215 The PENNANT 2003 Spring Vol. XVII, No.1

Transcription

$9.95
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
The
PENnant
Vol. XVII, No.1
Spring 2003
FEATURES
Trading with the Natives: A Light Hearted
Introduction to “Made In England”
Jim Marshall
4
The Natural World vs The Machine Age:
Writing Instruments of the Art Nouveau
and Art Deco Eras
Melissa Lowry &
Michael McNeil
8
ARTICLES
Mabie In America, a Review
L. Michael Fultz
11
No, But Thanks For Asking
Donald Harvey
12
A Different BIC
William J. Cowell, Jr.
15
Design in Hand Exhibit
16
DEPARTMENTS
Inklings
3
In Memoriam
Pen Show Circuit:
The Great Southeastern Pen Show
Chicago Pen Show
23
Lisa Hanes
Craig Bozorth
18
20
Victor Chen
24
Tech Notes: Solvents and Adhesives
Victor Chen
26
Repairs and Restorations:
Imprints and Blind Caps
Frank Dubiel
28
Notes From the Board
Board Notes
IN BRIEF
Letters to the Editor
2
From the President
Sam Fiorella
From the Editor
Melissa Lowry
2
25
About the Contributors
30
Repair Directory
31
The Marketplace
32
Published by the
PEN COLLECTORS OF AMERICA, INC.
P.O. Box 447
Fort Madison, IA 52627-0447
Phone: 319.372.0881
Fax: 319.372.0882
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.pencollectors.com
The Board of Directors
Director/President
SAM FIORELLA
DAN REPPERT
Director/Vice President
VICTOR CHEN
Director/Recording Secretary
CRAIG BOZORTH
Director
L. MICHAEL FULTZ
Director
LISA HANES
Director
HOWARD KAPLAN
Director
SAUL KITCHENER
Director
JACK LEONE
Director
Administrative Officers
BOB NURIN
DAN REPPERT
Treasurer
Librarian
Editor
MELISSA LOWRY
Associate Editor
DEDE REHKOPF
Advertising Manager
TERRY MAWHORTER
Membership in Pen Collectors of America:
U.S. and Canada: $30.00 one year,
$75.00 for three years
Foreign: $40.00 one year,
$105.00 three years (U.S. currency)
Advertising Rates
(Deadline: October 1, 2003)
On The Cover
Front Cover:
Edison Lighting illustration by Coles Philips (1880–1927), who also did illustrations for Life magazine
as well as several pen manufacturers. His hallmark look was the fadeaway technique. Pendemonium
collection.
Back cover:
1927 Waterman ad, Century magazine. Pendemonium collection.
Inside front cover (full-color)
Inside back cover (full-color)
Back cover (full-color)
Last page (full-color)
Full page (full-color)
Full page (black & white)
Flyer insert
Half page
Quarter page
Listing in P.C.A. repair directory (3 issues)
Business card
Classified ads (per word)
$1,100.00
$1,000.00
$2,000.00
$800.00
$700.00
$300.00
$300.00
$150.00
$100.00
$75.00
$50.00
$0.50
Copyright 2003 Pen Collectors of America, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Letters to
the Editor
From the President
ETHICS
To the P.C.A. Board:
Thank you for the outstanding work you
have done on behalf of P.C.A. during your term
of office. You should all be pleased and proud of
what has been accomplished. Every aspect of
the Association has improved. The PENnant is
most visible: the quality of its content, and its
production quality are terrific. The tone of
membership communication and the quantity
of information conveyed is professional and yet
maintains the warmth and friendliness necessary for continued growth of pen collecting.
To assemble a quality Board and recruit candidates for office speaks highly of the current
Board members and the organization.
Too often the only communication Boards
receive is negative and nit- picking. You have
given of your time and yourselves. Your efforts
are greatly appreciated.
Best wishes to each of you,
Dan Burtosiewicz
Letter to the Editor:
I just joined P.C.A. and received my “new
member” package with three issues of PENnant
and the member directory...why didn’t I do this
sooner? The issues of PENnant are great and
now I know who to reach out and touch in
Pendom. You all are providing a great service
to our community, and I know the commitment that is required of an all-volunteer
organization.
I just wanted to say "Thanks!"
Mike Cameron
DEAR EDITOR:
The cover photo is a work of art. A harmonious combination of color, angles and materials. Compliments to Bill Riepl. In fact–all of
his photos are impressive. Suggestion—how
about a feature story on him and the secrets of
doing superior pen photography? It’s not an
obvious skill. When I’ve tried to photograph
my pens–they come out looking like a kid’s
game of “pick-up-sticks”! Just a mess. He’s got
a real eye for his subject and a talent for bringing out their beauty.
Prof. Paul J. Ferlazzo, Ph.D.
DEAR EDITOR:
The PENnant arrived today. I’ve always found
the magazine enjoyable to read, but I must
say…you folks keep making it better and better. I look forward to sitting down and doing
some reading tonight.
Blaine Jack
The P.C.A. welcomes readers’ comments. Mail
to: P.C.A. - Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 447,
Fort Madison, IA 52627 or Email: [email protected] The P.C.A. reserves the right to edit
for clarity. Letters to the Editor are printed as
space is available.
2
The
PEN NAN T
AND
MORALS
AND
PENS – OH MY!
Not so very long ago it was common practice for each of us to
uphold our own personal set of ethics and morals as far as our pen
collecting activities went. For the most part, with the exception of
the few extremists that are bound to show up in any collecting
arena, most everyone had pretty much the same set of ethics and morals, based on good
old-fashioned common sense. This seemed to serve everyone well. When someone said
they had a pen for sale and it was in mint condition, then that meant it was in mint condition. If you had a problem with a pen deal or trade, you either called or sat down and
wrote a letter to the party you were transacting with, chatted about the issue at hand,
hammered things out and life went on. Payment was made after the deal was done.
Everyone went to sleep with a clear conscience. I think pen collecting was much simpler
then. The pen community was mighty small and everyone knew that word would travel
fast if a pen collector was abusing the trust of fellow collectors.
Nowadays the main venue for pen collecting is online, which has opened a whole new
world of collecting, both good and bad. Many of the same pen collectors who once shook
hands on a deal are behind a computer now, but the days of closing a deal on mutual trust
seem to be fleeting fast. It’s not enough for us each to maintain our own set or ethics and
morals; others now want everyone to have a singular set of ethics and morals, decided on
by them. Collectors have gone so far as to think that the P.C.A. should impose and even
enforce these ethics. Pen police we are not! Some days I feel like Dorothy in the Wizard
of Oz, skipping along the yellow brick road chanting, “Lions and Tigers and Bears – oh
my!” Instead I’m chanting “Ethics and Morals and Pens – oh my!” Perhaps some of our
common sense has been sucked up into that spinning tornado?
New and old collectors alike take it upon themselves to inform us on public pen forums
that Mr. So-and-So hasn’t repaired their pen to their liking or they charged too much
shipping or the pen took too long to arrive or any other thing they can think of to
complain about. No matter that the collector-informant hasn’t bothered to try working
out his perceived problem on a one-on-one basis before taking it public. I remain utterly
confused about the collector-informants who thrive on alerting us to fraudulent online
auctions: Mr. Such-and-Such has an expensive pen up for auction and he has no feedback
and everyone better stay clear. What compels the collector-informant to decide this on
his own and publicly announce it is beyond me. Even further beyond my level of comprehension is why anyone would take information like this to heart without personally
verifying it themselves. Not to mention that at one time each of us who has stepped into
the world of online auctions had to start from scratch with zero feedback. This is not to
say there aren’t fraudulent activities going on —of course there are—but do we need
someone to decide for us which auctions are okay and which are not?
Not too long ago, I took a call from someone who had been to a pen show and purchased
a pen he was unhappy with. He couldn’t remember whom he bought the pen from, but
that was beside the point because he was upset and felt the P.C.A. should hunt down this
evil seller and make sure they were appropriately reprimanded.
Whatever happened to our common sense? Pen collecting is a hobby. Oh, all right, it’s
more than just a hobby for some of us; it is an obsession, but a harmless obsession!
Everything we do in life, including pen collecting, requires some degree of being responsible for our actions. Pens may be important to us, but the people who we share our hobby
with are what should ultimately be important to us. This is supposed to be fun!
The P.C.A. started out over 11 years ago as an organization to further the hobby of pen
collecting and to encourage members to research, document and share information about
vintage pens. That is still what we are here for today. We are not an appraisal service, we
are not a negotiating team, we are not here to force your ethics and morals on others, and
we most certainly are not the pen police. We hope that pen collectors will act responsibly, but that is not our decision to make; that’s up to you and only you.
SPRING 2003
SAM FIORELLA
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Victor Chen, P.C.A. Secretary, takes a break
from recording minutes at the P.C.A. Board of
Directors Meeting at the Westin Hotel in
Rosemont. A well deserved break indeed - this
meeting started at 7AM and in the midst of a
pen show weekend to boot. Those of you who go
to the shows know how precious sleep can be
with everything going on!
IN TH
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HGTV’s NEWS! Roge
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, too!
Big thanks to the members of
the Southeast Pen Collectors
Club (SPCC) who pitched right
in and managed the P.C.A.
table in Atlanta. It’s not
easy tending to one club
table, no less two club tables
and I might add that we
couldn’t have asked for
better table tenders.
Thanks SPCC!
The P.C.A. held its first ever online
contest in May. Congrats to alert
members Susan Thom and Ron Lee
for being the first to report delivery of the latest issue of the
PENnant. The winners each
received a prize package including
ink, pens and a P.C.A. lapel pin.
There was an overwhleming
response to the contest and more will be planned for future postings
on online pen forums - but watch out, they’re going to be more challenging! Thanks to Lisa Hanes for arranging this and taking care of
all the details.
Got an Inkling?
Send us your pen related anecdotes, tales and
photos for all P.C.A. members to enjoy.
P.C.A. Inklings, P.O. Box 447, Fort Madison, IA
52627 Email: [email protected]
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
3
Trading with the Natives:
A Light Hearted Introduction to “Made in England”
By Jim Marshall
All rights reserved by the author
have just finished reading the last issue of The PENnant, while
sitting looking across the wide Mississippi and listening to the
Santa Fe noisily waking the sleeping residents of Fort
Madison, Iowa. I am an Englishman abroad, a foreigner in
American penland, surrounded by Grieshaber, Crocker, Salz,
Morrison, Jaxon, Diamond Medal and lots of other strange names.
Names that would not excite a pen collector in Glasgow, Cardiff
or London, even if he knew that they were makers of writing
instruments. I look in vain in The PENnant for any references to
an English pen!
I
Nevertheless, a few missionaries have tried to convert the North
American savages by extolling the benefits of the ‘Euro’, or rather
the ‘Anglo’, together with promises of lifelong satisfaction.
However, the natives seem quite content with their Janesville,
Chicago and Boston baubles and totems and more often than not
these missionaries returned home, heretics, with bags of black
hard rubber and obscure filling systems, having had doubt cast on
their path to collecting salvation.
Photo by Jim Marshall
One might be a little surprised that in these days of global collecting, buying and selling that insularity with respect to pens is
the norm. Perhaps it is because until recently one used to collect
locally and hence interest was restricted to what one might find
in the local market.
Fig. 1 Mentmore pens. Left to right, 1.1 dark blue No. 46
with matching section, 1.2 dark brown Diploma, 1.3 lilac
marble Paramount, 1.4 bronze black marble Autoflow.
As I sit looking at our motto “Made in England” and an imprint
of “Reg. TM,” I think it is time to try again, to tempt the natives
with some other path to “writeousness.”
My friend and business associate Stephen Hull is the
acknowledged expert on UK manufacturers of fountain pens,
including US companies, who infiltrated our islands as early as
the 19 th century. I am indebted to him for conversational
comments, often in a smoky atmosphere with lots of frothy brown
ink in pint glasses, and if readers have any serious queries on companies, then he is your man!
BACKGROUND
Fountain pens have been made in the UK since the early 19th
4
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
My approach is much more cavalier and broad brush in order to
give a general impression of some of the less well known makes of
British pens. Captain John Smith came with beads and left with
Pocahontas: I come with Burnhams, Mentmores, Chatsworths,
Seals, Summits and Waverleys and hope to leave with the ‘soon
to be out of fashion’ jointless, turban topped, sleeved, filigreed
black and lots of yellow colored scrap.
Fig. 2 English pens. Left to right, 2.1 black bronze button fill
Stephens No. 56, 2.2 blue, grey, black, marble Burnham B48, 2.3 red
spiderweb Unique, 2.4 silver lizard Summit.
Often the stimulus to enter the market was to protect a current market
position and interest; consequently steel nib makers such as
MacNiven & Cameron and Perry and gold nib makers such as Mabie
Todd and Bard and John Holland were early players. Mostly, however,
the makers who succeeded in the UK were already successful in other
areas or in other countries: for example De La Rue was well established in commercial printing and Waterman was globally focused.
There were of course many back yard operations, which fell by the
wayside, leaving interesting examples and names, but by the 1920s
most of the UK companies who were to dominate the next three
decades were in existence. The early 1930s were marked by unemployment and general strikes, but by the mid 30s the more buoyant
economy heralded in some of the best British designs of fountain pens,
which survived even until the 1950s.
century. For example, I have a silver Scheffer, which is hallmarked
1821 and has a catgut reservoir, a priming button and a shut off valve
(Fig. 6). However, the era of mass production did not begin until the
1880’s and English manufacturers were not slow to innovate or
imitate. The first nibbed fountain pen produced in quantity in the UK
was probably the ‘Anti-stylograph’ licensed to and produced by
Thomas De La Rue Company. This was in 1881, and by 1900 there
were many makers established in the UK, including some of the large
US fountain pen companies.
Fig 3 Blackbirds. Left to right, 3.1 burgundy marble
with white metal cap, 3.2 light pastel brown lever
fill–rare clip, 3.3 solid bright red 5277, 3.4 burgundy ‘lever less’ with blind cap.
The Second World War disrupted production and development and
brought pen manufacturers together. Material supply problems
demanded cooperation and previous competitor products were made
in the same factories. Such wartime-made pens are often a challenge
in identification with a random mix of levers, buttons and clips. After
the war, recovery was remarkably quick and some of the classics of
Conway Stewart, Swan, Onoto, and Parker were introduced between
1946 and 1955. The demise of UK manufacturing companies became
apparent in the mid 1950s. This was a general UK malaise not only
restricted to fountain pen manufacture, but it was accentuated by corporate decisions to sacrifice quality in the drive to compete on price
with the ballpoint pen.
Tariff and trade barriers were export challenges for all countries, but
US parent companies shrewdly used Canada, which enjoyed preferential ‘Empire’ status, to supply the UK. Consequently even today one
is more likely to find ‘Made in Canada’ pens in the UK than US made
variants.
Fig. 4 De La Rue pens. Left to right, 4.1 Lever fill
in transparent spiral cellulose, 4.2 plunger fill
RBHR, 4.3 silver overlaid vintage Onoto with modern Onoto Pen Co. overlay, 4.4 Mammoth No. 8
Onoto BHR, 4.5 18 kt full overlay, hallmarked
French and English, 1911.
