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Fountain Pens of the World
The success of Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern throughout the world encouraged the author, Andreas Lambrou, to embark on a more substantial reference work. It has taken over three years and an investment of $400,000 to produce Fountain Pens of the World. Fountain Pens of the World, Classic Pens 1995 Large format, 12 x 9 inches with 448 pages, cloth bound
Editorial Review: "To say that this book is the definitive book on fountain pens to date is an understatement..." Fountain Pens of the World details companies and pens that have not been previously published in a book on pens.
In his foreword for the book Richard Leigh, an author in London, wrote: “With the fountain pen once more in vogue, there has been an increasingly pressing need for a definitive book on the subject. It is just such a need that this book addresses. The pages that follow encompass an ambitious and impressive spectrum. They provide a comprehensive yet accessible history of the fountain pen and of its primary manufacturers. They constitute an indispensable manual for collectors, offering an authoritative guide to rare models and worthy investments. They furnish a vivid introduction for the novice, and a welcome compendium for the initiate and devotee. They comprise, in short, the nearest approximation possible to a definitive reference work – an encyclopedia of the fountain pen. And through their copious illustrations and vibrant photographs, they convey, with intense immediacy, just how beautiful an instrument the fountain pen can be”. Guy Ryecart Photography Limited and Robert Enever Associates, two professional studios specializing in pen photography were commissioned to create the photographs for the book. Guy Ryecart, a creative photographer, travelled with the author in Europe and the USA to capture the photos of rare pens in private collections and company museums. The book contains 170 specially commissioned photographs in full color, the majority full page.
Fountain Pens of the World contains the largest number of pens illustrated in a book. The pens are all shown lifesize and they have a market value of around US $2.5 million.
A wide variety of period advertisements, several in full color, compliment the text. They recreate the feel of the era when the pens were manufactured.
Lenya Lambrou, daughter of the author, created 100 specially commissioned hand produced line drawings of pens demonstrating the evolution of the fountain pens through the ages in a unique and exciting manner. She also created illustrations of technical drawings for key models.
Limited Editions and Commemorative Issues from around the world are documented in a special chapter. Vivid photographs are show the pens in life size and compliment the text.
The book has an entire chapter devoted to materials and techniques including lacquering, engraving and plastic identification. Lacquering:
Guilloche Engraving:
Plastic Identification:
Print runs Fountain Pens of the World was first published in 1995. There were four distinct editions: Classic Pens Master Edition:
Classic Pens Limited Edition of 1,000 books each numbered and signed by Andreas Lambrou: |
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 Limited Edition Page hand numbered and signed by the author |
 Dedication Page |
Parker Pens Edition with customized jacket showing Parker vintage and modern pens:
In 1998 a reprint of the book was published with two editions: Classic Pens and Philip Wilson. These editions are also sold out. In 2005 the third edition of the book was published. A new film was created, higher quality paper and more modern printing techniques were used. The new edition of the book is superior than previous editions. “FPOTW. Pretty much every pen collector past the newbie stage recognizes the five-letter abbreviation as a shorthand way of identifying Andreas Lambrou’s compendious Fountain Pens of the World…… ……This edition offers superb clarity of both print and photos. The text is easier on the eyes and the finish on the paper allows a substantial improvement in color, accuracy, brilliance and depth of the pen photos…… ……I’ve had a copy of FPOTW for years, and I refer to it so frequently that there is no way I can count how many times I’ve had it off the shelf..." The retail price of the 2005 print run of Fountain Pens of the World is USD$190. If you would like any of the sold out editions, please contact us, we may be able to source one for you. Author biography
He is an authorized pen restorer and co-founder of Classic Pens Ltd. established in 1987, a company that specializes in the customization of limited edition pens. He is the founder of Classic Pens Inc. established in 1998 in Los Angeles, California. He has worked with the craftsman Marc Murelli in France and international pen manufacturers and has created exclusive and novel guilloche designs for sterling silver which adorn the Classic Pens CP series of limited edition pens. The author has worked with his long standing friend Masa Sunami and some of the most respected Maki-E Masters in Japan to create the Classic Pens LS and AL Signature Collections of Maki-E Art Pens. A positive working relationship between the author and the artist Paul Rossi since 2000 has resulted in the creation of unique and exquisite Sterling Silver overlays which are part of the Lambrou Rossi Collection. Andreas Lambrou is recognized as a distinguished pen collector and one of the leading international authorities on fountain pens and their industry worldwide.
Heirlooms
feed your soul.
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Copyright © 2007
Classic Pens Inc. - All Rights Reserved |
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Andreas Lambrou was born in Nicosia, Cyprus in 1942. He started to collect fountain pens at the age of 12 in his native Cyprus then in England while studying at London University. He is a founder member of the Writing Equipment Society formed in 1980 and served on the Executive as Trade Liaison Officer for fountain pens. He has written articles for international publications including Pen World, Business Magazine, Vogue, The V.I.P Guide to London, etc. and has catalogued and valued pen museums of international pen manufacturers. 