4. On his blog http://web.me.com/richardspens/PenBlog/Sweepings_from_the_Studio/Sweepings_from_the_Studio.html

He shows insights into the work of a restoration professional. And he always took the time to answer in great detail any question or problem I might have. He is a great example for me in helpfulness and sharing of knowledge.
But he isn’t the only one. There are many ambitioned amateurs who want to share their knowledge.
These are my faves:
http://www.ruettinger-web.de/e-index.html
http://www.pelikan-guide.com
http://www.vintagepens.com/index.shtml
http://www.maxpens.de/
http://www.penhero.com/
and of course http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/

...but there are many more. Without all of these pages my hobby would be almost impossible to keep, and I could still not tell the difference between a Parker 51 and 21. I really hope you will keep on sharing your knowledge with us. Especially on Lamy where information is hard to get.
Many greetings

Z.