Leal (Real) Fountain Pen
I have never found a "Leal" pen before, but I have seen several ads for their pens. In this customer service postcard we can see one of the pens pictured. What is interesting is the name.. On the card in Japanese they give the name "レール” which is the katakana for the English word "Rail" But on the pen image in English is the name "Leal" Odd.... The Japanese have problems with pronouncing English "R" and "L" When I first came to Japan, I was shocked that people would ask me if I would like "Lice" with my breakfast. I was relived to learn that they meant "Rice", they just had problems with the pronunciation. It would be my guess, that the intended name for the pen was "Real", but some miscommunication occured between marketers and manufacturers and "Leal" was imprinted upon the pen. Nevertheless, these pens would date to the 1910's and 1920's.They are quite similar to the Onoto under - over feed pens. The earlier pens would have been made in London with the Japanese imprints. The mid-term pens would have had the parts made in London, then shipped over and assembled by the Japanese, the later pens were manufactered in Japan. If you find a Leal or Real pen, I would love to hear from you. |
|
