Cowboy on a Bucking Bronco – Fount-o-Ink

Description

This Fount-O-Ink desk inkstand, invented by Carey G. Gregory, was produced by the Gregory Fount-O-Ink Company of Los Angeles, California. The company’s origin dates to January 1936, when Gregory secured U.S. Patent No. 2,026,529 for his continuous-feed reservoir desk set. The company operated at 2652 Pasadena Ave., Los Angeles 41, California.

The cast metal base features a textured bronze-copper hammertone finish with round, streamlined corners and stepped Art Deco ribbing at each end. Mounted along the lower front edge is an embossed metal “FOUNT-O-INK” nameplate reading “Made in U.S.A. – Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. – Los Angeles, California.”

A prominent feature of this model is the dark metal figural casting of a cowboy atop a bucking bronco, holding his Stetson hat high. Metal figures for these custom sets were supplied by Trophy Craft L.A.

The ink receiver features a black molded Bakelite/plastic housing with vertical Art Deco fluting, topped with a removable metal cap matching the base finish. It accommodates an inverted 2 oz. clear glass Fount-O-Ink bottle that continuously feeds the dip-pen socket via atmospheric pressure.

The matching dip pen features a black barrel stamped “Gregory FOUNT-O-INK CO. LOS ANGELES 41, CALIF.”, a red section collar, and a translucent amber/tortoiseshell celluloid tapered tail.

For a detailed history of these “one-dip” desk sets, see Richard Binder’s reference article:

One-Dip Desk Sets • RichardsPens.com

Additional Information

• Trophy Craft Attribution: Trophy Craft was a major Los Angeles manufacturer of metal trophy figures, desk accessories, and novelty souvenirs during the 1930s–1950s. They provided custom metal castings (such as cowboys, horses, airplanes, and elephants) for various Gregory desk sets.
• Dating via Postal Zone: The pen barrel stamp includes the postal zone number “LOS ANGELES 41, CALIF.” Postal zone numbers were introduced by the U.S. Post Office in May 1943 (prior to the 5-digit ZIP code system introduced in 1963). While the patent dates to 1936, the inclusion of zone “41” dates the production of this specific pen and set to the mid-to-late 1940s or early 1950s.

Additional Background: Carey G. Gregory & Fount-O-Ink

• The Patent System: Carey G. Gregory was awarded U.S. Patent No. 2,026,529 on January 7, 1936, titled “Inkstand.” He subsequently secured additional patents, including U.S. Patent 2,129,209 (1938) for pen capillary feed mechanics.
• How It Worked: Known in the pen industry as a “one-dip” or reservoir set, the inverted 2 oz. bottle sat upside down inside the black plastic housing. Air pressure maintained a controlled level of fresh ink in the small pen cup below without overflowing, allowing the dip pen to automatically stay charged with ink for immediate writing.
• Commercial Presence: Gregory Fount-O-Ink was active from 1936 through the late 1950s. They competed directly with major “dip-less” desk set producers like Esterbrook (444 sets), Sengbusch (Handi-Pen), and Parker. To stand out, Gregory partnered with local Los Angeles foundries like Trophy Craft to offer decorative figural, Western, and institutional themes alongside their standard office models.