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Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz ajour

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Two black Astoria safety pens with a pierced gold-coloured overlay (“ajour”): a small no. 00 and a short no. 4 (“kz”) — black Astoria safety pens 1921–1932; the catalogue plate showing the “Nr. 4 kz ajour” is dated c. 1924

Black cap and black barrel, each with a pierced gold-coloured band at the cap top and at the end of the barrel; domed cap top with the circle quartered in black and white above a knurled ring, knurled turning knob at the end of the barrel, no clip. The small pen also has a plain ring at the cap lip and a nib with a round breather hole; the large one a nib with a heart-shaped breather hole and decorative engraving, according to the text of the page already a Montblanc nib. Formerly the page named the two pens inconsistently: the small one no. 00 and no. 0, the large one no. 04 kz, no. 01 kz and no. 1; title and heading now follow the catalogue plate.

Key facts

Production
black Astoria safety pens 1921–1932 (“Collectible Stars” I); the “Nr. 4 kz ajour” is shown on a catalogue plate of about 1924 (Diary) — volume I lists no pierced overlay1
Filling system
safety pen: filled with a pipette, the nib is turned out and retracted again by turning the end of the barrel2
Sizes
Astoria called short pens “kz” and long ones “lg”; the catalogue plate lists Nr. 00, Nr. 01, Nr. 1 kz, Nr. 2 kz, Nr. 4 kz, Nr. 4 kz ajour, Nr. 4 lg, Nr. 6 kz, Nr. 6 lg, Nr. 7 kz, Nr. 7 lg, Nr. 10, Nr. 01 kz, Nr. 01 lg, Nr. 2, Nr. 4 and Nr. 61
Nib
on the small pen a nib with a round breather hole, on the large one a Montblanc nib according to the text of the page; according to maxpens.de the nib of an Astoria no. 4 was like the Montblanc no. 4 nib except for the imprint3
Designation
the file name and the caption of the nib call the large pen no. 04 kz, the text no. 1, the heading formerly no. 01 kz — its size is unresolved; the Astoria catalogue also lists a “Nr. 01 kz”, but without a pierced overlay4
Sources and notes
  1. “Collectible Stars” volume I; “The Montblanc Diary & Collectors Guide” (catalogue plate; caption “c. 1924”).
  2. “Collectible Stars” volume I.
  3. Photos and text of this page; maxpens.de (Astoria no. 4 for the Füllfederpalast in Vienna).
  4. File name, former heading, text and captions of this page; Diary.
Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”)
Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”) – nib

The size comparison between No. 1 and No. 0 illustrates how small the No. 0 (below) is. In fact, it is hardly twice as large as a match. Accordingly, very little ink fit in it.

Photo left: Nib of No. 00



Photo below: Nib of No. 04
(Special feature: this is already a Montblanc nib)
Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”) – nib

Not to be confused with

Photo below: No. 1

Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”) – closed view
Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”) – open view

Photo below: No. 0

Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”) – closed view
Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”) – open view
Astoria no. 00 and no. 4 kz with pierced overlay (“ajour”) – open view

Literature

  1. aJens Rösler, Stefan Wallrafen: “Collectible Stars I — MONTBLANC 1908–1947”. 2014. ISBN 978-3-00-044233-9. On this website “Collectible Stars” volume I. more about the book ›
  2. bJens Rösler: “The Montblanc Diary & Collector’s Guide”. Christians Verlag, Hamburg 1993. ISBN 3-7672-1174-2. On this website “Diary” for short. more about the book ›