DuoCraft Fountain Pen History

I first wrote about DuoCraft Fountain Pens in a post dated October 13, 2009 ~ Duocraft Fountain Pens .

In that article, I discussed a theory that these pens were produced and aimed at the Music community. One of the nice things about collecting vintage pens are the nice people that you meet. Over the Holidays I was fortunate to meet a knowledgeable collector/user from California while he was visiting relatives here in Minnesota. One of the pens I brought to show was the DuoCraft – Music Nib pen. After the meeting he found this Duocraft brochure for sale on eBay and pointed me in the right direction to find it, and I did in fact make the purchase last week. Fortunately, there were no other interested parties and the cost stayed low. So, thanks to another collector, I have solved some of the mystery of DuoCraft.

My guess that these pens were directed at the Music industry was correct. I have printed the four pages of the brochure below and I think they are very interesting. Clearly DuoCraft was selling items directly to Musicians/Composers/Orchestras and others in the Music Business.

The pens alone came in either a two or three point style. My pen is the three point pen. Cost was a listed $3.50 or $5.00 for including a double sided pencil of black and red leads. The brochure that I purchased reduces these prices to $2.50 for the pen and $3.50 for the set ~ a Christmas Special. Here is a photo of the pen that I restored, and referred to in the link at the beginning of this article.

Page 1 refers to the cost of the pens, showing the two and three point pens as well as the set with pencil.

Page 2 is my favorite ~ referring to the various Music Writers who use the DuoCraft pen. Chick Adams is featured as the Head Arranger for the Abe Lyman Orchestra. Click on the link for a bit of non-fountain pen entertainment. The comments by the rapidly writing Herbert L. Clarke, VP of the American Bandmaster Association (and noted cornet player) give us an idea that these pens were marketed (at least through this brochure) after March of 1935.

Page 3 is non-pen related, but shows that DuoCraft was marketing more than Fountain Pens. The Lightning Arranger looks complicated to me and, as I am not a musician, I don’t know if it was actually effective.

Page 4 mentions the Fountain Pens again near the bottom and also mentions “Music Writing Ink”. I would love to find a bottle or two of that! Also, a nib junkie’s dream ~ 14K Music nibs at $1.75 each, or steel at $.25. There is also a reference to Congressional Style nibs. My guess is that these are the standard two point nibs. I have seen this term used for dip pen nibs, so maybe this is a reference to a standard two point nib.

Finally, the Brooklyn address for DuoCraft Company. Checking Google maps reveals nothing of interest other than a residential (current) neighborhood at
View Larger Map 2025 Menahan Street in Brooklyn.

So, no restoration this week, but a little more background on an interesting niche fountain pen. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for the dual pencil and the ink.