In the meantime, some of the 20 th century British models will
undoubtedly become more collectible as the number of pen collectors
increases and the availability of high quality ‘popular’ pens is not
By the 1960s few UK pen companies existed that were not subsidiaries
of foreign owned masters. A number of companies had been farmed
out to Australia, but the majority just ceased production and were
assimilated into other companies for tax purposes. However the late
1990s saw a rebirth and British pens such as Conway Stewart are again
firmly established, with Burnham and Onoto waiting in the wings to
be significant players in the 21st century.
Fig. 5 British pens. Left to right, 5.1 Blue lizard
skin button fill Wyvern set, 5.2 BHR MacNiven and
Cameron 1950s eyedropper, 5.3 pearl and black
National Security lever fill.
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
5
BRITISH MADE PENS
There is often doubt with small brands as
to who made what! Some small firms had
their own manufacturing facilities but
many used third parties at least at some
stage of their growth.
Major stores such as Harrods, WHSmith,
John Lewis and Boots had their own
brands. Product promotional pens such
as OXO by Conway Stewart and Typhoo
Tea by Wyvern were produced; and pens
such as Battleaxe were produced for catalogue houses, but most of these
examples were standard models with
adapted imprints.
Unlike the above, most of the makes
mentioned below had a lasting presence
on the UK market. All were available at
the stationers and specialist shops of the
day and were produced in large quantities and in a wide range of models. The
consequence is that for today’s collectors they are quite common and
reasonably priced.
Burnham was established in the 1920s
but both button and lever fill pens made
prior to the war are quite rare. They are
best known for their post war ‘wild’
marble colored casein pens (Fig 2.2) in a
range of sizes with both gold and steel
nibs. They were ideal school pens at an
economic price.
Blackbird was the cheaper end of Mabie
Todd’s range, providing some fascinating
variants as illustrated in Fig 3. Solid
colors in blues, reds and greys; marbled
variants with metal caps; rare pastels
looking like Calligraph Prefects; twist fill
‘leverless’ cunning enough to confuse all
attempts to use as a button filler. Perhaps
the best catch would be a mottled
(commonly referred as a red and black
mottled hard rubber – RBMHR) Big
Blackbird (Fig. 7.3).
6
The
PEN NAN T
Conway Stewart is well established and
known to collectors and increasingly
wanted, particularly the 58 and 60
models. Dandy and Dinkie also have
their followers, but some of the smaller
more neglected pens such as the veined
models are beginning to be appreciated
more.
Lang–Curzon was formed in 1895 near
Liverpool. Lang linked with Curzon in
the early 20s to become a major pen
player. Lang was the maker and Curzon
the company interfacing with the trade.
One of their 1927 quality products was
the Debrett/Curzon, which had a unique
top level filling system as well as a rather
‘posh’ brand name. Summit was
introduced in 1945 and quality pens
were produced until 1954 with some
wonderful intense solid colours such as
their unique forest green and lizard
plastics (Fig.2.14).
Ford was a blotting paper manufacturer
who ventured into pens with the help of
designs by Stewart Vivian, who was one
of the fascinating characters of pen
making in the UK. The pens were
probably made by Wyvern and were
available in at least 4 sizes from 1931 to
1939. This pen is truly one of the classics
and when overlaid with silver, gold or
enamel is a spectacular pen (Fig.7.1,
7.2).
Jewel started by representing John
Holland in 1884 and was making their
own pens in 1895 in London. In 1918
the company sold eyedroppers, safety
pens and syringe fillers, and by the end
of the 1920s had lever fill pens. One regularly encounters later Jewel pens but
eyedropper and safety pens are very rare.
Remarkable cap shrinkage is a characteristic of wartime pens!
MacNiven & Cameron, based in
Edinburgh, was founded in 1770 and
started to make pens in Birmingham in
1906. They produced a variety of eyedroppers in black hard rubber (BHR)
after which they adopted various filling
systems including a ‘bulb’ filling design, a
push/pull system and a conventional lever
fill. The cap clips are unique with thistle
shapes, stamped faces and unusual claw
fittings (Fig. 5.2). Colored examples are
rare and overlaid examples even rarer. A
modern eyedropper, the Waverley, was
produced in the 1950s for the Civil
Service use in hot countries where rubber
sacs deteriorate dramatically.
Mentmore Manufacturing Company was
founded in 1919 and started manufacturing in 1923. The early MMC Ltd. pens
called Spot had a prominent white dot on
the cap, which possibly predated
Sheaffer’s use of the dot (a later Spot is
illustrated in Fig. 7.4). Fig. 1 illustrates
some of the classic Mentmores. The 45
and the 69 (not illustrated) were quality
pens offered with sterling caps; the
Autoflow was made with lever and button
fill, with a clip having an M logo in a
diamond. These pens were very similar to
Summit models. The hooded nib Diploma
was very similar to the cheaper Platignum.
The company continued to manufacture
in London until at least 1958.
National Security was a brand name of
British Carbon Papers Company and
early models were direct imitations of
the Parker Duofold button fill and
Valentine lever fill (and were probably
made in Newhaven by Valentine). In
sufficient to meet the demand. I have
listed only a few of the possibilities
below, but those of you who wish to
become disciples will have to travel the
Internet with the new keywords “Made
in England!”
Fig. 6 Scheffer 1821 fountain pen made by Robson. A similar pen was used by the Prince
of Wales (later to become George IV).
SPRING 2003
the 1940s they continued to imitate Parker, but
copied a 1930s vacumatic shaped pen as a lever
filler (Conway Stewart probably made this pen).
Quality chased hard rubber and rarer lizard and
marble examples (Fig. 5.3) are very attractive with
a variety of clips and usually had warranted nibs.
Often they were advertised together with another
BPC Co. brand, “Rosemary–lest we forget” or
“remembrance” pens.
Stephens, the ink makers, started with pens in 1935
using an unusual pump action filling system
patented by Lang (Fig 2.1). It is actually a simple
pressure bar action activated by a complicated
button. Lang was the probable maker of Stephens’
pens and most were economical lever fill products
targeted for school use.
Unique was established in 1924, making second
division pens at an economical price. In 1927, 35
models of the same price, all with gold nibs, were
available. These smaller sized pens were produced
mainly in marbled materials. An unusual cobweb
design is illustrated in Fig. 2.3. The company gave in
to market pressure, and like De La Rue and Swan,
ceased to be a player in 1958.
Valentine existed as a Dundee greeting card
company (established in 1825) but diverted into
pens after acquiring Gold Nibs Ltd and Whytwarth
in 1929. The 1930 range of Valentine pens included
attractive lever fill pens with a choice of pocket clips
and the Whytwarth range of safety pens. In the
1930s The Valentine Pen Company was making
pens for a number of other companies including
National Security and Parker. Valentine branded
pens were made until about 1950, even after Parker
took over the company in 1945.
Whytwarth’s focus was on safety pens; most models
were slim black hard rubber, but the larger models
Onoto pens are well-established collector items, and
Magnas, for example, command high prices. Fig. 4
illustrates some less common examples of De La Rue
pens. The lever pen (Fig. 4.1) is not an Onoto and the
red and black hard rubber (RBHR) Onoto short
piston (Fig. 4.2) fill dates from the early 1920s. The
Mammoth No. 8 (Fig 4.4) and the 18kt full gold
overlay (Fig 4.5) are both quite rare. The silver
overlaid BHR Onoto dates from ca.1910 (Fig 4.3),
but the reincarnated Onoto Pen Co. Ltd has fit the
modern overlay. The most desirable Onotos are the
silver filigree, colored Magnas, heavy silver overlays
and early solid gold pens.
Fig. 7 British pens. Left to right, 7.1 Spectacular silver overlaid Ford Magna, 7.2 RBHR
smallest Ford made, 7.3 Big Blackbird in RBHR, 7.4 Spot metal pen made by Mentmore,
7.5 Bard, a typical example of using association with Mabie, Todd and Bard (too late for
Shakespeare!)
with silver overlays and some very rare enameled or red and black hard
rubber examples are the most desirable.
Wyvern, a Leicester company, produced a mixed range of superb quality
from silver overlays and painted lacquer to poorer quality plastic school
pens. They manufactured their own pens and a wide range of third party
makes including most probably Ford and others. The company was quite
innovative, introducing hooded nibs, unique leather-covered pens (Fig.
5.1) (which incidentally were favoured by George VI) and giant stylos.
Repairers beware, as Wyvern delighted in using left-hand threads in a
peculiarly random manner.
Miscellaneous: Apart from the above, many other pen makes are often
encountered such as Platignum (a brand of Mentmore), Altura,
Kingswood (Eversharp), Relief (Esterbrook), Osmiroid, Neptune, The
Seal Pen, Kingsway, Strand, Kenrick and Jefferson and a multitude of
eyedropper makes (Fig. 7.5). Add to these the variety of unique British
Swan, Parker, Waterman and Eversharp models, and when the UK
edition of The PENnant is introduced we can devote the first issue to
these names! R
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
7
The Natural World vs. The Machine Age:
Writing Instruments of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco Eras
By Melissa Lowry and Michael McNeil
Photographs by Michael McNeil
here are many beautiful designs and decorative applications in the world of writing
instruments, but there cannot be two more attractive, yet apparently more diametrically opposed, than Art Nouveau and Art Deco. The Art Nouveau (1894–1914)
and Art Deco (1920s– 1930s) movements occurred successively within a relatively short
span of time, and each encompassed both artistic and philosophical aspects which affected
product design and functionality in a variety of ways.
T
Pens, pencils and desk furnishings of these eras are especially interesting to collect because
they serve as pocket encyclopedias of these design features, if one knows where to look.
The characteristics of Art Nouveau and Art Deco are often confused with one another, but
some historical perspective may make it easier to distinguish between them.
WHAT IS ART NOUVEAU?
This decorative-art movement, which flourished in both America and Western Europe,
began as a reaction against the historical emphasis of mid-19th-century art. Its philosophy
was to break all connections to classical times, and remove the barriers between the fine
arts and applied arts.
This approach was considered completely new and revolutionary, thus its “New Art”
name. The term “Art Nouveau” was first used by contemporary critics in Belgium, and was
then adopted by art dealer Siegfried Bing in 1896 for his Paris shop, La Maison de l’Art
Nouveau, which specialized in contemporary work by artists such as Emile Galle, Louis
Comfort Tiffany and René Lalique.
Art Nouveau is characterized by curving and undulating lines, often referred to as whiplash
curves, which were reminiscent of twining plant tendrils. Because of this typical structured
whiplash line, Art Nouveau obtained a nickname “the noodle style,” or in French, “Le
style nouilles.”
Left to Right, Sterling silver dip pen holder
maker unknown, Waterman’s 412 ED, Sterling
silver Laughlin ED, hand engraved sterling silver
Wahl-Eversharp pencil, acid etched Swan “Fyne
Poynt” advertising pencil for the Simon Benson
Lumber Co., hand engraved coin silver pencil J.
Skeldon (probably English mfgr.), gold filled &
mother of pearl Grieshaber dip pen holder with
retractable nib.
Richly ornamental and asymmetrical, Art Nouveau is filled with dreamlike, exotic forms
and symbolism, frequently of an erotic nature. The style was based on nature, the freeflowing lines of plants and flowers, birds and insects. Organic motifs of hearts, buds and
egg-shaped forms symbolized growth and life. Artists explored themes of metamorphosis as
part of a belief that humankind is ever evolving in nature. Japonisme, a popular style
developed in the 1860s that encompassed Japanese art design, was one of the strongest
influences upon Art Nouveau.
The outstanding designers of Art Nouveau include the English graphic artist Aubrey
Beardsley; Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh; Czech illustrator Alphonse
Mucha; jeweler, architect and designer of the Paris metro stations René Lalique; Austrian
painter Gustav Klimt, Spanish architect Antonio Gaudí, and American architect Louis
Sullivan and glass designer Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Art Nouveau formed a bridge between the 19th and the 20th centuries, but did not survive
World War I. In Spain, however, which was uninvolved in the war, production of Art
Nouveau continued largely due to the work of architect Antonio Gaudí, who designed in
the style until his death in 1926. The popularity of Art Nouveau, “The New Style” peaked
in 1900 at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, and then faded within a generation.
8
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
Detail of sterling silver Art Nouveau roller blotter handle with Art Nouveau border background.
Interest in Art Nouveau was revived in
the 1950s, and more recently with the
100th anniversary of the Paris Exhibition.
lower quality fountain pens in the Art
Nouveau style.
interwoven and superimposed lines,
zigzags, openwork squares and triangles.
These were inspired by hard-edged
machines, from the pistons in car engines
to the gears and shafts of assembly lines.
Fancy pens and pencils of this period were
WRITING INSTRUMENTS OF THE ART
highly prized as presentation gifts. Some
NOUVEAU PERIOD
were so beautiful that their ownBut although sharp angles were a common
Many dip pens, fountain pens
ers were afraid to use them, and
thread in the Deco movement, 1930s Deco
and pencils, as well as flat pencils
many have survived in surprisingartists often incorporated the streamlined
and magic pencils with gold,
ly good condition. Production of
and aerodynamic elements of modern airgold-filled, sterling and coin
most of these pens was low, and in
craft, which had curves (Art Deco curves,
silver overlays, were manusome cases only a very few have
however, are much more stylized than the
factured with beautiful Art
been found. There are pens that
naturalistic curves of Art Nouveau). In
Nouveau designs. These were
were illustrated in advertising and
addition to its influence by the new
sometimes enhanced with
catalogs, which have never been
Machine Age, Art Deco was also strongly
enameling, mother-of-pearl and
found by pen collectors.
influenced by the art of a very pre-industriabalone slabs or inlays, precious
Today there has been a revival
al culture: the Egyptians.
and semi-precious stones. Others
in the appreciation of Art
were
embellished
with
Other decorative themes came from the
Nouveau pieces of all kinds
engraving, chasing and repousse,
American Indian, the Orient, tribal Africa,
and interest in collecting pens
were acid etched, or used cutout Two examples of
enameled “Magic
Cubism, Futurism and early classical sources
filigree work in the metal Pencils” designed as and other writing instruments
Egyptian sarcophagi.
as well as from nature. Characteristic motifs
with Art Nouveau designs is
overlays.
included nude female figures, animals,
high. Although most of the
foliage, and sunrays, all in highly stylized
Some pen manufacturers with distinctive
prices tend to be high as well, some Art
forms. Materials used frequently included
Art Nouveau pen and pencil designs were:
Nouveau pens from minor manufacturman-made substances (plastics, especially
Aikin-Lambert, Carey, Century, Heath,
ers can be purchased at more reasonable
bakelite) in addition to natural ones (jade,
John Holland, Lancaster, Laughlin, Mabie
prices and are excellent additions to a
silver, ivory, obsidian, chrome, rock crystal
Todd, Mooney, Moore, Onoto, Parker,
pen collection.
and the new luxury metal, platinum).
J.G. Rider, Sheaffer, Sanford & Bennett,
WHAT IS ART
H.M. Smith, Sterling, A.A. Waterman,
Art Deco style was
DECO?
