JEBs Churchill Fountain Pen
About the JEBs Churchill:
The JEBs Churchill fountain pen is the first pen I recreated in tribute to the former Conway Stewart Pen Company. The Churchill is one of their most iconic pens and was named after Sir Winston Churchill. Conway Stewart (aka CS) even used Sir Winston’s photo in their advertising. And while several of their pen styles had variations or different iterations over the years, the Churchill always stayed true to the original design throughout the years. My tribute pen, though, does have a few subtle differences. Most were due to the available hardware, but some were intentional in order to set it apart from the original.
So why make a tribute or “look-alike” pen? One reason is because I’ve always been an admirer of CS pens. And when some of their original material became available after the original company went out of business in 2014, I decided I wanted to try and make a few pens based on some of those original styles. Another reason is that it allows me to offer the pens in non-CS materials. Most of the pen styles were only offered in a few select materials, so this allows a customer to have a truly unique and one-of-a-kind pen.
Available as a LEVER-filler!
I was able to find a small supply of gold levers in a similar round ‘ear’ style as on the original Churchill. So now you can choose your inking system from: C/C, eyedropper, button filler, or lever filler.
About Conway Stewart:
The original Conway Stewart Pen Company (CS) was located in England and in operation for over 100 years. But sadly, the original company had to close its doors in October 2014. If you’re not familiar with the company and their pens, they were a British company that had been in operation since the very early 1900’s, with more than two dozen different pen styles to their credit over their many years in business. Their most famous tagline was “they made the pens for the Queen”.
Contrary to what many may believe, the name “Conway Stewart” did not come from the name of the founder of the company, but rather it was believed to have been derived from a popular vaudeville act of the day. Eventually, the original materials and parts were sold off and made available on the open market. Some original material is still available today, coming out of the original manufacturing plant in the UK. If you have an interest in having a replica of a CS pen made, please send me an email. If you would like to read more into the history of The Conway Stewart Pen Company, you can find additional information at wikipedia.org/Conway-Stewart.
JEB’s Churchill Dimensions:
The most outstanding feature of the original Churchill was its large size. And although I had to make a few compromises to my version due to the available hardware, my goal was to try and stay as close to the original design as possible, especially with the “writing portion” of the pen (barrel & section).
The main compromise I had to make was with the cap diameter. The CS Churchill had an 11/16″ (17.5 mm) diameter cap. But the largest diameter band available was only 5/8″. So my cap diameter is 1/16″ (1.6 mm) narrower. And because the cap diameter is narrower, the cap will not post like the original. But at this size, I doubt most will want to post the cap anyway. So I doubt the feature will be missed.
Another compromise I had to make with my Churchill was with the overall length. For a full-size pen, the capped length of the original Churchill was shorter than other comparatively-sized pens. Typically, when you cap a pen, the cap will only screw down to the base of the barrel threads. The Churchill’s cap, however, seats well past the barrel threads. CS used this feature on many of their pens, allowing them to have a shorter footprint.
This was possible because of the way CS designed the inside of their cap and finial. Typically on the inside of a pen the end or very tip of the nib will stop just below the finial joint. But on the many CS pens the tip of the nib will reach up inside the finial. If the top of the cap is large enough to allow for this, it works out very well.
But in pen making there are always compromises. Having the cap seat below the barrel threads requires the inside base of the cap to be drilled larger. And because I had to reduced cap diameter (and the tenon needed for the lower band) for the diameter of the bands I had available, I couldn’t drill out the base of the cap deep enough for that recess—I had to stop just below the band. As a result, my closed length is a little longer (see note). But the rest of the specs are very similar: The uncapped length is about 5 1/2″. The minimum diameter of the barrel is .55″ (behind the threads), and it tapers up to a maximum diameter of .59″ before dropping down for the blind cap.
*Please note: because my pens are hand-made, the lengths of the various parts can vary from pen to pen. But if you want that original short, closed length, the length of the center portion of the barrel could be reduced to get it closer.
A very minimal change I made that you may or may not notice was the number of grooves on the finial. I used four grooves on my pen instead of the five that CS used. Five grooves were hard to cut by hand and keep them evenly spaced, so I decided to use just four, so it was a little different.
One thing you will notice if you look closely is that I’m using the original Churchill clip. One of my customers found a small supply of the clips for sale online and picked them up for me. So the Churchill will only be available with that original clip for a limited time until all the clips are gone (note: they are also used on the JEB’s DURO).
Finishes: I’m pleased to announce that JEB’s Churchill (and JEB’s Duro) are now available with rhodium hardware! So now, along with having your choice of materials, you also have a choice between two different hardware finishes (gold or rhodium).
Original CS material is available:
A few material suppliers have been offering the original CS colors for quite some time now, and I’ve been keeping a small supply of the popular colors in stock. Some blanks are NOS, while others are newly manufactured but come from the original manufacturer that is still using the original CS color formula’s. So if you had a particular favorite of the original CS colors but it wasn’t offered in the Churchill, now may be your opportunity to get one! Contact me using the link in the Contact & Info tab (above right) for a list of the currently available colors.
JEB’s Churchill Options and Upgrades:
Inking Systems: My standard version is offered as a C/C (cartridge/converter), but the pen can be ordered in several inking system upgrades: eyedropper, button-filler, or lever-filler. The eyedropper version is fitted with a special O-ring that seals the section and barrel. You can also upgrade the stock steel nib with a 14K or 18K gold nib to make your pen really special!
Rollerball pens: I also offer the JEBs Churchill in a rollerball version. I offer the nose cone in several styles. One is a long 24K gold metal cone that mounts to the front of the regular fountain pen section. Another is a smaller metal cone with an intermediate cone, also mounting onto the section. The third style is a one-piece all-acrylic (or ebonite) rollerball section.
Weighted Barrel: Another upgrade available for the JEBs Churchill is a weighted barrel. I don’t hear it often, but sometimes a customer will suggest they wish the pen was a little heavier. Some people equate the weight of the pen with its quality. Whether you subscribe to that notion or not, or maybe you just prefer a heavier pen, now you can! The weighted barrel is about 20 grams heavier than the standard C/C barrel and can only be ordered in the C/C version.
Miscellaneous items:
I also offer a variety of hand-made pen-related items. Pen Props, pen cap Buttons, Pen and Ink Trays, Cufflinks, and Button Covers. Use a Pen Props to display a pen or temporarily raise the nib. Order in a pen-matching material or a wooden style in a variety of finishes. Cap Buttons are small pieces of cap jewelry you can add to a clipless pen to keep it from rolling. Use a Pen & Ink Trays to display your favorite pen and ink. Trays are available in several styles and in your choice of natural wood. Cufflinks and Button Covers are timeless favorites that dress up a shirt. Order them in pen-matching material.
To custom order any of the pens you see on my website for yourself or as a gift, please contact me at jeb<@>jebspens.com.
If you need fountain pen maintenance help (cleaning, refilling, or general issues), please visit my “Fountain Pen Help Line” page. If you’re having a problem and can’t find a solution, use the contact form or send an email.
For pricing, shipping, and warranty information, click the CONTACT link in the footer menu.