Soennecken 508 and 125 Sapphire Pearl Web Fountain Pen and Pencil Set, Germany late 1930s

This exceedingly rare and beautifully preserved matching set comprises a Soennecken 508 piston-filling fountain pen and its corresponding 125 Self-Propelling Pencil, both dating from the late 1930s.

The two instruments are fashioned from exquisite Sapphire Pearl Web celluloid, whose intricate pearlescent pattern gives the surfaces remarkable depth and visual movement. Both pieces are further distinguished by two raised silver cap rings and elegant matching clips.

The fountain pen is fitted with its original solid 14K gold Medium nib.

The set remains in excellent vintage condition. The fountain pen has been serviced and tested and is working properly.

The original Soennecken brand imprint remains crisp and clearly legible. Neither instrument bears a personal engraving, and there are no cracks or other damage.

In the United States, the names Parker, Sheaffer and Waterman dominate the history of fountain pens. In Germany and throughout Europe, Soennecken occupied an equally famous and prestigious position as one of the foremost names in writing instruments and office equipment.

The company traced its origins to the writing society founded by Friedrich Soennecken in 1868 to promote the Rundschrift, or round cursive writing system, which he had developed by the age of twenty. This represented a radical departure from the distinctly Germanic Fraktur script then in widespread use, favoring instead the clearer Antiqua style associated with the Italian humanist tradition.

Soennecken also designed steel nibs ideally suited to his new writing method. Soennecken nibs were used by such notable writers as Friedrich Nietzsche and Franz Kafka.

The Soennecken company was formally established in Bonn in 1875, when Friedrich began producing his own nibs, inkwells and instructional books devoted to the penmanship system he had created.

Friedrich Soennecken also invented the ring binder and hole punch, two indispensable office articles that remain in everyday use. The company subsequently expanded into office furniture and developed an extensive range of writing and office products.

By 1890, one of the most important articles in the Soennecken range was the first German fountain pen, a hard-rubber eyedropper filler. Successive models followed, including the company’s first safety pen in 1905. During the following decades, Soennecken continued developing new designs and filling systems, establishing itself alongside Montblanc and Pelikan as one of Germany’s foremost manufacturers of fine writing instruments.

Following Friedrich Soennecken’s death in 1919, the company passed to his son Alfred, who successfully maintained production despite the inflation, currency depreciation and material shortages that marked post-First World War Germany.

The Second World War devastated the combined work of two generations of the Soennecken family, with both of the company’s Bonn factories completely destroyed. Nevertheless, in 1945 Alfred Soennecken and his son, Alfred Jr., gathered together members of the former workforce and successfully resumed production.

The historic Soennecken company continued manufacturing until 1967, leaving behind an important legacy of innovative and beautifully crafted German writing instruments.