L.E. Waterman, Weidlich, Williamson,
much more contraArt Deco, also
and Wirt.
dictory than Art
called Le Style
Nouveau: it was
Moderne, origiCarey, located in New York, made pens
angular, yet somenated in the 1920s
with exceptionally beautiful, almost exagtimes curved; inand developed
gerated, chased and repousse overlay work.
dustrial, yet someinto a major style
Some Carey designs done in high relief are
times Egyptian;
in Western Europe
in especially high demand by collectors
genteel-looking
and the United
today. George W. Heath & Company,
yet made for the
States during the
located in Newark, New Jersey, did
masses. These con1930s. This movecontract work, making metal overlays for a
tradictory definiment in the deconumber of different companies, such as
tions and characrative arts and
Parker and L.E. Waterman. They also
teristics have conarchitecture was
made their own pens, some of which
tributed to a very
largely a reaction
closely resembled early Parkers.
basic inaccuracy.
against the VicSome early fountain pens were not as well
For example, many
t o r i a n aesthetic
marked by manufacturers as they were in
books repeat the
and Art Nouveau,
later years. Pens were occasionally marked
same story about
a style that has
with the metal content on the overlay, i.e.
Art Deco’s origin,
been described as
Left to right, 1930’s Good Sevice lever fill, 1931
“sterling silver” or “14K,” but a manufacoften “fussy and Eversharp “Doric”, lever fill, 1932 Monroe lever fill, which is that the
turer’s imprint might appear only on the
circa 1938 anodized aluminum Eversharp pencil,
movement was
inhibited”.
1935 Eversharp “Doric” plunger fill, 1936 to 1939
nib. A missing nib can make it very diffiborn in 1925, the
Waterman’s 494 “Bay Leaf” design, sterling sliver
The sleek, stream- overlay, lever fill.
cult to identify some pens’ makers. In addiyear of the Paris
lined forms of Art
tion, many minor pen companies, attemptExhibition of DeDeco design are elegant and sophising to capture sales from the major pen
corative and Industrial Arts (hence the
ticated. Geometric shapes combine with
manufacturers, manufactured anonymous,
shortened phrase, “Art Deco”). But accord-
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
9
ing to consultant and appraiser Louise
Luther, there is a flaw in that reasoning.
“If that was the beginning of Art Deco,
they wouldn’t have had anything to
show,” she states, adding that the
movement had been evolving for a
decade or two prior to the exhibition.
Art Deco artists did like to mass-produce
their art in the same way factories massproduced their products, disdaining the
one-of-a-kind ethos of Art Nouveau and
Arts and Crafts artists. While artists’
ability to make multiple copies made it
more affordable for the middle class,
there was little that was middle-class
about it. Art Deco has a sophisticated
presentation that would not be associated with the common man. Although
the style went out of fashion during
World War II, beginning in the late
1960s there was a renewed interest in Art
Deco design.
WRITING INSTRUMENTS OF THE ART
DECO PERIOD
Pen manufacturers seemed to move
gradually toward designing pens in Art
Deco styles. After World War I the
majority of fountain pens were flat
ended; these were referred to as “flat
tops”, their caps and barrels being
essentially tubes with flat ends. WahlEversharp progressed from their early
hand engraved and stamped metal Art
Nouveau designs to more modern
engine-turned Art Deco designs with
wavy lines, chevron patterns and geometric elements, as did Sheaffer and
Grieshaber.
Sheaffer and Grieshaber also made
ladies’ pens with brightly painted Art
Deco designs. Grieshaber called their
pens “Parisienne”, which were made of
plastic; Sheaffers’ were called “Mosaic
Oriental” and were made of metal. On
all of these the paint tended to flake
and wear easily, and those that have
survived in good condition are somewhat uncommon.
Streamlining, a major characteristic of the
Art Deco style, was most evident in
S h e a f f e r s ’ B a l a n c e p e n s , P a r k e r ’s
Streamline pens, and Wahl-Eversharp’s
10
The
PEN NAN T
“Equi-Poised” (Equipoised) line of 1929.
The Sheaffers’ Balance and the Parker
Streamline Duofolds were immediately
successful. Other pen companies soon followed their lead, and between 1930 and
1933 many were producing streamlined
pens of their own.
Wahl-Eversharp’s pens were perhaps
the epitome of the Art Deco design
sensibility. Dorics, Coronets, and
Skylines all embodied the futuristic
industrial look, either angular or
streamlined, that was in direct opposition to the nature-based, sensuous
designs of Art Nouveau. The oversized
Wahl Deco Band flat top pen with its
wide Greek key cap band and angular
roller clip remains one of the most
easily identified pens of that era.
Other Art Deco motifs in writing
instrument manufacture were steps,
parallel lines, concentric circles, triangles
and chevrons. Hemispheric ends on caps
and barrels were often used, along with
tapered edges with flat ends, and beveled
ends that came to a point. A few manufacturers such as Monroe, Good Service
and Parker (the “Parkette” pen) used a
concentric stepped end that resembled a
wedding cake. The Egyptian motif
surfaced most often on colorful enameled
pencils made in the likeness of mummies
or sarcophagi.
Pocket clips on fountain pens and
mechanical pencils often displayed Art
Deco design features. Many pocket clips
were stepped, others wrapped over the
top of pen caps. Several companies
produced pens with distinctive faceted
barrels and roller clips, including
Eversharp (Doric) and OMAS. Some
OMAS models use this barrel and clip
design to this day.
Art Deco remained a design constant in
pens, pencils and ball point pens
through the 1940s, then faded in favor of
more contemporary designs which
lacked the direction of any strong art
movement. There have been some interesting revivals and reproductions of pens
in the last decade and a half, most
notably in limited edition/limited production pens. R
SPRING 2003
Left to right, 1925 Moore L-94 in black hard
rubber, c. 1938 Waterman's #32A, c. 1916
Sharp Point mechanical pencil, 1930's Kreko
pump fill, c. 1936 Sheaffer Balance, 1939 Parker
Vacumatic.
Left to right, circa 1947 Art Deco Eversharp
“5th Avenue” with gold filled cap and trim,
1935 Diamond Medal with lockdown plunger
unit (Possibly made by Parker), 1937 Parker
depression era pen, button fill, circa 1946
Eversharp “Skyline” fountain pen and ballpoint
set, 1942 to 1945 Sheaffers’ Triumph “Crest”
with gold filled cap, plunger fill.
Mabie in America, A Review
By L. Michael Fultz
All rights reserved by author
D
avid Moak has climbed two mountains to produce this very important book for pen collectors. First, he has meticulously researched the history and products of John, John H., and George W. Mabie, the four Bard brothers, and Edward
and Henry Todd. He has solved the mystery of why there seem to be two different companies called “Mabie, Todd &
Co.” He introduces W. W. Stewart, whose patents were essential to the development of the Mabie, Todd and Swan fountain
pens. Moak details the arrangements between George Mabie and Albert K. Watts. (Who was Watts? Read the book!) Moak
also presents information on the two different uses of the Blackbird name and generously thanks other Mabie, Todd
researchers such as Stephen Hull for their efforts.
The book is lavishly illustrated. The CD format permits the inclusion of almost unlimited images of pens, paper items, advertising, ephemera, etc. It begins with images of John Mabie
and George W. Mabie, then presents images of early dip
pens, pencils, dip pen/pencil combinations. The parade of
images of pens ‘to die for’ continues with early fountain
pens, then self-filling fountain pens, then plastic selffilling pens on to the end of American Swan and
production.
Key patents are also included on the CD as are copies of
many of the critical documents used in his research.
Secondly, David Moak has conquered another mountain,
that of publishing a book considered to have very limited
financial prospects by publishing houses. These profitdriven businesses seem to want only price guides they can
sell to antique dealers who then use them to misdescribe
and overprice pens. By self-publishing his book on CD,
David has vaulted over the paper publishing
industry. Since a CD can store a vast number of images as
well as text (and since printing color images is quite
expensive) an electronic book can be much more richly
illustrated.
Even the usually forgotten Macintosh users can read the book using Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. The only other CD pen
‘book’ of which I am aware (a compilation of pen patents) is not ‘Mac’ accessible according to the author and publisher. It is
hoped that publishing on disk will start a trend toward more narrowly focused, meticulously researched and profoundly illustrated ‘books’ on fountain pens and other collectibles.
The price of the Mabie in America CD is $30.00, shipping included. It will be available after May 1st, 2003. More information can be obtained and copies of the CD can be purchased at David Moak’s web site: www.mabie-todd.com. R
David Moak, author of the new Mabie Todd book on CD,
is donating one third of the profits of each CD he sells to
the P.C.A. You can go directly to David’s website at
www.mabie-todd.com and click the P.C.A. button to
order. Not only do you get a very detailed and informative book on CD, but the satisfaction of knowing you’ve
helped the P.C.A., too. Sincere thanks to David on
behalf of the P.C.A. for this very generous offer.
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
11
No, But Thanks For Asking
Reprinted by permission
from Antique Week magazine
By Donald Harvey
All Rights Reserved By Author
lectors. I like to go into the booth
o you have any fountain
asking in a voice barely above a whisper
pens?” That single phrase,
and taking care not to interrupt any
“Do you have any fountain
business already in progress, “Do you
pens,” is all I say and I might say it as many
have any fountain pens?” Sometimes I
as a thousand times in a day at a show like
let my five year old ask in
Brimfield Flea Market. For
his small, sweet voice.
you see, I am a fountain
There’s no need to be
pen collector, just founAnd though No
anything other than
tain pens and sometimes
means
No,
which
polite to any dealer.
pencils, but mostly pens.
Especially when the next
Wa t e r m a n , S h e a f f e r,
means No pens,
thing out of my mouth
Conklin, Parker—old,
might just be “how much
new, plastic, rubber, silver
No isn’t always
is this one?” And thanks
or gold—I love them all
to my grandmother, in
the same No!
with the equal and unadulthe back of my mind I
terated affection of a parcan hear her saying
ent toward their child. I
something
about
honey being better
cuddle new finds eager to show them off.
than
vinegar.
I bathe them delicately from head to toe,
“D
oiling and powdering them with graphite
before swaddling and gently laying them
in their cradle, next to their new brothers and sisters.
Why do I collect fountain pens? There
are really two reasons: I love to write
with them and they are small enough to
store in cigar boxes. It is the latter
aspect of collecting pens that makes my
wife insanely happy and we want her
happy, right? Write! She is a scarred
veteran of all my former collecting
habits (cars, clocks, books, games and
just about anything old) and has been
exceptionally happy to see me devote
myself to the collecting of fountain
pens. She encourages me and tolerates
my spending too much because there
aren’t pistons and cylinder heads
scattered all over the kitchen counter
and living room floor.
As for me, I’m not a pen dealer but a
pen collector. I am not one of those,
stand in the middle of the aisle and yell
at the top of my lungs, kind of col-
12
The
PEN NAN T
“NO.” The most common No is the
straight forward, look you in the eyes
No, which is by far the most effective
but also the blandest and most colorless
of all the Nos. It just gets the job done
and that’s okay when you’re on the hunt
and time is of the essence. But it lacks
the basic underlying ingredient of personalization. A dealer’s booth may
scream, “I am unique in this show,” but
the dealer’s No might be saying, “I am a
piece of white bread stuck in the middle
of the loaf.”
“Grandpa NO.” These dealers get that
far away look in their eyes when you ask
for pens. They glance glassy and empty
eyed around their booth as if looking for
some long gone loved one and then
with a shaky voice they say, “No.” You
After years of hunting, I have come to
get the feeling that some long departed
the conclusion there must be a genetic
loved one died during the war while
predisposition to being a dealer. Most
using a fountain pen to write their last
dealers possess a gene
love letter that went
that allows them to take
unfinished to the
a
monosyllabic-like
dealer and is kept in
...the sincere
“No”, and imbue it with
a small silken purse
their own style. They
over their heart.
“Apologetic No” can
personalize it with tone
“Apologetic NO.”
of voice, body language,
be one of the most
This No has two
accent and inflection.
variations: the honSome might drawl it out
comfortable. It’s like
est No, I’m sorry I
like an Alabama “NoGrandma’s hot
can’t help you comoe” or a staccato New
plete your collection
York “No” so short it
chocolate on a cold
of 1920’s Parker
almost sounds as if they
Duofold pens; and
left out the “o” altowinter morning.
the insincere, I’m
gether. And though No
sorry No, and I hope
means No, which means
you get a blister the
No pens, No isn’t always
size of Cincinnati walking this field.
the same No! I have listened to so many
Depending on the contrition in the
Nos I have decided to catalogue a short
voice, the sincere “Apologetic No” can
list them. None are right and none are
be one of the most comfortable. It’s like
wrong (well, a couple maybe), they are
Grandma’s hot chocolate on a cold
just ways of saying No. So take them for
winter morning.
what they are—No!
SPRING 2003
“NO, but how about these?” For some quirky
reason, most fountain pen collectors do not
collect dip pens and I’m certain most dip pen
collectors do not collect fountain pens.
Frequently, people don’t quite understand the
difference and offer a dip pen, which is beautiful, but not a fountain pen. And, while other
collectors may appreciate
the offer, it is off track for
me. But thank you anyway.
It’s always
box of pens that they just saw this
morning when they were setting up.
When they have no success they call out
to the partner tagging off so the other
dealer can give you the knock out
punch, “No!” This No is one of the most
deceptive because you hope they might
actually come up with
that box of Waterman
overlays or Parker
a pleasure
Duofolds.
“Bait and switch NO.”
to encounter this No.
The bait is the “yeah,”
“I Don’t Know Anythe switch is handing
thing About Them So I
It is a good morning
you a ballpoint pen. To
Don’t Deal In Them
kiss from the love of
some dealers this might
NO.” While this may
be the closest they can
be a reasonable posiyour
life.
get to a practical joke
tion, it does feel a little
while other dealers genchildish. It’s the dealer
uinely don’t know the difference
equivalent of “Everthin I needs ta know
between a fountain pen and a 98 cent
I learnt by third grade.” My best advice
Bic ballpoint.
is to buy low and sell slightly higher.
“Digging For Treasure NO.” When
asked about the possibility of pens, this
dealer graciously sets down that colossal
gulp cup of java and freshly glazed donut
and goes hunting all over the booth for
that big box of fountain pens that surely
they brought with them. They always
bring them. Then when they can’t find
them they give you a sad and gentle,
“No, maybe I didn’t bring them after
all.” This is surely one of the most gentle
and sincere. They are looking for
something that may or may not exist
and in the meantime the only thing
they really want, just like the rest of us
in this hour of the morning, is that
gigantic cup of Joe and fried dough. It’s
always a pleasure to encounter this No.
It is a good morning kiss from the love of
your life.
“Tag-Team NO.” This is a sophisticated No requiring at least two dealers
but employing as many as four or five if
the team is particularly adept at tagging
out. It begins innocently enough with
the dealer looking half hearted for that
has become the stock answer if the
dealer has no pens or never has had
them. Lots of dealers, more than you
might believe, think this is a snappy and
funny reply. Maybe the first hundred
times it was funny, now it’s just redundantly boring.
“NO, thanks for asking.” A variation
on the “apologetic No.” This No feels as
if dealers are doing market analysis and
will bring the most requested items to
the next show. And of course, that’s fine
by me.
“NO, not a one.” A friendly conversational No that has a homey southern
feel like an invitation to join me on the
porch and have a mint julep or some
iced tea to help cool off this hot, hot
day. It never fails to make me smile.
