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PenHero 365 June 2019

2019 Pages:

June May


PenHero 365 2018

PenHero 365 2017


Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel Pastel Blue fountain pen c. 1956-1958

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This is a Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel Pastel Blue fountain pen c. 1956-1958. The fountain pen has a two-tone plated 14 karat gold Triumph nib, polished stainless steel cap with a repeating pattern of four straight longitudinal engraved lines in a stepped grouping, gold-filled cap band, gold-filled clip, and plastic barrel. Barrel colors produced from 1952 to 1955 were black, burgundy, pastel gray, pastel blue (or aqua), and pastel green. Peacock blue, buckskin tan, periwinkle, mandarin orange, fiesta red, and vermillion were added later. Note the color match section, a production change that started c. 1956. The Sentinel fountain pen is 5 ½ inches long and sold for $20.00 in 1954 and $22.50 by 1955. The matching pencil sold for $7.50.


Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel Burgundy fountain pen c. 1952-1955

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This is a Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel Burgundy fountain pen c. 1952-1955. The fountain pen has a two-tone plated 14 karat gold Triumph nib, polished stainless steel cap with a repeating pattern of four straight longitudinal engraved lines in a stepped grouping, gold-filled cap band, gold-filled clip, and plastic barrel. Barrel colors produced from 1952 to 1955 were black, burgundy, pastel gray, pastel blue (or aqua), and pastel green. Peacock blue, buckskin tan, periwinkle, mandarin orange, fiesta red, and vermillion were added later. The Sentinel fountain pen is 5 ½ inches long and sold for $20.00 in 1954 and $22.50 by 1955. The matching pencil sold for $7.50.


Eclipse red lacquer chased hard rubber slender fountain pen c. 1923-1926

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This is an Eclipse red lacquer chased hard rubber slender fountain pen c. 1923-1926. This 5 11/32 inch long lever fill fountain pen has a chased hard rubber cap and barrel in an alternating lines and squares pattern. Note the black band near the cap top. This example shows two Eclipse 1923 patents by David Klein, one for the clip and one for the boxed lever unit. A 1926 advertisement describes the boxed lever as a new feature. The pen features chrome or rhodium plated trim. The clip is stamped Eclipse in script over PAT. over 9-18-23. The barrel has no imprint but does have a large blank cartouche for name personalization. The normal nib for this pen would be a warranted 14 karat gold nib. This nib is a gold plated stainless steel replacement.


Eversharp Junior in brown striped celluloid c. late 1930s

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This is an Eversharp Junior in brown striped celluloid c. late 1930s. This 5 1/16 inch long lever fill fountain pen has a striped celluloid similar to the late 1930s Waterman Blue Streak, except the stripes are black and tan. These pens show in a c. 1938 catalog as available in Green, Red and Brown striped celluloid and solid Jet Black. The pen features two gold filled cap bands, one narrow and one wide, and a gold filled clip similar to the c. 1938-1941 Eversharp Air-Lite. The barrel is stamped WAHL EVERSHARP over MADE IN U S A. The cap top and barrel ends are peaked. The gold nib is stamped EVERSHARP over MANIFOLD over MADE IN U S A. Matching pencils were available.


Waterman 555 in brown striped celluloid c. late 1940s

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This is a Waterman 555 in brown striped celluloid c. late 1940s made in Canada. This 5 inch long lever fill fountain pen has a blue striped celluloid similar to the late 1930s Blue Streak. These pens show in a 1947 catalog printed in Canada as available in Brown and Grey striped celluloid and solid Jet Black. The pen features three gold filled cap bands, two narrow flanking one wide, and a gold filled clip stamped WATERMANS. The barrel is stamped Waterman’s over MADE IN CANADA. The cap top and barrel ends are stepped. The gold nib is stamped WATERMAN’S over 14K over IDEAL over CANADA. Matching pencils were available.


Salz fountain pen and pencil combo in a gray and brown crosshatch c. 1930s

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This is a Salz fountain pen and pencil combo in a gray and brown crosshatch celluloid c. 1930s. It’s a 5 5/8 inch long lever filler with gold plate trim, though the trim shows heavy plating loss. Salz Brothers was located in New York City and may be best known for making the tiny Peter Pan pens. By the late 1930s the company sold pens under the Stratford name. The clip has the Salz name, though no other markings appear on the pen. This example came with a Stratford 14 karat gold plated stainless steel nib. Stratford was also a Salz brand.


Pilot 40 fountain pen in black and cream marble celluloid c. 1956

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This is a Pilot 40 fountain pen in black and cream marble celluloid c. 1956. This just under 5 5/16 inch long pen features a fingernail shaped inset stainless steel nib stamped PILOT over SUPER over QUALITY. The clip is stamped PILOT. The cap top button and trim are chrome plated and the barrel end has a trim ring with black button. The barrel has an imprint PILOT over 40 just below the cap line. The nib has a vent at the bottom. Note this example has celluloid deterioration at the top of the barrel near the section. The pen has a squeeze filler unit, a rubber sac inside a wraparound metal bar. Filling the pen requires unscrewing the barrel, inserting the nib in ink and squeezing the metal bars to compress the ink sac.


