 Drawing on the experience they had gained at De La Rue, the two started their own business, initially reselling fountain pens manufactured by other companies.The name "Conway Stewart" was apparently derived from a popular music hall act of the time.The fountain pen market in Britain at that time was dominated by De La Rue and it was clear to Jarvis and Garner that only a very limited market share could be gained by reselling un-branded fountain pens.