“NO, there’s someone just ahead of
you.” You might also hear this No as
“Angry NO.” This No is chiefly em“you’re the third person to ask in the
ployed by dealers who have been besieged
last five minutes.” This No is always
by a hoard of rude and abrasive collectors
appreciated, as finding
asking the same question
pens is frequently a race
over and over again. With
Lots
of
dealers,
and the hare gets the
some sense of sympathy, I
Conklin and the tortoise
understand their response
more than you
ends up with a handful of
and chastise my fellow colSheaffer cartridge pens
lectors for their lack of
might believe,
from the sixties and sevstyle in asking for pens.
think
this
is
a
enties. Your info is like
Sometimes what goes
insider trading and gives
around comes around.
snappy and funny
me a slight advantage.
“NO, — dammit.” Not
So a big thank you from
reply. Maybe the
much explanation rethis collector who desires
first hundred times
quired for this No except to
to be the hare.
say I do not go gently into
it was funny, now
“The check is in the
the night, especially if I
mail NO.” A No that
have my five year old with
it’s just redunmay take the form of:
me. Encountered rarely.
“No but I’ve got some at
dantly boring.
“I just sold a sterling
home. Give me your
silver snake in the case for $10, NO!”
name and number and I’ll call you.”
Sometimes it seems as if every dealer has
This is always an unrequited No. It’s all
heard the story of the sterling silver
promise and then you never hear from
Waterman Snake pen that sold for
them again. Maybe it’s payback for all
$35,000 some years back and this reply
those “I’ll give you a call” promises you
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
13
make when as a younger man you feel
obligated to say something to a date.
The only exception is when a dealer
tells you they’ll bring them the next day,
and frequently they do.
“Yes, you’ll have to come back later.”
Depending on the dealer’s technique
these can be the most frustrating to a pen
collector. If there is a slight pause after
the yes, you will see the
collector leaning in,
...I find this the
saliva beginning to
most nonsensical No
form around the mouth,
eyes wide open and
of the lot. Who in
visions of an undistheir right mind
covered Parker Aztec in
would leave pens
mind. Then comes the
possibly worth
coup de grace as they
say “but…”
hundreds of dollars
“Double hernia NO.”
This really is the “I
couldn’t find room in
the U-Haul with all
the cast iron stoves to
squeeze in a cigar box
of pens so I didn’t
bring them No.” With
all honesty I find this
in a shoebox at
the most nonsensical
“NO, do you?” This
home...
No of the lot. Who in
one always takes me
back with it’s sudden
their right mind would
questioning. I find it amusing and someleave pens possibly worth hundreds of
times a nice break from the monotony of
dollars in a shoebox at home but spend
constant Nos.
two days loading and hauling
impossibly heavy furniture and archi“NO, I mean…I don’t know, I’m just
tectural pieces to a field in the middle
watching this booth for my friend.”
of nowhere. Please be honest to
You usually get this No when the dealer
yourself and to me by just saying, “No, I
is also out on the field looking for pens.
don’t have any.”
The friend invariably asks you to come
“Round about NOs.” This is a subclass
of Nos that I think are best bunched
together.
“Yes, but I save them for some guy who
lives in Bhopal, India.”
“Yes, but I collect them and save them
for myself.”
“Yeah, but I’m saving them until I find
out more about them and what they are
worth.”
“Yes, but I’m saving them for Steve, do
you know Steve?”
“Yes, but I left them back at the shop.”
“Yes, but I didn’t bring that display
case.”
14
The
PEN NAN T
in the box No” as a way to torment pen
collectors.
“Yes, but I don’t bring them during the
hot weather because they melt.”
Sometimes brutal honesty is No enough.
Though I hate to hear it, I have to admit
there is certainly truth to the fact that
fountain pens in a glass case do melt in
the sun.
“NO, but let me ask you a question.”
The dealer then proceeds to tell you
how many pens they have at home and
begins a rather detailed description.
This No invariably leads to the question
“can you tell me what they are worth?”
This is the Holy Grail, the Queen
Mother, and the Grand Poo-Bah of all
Nos rolled into one. Here is where I
pause, a sparkle coming to my eyes, my
mouth watering and my lips, vocal cords
and tongue slowly and deliberately
forming a deep and clear “NOOOOO!”
So what NO is right? Who really knows?
The market would be a rather bland
place if everyone said “No” the same
back and you file a mental note to
way. I like diversity. It adds character,
return where upon you move on to the
color and entertainment to my hunt.
next booth. Then, a day or two later,
Sometimes, that is about all there is
you wake in the middle
when hunting founof the night rememtain pens. However, in
This is the Holy
bering you didn’t make
the back of my mind, I
it back and horrified
can hear my mother
Grail, the Queen
you may have missed a
reciting the Golden
gold Eversharp Coronet
Rule. And I can’t help
Mother, and the
incrusted
with
thinking that as the
Grand Poo-Bah of all
diamonds.
day ends and you zip
down the tent or close
Nos rolled into one.
“NO, I had a few, but I
the door of the RV,
sold them already.” If I
maybe “No, but thanks
hear this one more than
for asking” is the closest you can come
once or twice in a day, I can’t help but get
to what my grandmother meant about
that day late and a dollar short feeling. It
treating others the way you want to be
is one of the worst things to hear, espetreated.
cially fifteen minutes after the gate opens.
Sometimes I wonder if those Marquis de
“Do you have any fountain pens?”
Sade type dealers have just added a new
“No, but thanks for asking.” R
twist to the old “I just sold a sterling snake
SPRING 2003
A Different BIC
By William J. Cowell Jr.
T
he closing of an estate can produce strange things. In my
case, a pen. While a BIC Cristal in sterling silver is not a
fountain pen, it is unusual enough that fellow pen collectors
might find it interesting. I did not remember having seen this
pen advertised or mentioned in any pen publications.
pen journal Pentrace (www.pentrace.com). The author seemed
to find the concept of a sterling silver BIC odd. In 2002 a “BIC
Sterling Silver Commemorative” was listed in an eBay auction
with a price range of $180–$220.
Having had no further luck on the Internet, I decided to write
to Bruno Bich, Chairman and CEO of Societe BIC in France,
for possible information that might not be available to BIC
USA.
My search for information called for an obvious first stop, the
Internet. I sent an e-mail to “bicworld.com,” the website for BIC
USA. A response from BIC Consumer Affairs provided the following information:
I received the following response from Societe BIC:
“…This pen was manufactured in Italy in 1989 and then
distributed in France. As of l992, this pen is no longer
being manufactured. We received this information from
our parent company, Societe BIC, in France. The only
other piece of information they had was that this pen was
never distributed in the United States. Unfortunately,
they did not have any further information about this
pen.”
“Dear Mr.Cowell:
We received your letter addressed to Mr. Bruno Bich,
regarding your Silver BIC pen. BIC has manufactured a
limited edition of the BIC Cristal pen, in silver. All the
information we have about this pen was passed to our
office in the USA. This pen was only manufactured
between 1989 and l992 in Italy. Since this date, the
mould, especially manufactured for this silver metal pen,
has been destroyed. Unfortunately we are unable to
provide you with any further information.
The only other official mention of the pen on the BIC website is
under the “Stationary FAQ.”
The entry is:
Thank you for taking the time to contact us and for your
interest in our Company, and we congratulate you for possessing this unique silver pen.
Q: Can I still find the Silver BIC Cristal?
A: A BIC Cristal made in silver was only manufactured
between 1989 and 1992. Perhaps, by chance, you
would be able to find some rare samples…if you have
one and you want to refill it, you can use regular BIC
Cristal ballpoint pen cartridges to refill it.
Sincerely,
Claire Gerard
BIC Consumer Affairs”
Further search of the Internet resulted in little additional information. I could find no mention of any other model of BIC
produced in sterling silver. It is possible that at one time this pen
was advertised as a commemorative edition; there was a brief
mention of a commemorative sterling silver BIC in the online
The BIC Cristal in sterling.
Photo by Alan Bedrick
Photo by William J. Cowell Jr.
This is all we know at this point of the silver BIC Cristal pen, but
we can still appreciate its existence in the world of writing
instruments. Finding this pen and learning how unusual it is once
again reinforces the reasons that I enjoy looking for and collecting pens. You just never know what you will find. R
BIC Cristal cap and barrel nameplate.
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
15
Design in Hand Exhibit
Nearly 100 writing instruments, including quills, pens and pencils from international collections will be displayed this fall in
Providence, RI at Design in Hand, the first-ever American design
retrospective on writing instruments. Hosted by The Providence
Art Club, the exhibition will run through the month of October
2003.
Presented by the Providence Art Club
The evolution of writing instruments since 1784
October 5 to November 2, 2003
providenceartclub.org
401.331.1114
Subtitled The Evolution of Writing Instruments Since 1784, the
show will explore the development of pen and pencil technology as well as the cultural history of the tool as a functional and
ornamental object. Included in the exhibit will be examples of hand-written documents of historical significance, an historical timeline, patent drawings and groundbreaking technologies. Rhode Island’s role in the manufacture of writing instruments from the 19th
century to the present will also be examined.
On Saturday, October 18, 2003, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a pen fair will be held at the Benefit Street Armory, which is located around
the corner from the Providence Art Club. Thousands of pens, vintage and modern, will be on display, and offered for sale or trade.
Repair services will be offered, and informal valuations will be conducted. Calligraphers will be on hand to show how some of these
pens can be put to good use.
Proceeds from Design in Hand and the pen fair will go toward the restoration of the Providence Art Club’s Deacon Edward Taylor
House, built in 1784 and owned in the 1920’s by the Pen and Pencil Club of Rhode Island, which was a club for writers, artists, and
scientists. Incorporated in 1880, the Providence Art Club is the oldest association of its kind in New England and the second oldest
in the United States.
Design in Hand will be held at the Providence Art Club, 11 Thomas Street, Providence, RI. For further information, contact Iona
Dobbins at (401) 351-0742 or Lauren Cicione at (401) 331-1114.
Membership in the P.C.A.
The P.C.A. membership year runs from
January - December. Membership renewal
notices are sent each November to those who
need to renew. If you join the P.C.A. between
October 1 and December 31, we automatically
extend your membership through the following year.
Current members, don't forget to send any
updated personal information to Lisa Hanes at
[email protected]. If you've moved,
changed your name, changed your email,
added a FAX line, or made any other changes,
it will not be correct in the listings unless you
tell Lisa!
This year, we are pleased to offer for the first
time ever, new membership levels with added
benefits. As a non-profit, all-volunteer organization, the P.C.A. is only as good as the support it receives. Your contributions keep The
PENnant arriving on your doorstep three times
a year, helps support other P.C.A. projects and
enable the P.C.A. to continue to grow and
improve.
When you renew your membership this year,
we hope you’ll consider one of our special new
membership levels which are detailed below.
Even if your membership is not up for renewal,
it’s easy to upgrade to one of the new membership levels - just drop us a line or email us at
[email protected].
Thanks for your support!
16
The
PEN NAN T
NEW MEMBERSHIP LEVELS
President’s Circle Level
6 issues of The PENnant (2 of each issue)
2 free classified ads
Complimentary PCA Lapel Pin
50 pages of free reprints from PCA Library
Acknowledgement of sponsorship in each issue
of The PENnant
Certificate Of Sponsorship
$150 per year
Patron Level
3 issues of The PENnant
of The PENnant
$100 per year
Sponsor Level
of The PENnant
$75 per year
Regular Membership
1 free classified ad
SPRING 2003
Access to library, 15 cents per page
$30 - 1 year or $75 - 3 years
Regular Membership –
Outside U.S. and Canada
1 free classified ad
Access to library, 15 cents per page
$40 - 1 year or $105 - 3 years
Members at special sponsor levels will receive
certificates redeemable for classified ads and
library reprints to be presented at time of
redemption. Certificates will be included in
Sponsor Packet.
Welcome
SPONSOR LEVEL:
Worlds Best Ink Remover/
JB Sales and Marketing
John A. Bull
3423 N. Maryland Ave.,
Milwaukee, WI 53211
W-414-737-8825;
email- [email protected]
Total Office Products
Jimmy Dolive
2740 Cumberland Boulevard
Smyrna, GA 30080
770-434-8677; 1-888-867-7367
P.C.A. 2001 LIMITED EDITION PEN
Vintage Styling – Modern Convenience
Red and black mottled hard rubber,
taper cap, removable clip
Fills with eyedropper, cartridge or convertor (included).
Limited to 188 pens, worldwide.
$325.00 + $10.00 S&H
via priority insured mail in the U.S.
Contact Dan Reppert at [email protected]
PO Box 447, Fort Madison, IA 52627
NEW 2003 P.C.A. MEMBER CD
P.C.A. LOGO GEAR FOR SALE
Updated Membership Roster & Library Offerings
With each Spring Issue of The PENnant we include a
CD-ROM containing the P.C.A. membership list and
a catalog of P.C.A. Reference Library items. This year,
we have enhanced the member listings to include the
membership expiration date. In the Reference Library
section of the CD, you will find many new additions
to our collection. The P.C.A. Reference Library is the
largest pen reference collection in the world, and we
encourage you to take advantage of our members only
reprint service. There are numerous new photographs
on the new CD for your enjoyment. Also included is
contact information for the P.C.A. Board of Directors
and Administrative Officers, as well as information
on membership dues and advertising in The PENnant.
If you need assistance in loading the CD, don’t hesitate to contact us via email: [email protected].
For those of you without a computer, please call or
write and we will be happy to forward you a printed
copy of the 2003 Membership Roster and Reference
Library offerings.
P.C.A. Director, Lisa Hanes, models the P.C.A. shirt & hat.
Terry Mahoney recently donated a big box of
embroidered caps and shirts to the P.C.A. We took
these to the Chicago Pen Show where most sold right
away. Thanks to Terry for taking the time to do
this–the shirts and caps look great! We still have a
couple of baseball caps with the P.C.A. logo on the
front available for sale at $10 each. Please email
[email protected] if interested.
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
17
The Great Southeastern Pen Show
Pen Show Circuit
By Lisa Hanes
F
irst of all, high praise and warm thanks to Jimmy
Dolive and Boris Rice and the sponsors of another
wonderful Great Southeastern Pen Show (formerly
the Atlanta Pen Show), which was held March 28–30 in
Atlanta. Fabulous job, as usual, but saying thanks simply is
not enough.
I approach pen shows differently, perhaps, than many
other dealers. Make no mistake, I want to sell pens as
much as the next guy, but my focus is more to catch up
with pen buddies and socialize, than to sell everything I
have on the table. I arrived Friday morning, and after a
lengthy shuttle trip, with a nice tour of Emory University
(the shuttle driver got lost), I arrived to find the pens had
arrived and with them, their owners! Yippee, I’m home for
the next 3 days!
Up in my room, I dumped my bags, then raced back downstairs. Gosh, look, there are pens and people already set up,
selling glittery beautiful PENS!! I feel my resolve wavering
already. The rest is a blur, or so I say to my unsuspecting
and still supportive spouse.
