Penol de Luxe (8K)

In the late 1930s, Penol’s top-of-the-line pen was the de Luxe model, which was available in 4 sizes, designated “O”, “A.O.”, “B.O”, and “C.O”. In 1938, they made a variation of the large No. 8 model, with a 12-sided faceted barrel. (The Eversharp Doric was introduced in 1931, with a second-generation design introduced in 1936.)

In 1941/42, the Penol introduced the “Ambassador” as its high-end model, and there was a tidying up of nomenclature, and the 8K was re-named as a “de Luxe”

Just below the imprint the number 843 can be seen, indicating that this pen was made in August, 1943, a year after the Ambassador model was released. This may explain why the nib states that it is a “Penol Ambassador” nib instead of a “de Luxe”, however, it’s also possible that the nib was replaced sometime in the past 78 years…

This pen is a button filler with a nearly-transparent section and barrel thread, as can be seen above. It’s slightly reminiscent of the “Aëro” models of the Penol line, however, it’s certainly not transparent enough to be a usable ink window.

I’m a fan of larger pens, so this one fits nicely in my hand. The nib is smooth, and can flex if pushed, but is stiff enough to behave as a day-to-day pen.

Total weight: 21.1 g
Body weight:11.6 g
Total length (not posted): 120.8 mm
Total length(with cap): 134.1 mm
Barrel max diameter: 13.3 mm (across flat sides)
Cap max diameter: 15.3 mm

V2021007