Wyvern No. 5 Short, Green Marble Celluloid GPT, #2 14k Flex

Wyvern is what comes after Conway Stewart and Mabie Todd on a UK collector's shelf. Leicester-based, founded by the Finburgh Brothers in the mid-1890s at the Vulcanite Works on Woodboy Street, in production through 1955. The company name and the dragon-shaped nib logo both come from the wyvern on the City of Leicester's coat-of-arms. Wyvern built well-made lever-fillers for the British middle market for sixty years without the marketing footprint of the larger London houses, and by 1928 was successful enough making warranted 14ct gold nibs to supply them as OEM to other British manufacturers. The No. 5 Short is one of Wyvern's smaller models: trimmed-down barrel length that still posts to a comfortable writing size. Green Marble celluloid, gold-plated trim, clipless torpedo silhouette. The celluloid is mint with the marbled veins still bright through the body, crisp imprints throughout. The 14k Warranted nib measures 0.30mm hairlines opening to 1.67mm at 360g Flex pressure for a 5.6× line variation in the F to 4B range. Slight cursive italic in the tipping (0.30mm horizontal, 0.40mm vertical). Solid snapback, smooth and feedbackless, and easier on a beginner's pressure curve than the wetter Conway or Waterman flexes. Priced for what it is: a charming, lesser-known UK lever-filler for a collector who already owns the obvious British names and wants something with a smaller audience and a story, or a clean entry into vintage celluloid for someone whose first flex pen this will be. Grade A. Celluloid restoration and light polish. GPT hand-polished. Nib and feed tuned. Fitted with a silicone sac, so please store upright just in case there is nib creep. This is a trade off to use all inks regardless if they are vintage-safe or not, and will not off gas (won't degrade celluloid nitrate). Tested on Rhodia 90gsm ivory with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black.