Of course, the term if fuzzy, and inevitably in such discussion people cite multiple "grails"--- which is a push on the term-- or cite shifting grails, since once a collector finds the impossible pen or when he happens to redirect his collecting focus, he still needs something to which to aspire. Whims change, right? Thus the fuzziness of the "Grail" pen. I lean toward "dream" pen, since that term is a less constrained in usage than Grail. But even as we discuss our various and evolving dream pens, the chat inevitably redirects to one of my favorite themes, the presentation of mini collections or of individual pens that give us great collecting pride. Nothing wrong with that.
In fact, this fall I acquired my Grail Pen, with that term applied in relatively correct modern usage, the *single* pen I long have aspired to own, something though not unobtainable (as perhaps was the original Holy Grail) is darn close (can one be "close" to an absolute? Can one be close to the infinite?), the pen which-- even as I still own and seek amazing representatives of various series-- is the one item that says, "I have completed my task. My work is done. I can breathe easily, and look over my collection with contentment. If I never find another pen, I still have 'won' the collecting challenge".
But, I'm not quite ready to post images about that one
I will offer a key mini-collection, split into a few images as I have not shot a single tray with every last example of this sub-group of Parker Vacumatic pens.
The pens at hand are Canadian Vacs fitted with wide solid-gold cap-bands. Some have 9k cap-band; others have 14k cap-band. I also have the only known (or publicly known) bit of provenance/documentation for Parker manufacture/sanction of these, not that most of us have had reason to doubt they are factory correct. As has been noted of late in some Sheaffer threads, Canadian manufacture often deviated from standards we hold based on USA manufacturer documentation.
These pens are quite scarce, as they were a fancy production subset from a minority pen population location (even considering pens found in Europe, Canadian-imprint Vacs today are markedly less common than pens of USA issue). Many I've found have turned up in England. I hardly can insist that the entire output of these was targeted to overseas markets, but clearly they were popular there.
Here are three of my first generation Vacumatic Oversize pens, shot before I acquired the fourth of the five colors.
The gold appointed pens (clip and tassie are gold-filled) did make the jump to the 2nd generation, and pens are found as Debutante, Senior Maxima and Major, not just OS, Slender and Standard.
I was thrilled recently-- even if it was the most expensive gold-band Canadian Vac I've purchased-- to add the Emerald Pearl OS set to the Burgundy, Black and Silver Pearl OS pens just shown.
Not only does the label mention the gold cap-band, but the pen shown has added interest, as it makes clear that the expensive gold cap-band is found not only on a high line pen, but also on a humble economy line Vacumatic Junior. The gold band was not just a bump in prestige for the most expensive pens of the day, but could be had on a basic model. If only I could find a catalogue...
In any case, since shooting this image, I did manage to acquire a matching pencil, an amazing find in my view. The mottled Green Vac Junior set with gold cap-band is the only Junior I've seen with the gold cap-band.
Note that Parker USA did make gold cap-band pens, but those pens-- part of the Imperial Signet line-- had gold clip and tassie as well, and were shown only in two colors and two sizes, though with two possible 14k band sizes, meaning 8 pens.
Andy Lambrou's FPOTW shows an Canadian Emerald Pearl Major with the wide solid-gold cap-band, probably the first of this sort I'd seen, back in my first year or so collecting. Then, I saw a pen of this type offered on ebay. Soon I was hunting.
Collecting is not--- at least should not be-- a contest. Whoever has the most pens does NOT necessarily win
Indeed, having the "most pens" might be some sort of warning sign.
Still... recognizing no one ever can know all the pens out there in private collections, I suspect this is the largest accumulation extant of this variant of Vacumatic. At least, I've neither seen nor heard of anything close. This is a hard fought collection, hunted for more than a decade. Pens that-- for individual color/size/model-- overall are in the rarity zone of the "Vacumatic Cap-Band" pens, though these carry less collector cachet. I've grabbed nearly every one I've encountered, passing on duplicates unless the price was right, and passing on the occasional pen I lack altogether if the price really was wrong.
The tray below includes all the pens shown above, save for the Emerald Pearl OS, a late acquisition. Again, all are Canadian Vacs from 1st and 2nd generation, fitted with wide solid gold cap-bands, either 9k or 14k
regards
David
