Black Sheaffer Balance OS

Section, originally uploaded by Tim Conklin.

This is the section of my black Sheaffer Balance oversize. You'll notice that the collector (or feed) is broken off and that part of it is lodged inside the section.

If you click on the picture, you will be taken to my flickr.com website where you will see several other photos of this fine fountain pen. They're in a photo set named Sheaffer.

I am hoping that somebody out there will be able to provide me with a new collector or alternately, would be willing to do an excellent job restoring the whole pen. Can you help me? If you can, send me an e-mail: tconklin@telus.net. Thanks for looking.

Still Life in a Coffee Shop

Still Life in a Coffee Shop, originally uploaded by Tim Conklin.

This is a popular photo on my flickr site.

Conklin Vintage Photos 034 (Large)

Conklin Vintage Photos 034 (Large), originally uploaded by Tim Conklin.

Here is a picture of my grandparents Melvin and Cora Conklin. This photo was taken shortly after they were married in 1919. You are welcome to take a look at more of my family's old photographs by clicking on this image. I hope that relatives will be able to identify some of the people in the pictures.

Free to a Good Home!

Ink Box Front, originally uploaded by Tim Conklin.

Here's a bottle of Sheaffer's Skrip Writing Fluid, and I'm giving it away free to a good home. Well, I'm hoping someone will trade me some Parker, Sheaffer or Waterman pens or parts.

So here's the deal: to see more pictures, click on the picture. That will take you to a website called Flickr. Look for pictures tagged: "Sheaffer's Skrip Writing Fluid".

I'm serious about the trade, though. If you'd like this bottle, just ask me. Please have something I might like for a trade. We'll negotiate the details.

Shaeffer Balance

Here is a fine example of Shaeffer's White Dot -- the company's marke du excellance, so to speak. The pen is a Balance, and the thing to note here is its streamlined shape. It's tapered at both ends. This marks a departure from the "flat tops" of the first three decades of the 20th century. Now North Americans are searching for speed and streamlining is all the rage. This balance is from the mid to late 1930s.

Three Skylines

So here we have three Skylines. The demi on the right is my Aunt Muriels which I mentioned in a previous post. The one in the middle needs some work -- you'll see that it is missing part of it's clip assembly. The black one on the left is all ready to write -- just needs some cleaning up. I have to say that all in all, I give these Skylines high marks for style, the quality of their nibs, and ease of restoration. These pens may look unique, but take them apart and you'll find their insides to be quite conventional. These pens are fun to write with, and as I'm learning, easy to come buy. I probably have more Skylines in my collection than any other pen.

Wouldn't you really rather write with a Skyline?

Eversharp Skyline

This pen, made by Wahl-Eversharp, is called the Skyline. It was introduced in 1942 (or '43), and you'll immediately notice it's cool streamlined appearance. This one was given to me by my Aunt Muriel Kasten of Babbitt, Minnesota. It was given to her by her parents when she entered the 10th grade at Austin High School in 1943.

I love writing with this pen because the nib is quite flexible, giving my writing an expressiveness you just can't duplicate with a ballpoint or rollerball.

Nib

Here's a close-up of the Esterbrook nib mentioned in yesterday's post.

Here's the deal with nibs and with fountain pens in general: Once you start collecting fountain pens, you become sensitive to the way different pens, or more precisely different nibs write on different kinds of paper with different inks in them. It's a big equation really. There is a relationship between the pen and the nib, the nib and the paper, the paper and the ink, the ink and the pen. It's a big circular equation, if there is such a thing. All of these are variables, the the quest, the Holy Grai itself is to find that perfect fit between pen and nib and paper and ink that yields, not just an expressive line on paper, but well, magic!

I've yet to experience it fully, but the closest I've found is my Aunt Muriel Kasten's 1942 Eversharp Skyline with Pelikan Brilliant Brown ink. As for the paper, I haven't found the perfect one. G. Lalo from France comes pretty close, though.

Esterbrook

Here is an Esterbrook with a 1550 nib. One of the selling features of these Esterbrooks was that it came with an interchangeable nib, and it was a simple matter to go down to the drug store or wherever you would have purchased your "Estie" and buy a different nib for a different purpose. Esterbrook made many different nibs, some fine, some medium, some broad, and lots of varieties of flexibility as well. This Esterbrook is, as far as I can tell, completely original. That is, when I inspected it, I found that the rubber sack is still functioning quite well. All it needed was a good cleaning. The nib writes quite well, medium but rather stiff for my tastes.

In case you're wondering, it's available for sale or for trade. You're welcome to contact me if you have any questions. Isn't it a pretty blue?

Fountain Pen Photo

This is a picture (taken at my friend Shinji's house) of my 1945 Wearever Deluxe button-fill. This pen belonged to my grandfather Melvin Conklin of Austin, Minnesota. I credit Dennis Lively, now of Kissimmee, Florida with its restoration to a fine writing instrument that I enjoy using.

Two Fountain Pens Arrive

I received in the mail yesterday two fountain pens and two clip assemblies. The amazing thing is that I got these pens free of charge. I had simply asked for them, mentioned that I was perfectly willing to pay for them, and lo, just like that somebody was kind enough to give them to me.

The pens are Eversharp Skylines -- an all black one and a black one with a gold metal cap. Now I'll be able to restore both Skylines I have in my collection.

So today I give all this credit and lots of thanks to my new friend in pens, Charles Draper of Louisville, Kentucky. Charles, you have warmed my heart with your generosity. Thank you.

My favourite quote

There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads to fortune; omitted, all the voyage of their life is mired in shallows and in miseries.

This, from William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" is what I use whenever I try out a new pen or a new ink or a new sample of writing paper. You know, there are those times when you are called to type or to write something, but you don't know what to say so you say, well, what do you say? I think many people, including my father and my friend Dennis quote Winston Churchill: "This is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." Another line that people, especially those who've taken some typing course, sometimes use is: The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog." I believe this sentence uses all the letters currently found in our alphabet.

Now that I'm thinking of Winston Churchill, I am reminded that there is a fountain pen named after him. Take a look at it here: Churchill Fountain Pen.

Pensports

It has been a gruelling day, but I certainly have to thank Dennis, not only for the beers (Thanks, Dennis!) but also for all the advice and help in the creation of my pen blog. Soon I'll be posting pictures and fountain pens and, well, I just can hardly wait. Pleasant dream!

Eversharp Skyline

• Brand: Eversharp
• Model: Skyline
• Colour: Maroon with green striped cap
• Vintage: ca. 1942
• Description: 12.5 cm
• Purchase Date: January 2003
• Purchase Price: nil
• Where Purchased: This pen was given to me by my aunt, Muriel Kasten. Her parents had given it to her when she entered the 10th grade at Austin High School in 1942.
• Restoration Cost: About USD 30 plus shipping. Restored by William Melvin of King-Pen.com.
• Value: Priceless since it is a “family pen”.
• Comments: The nib is quite flexible, so it writes quite expressively.