Fratelli Cavaliere
| Fratelli Cavaliere |
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Although not strictly a fountain pens manufacturer, the Fratelli Cavaliere has a significant role in the Italian fountain pen history, as it is at the apex in the overlay processing that are found in pens distributed by many other brands. Therefore, even in the absence of a production marked explicitly Fratelli Cavaliere is quite common to find pens bearing the company logo: a horseshoe intersected by a stylus, with the words "Fabbrica penne oro e fermagli",[1] but also, less known, the Linda Darnes punch (wife of founder Giuseppe Cavaliere) shown in the picture.
The company was based in Milan, in Via Cesare da Sesto 12 and was active from the 20s to 50s. It is not known a founding date but Letizia Jacopini indicates the mid-20s, and the full name of "Prima Fabbrica Nazionale Penne Oro e Matite". Its overlays can be found on pens of the most famous brands like Montblanc, Kaweco, Astoria, Waterman, Columbus, and other less known as Omega, Europe, Aurea. The company catalogs reported hundreds of motifs and decorations available.
Oltre ai rivestimenti prodotti per altri si ritiene che l'azienda sia legata ad una produzione diretta sotto vari marchi, che comprendono Universal, Ideal e Anglo-Amer. E' comunque nota soprattutto per la produzione dei bellissimi rivestimenti realizzati per conto della Waterman, fra i più raffinati dell'epoca, di cui l'azienda divenne ufficialmente il produttore negli anni all'incirca 1931/32.[2]