Highlights of the show are too many to list, but I’ll try. I
had the great pleasure of being set up between the amazing
team of Steve and Maryann Zucker of PenStop, and Dean
Tweeddale of PenLovers. Could my weekend get any
better? My pen show partner and surrogate father, Alex
Zipperer, arrived and I did my best to fulfill my promise to
his wife to monitor his purchases (no trading a Rolex for
pens this show!). Alex, in return, watched our table while
I shopped, and gave me fatherly advice when I was
tempted to blow my budget.
Deb Kinney and partner Sara-Jane arrived, and it was a
delight to see them. Deb has moved up quickly in the
ranks of nib masters, and in my opinion, has quickly
reached Nib Goddess stature. If you have not written with
a nib modified by Deb Kinney, run out now and do so!
18
shoulder-length red hair, several customers did a double
take, which was fun to watch.
Giovanni Abrate of Filcao, one of my favorite pen people,
had a new pen he was unveiling, that was just calling to
me. The Tukano is a wonderful pen, and became mine in
short order. The Greek key pattern on the silver barrel, the
burgundy marble cap that screws on to post, the really
really smooth nib, all for under $100. Does life get much
better than this?
Jim Hickman of Newman Pens was showcasing his new
Penguin Pens, which are as gorgeous as the other models.
Scott and Trish Franklin of PenCity are also an awesome
“Dynamic Duo” and just downright wonderful people.
Great pens, great prices, great people. Rick Horne is always
good for big hugs, helpful advice and a friendly smile.
Sam and Frank Fiorella of Pendemonium were just down
the aisle from me, and I must confess I wandered down
there many times, looking at the plethora of goodies they
manage to find. Joel Hamilton is hands-down one of my
all-time “guaranteed to make me smile” pen people, and
this weekend was no exception. No real excitement this
show from Joel (ask him about the sing-a-long in LA, or
some of his other entertaining moments at shows), but he
had some absolutely fabulous pens, and the wonderful
warm manner for which he is so well known. Lou and
Howard Kaplan of The Great Parker, another of the pen
community’s respected sales teams, never leave you
wanting. They have it, they sell it, but not until they have
completely educated the customer. Their customer service
is breathtaking.
Richard Binder and his wife Barbara are always a sight for
sore eyes. Richard missed out on the wonderful lunch
provided by the Southeast Pen Collectors’ Club, so I took
it upon myself to check on him regularly to ensure that he
and Barbara had eaten. Barbara was so busy dealing with
customers, and Richard gets so engrossed in his work, it’s
no wonder food was an afterthought. John Mottishaw, the
ever-magnificent Nib Master, was also constantly busy.
Each time I headed over to his table, he was swamped.
Craig Bozorth and his lovely bride Lisa showed off wedding
pictures throughout the show, and as always, Craig was in
fine spirits with his quick wit, great deals and overall
charming personality. Dan (Mr. Sheaffer) Reppert
grudgingly allowed me to twist his arm and sell him the last
of Cheryl Sanders Sheaffer pen collection. Dealing with
Dan is one of my favorite events at a show, and always
memorable. Rob Morrison always has fascinating pens to
show off, and this year was no exception. He also brought
his delightful wife Kelly and son Simon. Kelly was kidnapped later for some girl-talk with a bunch of lady pen
collectors.
My good friend Richard Jarvis brought his wife Janie with
him, and we had a lot of fun. Our tables were near each
other and since Janie and I do look alike with our
Susan Wirth celebrated her birthday during the show.
Roger Cromwell was his usual handsome and charming
self. Ann Marie of Ink Palette finally came up for air on
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
Pen Show Circuit
Sunday evening; the whole weekend, I don’t think I ever
saw her table with less than five customers. Whatever she
has for breakfast, to get all that energy and charm, I want
some!
One evening I had drinks with several people, including
Richard Moller, Richard and Barbara Binder, Giovanni
Abrate, Sue Watson, Deb Kinney and Sara-Jane, and
others I cannot recall. Later, some of the ladies had a drink
together, and all I’m allowed to say is that we had an
amazing time, a lot of information was shared, and the pen
collecting community is not just for men anymore!
Some of us also went across the road to eat at a little
Mexican restaurant. On the way through the parking lot,
we noticed a Tuesday Morning store. I won’t reveal all of
the embarrassing details but there was a grocery cart race, a
mad dash to Tuesday Morning (only to discover it was
closed), and a wacky time dealing with the bill at the
restaurant. Despite the chilly weather, it was a wonderful
evening, and will be one of my favorite memories.
It was a good crowd.
Pens, oh…you want to hear about pens? There were lots of
them. Small pens, big pens, old pens, new pens. Pens for
sale, pens for trade, pens for show. PenStop’s display
tempted me all weekend. I was tempted by Penspirations
prices, Total Office Products and Bertram’s selections. I
drooled over the Sailor pens (but don’t tell Sailor it was
me). Lee Chait, Gary and Myrna Lehrer, Dan Lanford,
Rob Morrison, Tim Pierson and Joel Hamilton all had
gorgeous vintage pens. A Paradise Pen Lovers was across
the aisle from me, and I had the distinct pleasure of making
new friends with Pamela and her husband. They are wonderful newcomers to the pen show circuit, and some of the
nicest people.
So, another show is over, pens have been bought, sold,
traded, coveted and justified. New friends have been made
and old friends have been reconnected with. Faces have
been put to e-mail addresses and screen names, and hugs
passed around. So much has been learned from the
seminars, and from impromptu lectures at the buying tables.
Again I ask, how much better does life get? Not a whole lot
better… until the next show! R
Browsing through pen books.
Lisa Hanes and Dean Tweedale getting ready for
their first customers.
Sam answers questions at the
Pendemonium ink table.
Tim Pierson shows off his
doorprize.
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
19
2003 Chicago Pen Show
Pen Show Circuit
By Craig Bozorth
T
he Chicago Pen Show gets visitors and table holders
from everywhere! This year’s show was no exception:
England, Germany, France, India, Portugal, Brazil,
Mexico, Israel, Argentina and Italy were among the
countries represented May 1–May 4, 2003 at the WestinO’Hare. This year’s show was sponsored by Sailor and
Conway-Stewart.
While “new” pens have sort of taken over the limelight at
many shows, Chicago has always been a predominantly
vintage show, and the promoters like it that way. This is
the kind of show where arriving early is a good thing, and
on Thursday there was a full trading room on the 12th
floor as early as 9 a.m. Before that, perhaps 20
collectors/buyers gathered in the hotel lobby, looking over
pen portfolios and eagerly signing checks and reaching
into their pockets for cash. My first three pens were purchased here and ranged from a vintage filigree to a modern
Limited Edition Visconti.
Thursday the trading room stayed packed all day and into
the evening, with some traders packing up and others
eagerly taking their places on the 6-foot cloth-covered
tables. The refreshment table was discovered around
midday and show organizer Don Lavin smiled as the plates’
contents vanished. I doubt he was left with even a cheese
cube! During the weekend, dealers were treated to cheese
and fruit, then pizza and soda, then Krispy Kreme
doughnuts, followed by more cheese, fruit, biscuits,
sausage and veggies. These food “events” were sponsored
by the dealers and attendees, and they deserve to be
thanked for their kindness.
Some great pens turn up at this early session. Not every
collector knows just exactly what he has in his or her
inventory, so the lucky buyer who got a “red end” 51 for
$50, or a demonstrator 51 section for $75 was happy
indeed. During this offering you have one chance to buy
it! You will likely see the same item on a table the following day or the next for a dearer price, so buy it when
you see it.
Friday brought out even more collectors and dealers plus
some of the “new” pen retailers, who took up one-half of
the ballroom on the lobby floor. There were no general
public attendees as yet, since this is a one-day public show,
and the public is admitted only on Sunday. The smart collector buys a weekend trader pass and gets free run of the
show and early admission to boot. I will say that the
Chicago Show organizers are very egalitarian about this:
they allow a weekend trader to set up shop at a table, on a
space-available basis, to buy, sell or trade on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday. If you discover you bought so much
that you want to take a table on Sunday as well, the orga-
20
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
nizers will allow you to pay the $40 difference and set up if
table space is available on Sunday.
Saturday is auction day and the Chicago show’s auction
catalog, with its full-color cover, is the slickest of any. In
years past, the crème de la crème of pens and related
objects have passed through this auction. This year,
although almost every item sold, the quality seemed thin
and there were many low prices. The highlight seemed to
be the Parker #38 Snake with original box, which
hammered down for $7500. This year the trading room was
closed during the auction, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. Judging
from dealer comments, this was an error that will most
likely not be repeated next year.
Dining in Chicago is a feast of flavors. Steak, ribs, seafood,
ethnic specialties such as Iranian, Polish, Czech, Italian,
Mexican…there just wasn’t enough time to sample it all,
although it appeared that the attendees tried their best.
The weather more or less cooperated, with no rain, nice
cool temperatures and overcast days with intermittent sun:
perfect show weather. Security was visible at all times; at
least the uniformed police could be seen, but the plainclothes types were no doubt scattered about.
Sunday arrived very quickly, and since dealers were
allowed to set up the night before, they only had to
uncover their goods and start to collect the money. The
public came in at 10 a.m. and stayed until 4 p.m. or until
dealers decided to pack things up. Prices for both new pens
and limited editions seemed mixed, and some pens were
not going to sell at all no matter what the price. It all
depends on “what the eye admires, the heart desires.” A
large cache of overlay and filigree eyedroppers appeared,
and the pens were initially appraised and greatly overvalued. Once looked at objectively and appropriately
priced, they quickly changed hands.
Everything and anything could be had at this show,
including a 25” x 25” two-color Schnell ad, a Schnell desk
pen/pencil, tiny Parker “halo” lapel pens from the early 51
era, 51 coins, books, ephemera, leather goods and watches.
Some very nice timepieces were being offered, and $20
would even buy you a kitschy little number with a head the
size of a small potato and just about as thick.
Chicago has always been a not-to-be-missed event. Times
are a little tougher; pen interests have changed; some
dealers have fallen by the wayside; auctions are not what
they once were; and good merchandise is harder to come
by. But after all is said and done, Chicago will most likely
remain a premier event on the pen show calendar.
The 2004 Chicago Pen Show is slated for April 29 through
May 2 at the Westin O’Hare. R
Pen Show Circuit
Chicago Pen
Show, May
2003
Fernando
Padilla, Jr,
Little Rock,
Arkansas
Dan Reppert, P.C.A. Librarian
Paul
Erano,
Author
and pen
collector
Howard
Newman,
Atlanta,
Georgia
Peter Ford,
Melbourne,
Australia
Dan Zazove, Chicago Pen Show co-organizer (left)
and Peter Amis, The Pen Sac Co.
Tom Frantz, Sheaffer Historian,
Ft. Madison, Iowa.
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
21
Upcoming Pen Shows
Pen Show Circuit
Location and dates may be subject to change; please contact the show organizers to verify information below.
The P.C.A. keeps an up-to-date listing of current and pending U.S. pen shows on the P.C.A. website:
www.pencollectors.com, courtesy of Susan Wirth.
DC SUPERSHOW
August 7-10, 2003
Sheraton Premiere/Tyson’s Corner
8661 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA
Contact: Bob Johnson
Phone: 864.963.3834
NORTH TEXAS
PEN COLLECTORS SHOW AND SALE
October 11, 2003
Richardson Civic Center
Dallas, TX
Contact: Lowell Lindsey
800.672.7814
NEW YORK CITY PEN SHOW
September 18-21, 2003
NY Helmsley Hotel
42nd/3rd Ave.
SAN FRANCISCO
INTERNATIONAL PEN SHOW
October 16-19, 2003
Marriott at 1800 Bayshore Highway
San Francisco, CA
Contact: Harvey Raider
Phone: 831.624.7131
New York, NY
Contact: Maryann and Steve Zucker
Phone: 718.434.3713
LONDON PEN SHOW
October 3-5, 2003
Kensington Town Hall
London, England
Contact: Simon Gray
OHIO PEN SHOW
November 6-9, 2003
Wyndham Dublin Hotel
Columbus, OH
Contact: Terry Mawhorter
Phone: 740-454-2314
MICHIGAN PEN AND WATCH SHOW
December 4-7, 2003
Westin Hotel
Southfield, MI
Contact: Lih-Tah Wong
Phone: 248.935.6757
PHILADELPHIA PEN SHOW
January 24-25, 2004
Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel
Philadelphia, PA
Contact: Berliner Pens
Phone: 212-614-3020
www.phillypenshow.com
LA PEN SHOW
February 12-15, 2004
Manhattan Beach Marriott
Manhattan Beach, CA
Contact: Boris Rice
Show organizers are encouraged to
submit show details for this column
to the editor.
PEN SHOW P.C.A. SUPPORTERS
The P.C.A. expresses its gratitude to the sponsors of the following Pen Shows for graciously donating table space.
Thanks for your generosity!
22
✑ PHILADELPHIA
Geoff Berliner and Bernie Isaacowitz
✑ MIAMI
Craig Bozorth
✑ LOS ANGELES
Boris Rice, Stan Pfeiffer, and Chris Odgers
✑ WASHINGTON, D.C.
Bob Johnson
✑ ATLANTA
Jimmy Dolive and Boris Rice
✑ SAN FRANCISCO
Harvey Raider and Detlef Bittner
✑ BOSTON
Rob Morrison
✑ OHIO
Sonya and Terry Mawhorter
✑ CHICAGO
Michael Fultz, Daniel Zazove, Donald Lavin
✑ MICHIGAN
Michigan Pen Collectors Club
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
In Memoriam
The Board of Directors of the Pen Collectors of America on behalf of the membership wishes to extend their sincere sympathy to the family of Gary Bahr, to
Mike Hansen and family, and to Boris and Julia Rice and family. Our thoughts
are with you during this difficult time.
Gary Bahr served as Editor of The Stained Finger published by the Society of
Inkwell Collectors and was a passionate inkwell collector. He recently coordinated the Society of Inkwell Collectors Convention and Banquet held in
conjunction with the Los Angeles International Pen Show in February 2003.
Gary passed away on February 23, 2003.
Marsha Hansen, wife of Mike Hansen, passed away in late March. Mike is a
long- standing member of the P.C.A. and an avid vintage desk set collector. He
has been actively involved in the Columbus Pen Club for many years.
Julia Rice’s mother passed away unexpectedly in late May. Boris and Julia both
have been actively involved with the P.C.A. since its inception and Boris
served as President of this organization for many years and has continued on as
Administrative Officer. Our thoughts are with you both.
PCA LAPEL PINS
Show your pride with a P.C.A. lapel
pin. Blue and gold enamelled pins
are available for $5.00 each and
$1.00 shipping and handling U.S.,
$2.00 overseas. All proceeds help
fund P.C.A. projects.
Send check or money order to:
P.C.A.
P.O. Box 447
Back Issues of The PENnant
P.C.A.
CORPORATE
SPONSOR
Back Issues of The PENnant are available.
Most are photocopies. All are $10 each + $4 postage and handling
in the U.S. for any quantity, overseas postage will vary.
All requests for re-prints should be addressed to:
Dan Reppert, P.C.A. Librarian, P.C.A. Library
P.O. Box 447, Fort Madison, IA 52627-0447
e-mail: [email protected]
March 1993
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February 1994
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Spring 1998
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Spring 2001
Fall 2001
Winter 2001
Spring 2002
Winter 2002
Summer 2002
The Directors of Pen Collectors of
America wish to thank the Bexley
Pen Company for having graciously
made a donation to the P.C.A. to
further enhance the services which
the P.C.A. provides to the pen collecting community.
