Onoto (England) fountain pens

Onoto pens were produced in England by the Onoto Company Ltd. from 1905 to 1958. The company was founded by George Sweetser, an American, who had previously worked for the British De La Rue Company, a printing firm that also produced fountain pens. Sweetser started the Onoto Company with the aim of producing a high-quality pen that would be reliable and durable.

The name "Onoto" is derived from the Greek word "onotos," which means "ready for use." The first Onoto pens were fitted with a self-filling mechanism that used a plunger to draw ink into the pen. This was a major innovation at the time, as most pens required the use of an eyedropper to fill them.

In 1907, the Onoto Company introduced the "Onoto Magna," which was a larger pen designed for people with larger hands. This was followed by the "Onoto Minor," which was a smaller more... pen designed for people with smaller hands.

During World War I, the Onoto Company produced pens for the British military, and the pens were used by soldiers in the trenches. In 1929, the company introduced the "Onoto Plunger Filler," which was a new filling mechanism that used a plunger and a rubber sac to draw ink into the pen.

In the 1930s, Onoto pens were used by many famous writers, including Agatha Christie and Winston Churchill. The company also produced a range of luxury pens that were sold at high-end department stores such as Harrods.

World War II had a negative impact on the company, as it was difficult to source materials and many of the company's skilled workers were called up for military service.

In the 1950s, the Onoto Company faced competition from cheaper imported pens, and in 1958 the company was sold to the De La Rue Company, which had originally employed George Sweetser. The Onoto name was eventually phased out in the 1960s, although the De La Rue Company continued to produce pens under its own name.

In 2005, Onoto was reformed with centralised operations in Colney, Norwich and has been introducing limited-edition historic collections of fountain pens made in and for Britain. The company now exists to preserve traditional craftsmanship techniques of master penman. less...