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Waldmann Pens in history - under construction

data collection for a Wikipedia entry

Waldmann KG was founded by Adolf Waldmann in 1918 as Waldmann Manufaktur in Pforzheim, Germany. Waldmann manufactured mechanical pencils from Sterling silver.

In the 1930s, they developed the first four-color mechanical pencil based on a revolver mechanism. For this invention, they obtained patent rights in the US, Canada, UK, France and Germany. The first German publication of the patent was published in 1937: as DE647345C. At the Paris World Exhibition in 1937, they were awarded for this innovation the silver medal laudating "the exceptional design and function of a 4-color mechanical pencil".

  • Wurden vor dem 2.Weltkrieg nur mechanische Bleistifte hergestellt?
  • Wurden ausser Sterlingsilber auch andere Materialien wie Gold benutzt?

During the bombing of the city of Pforzheim on February 23, 1945, the Waldmann factory was completely destroyed. After rebuilding, production was resumed and new patent rights were obtained from 1949 onward. They also added writing instruments made of brass, silver, rolled gold doublé and 18 ct. gold to its product range. In 1957 and the following years, they were granted patent rights for 2- and 4-color ballpoint pens also with a rotating system.

In 1959, Waldmann created a special collection for Rotring, sold by Rotring under the name of Rotring. Rotring quickly became the main customer, accounting for 75 percent of Waldmann’s production.

Adolf Waldmann died in Pforzheim in 1964 at the age of 76.

Rotring acquired Waldmann sometime between 1964 and 1970, the exact date is unknown. It is known from a Rotring book that Waldmann became a 100% daughter company in 1970.

 

  • Wurde Waldmann in Stufen gekauft und wurde erst in 1970 eine 100%ige Tochter?  
  • Patente bis einschließlich 1970 enthalten kein Wort von Rotring, zwischen 1970 und 1975 ist dann ein Patentloch und 1975 wird erstmals als Anmelder Rotring genannt.

 

During the Rotring ownership, further patent rights were obtained, among others for the “Two-in-One” from 1972 (1975? DE7520293U?). This retractable ballpoint pen had a ball pen refill in one end of the barrel and the other end was made into a fountain pen.

 

  • Ab 1982 gab es dann keine “Waldmann-Patente” mehr, wahrscheinlich lief das dann alles ausschließlich über Rotring. 
  • Was unterschied Two-in-one von einer Onward combination aus den 1950ern? 
  • Waldmann patente: https://patents.google.com/?q=(KG)&assignee=Adolf+Waldmann&oq=Adolf+Waldmann+KG+&sort=old

 

Also, the exact date of the separation from Rotring is unknown. However, in 2000, Ottokar Kupfer was named as the new owner of Waldmann KG. 

 

From 1980 until around 2003, Waldmann sold its pens under the name USUS Germany. Often made for the French and Spanish market. Data picked up from the internet, might not be entirely correct.

 

Another transfer of ownership of the Waldmann company was registered in 2007, when Stefan Schnirch took over.

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  • Wann wurde Waldmann von Rotring übernommen ? 
  • Wann wurde Waldmann wieder selbständig - MBO (management buy out) ? 
  • Seit wann ist Waldmann in Birkenfeld ? Was geschah mit dem Gebäude in der Maximilianstraße? 
  • Ist das Two-in-one Patent wirklich von 1972. Ich habe kein Patent von 1972 (weder Anmeldung noch Veröffentlichung) gefunden. 
  • Wie hiess das erfolgreiche Rotringprodukt von 1959?

Usus pens

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