#ringtop

[syncallio]

If it ever bugs you when a brand gives something a deliberately misspelled name, just know that this is not a new thing.

Case in point: the Conklin Symetrik:

This beautiful little pen was designed to compete with Sheaffer's Balance, hence the name and the rounded ends. Why it couldn't be spelled correctly is anybody's guess.

This one is just gorgeous. I love the mix of red and silver. The trim is in good shape, though it has lost its ring.

It writes on the bold side, smooth and wet. All around a delightful pen to look at and to use.

[penhero]

This is a John Holland Jewel Inlaid Pearl and Black Stripe ringtop pen c. 1937-1938. The pen barrel and cap appear to each be made from three separate pieces that are probably glued together. The two end sections of the cap and barrel are a rounded solid black plastic. The center is a tube of alternating wide black and narrow faux mother of pearl celluloid strips and given the name, the pearl celluloid elements may be inlaid, or strips glued together. It’s 4 1/2 inches long and has a Number 2 size gold nib (no hallmarks) marked “JOHN” over “HOLLAND” over “CIN. O.” Retail price was $6.40, and the matching pencil was $4.50. This pen is available for purchase on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/374368562303 #fountainpen #pencollecting #johnholland #jewel #inlaidpearl #pearl #ringtop #penhero https://www.instagram.com/p/ClR7a9LPOcd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[syncallio]

Sometimes I see a pen on eBay and I'm like, "Why has nobody bid on that? It's a good price for that pen. I'll bid on it because it deserves to be bid on." Normally I get outbid. But every once in a while I don't.

This is a Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal ringtop in woodgrain ebonite. It was already fully restored. I have no idea why no one else picked up on it.

I mean, look at that woodgrain! The rich color! The four trim rings! The Gold Seal! Eversharp made excellent pens and this is no exception. Some of the trim has lost its plating, and there are a few toothmarks on the end of the barrel. But other than that it's in great shape.

The nib says "medium" but it's fairly fine, and dry. Like all hard rubber pens it's lightweight and feels warm to the touch.

The Gold Seal with its double check marks was how Eversharp indicated a lifetime guarantee. It's the same as Sheaffer's White Dot and Parker's Blue Diamond.

Just a handsome little pen, and I'm happy to have it.

[syncallio]

When Sheaffer introduced their Balance model in 1929, ringtop pens were falling out of favor. But for a little while you could get a Balance ringtop. Most of them were small, but this sucker is huge.

Who wants an oversize ringtop? I can't imagine wearing this on a lanyard. It's as long and fat as any modern pen.

"Black and Pearl" celluloid pens tend to discolor: the yellow/brown areas on this pen were once pearly white. It must've been striking when it was new.

The nib is absolutely beefy. Just the thickest slab of 14k gold you can imagine. To last a lifetime, I'm sure! It writes stiff and fine.

For a 91 year old pen it's doing pretty good.

I'm hoping to visit Fort Madison this year. There's a Sheaffer museum by the old factory, open only three days a week. Kinda wonder what all they have to show.

[syncallio]

So you know how ringtop pens were originally worn on lanyards? I finally scored a pen that still had one.

Black grosgrain and a little brass slide!

I don't think this pen was used much. The nib was bent, so maybe someone put it away rather than get it fixed. Which means this little guy has no trace of fading.

Look how black it is! And how crisp the imprint is! In collector parlance, this guy is *molten*.

The nib needed a little help, and writes well now. The sac it needed was a size 12, the smallest I had. (I think they go down to 10?)

From what I can find, the original Edison pen company made pens for less than twenty years. The current Edison Pen Company founded in 2007 is unrelated - and on track to outlast the original's run.

[syncallio]

From 1928 to 1931 Parker sold a student pen in a pretty blue and white swirled celluloid. These days they're known as True Blues.

The barrel on mine is badly discolored. The cap is closer to what they looked like originally. And my photos aren't great: the blue is vivid and a bit translucent, making a nice contrast to the creamy white swirls.

The plain gold nib writes fine and a little dry. Whoever owned this pen took good care of it: there's hardly any wear.

True Blues are hard to get these days. Funny how that works! Collectors love them for their quality, rarity, and beauty. I think the only reason I got this one without a fight is because the seller didn't know what it was.

[syncallio]

So back in the day, the biggest ink manufacturer in the world was Carter's Ink out of Boston/Cambridge Massachusetts. They made all kinds of ink, including fountain pen ink, and for a brief while they ventured into making pens.

And I mean *brief*. They made pens from 1926 to 1932. Then the Great Depression hit and they cut back operations.

Their pens are highly regarded today. I have two, and yeah, they're pretty nice.

The black one has 2233 stamped on the end of the barrel, which is a model number that lines up with their 1928 catalog. The gold one I can't find any information for. Apparently gold overlay Carters are rare.

They're both wet writers, and quite pleasant.

[syncallio]

Pen model names can be so odd. Usually it's a problem of what the exact model name is, with a hundred tiny variants (looking at you, Sheaffer) or not giving a model number at all (*cough* Platinum *cough*), but sometimes it's just like, that doesn't sound like a pen.

For instance, the Parker Lucky Curve.

It gets its name from an element of the feed design that you can't even see. The inner end of the feed curves against the ink sac, providing a better flow of ink back into the pen when you stop using it. Which reduces burping and blotting.

Having taken this pen apart for repairs, I found no evidence of a curve in the feed. It may have been removed in the course of a previous repair to make it easier to reassemble. Oh well!