Those of you who read the review of the Thompson Flighter Duofold last month will have some idea of the kind of task that faced us when we set out to write a feature on this gentleman and his pens. We met up with him at the LA show, where he was showing his amazing selection of Duofold Replica pens, and it quickly became obvious that we were in for hours of photographing, trying out, and just generally drooling over these pens!

I think it comes down to two things setting these pens apart from just about anything else available in a modern pen. First, and probably the more immediately noticeable of the pair is the incredible variety of materials in which they are made. Basically, Chris can make a Duofold out of anything. He showed us a sample barrel and cap that he had turned out of modeling clay. Just to see if he could do it. Basic acrylic, celluloid, and metal is a snap in comparison!

The other notable feature of the Thompson pens is the very real sense of quality that you receive when holding one of these pens. As we mentioned in the review of the Steel Duofold, it's very easy to see and feel the amount of work that goes into these pens, it's obvious in everything from the big details, like the fit and finish, the perfect polish of the cap and barrel surfaces, all to way down to the tiniest of minor details. The very way in which the cap threads onto the barrel speaks of precision. It comes down to the difference between a handmade pen, and one that is made on a production line, no matter how high the level of quality control.

Some of the materials used on the pens we looked at include celluloid, in several colors and patterns, acrylic, exotic woods, stainless steel, copper, titanium, bronze, brass, aluminum, and as mentioned earlier, clay. Although Chris has no plans to actually complete and sell the modeling clay version!

Of course, Chris Thompson is best known for his Duofold Replica pens, but he has also manufactured some modern versions of the Sheaffer Balance. It's a much more demanding pen to make than the Duofold, especially considering the details, the lever fill mechanism, and the clip style. You would never know it when looking at the end result! The same level of quality and craftsmanship are evident in the Balance pens as in the Duofolds. We were lucky enough to get the opportunity to photograph a matched set of Duofold and Balance in acrylic, made to order for a collector.

These pens are amazing, the sight of this pair in a pocket was enough to ensure that this gent didn't lack for conversation during the show! They're done in a red vein gray marble, much like that used on the recent Sheaffer LE version of the Balance. The Balance is made to the early style pattern, in the oversize version. The first style humped clip is perfectly fitted to the cap, as is the cap band. The Duofold is the standard flattop model that Chris has perfected over the last few years. Both pens are fitted with original vintage nibs and feeds, and both, as you might expect, write wonderfully.

The Demonstrator versions use a clear section, allowing the feed and nib to be visible. In a lot of ways, these pens are among the most amazing of the Thompson Duofolds, the clear material allows you to see the fact that the fit and finish on the inside is as perfect as that used on the outside.

Chris Thompson began his interest in fine pens with a Sheaffer 1000 Touchdown filler, when he was in high school. We decided not to ask whether this was a vintage pen at the time..... He was fascinated that the filling system worked on the downstroke, and ended up disassembling it to see how it worked. Later, he was given a hand made ballpoint pen as a gift, and one day, in 1997, he decided to see if he could duplicate it using his own lathe. His success at this endeavor led to building hundreds of pens of this type using parts kits ordered from craft supply houses. It was at this time that he began collecting vintage pens, the first Duofold he found "in the wild" was a Senior size in Mandarin Yellow. What a way to start! This began his interest in the Parker Duofold.

It was probably inevitable that the collecting of Duofolds would eventually collide with his mechanical ability. In fact, a big part of his collecting hobby was in restoring the pens that he had found. One day in 1999, he took the threaded parts of a Parker Duofold Senior to a tap and die maker, and asked him to duplicate the threads. This was not inexpensive, since it entailed a full set of custom dies, but once Chris had these, he was ready to go. He began turning caps, barrels, sections, and even the cap tops and barrel end caps.

Using original Parker Duofold parts, he was able to assemble pens that worked and wrote as the originals, but had a whole new look. When he posted an email describing what he was doing on the Zoss email list, he was flooded with requests for photos of his creations. Requests for images soon turned into requests for pens, as you might imagine. From simple celluloid or acrylic, which remain the favorite choices for materials, to the steel, copper, and aluminum. Chris has currently completed over two hundred of these pens, with no end in sight.

No end in demand, that is..... Since he uses original Parker Duofold clips, nibs, and feeds, he is constantly searching out supplies of these parts. A broken Duofold Senior is not safe within a yard of Chris Thompson! It has really been the search for new parts that has kept him in check so far, and he is currently looking into several sources for recreations of the original parts, to enable him to continue production without having to scour the country for clips and nibs every time he wants to finish a pen.

One possible solution would be the use of nibs and feeds from the modern Parker Duofold Centennial. This involves only a simple change in the diameter of the hole cut through the section. The result is not quite as accurate as the original nib might be, but on the other hand, it makes life a lot easier on Chris when it comes time to finish the pen, and the modern Centennial nibs are available in just about any nib size one could wish for, from extra fine through double broad oblique!

The Thompson Duofold pens are engraved with an exact copy of the original markings on the barrel, with the addition of an extra line, "Replica". For one thing, Chris is proud of his pens, and wants them recognizable as his work, natural enough, but another, and perhaps more important fact is that these pens simply cannot be told from the original pens, except by the material! The tolerances and measurements are that exact.

In addition to the work he has done with the Duofold, Chris is currently working on a new design of his own for a limited edition line to be called Simplicity. He has completed the design of the clip, and is now working out a source for nibs and other fittings. Not exactly an easy task, he is committed to having the pens be made of the highest quality materials, and entirely in the US. Judging from the Duofold Replica pens, this is going to be one limited edition pen worth getting ahold of!

He has also made what might be called a limited edition set, consisting of the Duofold Replica in various metals. Stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, brass, bronze, and copper. The set is housed in a handmade and inlaid wooden box, and needless to say, it's a serious handful! From the stainless steel Duofold as reviewed last month, which presents you with a heavy, and very solid feeling pen, to the titanium Duofold, which is amazingly light, these pens pretty much have it all.

Chris Thompson is a craftsman of the highest order, the attention to detail and thought that he puts into each pen that leaves his shop are evident immediately. As with a few other pen manufacturers, the fact that it's a dedicated pen collector, and pen lover behind the controls makes these pens something special. As Chris said: "I really can't remember a time when I wasn't fascinated with writing instruments. With a simple stroke of the pen I can dispossess myself of all that I hold dear or I can obligate my future labor for years to come. The power of the pen to express human emotions and deeds is awesome.

I suppose it is to this power that I am in awe. It causes me to bring my creative and mechanical skills to my workshop. It is there that special tools, creativity, and mechanical skills come together to turn materials and ideas into a usable writing instrument. The pure joy of changing various pieces of raw material into a fountain pen, is difficult to describe. But I must confess, it is a real high."

Fortunately for all of us, that high is not one limited to the artist at work. The rest of us can get a sense of it when we look at, hold, or better yet, write with, one of his creations. His pens are priced variously, depending upon the materials, and whether or not the customer can supply their own nib, feed, and clip. However, even some of the most expensive Thompson Duofold pens are priced at about the same as the list price for many currently produced high end pens. Definitely a good sign!

Copyright © 2001   Bill Riepl

Top of Page