✑ BEXLEY
2840-B Fisher Street,
Columbus OH, 43204
614-351-9988
The P.C.A. invites pen manufacturers and wholesale pen distributors to
be a Corporate Sponsor of the Pen
Collectors of America. Contact
Sam Fiorella for details:
[email protected]
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
23
SUMMARY OF THE BOARD
February 14, 2003
OF
DIRECTORS MEETING
The meeting was held at the Los Angeles Pen show
and was brought to order at 2:14 p.m. All directors
were present except for Craig Bozorth, Howard
Kaplan and Jack Leone. Jack has undergone medical
treatment and the Board sends him its best wishes for
a speedy recovery. Sam Fiorella reported to the Board
that Jim Griffiths had sent his resignation from the
position of Advertising Manager in order to work on
the San Francisco Pen Show. The Board sends its
appreciation for his work on The PENnant and wishes him great success in his future endeavors. There
was a lengthy discussion on the delayed publication of
the Winter 2002 issue of The PENnant and the best
remedy for resolving many of the problems associated
with this issue, and how to catch up with the publication of the Spring issue. The need for an Editor for
the magazine was critical to the future successes of
both the publication and the organization. Discussion
included suggestions on combining the Winter with
the Spring issues, questions on various time frames for
publication, the contents for each issue and the need
for articles. The decision was to publish the Winter
issue within eight weeks, and with an Editor on board,
for the Spring issue to follow in about the same period of time. Other old business included a report from
Sam on the development of the P.C.A. web site and
sales of the P.C.A. pen.
The meeting adjourned at 3:25 P.M.
Victor Chen (Secretary)
SUMMARY OF
May 3, 2003
THE
BOARD
OF
DIRECTORS MEETING
The meeting was held at the Chicago Pen Show and
was brought to order at 7:00 a.m. All Directors were
present except for Saul Kitchner and Jack Leone. The
Board welcomed Melissa Lowry as the new editor of
The PENnant. The Board welcomed Terry Mawhorter
as the new advertising manager. Sam reported that
the winter issue would be sent out within two weeks.
Cash on hand was in excess of $12,000 and sufficient
to cover publication of the next issue of the magazine.
New business included a discussion on maintaining
the current inflow of funds and ways to raise future
funds for the organization. The discussion included
the following: the accuracy of the current membership database, renewal notices, and, P.C.A. promo-
24
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
tional items such as hats, T-shirts and pens. Other new
business included a possible exchange of archival material
between the Writing Equipment Society of England and
P.C.A. Old business included the ongoing change of the
P.C.A. tax status to that of a non-profit educational entity;
support of donating an appropriate pen to the Mark Twain
Museum in Hannibal, Missouri; certificates for higher levels of membership support and corporate sponsors; how
well the P.C.A. web site is functioning thanks to the efforts
of Dean Tweeddale; and, a press release for media events
such as Roger Cromwell’s appearance on HGTV’s
Ultimate Collector. Thanks to Don Lavin for providing
donuts and coffee.
The meeting adjourned at 8:14 A.M.
Victor Chen (Secretary)
P.C.A. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
✑ SAM FIORELLA
(319) 372-0881 • [email protected]
✑ DAN REPPERT
✑ VICTOR CHEN
✑ CRAIG BOZORTH
✑ L. MICHAEL FULTZ
✑ LISA HANES
✑ HOWARD KAPLAN
✑ SAUL KITCHENER
✑ JACK LEONE
From the Editor
By Melissa Lowry
F
irst, let me thank everyone who has
offered congratulations, assistance
and ideas for The PENnant. Your
input is very valuable, and I will be asking a
lot of questions, trying to get a fix on what
members are thinking. I have an open-door
policy, and I am always willing to listen.
Second, I would like to express my gratitude
to Associate Editor Dede Rehkopf and her
husband Tom, as well to as P.C.A. President
Sam Fiorella, for their help in getting me up
to speed on this issue of The PENnant. I also
want to thank the Board members for their
warm welcome, and all of the columnists
and contributors in this issue for their efforts
and their patience.
I would like to hear from anyone with ideas,
who is willing to make a presentation of
these ideas. We have created a new onepage publication, The PENnant Author’s
Guidelines, which will give you a firm foundation for your submissions, and we will
provide whatever assistance you may need.
Ideally, The PENnant is (or should be) published 3 times a year, in Spring,
Summer/Fall and Winter issues. Deadlines
for these issues are February 1 (for April
publication), June 1 (for August publication) and October 1 (for December
publication). Of course, these are predicated on getting enough articles and
photos, the articles and photos arriving on
time, the editing being finished, the proofs
being given to and returned by authors, and
the vagaries of the printing process.
In a perfect world, this process would always
run like clockwork. In our present imperfect
world (being mindful that all of the labor is
100% volunteer-based) this does not always
happen. There are many circumstances that
are beyond our control, such as personnel
changes, and it seems that we are reminded
daily that Life is what happens while we are
busy making other plans. Combine this with
the necessity of ganging the color print job
to obtain the best price for printing, and the
inevitable impediments of our present
method of mailing the issues via Bulk Mail,
and that adds up to a significant amount of
uncertainty and delay.
But with your help, and your continued
support for The PENnant and P.C.A., I am
looking forward to helping The PENnant
function as it was always intended: as the
journal of the official society of pen collectors in the United States. It should be a
professional publication, one that members
will find valuable and to which they will
refer often. And it should reflect the wide
range of interests and viewpoints that exist
in the local and global regions of the pen
community.
The PENnant is competing for your
attention along with several excellent
online pen journals. These online publications have a significant advantage in that
they are—currently—free of charge to
access; they can be published and updated
on a regular, sometimes even daily, basis;
they offer nearly instant gratification to
contributors; and they are nowhere near as
expensive or labor intensive to produce as a
hard-copy publication. Their timeliness is
something that a printed journal will never
be able to match. And you will never have
to wait by your mailbox for the latest issue.
Why then, does The PENnant continue to
publish the old-fashioned way, to depend
upon the printed word rather than upon its
pixilated alternative? Probably for the same
reason that most of us continue to use
fountain pens instead of relying solely upon
cell phones, pagers and the Internet for
communicating.
What you can hold in your hands has a
durability that can never be attained by
computer-generated media.
An online format requires sitting at a
computer screen to read it, or printing it out
for offsite consumption. Even when
printing pages of an Internet journal, one is
still at the mercy of third-hand devices:
format and clarity can only be as good as the
technology that reproduces it. Unless you
yourself bind the pages, portability may be
compromised. And, of course, if circumstances make accessing the Internet
difficult, or if you do not have computer
access at all, you are out of luck. The
PENnant goes to nearly 2000 P.C.A.
members, and it would not be fair to exhibit
bias toward those computer owners among
our membership.
Ironically, The PENnant production process
is accomplished almost entirely via
computer. Articles are researched, written,
submitted and edited; digital photos are
shared; copy is e-mailed back and forth
between editors and authors and printer.
Without our computer tools, this process
would take much longer and would be even
more cumbersome. Although we appreciate
the power of our technology, we still want
to maintain necessary ties with the conventional methods of publishing.
Hard copy is hard to beat when it comes to
ease of reading and retention; according to
web usability expert Dr. Jakob Neilsen,
monitor text is usually read at 75% of
normal paper reading speed. The scholarly
focus of many of The PENnant’s articles
does not always make for light once-over
reading, so it is important that we publish in
a format that allows perusing, rereading and
future referral in the most comfortable and
convenient manner.
Graphics too are often best produced by traditional methods: compare the printed
version of a map or a poster with an online
or computer-generated version, and you will
see immediately why a hard copy is essential
for quality visual reproduction.
But perhaps the most fundamental reason
for publishing is permanence. Paper is still
the standard of comparison for durability,
readability and convenience, not to
mention archival capability.
Print copies guard against the day when we
may lose access to web pages, temporarily or
permanently. In this age of virtual reality
and transient actuality, we still appreciate
the tangible, tactile aspect of paper. Web
sites come and go—but paper is enduring,
and printed matter lives on and on.
Hard copy and web sites co-exist because
they are intended to fulfill distinct, noncompeting objectives, but the proliferation
of the Internet has not extinguished the
desire to hold in our hands a palpable, perceptible bound and printed journal
dedicated to the hobby, pastime, avocation
or obsession that we all hold so dear. R
(Portions of this article were researched at
the University of Texas at Austin General
Libraries—via Internet access, of course.)
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
25
TECH NOTES
Solvents and Adhesives
By Victor Chen
All Rights Reserved By Author
A
rcheological objects and ancient
works of art have been restored for
many centuries. Recent successes
in restoring fine arts and useful antique
objects are in part the result of an array of
solvents and adhesives that have become
available during the past half-century.
While the techniques of restoration are
now well established in some fields,
within our hobby of writing instruments
the developments of specific procedures
and techniques are still maturing. In this
article I will identify and describe various
solvents and adhesives that are useful in
the restoration of pens. All solvents and
adhesives can be graded for strength,
which describes their effects on a range of
materials, and purity, which describes
their concentration and amount of byproducts in the agent.
SOLVENTS
Water is the single most useful solvent for
pens. There is no reason to use any kind of
water other than tap water, even that
which contains heavy mineral deposits.
Water has no effect on any pen materials,
except for the surfaces of those materials
that have begun the process of deterioration. Both celluloids and hard rubber
can undergo deterioration due to light,
ozone, body and other environmental
chemicals. This deterioration occurs initially on the surface and gradually
penetrates into the material itself. Water
can bond with this surface to form a thin
whitish sheen that can be polished off.
Vintage sections made from hard rubber,
largely protected from light and reasonably protected by its partially sealed
environment from air and other environmental chemicals, can be soaked in water
for hours with no surface scaling. Hard
rubber objects submerged in the ocean or
rivers since the Civil War have been
recovered and show little deterioration.
Other than water, pen solvents come in
commercial and industrial grades. The differences in their concentration and purity
26
The
PEN NAN T
are of little importance for pen work. For
example, commercial acetone is 98-99%
pure, while the industrial grade is 100%
pure. Commercial acetone is sold in
standard strength and extra strength,
although for pen work the difference is not
significant. In addition, commercial grades
are readily available at the local hardware
stores and sold in useful sized containers.
Acetone dissolves celluloids; it acts very
quickly and evaporates rapidly. Since the
available working window is narrow, it is
necessary to work fast. When I apply
acetone I try to accomplish what I need to
do within 30 seconds. Using a larger
volume of acetone does provide more time
to work on celluloids; it will also dissolve a
larger amount of the material with the
potential for damage. The chemical name
for acetone is dimethyl ketone and in the
family of ketones there is another one
which is equally useful: methyl ethel
ketone or MEK. MEK sets at a slower rate
and its action on celluloids is less
aggressive. Depending on the restoration
needs of the pen, acetone is preferable to
MEK on some jobs and not in others.
The other wide ranging solvent for plastics
is methylene chloride, which dissolves
acrylics. This is also a fast working agent
with an effective working time of 30-45
seconds.
Beginning in the 1940s and well into the
1950s, acrylics began to replace celluloids
as the material of choice for the manufacturing of pens. Various formulations of
acrylics dominated the pen market until
the end of the 1980s when other forms of
plastics began to appear in pens. Since the
utilization of these newer materials
remains limited, I will not list the solvents
for them. Once in a long while I will
encounter a pen where I cannot identify
the material and the lack of a solvent
requires me to use an adhesive for that job.
This is a similar situation with hard rubber.
There are no solvents for this material,
SPRING 2003
although toluene and naphtha can be
useful in some applications.
Solvents not only dissolve specific
materials used in pens, solvents also
dissolve adhesives. When the parts of a
pen are joined together, those parts that
need to be disassembled in the future are
commonly held together by friction. Most
sections are held in the barrel this way. I
always heat the parts to see if they will
loosen up. If after repeated use of heat, the
parts will not budge, I use an ultrasonic
cleaner to clear out as much ink and sac
debris as possible and then apply more
heat, because both ink and decayed rubber
can be a strong adhesive.
If the parts still remain frozen after several
applications of heat, I would suspect the
presence of an adhesive. Shellac is
commonly used in the United States to
hold various pen parts together. Alcohol is
the solvent for shellac, and on my
workbench I have alcohol in a squeeze
bottle with a long metal spout, with which
to place a drop in a pen joint.
Prior to the 1930s, some European manufacturers used an organic water-soluble
adhesive. Since I use water first in any
case, if these joints do not open up, I use
alcohol next. The solvent for epoxy is
readily available as an adhesive remover
in most hardware stores.
The removal of old adhesive is frequently
more difficult and time consuming than
the actual repair. Removing adhesive
requires the laborious task of removing
one layer of adhesive, applying more
solvent and removing another layer. A
new application of adhesive is not very
effective until all old adhesive has been
removed.
Cyanoacrylate or CA or “crazy glue” is a
more recently developed adhesive and
unlikely to appear in a repaired pen.
Because CA is very fast acting, a solvent is
handy to correct a misaligned parts and this
solvent is based on a mixture of alcohol and
nitroalkanes, also available in most
hardware stores. If pen parts were initially
glued together, then re-assembling these
parts will require adhesive.
ADHESIVES
There are two common adhesives that are
required for any pen repairs: shellac and
rubber cement. Many professional woodworkers have extensive knowledge and
experience on the forms and uses of
shellac. For pen work, orange shellac is
completely adequate for purposes like
setting sacs on section nipples. The other
common adhesive is rubber cement. This
cement is used for cut and paste work, or
mounting photos in albums. Whenever I
need a light bond between parts, this is
the adhesive that I reach for. For example,
I use rubber cement on the section
threads for a Sheaffer snorkel where the
barrel screws on. There is no need to seal
this particular joint tightly. Yet to prevent
over tightening this joint, a light adhesive
can prevent the barrel from turning on
the threads as the blind cap is turned to
extend the snorkel.
There are a large number of adhesives
readily available in stores; some are useful
for pen work and others much less so.
Acrylics, hot melts, silicones and urethanes are not very useful. Acrylics need a
primer and while there is a two-part
mixed acrylic adhesive that does not need
a primer, in general these are not rigid
enough for structural bonding that is
often required in pen restoration.
Urethanes are sensitive to moisture and
not an adhesive of choice in an ink environment. Hot melts are too soft to
provide good structural support in pen
restoration.
The most useful adhesives are cyranoacrylates or CAs and epoxies. Both these
adhesives have excellent adhesion,
harden when set and work well on most
metals, plastics and rubber. They both
have high shear (overlapping) and tensile
strength. The low to medium peel
strength of both these adhesives is generally not a problem, except when they
are used on the end of a piece where there
is a chance that the adhesive can catch
on something.
Since CAs and epoxies are used both as
bonding agents as well as fillers on pen
surfaces, purity becomes an important
issue. Commercial epoxy glue and CA
can be purchased at a variety of locations
for under $5 a tube. While these are clear
in the initial application, over a year or
two these commercial adhesives will
begin to yellow and lose some of their
structural integrity. Moving up to
industrial purity, these adhesives cost
$15–20 a tube and will retain its color stability or clarity and integrity in the order
of 5–7 years.
