Illustrated Guide to Antique Writing Instruments

This is by far the best book on the subject for the size. It has great pictures (all colored), concise information, and very informative price guides. It covers lots of different pens from major companies, such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Wahl-Eversharp, Conklin. It also has some useful information on some obscured old US pen companies (all gone now). I don't understand why people are so excited about the big book "Fountain Pens of the World" by Lambrou. It does have more company information and time-line of products and covers more international companies, but that big book has no price guide at all, and is about 8 times more expensive than this little book. In terms of the coverage of the types of pens in major US companies, the big Lambrou book is quite much inferior to this little book. I just love this little one. But admittedly, you need to have more than one books to do some cross-reference.

An outstanding effort. The photographs are superb. Written in an easy language, makes it enjoyable to read to both novice and connoisseur collectors. However, the authors didn't mention some important pens (eg: Parker #14, Parker Duofold mandarin yellow, Parker Duofold Lapis Lazuli). ( My book is the Revised & Expanded 3rd edition, 2000).

Now in a completely revised, updated and expanded third edition, Stuart Schneider and George Fischler's The Illustrated Guide To Antique Writing Instruments continues to be the finest single volume identification and reference guide to pens and other writing instruments for collectors and dealers. Beautifully illustrated on every page with full color photographs of antique pens of all makes and categories, this uniquely beautiful and informative price guide is an indispensable reference that is an essential and enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal, professional, or community library antiques/collectibles reference book collection.

This is a handy book to take with you when prowling the antique stores for old writing instruments. Recommended by collectors and collector clubs, it's the handiest guide available. If it had an index and covered more of the less well known brands, I would give it five stars.

With fountain pen collecting fast becoming more and more popular, Schneider & Fischler's Illustrated Guided to Antique Writing Instruments is a wonderful introductory text for both budding collectors or those who are merely curious. This book provides brief histories of the major pen manufacturers and color illustrations of fountain pens, pencils, and other writing tools. While I wouldn't call this the definitive book on the subject, it's certainly one of the best books to be had for the price. Highly recommended as a "first book."