Classic Pens Story:

Classic PensLimited was formed in 1987 out of love of pens. The two founders, Andreas Lambrou and Keith G. Brown, shared the same passion in fountain pens. Their working partnership had begun 20 years earlier, in 1967, when they were divising exclusive food flavors for an International Flavor House in London.

Their creativity was awarded international patents for flavor microencapsulation. In the early 1970s, Lambrou was posted to France and Brown to Singapore as general managers responsible for the company's operations there. At the 1974 Paris Food Exhibition, SIAL, Lambrou's work was awarded first prize for new flavor compositions.

The creative talents of Lambrou and Brown continued to make their mark. On their return to London their working partnership developed new ideas and flavors. One of their compositions was shown on BBC's television programme Tomorrow's World.

In 1986, Brown set up his own flavor company. Lambrou worked on research for his first fountain pen book. Their partnership was strengthened through the formation of Classic Pens Limited. The principal aim was to create exclusive limited edition fountain pens for pen lovers world-wide. This crystallized in 1990 with the launch of the first Classic Pens CP series of limited edition pens, the TARGA BY SHEAFFER CP1.

Andreas Lambrou started collecting fountain pens in 1954 at the age of 12. 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, The VIP Guide to London, Vogue, etc., and has also catalogued and valued pen museums of international pen manufacturers.

In 1987, Andreas and Jenny Lambrou took the decision to devote their work to fountain pens. His first book, Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern was completed after 10 years research with the help of his wife Jenny, to whom the work is dedicated. This book draws not only on his expertise, but also on the resources and co-operation of established pen manufacturers and of pen lovers across the world. Exclusive line drawings commissioned for the book were hand produced by Lambrou's daughter, Lenya, the creative artist of Classic Pens.

Published by Sotheby's in 1989, it has come to be recognized as the definitive work on the history of the fountain pens and their industry. It constitutes an indispensable reference book for collectors, designers, traders, retailers and devotees of fountain pens in general. It is probably the most successful book on the subject selling more than 40,000 copies.

'Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern' Sotheby's 1989, available in English, Italian, German, French and Japanese.

Having documented the models and their history in Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern, the Lambrous focused on the repair and sale of vintage and modern pens. They are both authorized pen restorers and started the repair service of Classic Pens Limited in a small room of their house.

The company grew quickly and business premises were acquired. The repair service was recommended and used by international pen manufacturers, over 300 retailers in the UK and many private customers across the globe.

With the launch of the CP series in 1990 and increased fountain pen sales, Andreas concentrated on the development of new CP models and research on a new fountain pen book. Jenny took responsibility for the repair service. Their long established pen collection was constantly expanding and many of their pens were destined to be photographed in the new publication.

The new book Fountain Pens of the World was published by Classic Pens in 1995, and soon after the company moved to bigger premises. At the same time a new company, Classic Repairs, was formed to deal exclusively with vintage and modern pen repairs. This is now managed by Jenny.

The success of Fountain Pens Vintage and Modern encouraged Andreas Lambrou, to embark on a more substantial reference work. It has taken over three years of dedication and a Classic Pens investment of $400,000 to produce Fountain Pens of the World.

"To say that this book is the definitive book on fountain pens to date is an understatement... The photography is outstanding... It's crisp, clear and creative, and Lambrou's demand for excellence is evident in each shot..." Glen Bowen, Book Review - Pen World July/August 1995.

The book is of large format and contains the highest quality color photographs throughout. Innovative line drawings by Lenya Lambrou present the models in an exciting manner. The work includes previously unpublished information on both the fountain pen and its development. For the first time in a book of fountain pens, a section on materials and processes is included.

In his foreword to the book, Richard Leigh, a successful author and pen collector states: "The pages 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, furnishing 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 encyclopaedia 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."

Fountain Pens of the World has been very well received by the fountain pen industry and pen lovers around the globe. With a suggested retail price of $190, it has demonstrated excellent value for money, the principal qualities are listed below.

• Large format, 12 inch x 9 inch, with 448 pages
• 120,000 words of text
• Documenting more than 60 pen manufacturers within seven countries.
• 100 professional hand produced line drawings of pens - illustrating development and design.
• 170 specially commissioned professional color photographs
• 2,300 pens illustrated life size - market value in excess of $2.25 million

The first print run of 6,000 copies has sold out. We are pleased to advise that it was reprinted in 1998 and is now available through Classic Pens and good fountain pen and book stores around the world.