Sheaffer Sagaris fountain pen in Chrome introduced 2019

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This is the new Sheaffer Sagaris fountain pen in Chrome. This 5 3/16 inch long cartridge / converter pen favors the vintage look of the Imperial and Triumph pens from the 1960s to the 1990s. It has a chrome plated linear engraved cap and barrel. The spring loaded clip and trim are also chrome plated. It features a stainless steel nib with a stamped starburst pattern. These pens retail for $85 and are available with fine or medium nibs. The matching rollerball pen is $65 and the ballpoint pen is $55.


Sheaffer Sagaris fountain pen in Titanium Gray introduced 2019

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This is the new Sheaffer Sagaris fountain pen in Titanium Gray introduced 2019. This 5 3/16 inch long cartridge / converter pen favors the vintage look of the Imperial and Triumph pens from the 1960s to the 1990s. It has what Sheaffer calls a titanium gray lacquer finish on a linear engraved cap and barrel. The spring loaded clip and trim has a polished black PVD finish. It features a stainless steel nib with a stamped starburst pattern. These pens retail for $85 and are available with fine or medium nibs. The matching rollerball pen is $65 and the ballpoint pen is $55.


Moore lever-fill fountain pen in a brown stripe marble celluloid c. 1937-1942

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This is a short Moore lever-fill fountain pen in a brown stripe marble celluloid c. 1937-1942. The design of the celluloid is panels of brown marble divided by narrow three-color black-gold-black stripes. This 4 3/8 inch long pen features gold filled trim with typical plating loss and a replacement WARRANTED 14 karat gold nib. The clip is stamped MOORE, but is a different design than similar striped Moores, and does not include the cartouche box for the Moore name or the engraved lines. This model pen is probably the Lady Moore model that sold for $3.00.


Moore 94A fountain pen in a blue stripe marble celluloid c. 1937-1942

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This is a Moore 94A lever-fill fountain pen in a blue stripe marble celluloid c. 1937-1942. The design of the celluloid is panels of blue marble divided by narrow three-color black-silver-black stripes. This 5 inch long pen features gold filled trim with typical plating loss and a replacement PLANCK 14 karat gold nib. The clip is stamped MOORE. The barrel is imprinted MOORE PEN CO. over BOSTON 94-A MASS. 9X model pens designated the longest model offered. This model pen was the medium size and sold for $3.00.


Pilot Super Ultra 500 fountain pen black with chased rolled gold cap c. 1958-1959

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This is a Pilot Super Ultra 500 fountain pen in black with a chased rolled gold cap c. 1958-1959. This just under 5 ½ inch long pen was designed by Shigeki Chiba with a 14 karat wrap around inset nib that reminds of the Sheaffer conical Triumph nibs. The nib is stamped PILOT over MADE IN JAPAN over 14K. The cap has a repeating set of seven lines, alternating 4 straight with 3 waterdrop lines. It’s stamped PILOT R14 at the cap lip opposite the clip. The clip is spring loaded and stamped PILOT at the top face. The barrel is stamped PILOT over SUPER 500 just below where it meets the section. According to Fountain Pens of Japan by Lambrou and Sunami, the cap and barrel is coated with five layers of urushi lacquer. The clip is stamped PILOT. The barrel end has a gold filled trim button. The pen has a knob filler unit, a rubber sac inside a metal sac protector with a pressure bar that is operated by flipping the lever on the end of the unit, similar to a button filler. Filling the pen requires unscrewing the barrel, inserting the nib in ink and flipping the knob to compress the ink sac.


The Summer Pennant is in the mail!

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The Summer Pennant is in the mail! This is the cover shot, a Conklin Red Pearl Chevron Nozac prototype with, from top, a finished but not yet imprinted barrel, the finished pen, a barrel blank, and a cap blank. The pen shown is the only one known to exist. This issue is all about passion, beauty and discovery. And of course, pens!

- TECH TALK, Todd Eberspacher and Tim Laros answer a puzzling Parker question.

- BLAST FROM THE PAST, John Maloney and Fred Krinke open a time capsule: 1940s letters to the Parker Pen Service Department.

- THOMAS JEFFERSON’S PEN MAKER, PART III, Andrew Midkiff concludes his series on early steel pen maker Peregrine Williamson.

- CONKLIN NOZAC CHEVRON 1936–37, Jim Mamoulides explores the stunning Nozac Chevron.

- THE GRIESHABER PEN COMPANY UNTIL 1901, Grieshaber collector Alain Dbjay fleshes out the story of this little-known brand.