Epoxy of professional purity costs $40–50
a tube and for epoxy that needs to be
mixed in a two-part process, that’s the
price for each tube. To complicate matters
further, professional epoxy is mixed by
weight rather than by volume, and an
accurate balance is necessary to mix this
kind of epoxy. The advantage of these
grades of adhesives is that their color stability or clarity and their integrity are
stable in the order of decades. Adhesives
at this level of purity are made for
medical, dental and restoration work.
Each of the adhesives mentioned in this
article have their individual working
time. Fixture time, sometimes called set
time, is the period during which it is
possible to move and reposition the parts
being glued together. This period can be
as short as 5 seconds for CAs with the
application of a cleaning activator or
accelerator. Epoxies can range from
several minutes to an hour, shellac in
about 30 minutes and rubber cement in
less than five minutes. The cure time is
the amount of time an adhesive requires
to become stable before additional work
can be performed on the parts. The
factors that affect curing include temperature, light and humidity. The
minimum time I allow for curing an
adhesive is one day, although 2–3 days is
better. Anticipation is probably the worst
enemy of any adhesive, the desire to test
the job and see how well it came out. I
had to overcome this behavior and now I
just put the piece away and forget it.
Now for the categorical warning: all the
substances I have mentioned in this
article are toxic. I always try to use
common sense, add a layer of precaution
and make sure there is plenty of ventilation. The amount that I use in any
application is tiny and the possibility of
toxic poisoning is minor. Nevertheless, I
have developed a work habit that greatly
limits the likelihood of accidents. The
reason is that I also work with other more
dangerous chemicals, and sloppy habits in
one area can lead to dangerous habits in
another one.
I transfer solvents from large containers
to much smaller ones and make sure any
container is left open only for the
duration of the procedure. I use latex
gloves when appropriate and make sure
that I schedule work that involves dangerous chemicals during those times of
the day when I am most fresh.
Finally, the solvents and adhesives mentioned in this article occupy a small
corner in this very specialized adhesive
universe. I plan to continue my exploration on the possible uses of adhesives as
they apply to pen restoration, and I will
provide readers with an update in a few
years.
Happy pen hunting! R
In the Stacks
The P.C.A. Library has received from
Mike Carter of Crystal Coins and
Collectibles, a complete set of his pen
sale lists from 1993 to the present. They
contain some good photos of unusual
pens and are a fascinating look at what
prices have done over the last 10 years.
Thanks to Mike.
The Library is a valuable resource,
which comes with your membership in
P.C.A. As librarian, I would like to see
more activity both from contributors
and users.
Recent requests have come in for information on RiteWell and Remington,
neither of which seems to exist in the
library. If anybody out there has old
catalogs, pamphlets or even ads
referring to these pens, it would be nice
if you could have a good copy made and
send it along. Or even better yet,
donate the original.
Dan Reppert
P.C.A. Librarian
email: [email protected]
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
27
R E PAIRS AND RESTORATIONS
Q & Caps
A
Imprints and Blind
By Frank Dubiel
All rights Reserved by Author
Q: I am concerned that some newer
reproduction pens have imprints very
much like originals. When I buy vintage
pens is there a way to tell if the imprints
are original? Or, if they have been
restored on a vintage barrel?
TED
A: Until recent years imprints were made
from metal dies that were stamped into
the pen with heat and pressure. Today
most barrel imprints are laser engraved
and therefore are not really “imprints” in
the classic sense. If you look closely at
both styles side by side you will usually
notice they appear quite different. Each
individual line on each letter of a laser
engraving (Fig. 1) is usually wider and
deeper than stamped imprints (Fig. 2),
which generally have sharper and finer
lines. The bottom of a laser engraved line
is somewhat bubbly from burn marks.
After looking at a few, the difference
between engraving on a pen barrel, which
is what most newer imprints really are, vs.
true vintage style stamped imprints,
should become obvious.
Some newer nibs and even clips are also
laser engraved on some recent pens. The
same differences apply. Many companies
still use dies to stamp metal parts, as the
stamping gives a cleaner line when done
properly. However, laser engraving of nibs
and clips eliminates the problem of die wear
and makes required changes fast and easy
compared to the cost of replacement dies.
FRANK
Figure 1. Laser engraved imprint.
Figure 2. Stamped imprint.
28
The
PEN NAN T
Q. Could you provide some details on
removal or replacement of Sheaffer blind
caps?
ROBERT G.
A: Depending on the pen, Sheaffer used
three methods. Blind caps in the 1930s
through early 1940s usually just screw
onto the piston rod. (Fig. 3) The way to
remove these is to hold the rod firmly
with padded pliers and unscrew the blind
cap. It’s easier to do without damage if
the rod is extended all the way out so the
rod can be gripped with a wider surface,
such as padded jaws of a small vise. Some
of these rods are rubber coated and are
easily damaged when gripped. (Fig. 4)
However, most rubber-coated rods have
deteriorated and should be replaced with
stainless steel rods, which is also what
Sheaffer recommended when such pens
were repaired.
The blind cap threads that mate to the
rod are machined into the plastic of the
blind cap itself and are subject to
stripping and damage, so never over
tighten. If these threads won’t hold well,
some success in getting the blind cap to
attach to the rod end may be achieved
by using a strong glue such as super glue
gel. The gel style is far stronger than
normal super glue and will fill small
gaps. Sometimes the thread area is so far
gone the best repair is to replace the
blind cap with one that has good
threads.
The next version introduced early in
World War II uses a spanner-style
threaded washer to hold the rod in place
(Fig. 5). Plainly visible, this thick metal
washer has two notches cut into it to
accept a spanner screwdriver, which has
a wide-open notch cut in the center of
the blade that allows the rod to pass
through the blade notch. The edges of
the blade engage the slots in the washer
to unscrew it. Most repairmen make
their own spanning screwdrivers,
SPRING 2003
Figure 3. Blind cap and piston rod.
Figure 4. Rubber coated rod.
Figure 5. Blind cap with
threaded washer.
Figure 6. Piston rod end piece.
sometimes with a slight angle added to
the blade to make engagement easier
with the washer. Once the washer is
removed, the blind cap comes off. A
small black end piece with a wider end
screws onto end of the piston rod (Fig.
6). That wide end is held under the
threaded washer, which then holds the
blind cap on the pen.
Beginning with the Touchdown filler in
the later 1940s, Sheaffer had to change
the design for the Touchdown tube.
These blind caps are held in place by a
screw plainly visible in the tube itself.
Remove the section with the filler protector tube that covers the sac. Use a
barrel inspection light or strong
flashlight to see the screw. Find a screwdriver that is long and thin enough and
remove the screw. Be careful, because if
it’s too tight, excessive force may crack
the blind cap. Note also that this screw
must be sealed airtight with a rubber
gasket between the tube end and the
blind cap. Thick application of rubber
cement, carefully applied, can be used
for the seal if the rubber gasket is
missing or has deteriorated.
FRANK
Q: After repairing some Sheaffer piston
fillers or even when finding some in the
field, there is sometimes a gap between
the blind cap and the barrel. Is there
any easy way to eliminate this?
GEORGE H.
A: Generally, this problem occurs with
caps held in place by spanner washers
described above. The gap may be
caused by the washer not being fully
screwed in, or the black rod washer end
cap not being fully screwed onto the
piston rod. This could also be caused by
plastic shrinkage or by a repair, especially if someone was successful in
removing the packing unit assembly
from the rear of the barrel. When
reseated, the packing assembly may not
have been pressed in as far as originally,
hence the gap.
The gap can be dealt with in several
ways, but all of these require the gap to
be rather small to begin with. Large gaps
can only be fixed by repairing or
replacing parts that may not be original
or do not properly fit.
First, remove the blind cap. Screw the
now separate blind cap onto the barrel
end with the rod pushed in. You must
be able to pull the rod back out, so
leave the black end cap on the rod as a
small handle. In the vast majority of
cases the blind cap now fits perfectly, so
you know the problem is that the rod
itself is causing the gap by extending
too far out from the barrel, even when
fully pushed in.
Now check for the obvious. Is the black
end cap fully screwed onto the piston
rod as far as it will go? If not, it is
extending the rod length, which can
cause a gap. Also, check the piston
washer holder inside the pen if you have
dismantled the section and nib
assembly. Is the black, coned end of the
rod that holds the piston fully screwed
on? Make sure that the offset gap these
pens require for ink flow when the rod is
pushed in is correct. A feed sticking too
far inside the pen can cause the gap at
the rear. Finally, is the rod original to
the pen? Sheaffer used at least seven or
eight different rod lengths. Using a rod
slightly too long will also cause the gap.
Once these things have been eliminated
as causes we can proceed to various fixes
for a gap. One way to reduce the gap is
to cut down the threads on the barrel
end. I am not enthusiastic about this
method, but some people have used it
successfully. I hesitate to suggest it since
these threads are fragile and often do
not extend very far to begin with.
Also, trimming of these threads must be
done carefully so that the start position
may be easily found without crossthreading or excessive wear at that spot.
However, if the threads on a given pen
seem solid and have a good grip, very
careful removal of a turn or so can
reduce or eliminate the gap. Another
way is to slightly reduce the piston rod
length. Remove the black metal end cap
from the piston and there are usually
long and solid threads to work with.
Carefully cutting off a turn or two
should do the trick. But be careful that
the rod still can be pushed far enough
into the barrel to operate the filler
properly.
Another way, more crude, is to simply
file away the top surface of the black
end cap on the rod so it doesn’t hold the
blind cap up and away from the pen. A
final way may be to file the top surface
of the threaded washer; that is, the
concave end rather than the notched
end. This is tricky, since the concave
area is designed to seat the rod end cap,
but with a tiny gap it may work to
eliminate it.
Finally, an easy solution that does no
harm is to remove the blind cap, push
the rod down, and then replace the
blind cap. In most cases the fit is fine.
Can you live with that? It’s not original,
but many pens came like this, including
the very first Sheaffer versions sold
under varied non-Sheaffer names. The
blind cap is now a separate piece that is
removable with each filling. Not the
original intent, but no different from
blind caps on millions of other pens.
The only problem, which is the same
with all pens that have removable blind
caps, is being careful the small cap
doesn’t roll away when filling the pen.
The rod is easily gripped and pushed or
pulled by the tiny black end cap. While
the pen isn’t quite original, this is an
easy “work-around” that is harmless and
the pen may always be made fully
original in the future by utilizing the
threaded washer you did not throw away.
FRANK
P.C.A. regrets that due to the volume of inquiries it
receives it is not possible to answer questions individually. Questions submitted will be considered for
publication and become the property of the P.C.A.
They may be edited for clarity. Unless requested,
your name may be used if the question is selected.
No other personal details will be published.
Perform pen repairs at your own risk. The
P.C.A. offers this repair forum as advice only
and is not responsible for damage to your pens.
When in doubt contact a repair specialist.
Submit your Repair & Restoration questions to:
Frank Dubiel
c/o The P.C.A.
P.O. Box 447, Fort Madison, IA 52627-0447
[email protected]
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
29
About the Contributors
Alan D. Bedrick, M.D. is a
long-time writing instrument
collector, with a focus on traditional Watermans, OMAS, and
Pelikans. He is a neonatologist
(pediatrician specializing in newborn
intensive care) in Baltimore, Maryland.
When he uses a pen to write a medical
order, it is often with a Waterman Edson,
a sterling LeMans, or a sterling silver Bic
(not a drug company pen!). His colleagues know better than to ask to use one
of his pens!
Craig Bozorth is a selfdescribed “over-50” pen collector, who promotes the South
Florida Pen, Watch and Knife
Show. Craig likes Campari,
cats, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker, and
was personally acquainted with pen luminaries Harry Bouras, Cliff Lawrence and
Jean Esterbrook. Craig is happily married
to wife Lisa.
Recently retired from his position as Professor of History at
Chabot College, Victor Chen
continues his Tech Notes column, a regular feature in the
magazine.
William J Cowell, Jr. is on the Nixon
Presidential Materials Staff of the
National Archives in College Park, MD.
His interest in fountain pens started with
receiving his father’s Parker Vacumatic,
and he has continued to collect pens over
the years. He has a small collection of
both vintage and modern fountain pens
and enjoys writing with them.
Readers of The PENnant have
come to rely on Frank Dubiel’s
Repairs and Restorations Q&A
as the definitive word on the
subject from the acknowledged
master of hands-on pen repair.
L. Michael Fultz is a writer, pen
(and watch, jewelry, tools, paper
memorabilia, scientific instrument, etc.) collector and pen
manufacturer. He is a contributing editor of Pen World International and
editorial director of Penbid. Together with
Daniel Zazove, he frequently writes about
Parker pens. He makes and sells his own
30
The
PEN NAN T
line of precious metal, vulcanite, and/or
acrylic fountain pens. He lives on Chicago’s
Gold Coast or in Milton, Wisconsin (a
small town 5 miles north of Janesville) with
his wife Martha and cat Emily.
Lisa Hanes started using fountain pens in high school, but
didn’t get the “pen collecting
bug” until about 5 years ago.
Her wide-ranging collecting
interests include anything Esterbrook,
Waterman Ripples, Sheaffer Skripserts,
Pelikans, and most recently Conway
Stewarts. Lisa’s goal in life is to be the
“Queen of Esterbrook” when she grows
up. She is also a member of the PCA
Board of Directors. Lisa lives in Tampa,
FL with her husband and 2 children.
Donald Harvey has been collecting pens
and pencils for about 12 years and modestly admits to owning “a few good
things”. His companion in pen-hunting,
his 7-year-old son William Sheldon
Harvey, describes his dad as “happy,
polite, a good father and thinker.”
Melissa Lowry’s collection of Victorian
autograph albums led to an interest in
collecting writing instruments. She
found her first vintage fountain pens in
1978, and her current collection is largely focused on gold and silver pens and
pencils, and pre-war English pen manufacturers. Melissa is a writer and editor
who lives in Portland, Oregon with her
husband and two cats, all of whom have
illegible handwriting.
Michael McNeil has been a
vintage fountain pen collector,
restorer and dealer since 1986.
He operates Northwest Pen
Works in Portland, Oregon. He
collects pens, mechanical pencils, and
other items relating to writing from many
different manufacturers. He is currently
working on a new website, that he hopes
will be of benefit to pen collectors everywhere.
Jim Marshall owns and operates The Pen & Pencil Gallery
in Skelton, near Penrith,
Cumbria (England), along with
his wife and business partner
Jane. His activities include restoration,
buying and selling, writing, and regular
SPRING 2003
attendance at trade shows and a few ‘top
end’ antique shows. Jim is the author of
several books about writing instruments,
and among his many interests are late
18th and early 19th century dip pens,
pencils, quill knives and accessories.
INFORMATION FOR
CONTRIBUTORS
The PENnant invites you to submit
articles of interest to the P.C.A.
membership. All contributions
should be submitted as email
attachments on standard word processing software. If submitting
illustrations electronically, please
make sure that they have been
scanned at no less than 300 pixels
per inch. They may be submitted
on zip disk or as tiff images on
email. We welcome articles dealing
with pen collecting, writing instruments, pen manufacturers, ephemera, news about your recent
“finds”, and letters to the Editor.
