▁public ' s ▁per ception ▁of ▁good ▁value ▁products . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 5 , ▁Con way ▁Stewart ▁went ▁public , ▁raising ▁additional ▁capital ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁by ▁offering ▁shares . ▁The ▁years ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁proved ▁difficult ▁for ▁Con way ▁Stewart ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁manufact ur ers ; ▁there ▁were ▁short ages ▁of ▁materials ▁but ▁the ▁company ▁managed ▁to ▁surv ive ▁by ▁continu ing ▁to ▁offer ▁good ▁reliable ▁pens ▁at ▁reasonable ▁prices . ▁ ▁Emer ging ▁from ▁post - war ▁a uster ity ▁in ▁Britain , ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁golden ▁years ▁for ▁Con way ▁Stewart , ▁with ▁the ▁cre ative ▁use ▁of ▁col oured ▁pl astic ▁reaching ▁its ▁peak . ▁The ▁company ▁once ▁again ▁re located ▁to ▁new ▁prem ises , ▁but ▁the ▁golden ▁age ▁proved ▁to ▁be ▁short - l ived . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁the ▁ball point ▁pen ▁was ▁being ▁developed ▁and ▁while ▁initially ▁un re li able ▁and ▁more ▁expensive ▁than ▁compar ably ▁finished ▁f ount ain ▁pens , ▁soon ▁decre ased ▁rapidly ▁in ▁price . ▁Con way ▁Stewart , ▁along ▁with ▁most ▁other ▁f ount ain ▁pen ▁manufact ur ers ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁failed ▁to ▁anticip ate ▁the ▁effect ▁that ▁this ▁innov ative ▁product ▁would ▁have ▁on ▁f ount ain ▁pen ▁sales . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁f ount ain ▁pen ▁sales ▁decl ined ▁very ▁quickly ▁and ▁Con way ▁Stewart ▁began ▁to ▁feel ▁the ▁effect ▁of ▁falling ▁reven