- A RIPPLE IN TIME, A recent pen acquisition, a sense of curiosity, and outstanding research lead Daniel Kirchheimer to an amazing discovery.

- MOORE STRIPED FOUNTAIN PENS, C. 1937–42, Ross McKinney and Jim Mamoulides investigate one of Moore’s most beautiful materials.

Members of the Pen Collectors of America should see their copies in the mail once we are finished printing. You can find more information about the PCA at this link:

https://www.pencollectorsofamerica.com


Platinum Clear Plastic Aerometric fill fountain pen c. 1954-1955

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This is a Platinum Aerometric fill fountain pen c. 1954-1955 with a clear plastic cap and barrel. This 4 7/8 inch long model would date from at least 1954 when nibs were marked with the Japanese Industrial Standards mark. This pen borrows design elements from the UK Parker Duofold, including the cap and barrel shape, the clip, open nib, cap band and the filling system. The paper band shows a price of 550 yen, $5.00 in today’s dollars. The clip is stamped R14 at the top, indicating 14 karat rolled gold above the name PLATINUM. The nib is stamped PLATINUM over 10 YEAR over IRIDIUM over the JIS symbol. The cap and nib section are crazing, unfortunately.


Pilot Super Ultra 500 fountain pen in black c. 1958-1959

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This is a Pilot Super Ultra 500 fountain pen in black c. 1958-1959. This just under 5 ½ inch long pen was designed by Shigeki Chiba with a 14 karat wrap around inset nib that reminds of the Sheaffer conical Triumph nibs. The nib is stamped PILOT over MADE IN JAPAN over 14K. The barrel is stamped PILOT over SUPER 500 just below where it meets the section. According to Fountain Pens of Japan by Lambrou and Sunami, the cap and barrel is coated with five layers of urushi lacquer. The clip is stamped PILOT. The barrel end has a gold filled trim button. The pen has a knob filler unit, a rubber sac inside a metal sac protector with a pressure bar that is operated by flipping the lever on the end of the unit, similar to a button filler. Filling the pen requires unscrewing the barrel, inserting the nib in ink and flipping the knob to compress the ink sac.


Parker Streamline Duofold Deluxe Senior in Moderne Black and Pearl c. 1929-1933

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This is a Parker Streamline Duofold Deluxe Senior in Moderne Black and Pearl Permanite celluloid c. 1929-1933. Parker streamlined the Duofold line in 1929, tapering the end of the cap and barrel. This 5 1/8 inch long button filling fountain pen features three cap bands. The barrel is stamped GEO. S. PARKER next to PARKER over DUOFOLD next to MADE IN U.S.A. This example has a firm gold nib stamped PARKER over DUOFOLD over DELUXE over a number over MADE IN over U.S.A. The trim is gold filled. Note the discoloration difference between the cap and barrel, not unusual on these pens. It sold for $10.00 in 1930 and the matching pencil was $5.00.


Parker Duofold Deluxe Lady in Moderne Black and Pearl celluloid c. 1928-1929

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This is a Parker Streamline Duofold Deluxe Lady in Moderne Black and Pearl Permanite celluloid c. 1929-1933. Parker streamlined the Duofold line in 1929, tapering the end of the cap and barrel. This 4 7/16 inch long button filling fountain pen features three cap bands. The barrel is stamped GEO. S. PARKER next to PARKER over DUOFOLD next to MADE IN U.S.A. This example has a firm gold nib stamped PARKER over DUOFOLD over MADE IN over U.S.A. over 36. The last number is a date code indicating 3rd quarter of 1936. It’s possible that the nib is later made than the pen. The trim is gold filled. Note the discoloration of the cap and barrel, not unusual on these pens. It sold for $7.50 in 1930 and the matching pencil was $3.50.


Parker Duofold Deluxe Lady in Moderne Black and Pearl celluloid c. 1928-1929

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This is a Parker Duofold Deluxe Lady in Moderne Black and Pearl Permanite celluloid c. 1928-1929. The Duofold Deluxe was a response to the new Sheaffer black and pearl celluloid, and according to the Parker Duofold book by Shepherd and Zazove, the Moderne Black and Pearl was a different formulation than Sheaffer’s, incorporating real pearl essence. This more expensive material pushed Parker to price the pens higher than other Duofolds, so they added an additional cap band and a larger nib stamped DELUXE. This 4 ½ inch long button filling fountain pen features three cap bands, new for 1928 and the year before the line was streamlined, making this a single year model. The barrel is stamped GEO. S. PARKER next to DUOFOLD over PATENTED next to MADE IN U.S.A. This example has a firm gold nib stamped PARKER over DUOFOLD over DELUXE over MADE IN U.S.A. The trim is gold filled. Note the discoloration of the cap and barrel, not unusual on these pens. It also is showing use wear as the cap and barrel have years of rough spots. It sold for $7.50 in 1929 and the matching pencil was $3.50.



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