Pendors P52 ebonite prototype fountain pen test.

The birth of the Pendors P52 ebonite fountain pen family, or a tale of the stubborn fountain pen maker who realizes what he decides.

1. I owe a confession. This writing may not primarily be about fountain pens or the making of fountain pens, but rather about a special person and a good friend I met just a few years ago. Sándor Pethő is a full-time landscape designer and a stubborn and headstrong visionary (what will I get for this word!), who a few years ago decided that he would indeed make unique fountain pens. His journey since then has been about learning and experimenting. In his free time, he went to the countryside to apprentice, to learn the workings of lathe machines and the tricks of the woodturning trade. He has been developing his workshop for years and continuously experiments with tools, materials, and techniques. He started from far away - and where has he gotten to? This is what this story is about…

2. Every beginning is difficult

3. I got to know Sanyi's work two years ago in a 4. Facebook group dealing with writing instruments. 5. under the Pendors brand name 6. where various ballpoint and fountain pens were launched using different materials (resin, metal, wood). It was noticeable that Sanyi instinctively uses social media well: he asked the group members for their opinions on the individual writing instruments and gladly offered the pens for testing.

7. One day I was surprised to see in Sanyi's latest post an ebonite (hard rubber) fountain pen – I was amazed that he was experimenting with this traditional fountain pen material as well. That day I received another surprise: Sanyi asked me to test the pen. After a brief consideration, I said yes (the community magazine had just started, and I decided it would be an excellent test subject for a Hungarian-made, handcrafted fountain pen). Budapest Pen Show 8. A few days later, the courier brought the package containing the writing instrument, which I unwrapped with some anxiety. The reason for my anxiety was that ebonite here, ebonite there – for some inexplicable reason, I felt a dislike for the so-called "stock pens." No matter how likable the pen maker was, I somehow wasn't enthusiastic about these writing instruments. I didn't know the process of making them, so I thought there wasn't much added value in these writing instruments. Unfortunately, this was evident during the testing: I was impatient, and the fountain pen certainly sensed this. Moreover, my hostile attitude quickly took its toll: during the first use, it thoroughly smeared me with ink. The next day, I tried to generously "forgive" it, but the Cyklon fountain pen behaved like a rebellious teenager and stubbornly refused to cooperate with me: it rewarded my attempt with another sizable ink stain. From my experiences,.

9. I wrote a rather critical article a very critical article I was born, and I personally returned the unruly fountain pen to its creator.

The beginning of a friendship

Sanyi was not offended at all. (By the way, I was quite happy about this because during our meeting, I realized that he is not the type of person one would like to run into in a dark and narrow alley. Since I got to know him, of course, I know that I wouldn't find a kinder and calmer person than him). We met in the lobby of an office building, where I detailed my experiences to him. He sincerely became sad and, sighing heavily, blamed himself for the unsuccessful test: it turned out that he had accidentally given me a pen body made for a ceramic insert pen. The internal spring of the pen body was supposed to support the fixation of the pen insert, but in the case of the fountain pen, it got stuck with the converter and came to life on its own. Sándor thanked me for the testing and said he learned a lot from this experience as well.

Our first meeting was soon followed by more. I found myself feeling increasingly comfortable in his company. He talked a lot about his plans, his experiments, and how one day he would have his own designed fountain pen. He spoke about special materials and tools. Over the past year and a half, I had the opportunity to get to know him well: hardly a day went by without us discussing some professional issue. I liked how he moved forward as a pioneer (if you will, like a battering ram) – as he put it: „one learns from everything.” Because of his determination and perseverance that could move mountains, I was sure: he was destined for great things. He also possessed a very important quality: professional humility. He was aware of the shortcomings in his knowledge. I heard him say many times, „I am still in the learning phase. But I will realize it when the time comes.”

The birth of the Pendors P52 ebonite fountain pen family

Sanyi experimented more and more with ebonite. We exchanged countless messages about sizes, shapes, diameters, and techniques. I must admit, I was a bit envious that the research work fell to me while he was physically creating what he had dedicated several years of his life to. His enthusiasm completely captivated me, and I could hardly wait to see what the first modern and Hungarian, handmade ebonite fountain pen would look like. I knew that the design was fundamentally inspired by the clipless models made by Nakaya, but I also knew that I had become too involved: the new fountain pen had to be perfect.

Based on the first photos, I saw the prototype as beautiful. The green, slightly oversized ebonite pen body had a golden vein running through it and looked incredibly good when polished. (The property of ebonite rods is that before machining, one cannot know what pattern they hide; it only becomes clear during machining). I liked the amphora-like design of the pen body, the line that made it look timeless yet elegant. There was only one thing I couldn't reconcile with: the bastion-like design of the section, which I did not feel was appropriate for this design. In the case of Nakaya pens, this is a common solution, but I felt it was alien to this form. The pen initially received a two-tone steel Bock nib – at my request, Sanyi replaced it with a steel-colored one.

I eagerly awaited when I could first hold this beautiful fountain pen, which Sanyi named the P52 model. (The name itself is basically a gag. Sanyi came up with the idea to name the new model P52 while reading the article about the Parker P51, referring to how old he was when he created the prototype).

The Big Boy makes its appearance

The fountain pen soon arrived, and I excitedly took it out of the small black pen case. It immediately stood out that Sanyi had transformed the bastion-shaped grip into a concave shape, which fit wonderfully with the pen body!

