Antique of the Week: Vintage Ripple Pens

As everyone in Kensington knows, Antique Row is one of the community’s points of pride. Howard Avenue and its side streets are lined with shops specializing in antique furniture, rugs, vintage toys, used books and more. This large presence in the community sparked our feature, Antique of the Week, where we will showcase a different item or curiosity each week to bring attention to pieces from the past.

This week, we’re featuring vintage ripple pens at . Made by Waterman, ripple pens were originally created from rubber, according to Alex Cummins, a hobbyist. The red and black ripple pens were the first of their kind.

Leslie Wyatt, another hobbyist, said that the rubber was pulled like taffy to create the ripple effect. She said the red rubber was brittle, and it took some experimentation to make it pliable, but she said the rubber is a comfortable material for one to use because the rubber warms up in one’s hand.

Cummins added that the ripple pens are proprietary, belonging to Waterman.  He said the red and black ripple pen is a No. 7, dated circa 1927. Furthermore, the black band on the cap represents the stub (the tip of the pen) for the red and black pen. It preceded the other pens by 10 years. Wyatt noted that the designs for the cap and the bottom line up. 

The red and black pen is on sale for $550, the yellow and red for $650, and the yellow and black for $550. is located at 3730 Howard Avenue and is open only on Saturdays and Sundays from noon till 5 p.m.