The PENnant Author’s Guidelines
document is available upon
request, and members of the editorial staff and P.C.A. Board are
available to assist you. Deadlines
for submission of artic les are
February 1, June 1 and October 1.
Contributions are subject to editorial review and should be sent to:
P.C.A.
ATTN: Melissa Lowry, Editor
The PENnant
PO Box 447
☛ All opinions expressed in The
PENnant are those of the authors and
do not necessarily represent the opinion
of the P.C.A., its directors, or members.
s Pen Repair Directory S
BB PEN
BERNARD BERNOLET
63 Chaussee de Bruxelles
1472 Vieux Genappe
Belgium
Website: www.bbpen.com
Phone/FAX: +32-02387-57-70
RICHARD BINDER
31 Fairmount Street
Nashua, NH 03064-2523
Phone: 603-882-5384
Website: www.richardspens.com
General repair and restoration of vintage
pens; nib adjustment and smoothing.
THE FOUNTAIN PEN RECYCLER
MIKE CARTER
MAIL: P.O. Box 28083
Store: 7000 57th Ave. N., Ste. 103
Crystal, MN 55428
Home: 763-434-7921
Work: 763-535-1599
FAX: 763-535-1892
Repairs to all makes and models.
FOUNTAIN PEN HOSPITAL
10 Warren Street
New York, NY 10007
800-253-7367 • 212-964-0580
FAX: 212-227-5916
Website:
www.fountainpenhospital.com
Repairs and restorations for all makes,
models and filling mechanisms.
THE SOUTHERN SCRIBE
RICK HORNE
1868 Mt. Meigs Road
Montgomery, AL 36106
Home: 334-263-4169
Work: 334-263-4169
FAX: 334-263-4169
Website: www.thesouthernscribe.com
Expert repair on Eyedroppers to Snorkels,
difficult & unusual repairs including
cracks, goldplating, black hard rubber
color restoration, mother of pearl and
abalone panel replacement.
INKPEN VINTAGE FOUNTAIN PENS
JOEL R. HAMILTON
1602 Arizona Avenue
Alamogordo, NM 88310
Phone: 505-437-8118
SHERRELL TYREE
10009 Roe Avenue
Overland Park, Kansas 66207
Phone: 913-642-3216
Website: www.ink-pen.com
Repairs on most vintage pens, including
Sheaffer vacs–fast turnaround, excellent
communication. “Your pen is our priority.” All work guaranteed.
BROADWAY PENS
BRAD KNAPP (FULL-TIME)
456 S. Broadway
Lebanon, OH 45036
Home: 513-932-2220
Work: 513-932-6070
FAX: 513-932-9988
Repairs most brands including Parker
Vacs, Sheaffer Snorkels, Sheaffer and
Wahl Plunger Fillers.
PEN HAVEN
BERTON A. HEISERMAN
3730 Howard Avenue
Kensington, MD 20895
Home: 301-365-4452
Work: 301-929-0955
Fax: 301-365-4452
Website: www.penhaven.com
Specialties: Total restoration to all models. Plastic crack repairs. Replace bands,
rings and crowns, Waterman 100 Yr.
barrel ends and cap-tops. Plating.
PENOPOLY
ROGER CROMWELL & VICTOR CHEN
1271 Washington Avenue, PMB 598
San Leandro, CA 94577
510-553-9910
Website: www.penopoly.com
Restoration and repairs on all makes
and models.
Advertise your pen repair service in The PENnant’s Pen Repair Directory.
Your listing reaches nearly 2,000 members three times annually. $75.00/3 consecutive issues.
Mail, fax or email your listing. Please include name, address, phone number, e-mail and a brief description of your repair services.
P.C.A. – Pen Repair Directory • P.O. Box 447, Fort Madison, IA 52627 • Fax: 319-372-0882
Email: Terry Mawhorter, Advertising Manager, [email protected]
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
31
THE MARKETPLACE
POLITE COLLECTOR would like to buy pens,
pencils, advertising material, display cases
or other information regarding the Hartline
Pen Co., that was located in Tampa, Florida,
and for a short time in Michigan. Please contact me at 305-858-5635, collect is fine. Or
e-mail me: [email protected]. Thank you,
Craig Bozorth
WANTED Victorian pencils: figurals, flat
sterling cases, porte-crayons, champagne
bottle waiters’ pencils. Melissa Lowry Email: [email protected].
N OYESVILLE V INTAGE P ENS (in Moonshadow Antiques) 7000-C Carroll Ave.
Oldtown Tacoma Park, Md. Three blocks
from the Takoma Metro Station,
Washington DC, David Silber, 301-2216596, shop open six days per week. Watch for
our website November, 2003.
JUNE’S ANTIQUE DESK STUFF, for sale, vintage fountain pens, pencils, sets, inkwells, ink
stands and other desk stuff. Visit my website
at www.ocis.net~hambrooq
Buy - Sell - Trade in The PENnant's
Marketplace. Your classified ad
reaches over 2,000 pen enthusiasts.
Marketplace ads $.50 per word
P.C.A. members are entitled to one or
more FREE classifieds annually based
on membership level. Free ad may be
up to 25 words in length.
Mail to: P.C.A. - Marketplace, P.O.Box 447,
Fort Madison, IA 52627
Deadlines for publication:
February 15, June 15 and October 15
Email: Terry Mawhorter, Advertising Mgr.
[email protected]
The Southern Scribe
Expert Pen Repair
Photos on my Website
Vintage Pens Sold
Collections Appraised
Single Pieces and
Collections Purchased
www.thesouthernscribe.com
Rick Horne
334.263.4169
1868 Mt. Meigs Road
Montgomery, AL 36107
32
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
Authorized Dealer for
Ten Brands of New Pens
Competitive Prices
The Pen Mechanic
Vintage Fountain Pen & Pencil
Repairs & Sales
I repair almost any vintage, make & model
Waterman’s Rivet Clips a specialty
Reasonable rates, fast turnaround
Bill Enderlin
(301) 585-0600
P.O. Box 197
Kensington, MD 20895
E-mail: [email protected]
!
around
n
r
u
T
eek
One W
Lever / Button Fill $25
Parker Vacumatic $30
Sheaffer Vacuum Fill $30
Conklin Nozak $35
All others - call
All work warranted. Large parts inventory. We buy!
Aaron A. Svabik
PO BOX 2866
Youngstown, OH 44511
330-799-9537
[email protected]
(510) 553-9910
[email protected]
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
33
Each model is personally signed by Geoffrey S. Parker
Exact reproduction of original aircraft, researched from RAF photo archives, original production blueprints and historical records.
Solid wood construction, 18” wingspan, spinning prop,
hand-painted decoration of original design. Model is mounted on base with pen rest.
Every model is Limited Edition numbered to the extent of production.
Extremely low production by subscription orders only for the year 2003. Production will cease on December 31, 2003.
Price: $250 each plus $10 freight from Illinois, USA.
Overseas Parcel Post costs to be advised
Safely packed for international shipping. One Year Unconditional Guarantee
Visa, MC, Am Ex, PayPal.com, Personal Checks (drawn on U.S. banks)
Provisor Promotions, Inc. Long Grove, Illinois
E-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 847.566.3400 FAX: 847.566.0750
View history pages and actual model images at www.inkblotters.com
Technical and research materials provided by
Dave Ruderman and Geoffrey S. Parker.
Copyrighted by Geoffrey S. Parker and Provisor Promotions, Inc
High Quality Fountain Pen Display Cases
Designed by Collectors . . . our Fountain Pen Cases feature inner plexiglass lids for easy display and
foam inserts for pen protection. Vinyl covered – Protective corners
Both Cases have inner plexiglass
lids that latch down
LPC 60 PEN CASE
SPC 30 PEN CASE
(Double Sided)
(Double Sided)
$75.00
$55.00
Carolina Custom Case Co.
Al Bernhardt, 106 West 15th Street, Lumberton, NC 28358
Phone: (910) 738-7634 • Fax: (910) 608-0064
34
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
To order call
TOLL FREE:
1-800-729-0017
AMEX
Please add $7.00 for domestic UPS shipments
www.Parker75.com
(see the above website for all the models and
parts as well as complete Parker 75 info)
Contact Us For All Your
PARKER 75 and PREMIER
Sales and Purchases
We buy and sell exotic nibs; sections;
Pens (fountain and ballpoint)
Lee Chait
Lih-Tah Wong
706-579-1429
[email protected]
775-414-5237(fax)
[email protected]
TA K E
A D VA N TA G E
OF US!
The P.C.A. is more
than just a magazine!
Our library of reference materials
is available to all P.C.A. members.
Over 6,000 pages of vintage
catalogs, brochures and
advertisements await you.
Contact: Dan Reppert
P.C.A. Librarian
EMAIL: [email protected]
NORTH TEXAS
FOUNTAIN PEN COLLECTORS
Eighth Annual Dallas Pen Show
Saturday, October 11, 2003
9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Richardson Civic Center
Exhibition Hall
Richardson Texas
SW Corner of Hwy. 75 and Arapaho Road exit 25
Contact Lowell Lindsey at PenWright
800-672-7814 or home 972-278-6336
[email protected]
For a Vintage Pen Table Application:
Table Cost $35 Half Table $20.
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
35
Pen Haven
3730 Howard Ave • Kensington, MD 20895
Open: Sat-Sun 12 pm – 5 pm
301-929-0955
Fax 301-365-4452
Email [email protected]
Vintage Fountain Pens & Accessories
Professional Repair & Restoration
Berton A. Heiserman 301-365-4452
www.penhaven.com
36
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
Ohio Pen Show
Never Attended As A
Weekend Buyer?
Win A Free Weekend Admission
And(2) Free Nights In The Hotel!
Great Vintage and New Pens
Complimentary Airport Shuttle
Auction Seminars Parties
Exceptional Pre-Show Buying!!
30+ Tables Thurs., 90+ Table Fri.
120 Tables Saturday and Sunday
November 6,7,8 and 9, 2003
Wyndham Dublin Hotel
$87/Night ( 1-800-Wyndham )
Weekend Registration: $50.00
(Includes Significant Other)
Registration Must be Received By
August 15 To Be Eligible For Drawing
Terry and Sonya Mawhorter, Show Organizers
www.ohiopenshow.com
(740) 454-2314
Show Patrons:
Bexley Pen and Pen World
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
37
CUSTOM NIB MODIFICATIONS
SPECIALIZING IN VINTAGE AND LIMITED EDITION PENS
• Re-tipping (any size)
• Flow adjustments
• Re-grinding
• Crack repair
• Straightening
• Original Replacements*
*A large stock of vintage nibs is available especially Waterman’s and Parker
www.1001Pens.com
www.1001inkbottles.com
You can buy Pens and
pay us with Ink Bottles
38
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
Stub, italic, oblique, calligraphy and
flexible tips made to custom specifications
• Re-tip on nib only ..............................................................$60
(extra charge for Stub, Oblique, Xbroad, or Xfine) ..............$10
• Nib Removal and Resetting (Whole Pen Charge)..................$20
• UPS Shipping and Insurance to $300 ....................................$6
(Any amount of insurance is available. Please add $.50 per $100 over $100)
Limited service from mid-May to mid-September.
John Mottishaw
Telephone: 323-655-2641
P.O. Box 46723
Fax: 323-651-0265
Los Angeles, Ca. 90046
Visit our web site at www.nibs.com
INSURANCE
For The
Pen Collector
Your homeowners insurance is rarely adequate enough to
cover your collectibles. We have provided economical,
dependable collectibles insurance since 1966.
• Sample collector rates: $3,000 for $14, $10,000 for $38, $25,000 for
$95, $50,000 for $190, $100,000 for $278, $200,000 for $418. Above
$200,000, rate is $1.40 per $1,000.
• Our insurance carrier is AM Best's rated A+ (Superior).
• We insure valuable pens, and well over 100 other kinds of collectibles.
“One-stop” service for practically everything you collect.
• Replacement value. We use expert/professional help valuing collectible losses. Consumer friendly service: Our office handles your loss—you
won't deal with a big insurer who doesn't know collectibles.
• Detailed inventory and/or professional appraisal not required. Collectors list items over $5,000, dealers no listing required.
• See our website (or call, fax, e-mail us) for full information, including
standard exclusions.
Collectibles Insurance Agency
P.O. Box 1200-PEN
Westminster MD 21158
TOLL FREE: 1-888-837-9537
E-Mail us at: [email protected]
[email protected]
Need A Rate Quote? Call 1-888-837-9537
Or visit www.collectinsure.com
Fine Fountain Pens
& Writing Supplies
Norman G. Haase
[email protected]
www.hisnibs.com
SPRING 2003
The
PEN NAN T
39
www.vintagepens.com
The most comprehensive and authoritative
online reference for the vintage pen collector:
original articles, answers to frequently asked
questions, repair tips, illustrated pen profiles,
guides to collecting resources, technical glossary, old ads and instruction sheets, and much,
much more…
Illustrated online catalog of 350+ fine vintage
pens,with constant additions,a complete update
monthly, and special offers.
Society of Inkwell
Collectors
Join Us!
Newsletter
Convention
Books & Accessories
all items fully guaranteed
David Nishimura
[email protected]
401-351-7607
WE BUY COLLECTIONS
Networking
P.O. BOX 324
MOSSVILLE, IL 61552
PHONE: 309-579-3040
[email protected]
WWW.SOIC.COM
[email protected]
www.wesonline.org.uk
40
The
PEN NAN T
SPRING 2003
Avalon Pens
New and Vintage Fountain Pens
One of the largest selections of new pens at the best prices:
Aurora, Conway Stewart, Pelikan, Bexley,
Delta, Stipula, Sailor, Sheaffer, Parker, Waterman, Visconti, Rotring,
Retro 51, Monteverde, Porsche/Faber-Castell
Many restored vintage pens available.
Check our website often:
www.avalonpens.com
275 South Main
Zionsville, IN. 46077
(317) 873-0470
FOUNTAIN PEN HOSPITAL
The Showcase of Fine Writing Instruments
Since 1946
WORLD’S LARGEST SELECTION
Visit our newly expanded showroom
for an experience unlike any other.
World’s largest selection of contemporary, limited edition and vintage
pens.
CALL OR EMAIL
FREE PEN CATALOG
FOR
10 Warren Street
New York, NY 10007
800.253.PENS
T. 212.964.0580 / F. 212.227.5916
PRIVATE RESERVE INK
[email protected]
www.fountainpenhospital.com
Private Reserve Fountain Pen Inks are among the best inks available today:
purchase from one of our many dealers – you’ll be happy you did !
22 Vibrant Colors
Neutral ph
And Coming –
2003 DC Super Show Blue
Excellent Coverage-Smooth Flow
Non-clogging-Fast drying
50ml classic deco bottle-$7.60
Made in U.S.A.
Private Reserve Ink
P.O. Box 593
Zionsville, IN 46077
317-733-1970
Visit our website at
www.privatereserveink.com
for dealer listings
Dealer Inquiries Invited
Just click www.fountainpenhospital.com

215 The PENNANT 2003 Spring Vol. XVII, No.1

Transcription

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