There was no reason for the inexplicable aversion I felt towards the poor Cyklon fountain pen (I apologize to him here) – I felt like I was part of a special moment: the new Hungarian ebonite fountain pen family was born, and I could finally hold its prototype in my hands.

With genuine curiosity, I scrutinized the fountain pen. I have always liked the characteristic smell of ebonite fountain pens, but most of all, their warm touch. The P52 prototype is no exception: it feels incredibly pleasant to hold, and it’s nice to rotate in the hand. I admired the beautiful pattern of the green ebonite barrel for minutes.

Unscrewing the cap of the P52 fountain pen does not happen in the usual way, with one or two movements. At that time, Sanyi did not have a tool that would ensure that the barrel's thread could grip the cap in three places. Due to the threading used in the prototype, it took a bit longer to screw the cap on and off, but I found this really useful. For a fountain pen of this size, it gives me a sense of security. Speaking of size. The P52 prototype is a true oversized fountain pen. This model is clearly made for a man's hand: in terms of size, it is in the same league as the Montblanc 149, the Pelikan 1000, or the Nakaya Dorsal fountain pens.

Newton Pens Prospector – Jonathon Brooks Urushi, Nakaya Ryogiri toki tamenuri, Nakaya Dorsal Fin 2 heki tamenuri, Pendors Ebonite big boy prototype, Pelikan M1005 Stresemann. Photo: Sultis Attila

The thickness of the cap clearly illustrates the designer's intention. Sanyi often emphasized that he wanted to create an „indestructible” pen that could be a faithful companion to its owner throughout their life. (Fortunately, he was convinced that it was not necessary to subject the finished writing instruments to extreme tests).

I unscrewed the barrel and examined the design of the section. The grip of the Pendors P52 fountain pen received a stainless steel insert. The steel sleeve has a dual role: it serves as the cradle for the nib and ink feed, and it also holds the converter in place. After removing the converter, I easily unscrewed the nib from the section in one motion. This is a useful and logical solution that not only allows for easy maintenance of the pen but also facilitates potential nib replacement.

Despite not really liking steel nibs, the large (#6) nib surprisingly allowed for a light, almost playful writing experience. While writing, I marveled at how comfortable the P52 prototype was in my hand, and I found myself having already filled a page. It didn’t spend much time on the desk that day: I was engrossed in rotating it in my hand and caught myself admiring its pattern several times.

In the following days, I wrote with this pen. I had the P52 fountain pen for a week, and I increasingly felt sad about the day I would have to return it to its creator.

Sanyi wanted to receive as much feedback as possible about the prototype, so he also sent the pen to Sultis Attila. Attila, who has an unparalleled collection of writing instruments and vast knowledge about them, also tested the fountain pen for a week. During this time, he not only took fantastic atmospheric photos but also named the pen: thus, the P52 prototype was baptized with the name „Big Boy”...

A week later, Sanyi visited me again and handed over the fountain pen with a smile.

„This fountain pen is yours, it was made for you.”.

How did the P52 become my favorite fountain pen?

I could hardly speak from the surprise. Sanyi's gift was more than a noble gesture. I knew exactly what a rocky road led to the creation of the prototype: countless hours of work, research, and experimentation shaped the pen into what it eventually became. Sanyi poured his heart and soul into the creation of this fountain pen (just as he still creates each piece with full enthusiasm and attention). On several occasions, I witnessed how lovingly he handles it (when we worked together in the workshop, he phrased it this way: „I am its father”).

However, the story of the Big Boy did not end here. The P52 prototype accompanied me daily, becoming my loyal companion. I found myself hardly using any other writing instrument – why would I, when you have a fountain pen that was practically made for you?

Only the steel Bock nib did not feel completely comfortable to me. We replaced the original (F nib) with an M nib (in the meantime, we also adjusted it according to the advice and guidance of our friend Kovács Zoli). Despite this, the exchanges of messages did not dwindle, as Sanyi was completely occupied with his new project: the Hungary Pen Show organization. He continued on his path, and sometimes I felt that alongside his work, fountain pen making was a kind of therapy, allowing him to finally be himself in his workshop after a long, tiring day and to unwind from the stressful weekdays while creating.

In April, I had the pleasure of being Sanyi's guest for the duration of a joy project. and I could experience the incomparable, incredibly captivating process of fountain pen making. In the Pendors workshop, we naturally made a P52 fountain pen...

During the spring workshop visit, I first thought about how to „level up”? I felt that a handmade, unique fountain pen deserved a truly special nib. However, titanium alloys and gold nibs are quite expensive, so I gave up on this idea.

However, Sanyi was carved from a different wood, and he continued to think about how to make the type of fountain pen he envisioned even more perfect. A few days before the Hungary Pen Show, he called me and said he was experimenting with titanium nibs and asked me to test the new nibs at the event. That day -with the P52 prototype in my pocket- I arrived at the pen show. When I arrived, Sanyi handed me a fountain pen to try out the new experimental nib. Pennonia Shortly after, he returned with Máté Bikfalvi, the owner of the ink manufactory, with whom they presented a box. The small metal box contained the gift of two extraordinary people: an 18-carat Bock nib for the Big Boy fountain pen...

...perhaps this makes it understandable why this fountain pen is so special to me. It is not just a writing instrument, but the essence of everything I love about this hobby. It contains the flame of creation, the energy of creativity, the joy of friendship. It is an object filled with memories and experiences during use, day by day. Can there be more to say about a fountain pen than this?