1940s-50s Wyvern 404 Fountain Pen - SEMIFLEX STUB

Vintage: 1940s-50s

Make: Wyvern

Model: 404

Color: Dark green

Materials: Plastic, gold-plated trim

Filling System: Lever-filler (resacced and guaranteed to fill to factory capacity)

Length: This full-sized model measures 5 1/8” capped. 

Nib: The 14k Wyvern nib is a Semi-Flexible Factory Stub. Under normal pressure lays down a smooth and consistent M line on the down-strokes and XF line on the cross-strokes. And that line widens to a 2B or so (approx 1.3mm) under moderate pressure 

Condition: Gold-plated trim is clean aside from a sliver of brassing on the bottom edge of the cap band around 1/2 of the cap on the backside. Other than that this pen is near mint. Plastic has a smooth, lustrous surface with no notable blemishes - scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is deep and fully legible. 

Details: A wyvern is a bipedal dragon with wings and a barbed tail. But it’s also a pen! This mythical creature, whose likeness is stamped the barrel of this pen, appears on the coat of arms of the city of Leicester in England where the Wyvern pen company was founded in 1896. Wyvern was as a first-rate supplier of nibs in the early twentieth century. So that when the company began making pens of its own, they came to be known as great writers. This later Wyvern 404 is made of a rich, dark green plastic complemented by gold-plated trim with elegantly patterned clip and double black jewels. The hooded nib appears to have been inspired by the Parker 51, the hood enabling the pen to rest uncapped for longer periods without drying out the nib. The design of this pen’s hood is different from a 51’s, being ergonomically contoured on the underside near the nib.