By Dyas Anna Lawson
If
you're looking for a particularly distinctive silhouette in a fine pen,
you might want to look at the offerings of André Mora, a relative
newcomer to the U.S. pen community's awareness, but not new to pens at
all.
In fact, Mora's acquaintance with pens goes back to his childhood, when his father, Boris, who immigrated to France from Odessa, Russia, entered the pen-design and -making field.
Boris left Russia as a young man, following the Bolshevik Revolution. He was a jeweler by trade, but was color-blind -- something of a handicap in determining color -- so André says Boris decided to get involved in fine pens. About 1930, when he was 25, Boris decided to make his own pens.
Like
many beginning pen makers, Boris contracted out for parts from others
while creating designs and making the barrels and remaining parts himself.
He gained a reputation for quality, distinctive design, and good service,
and his business thrived. Son André; recalls that his father's
expertise and taste ran to the classic designs in pens, and this proved
something of a damper on business when ballpoints entered the market.
"It became difficult to sell them, and he stopped making his own
brand, Oldwin, in the late 1950s," André says.
In 1978, André assumed management of the business, with a fresh eye and new approach to pens, design, and marketing. He wanted to incorporate modern lines, shapes, colors, and materials in his pens, and proceeded to find ways to do that effectively.
His
first pen design, the Torpedo, reflected this desire, bearing a much sleeker
design than the traditional, classic designs his father had created. Yet
despite his modernist design leanings, André remains faithful to
the traditional artistic techniques and fine craftsmanship his father
taught him. In addition, the store still provides restoration and repair
services for its customers.
Presently, the Oldwin, a large pen André displays to great appreciation at pen shows, is another of his designs. At 157 mm long, with a 15 mm body diameter, you cannot call this pen "large" without qualifying it. It's huge. To this writer's hand, it's enormous. A big, manly pen, as one of our colleagues might call it. Yet, with a narrower section, it's comfortable to hold. Not surprisingly, though, André says that men tend to be more attracted to his pens than do women.
The
Oldwin's silhouette is reminiscent of the early Sheaffer Balances, but
with sharper ends and a whole different sensibility. Crafted of celluloid
and red hard rubber, it comes in always-elegant black , the red hard rubber
color that has become a standard classic, a lovely marbled blue, silver
with a solid-gold clip, or all brushed silver. André says that
50 black, 10 red hard rubber, and 6 blue celluloid pieces are available;
the precious-metal pens are available on request, and the prices follow
the market prices for the respective metals.
A different touch that adds to the cleanliness of the silhouette is that it's so finely constructed that, when cap and barrel are closed, the seam is completely invisible, giving the pen the appearance of being one long, streamlined, aerodynamic streak. It's a lovely thing to look at, warm in the hand, and sweet to hold.
André
has placed the cap threads at the very end of the section because he believes
it's easier on the fingers and helps act as a sort of "stop,"
preventing the fingers from sliding off a too-slick section when writing.
That may be partly a function of the way people hold their pens; those
who habitually grip very near the section end might find these uncomfortable.
The nib on this oversized pen matches the silhouette -- André made the wise choice of using a big #7 nib, which is in proportion to the overall look and dimensions of the rest of the piece. A German Bock nib and 18K gold, it's as smooth and silky as we've come to expect from this premier nib maker. Unfortunately, it only comes in a medium width, which makes it difficult for those of us who prefer a narrower or broader line.
At this particular pen show, André was sharing table space with Howard Levy of Bexley Pens, with whom he's become friends. They met about 9 years ago, and last year, André went to the New York Pen Show and decided to venture into selling his pens in the U.S. Retail price is $600; the Euro price varies from €500-€600. Each comes in a classic black box with a soft gray lining, complete with a brief history of the company beneath a pull-out pad.
The Mora store also sells fine vintage pens and select
brands of modern pens. The next time you're in Paris, you might want to
drop by the shop at 7 rue de Tournon. If you just can't wait that long,
André has a website, www.mora-stylos.com, where where the Oldwin
pens as well as beautiful old vintage pens reside.