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Brown, Francis C. Fountain Pens
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| Francis Cashel Brown was born
in Haysville Ontario Canda on April 29 1851. Brown got his start in
fountain pens by becoming a partner with Duncan MacKinnon in 1876 in
the MacKinnon Pen Co. MacKinnon made the first fairly dependable
stylographic fountain pen. At the time this was a high tech pen.
The most famous user of the MacKinnon was of course Mark Twain, who
praised the pen and cursed it the next. Brown stuck with the
company for 5 very profitable years, but then competition form AT
Cross and other stylographic pen makers was hurting MacKinnon. He
knew it was time to leave and he sold his interest in MacKinnon,
which went downhill quickly. He was associated with the
Caw’s
Pen and Ink co, the Brown pen Company , and the
Lapham pen
company. Held at least 20 pen patents. In 1888 he began a huge ad
campaign in NY for his Dashaway pen. He was sued by Paul Wirt for patent
infringement over his Dashaway pen and Wirt won. He went on to develop a
safety pen which was successful enough for Waterman to take notice.
Waterman purchased the rights for the pen and it became the basis
for the Waterman safety. He left the pen business in 1919. Some might say he was part inventor, part salesman and part con
artist. He died February 1 1939. |
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