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Belmont 1930's. Great Celluloid.


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#1 david i

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Posted 23 February 2011 - 01:21 PM

Belmont was a Rexall Pharmacy store brand. Not sure if Rexall made them or to whom it outsourced the label. Some are nice pens. I have tended to view the name as a 2nd-tier label (certainly not 3rd tier), though really I've not done enough research. Perhaps the label is "small but first quality". I don' t insist.

I found one at the Feb 2011 Los Angeles Pen Show that was rather a stunner. An oversized streamlined pen with quality trim, big enough nib, and killer celluloid.

How does that trope run... "What else could I do? I bought it"

Thought I'd share the image.

Posted Image



regards

David
David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#2 Michael Quitt

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Posted 23 February 2011 - 01:48 PM

Belmont was a Rexall Pharmacy store brand. Not sure if Rexall made them or to whom it outsourced the label. Some are nice pens. I have tended to view the name as a 2nd-tier label (certainly not 3rd tier), though really I've not done enough research. Perhaps the label is "small but first quality". I don' t insist.

I found one at the Feb 2011 Los Angeles Pen Show that was rather a stunner. An oversized streamlined pen with quality trim, big enough nib, and killer celluloid.

How does that trope run... "What else could I do? I bought it"

Thought I'd share the image.

Posted Image



regards

David


Great color plastic, David.
Best,
Michael Quitt
www.charmcitypens.com

#3 John Jenkins

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Posted 23 February 2011 - 02:11 PM

Don't know who made them either, but the arching "Belmont" sure looks like Kraker's "Dixie", "Pencraft", etc.
John
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#4 jonro

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Posted 23 February 2011 - 03:45 PM

I really like the idea that one could walk into a Rexall drug store back in the day and buy a very high quality pen at a relatively great price under the Belmont banner. I guess you could say the same thing about Sears and Montgomery Ward stores. When we look at a pen like this, it seems like the best we can do is to look at its design cues to try to determine its provenance. But, an empirical approach like that may not be valid. Some of these pens could come directly from a manufacturer like Moore or they could be a Kraker (or other) "look-alike" designed to look like a Mooore. Perhaps Kraker manufactured some pens for Moore for resale to Rexall. I think that all of these are possible. One things is for sure, it's a very attractive pen.

#5 philm

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Posted 23 February 2011 - 08:16 PM

Jon is on the right track. Lots of people made Belmonts for Rexall. Kraker did for several years (1920s range). Then Moore for a while. Not sure which one made this pen, though I tend to lean towards Kraker like John, but would think it would be towards the end of his run. Of course, I have no hard written evidence.....

Pretty pen.

Phil

#6 Bart

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Posted 24 February 2011 - 09:32 PM

I have a couple Belmonts and they are great writers. Wonderfully responsive nibs.

I know nothing about them, really, but a prolific peddler of inexpensive flex pens on FPN once pointed out that Belmonts went through phases of quality, starting out very competitive, then degrading into poor fit and finish, ending up third-rate or lower.

Certainly a great collection subject, should one be so inclined, would be to assemble a lineup spanning those phases and compare.

#7 david i

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Posted 24 July 2011 - 09:59 PM

Here be another one, acquired at the Chicago Pen Show May 2011, iirc.

Stubby ringtop in appealing plastic. Well made pen for Rexall, by... Kraker?

Posted Image

regards

David
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Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#8 philm

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Posted 25 July 2011 - 03:42 PM

Here is a Belmont Pen/Pencil Combo in the same plastic as David's ringtop. Moore or Kraker - I am not sure.....but I agree, the plastic is a nice pattern.

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Phil




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