Mentmore
| Mentmore |
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| Brand pages |
| Brand advertising |
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| Instructions sheet |
| Patents |
The Mentmore was founded as Mentmore Manufacturing Company in 1919 in London, and owes its name to the location of its first office in Mentmore Terrace, Hackney, London. Initial production was o automatic filling models (?) and gold-plated nib.
Roughly in 1925 was introduced the Platignum brand;[1] at this time it seems there has been a kind of reorganization of the company. It seems that the intention was to use the name Platinum, but that this was not registrable as a trademark since it is the name of a metal, so the name was changed slightly and the Platignum Pen Company was created, that began marketing Platignum branded pens, focusing on the low-end production in comparison to the pens distributed with the main brand.
Sempre relativo al 1925 viene riportata la creazione di un gruppo pennino intercambiabile, e la produzione di penne con parti in plastica realizzata con iniezione a stampo. Non vi sono documentazioni sicure di queste affermazioni ma in una pubblicità del 1949 per una sussidiaria dedicata alla produzioni di parti in plastica ad iniezione si proclama una esperienza più che ventennale nel campo.
For some time the two brands were produced together; the Mentmore was transformed into a joint stock company in 1930. The situation at that time is not clear, there are those who reported that the brand Mentmore has been progressively replaced by Platignum, but by the late '30s to the' 50s, there is a large production of pens with this brand with explicit reference in advertisements to the "Mentmore Manufacturing Company". Also a patent of 1936 (nº GB-457212) explicitly shows the name of "Spot Pen Company" as the new name of 'Mentmore Manufacturing Company". However the "Spot Pen" name appears in an advertisement for the British Industries Fair of 1929, while maintaining the reference to the company as "Mentmore Manufacturing Company". Association with Platignum brand is established at least until 1951.[2]
Around 1939-1941 (?) was produced the Mentmore Paramount model, an imitation of the Waterman's Hundred Year, it was also a plastic resin lever filler pen, and with a decorative transparent plastic bottom similar to that used by Waterman. The pen, however, had more slender lines. Another imitation is the Mentmore 46, an hooded nib button filler pen, which was clearly inspired by the Parker 51.
Today there are as independent brands both Mentmore and Platignum.
External references
- [1] company history, from its old website.
- [2] company data on Grace Guide website.
- [3] short history with some model name and photos.
- [4] discussion with some historical informations.
Notes
- ↑ this date, like the others for which no precise reference has been indicated, comes from the page dedicated to the company on the Grace Guide website reported in the references.
- ↑ thanks to this advertisement.
