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B.B Pen Company - The Blythe


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#1 Mike Kirk

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Posted 14 July 2011 - 04:22 AM

Well...........deep subject (groannn)

I've been so tied up with work, vacation (as of late), summer chores (for us above the equator), grandson cub scouts (Do Your Best!) and the like, I've been neglecting my pen habit and the hunt. I did serious damage to the bank account on our Alaskan vacation before the holiday but it was absolutely worthwhile! Again! And again! For the THIRD time! So, as I recover and prepare for the summer scout camp season, the summer taxes and other priorities, I'm trying to inch my way back into my poor neglected pens.

So, without further adieu, I present today's find (a treat for ballpoint enthusiasts) from the Famous Hotel Bathroom Studio. Complete with a bit of mirror magic.

Whilst driving around the midwest, once again, I set a small amount of time aside for some antique store pillaging. Lo and behold, I find a neat little treasure. Times 3! That is, 3 of the same thing!

Every so often, I run into an antique store that has a booth or display of items salvaged from a long closed drug store, hardware store, stationery store or similar. Drug stores seem to be the most common leftovers that end up in an antique mall. Today was no exception.

The Find.......1954 Countertop Displays of a dozen B.B "Blythe" model ballpoint pens. THREE of them. Still packed neatly right from the manufacturer.

The display bills these as the "World's First Automatic Self-Retracting Pen". They're kind of neat. And they work rather ingeniously. Here's the display fully set up (note the mirror reflection):

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And here's how the pens work:

Each pen has a pocket clip. However, the ballpoint is upside down in the barrel. It points upward when pocketed. Gravity retracts the refill.

When you wish to use it, you retrieve the pen from your pocket, turn it upside down in your hand so the clip now faces upward and the ballpoint cartridge falls out of it's hole and locks itself in place so you can write.

The locking mechanism is so simple its crazy! It's simply a weighted cylindrical insert with half the diameter removed part way so the refill can be caught by the insert as it shifts when you flip the pen over. Simply remarkable! How easy can you get!? It seems to be a pretty reliable extend/retract function. Works nearly every time.

Now most of you would probably not give this pen another glance as you are hunting. The actuation of the pen is just one interesting feature. The real find here is what one occasionally captures when hunting......the display! Primarily because displays were usually destroyed or thrown out when used up. Particularly cardboard displays, intended for the countertop.

These displays are cool because they not only survived the effects of heat, humidity and other damaging factors, but also appear NOS with one still in it's delivery box!

Knowing very little about B.B pens and the Blythe model, I googled "Blythe Pen" and came up with this article in the May 13, 1946 TIME magazine issue. A short, interesting read for some of you ballpoint fans.

Here's the display all packed up for shipping in an outer box:

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Here's the back side of the display....setup instructions as well as instructions for changing the refill cartridge.
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Here's a closeup of the pen ready to write:
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And the pen, deconstructed:
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It's interesting to me how similar this pen's refill is to common refills standardized by many companies later on. Even in 1954!

Each display has a dozen pens in mixed colors (both halves are sometimes mixed colors). Most in gold-tone clips/bands and a few in steel clips/bands. A few are bent ever so slightly with age. A common effect from using the cheap, disposable plastics back then. Though the refills were half the price of a new pen, they were likely disposed of quickly. Of course, that theory probably won't apply to modern day Jotters with refills priced the way they are today. However, Jotters would last much longer than these models, IMHO.

B.B Pen Company stated these were "Unconditionally Guaranteed Forever" right on the display! An interesting departure from the "Lifetime Guarantee" problem others faced earlier.

And that catchy word right below the Blythe name....."AUTOMAGIC"

Lastly, I find it very interesting to compare the TIME article stating that Manhattan's Hearns Department Store was putting 18,000 new Blythe pens on sale at $9.95! Eight years later the display trumpeted the Blythe at only a BUCK apiece! I don't know if the Blythe was significantly different 8 years later but I tend to think not. Particularly since 1946 was a year of ballpoint introduction wars generating significant dollars for the manufacturers (which faded out rather quickly when the Reynolds pens failed dismally).

To repeat an often used phrase, I'm not a completist with ballpoints (by any means) but I do fancy these very early ones from the 40's and early 50's. A significant find indeed. For me, that is.

Enjoy your summer! I'll be back...... ;)

Regards to all,

Mike Kirk

PS. For some whose displays require a bit of mousing to view the entire photo, my apologies for uploading larger photos. I'd hoped the software here would shrink them a tad more than it did.

Mike Kirk

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#2 Rick Krantz

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Posted 15 July 2011 - 01:40 AM

the early blythe ballpoints were really cool. I had a few of the first models, over the years. If I am not mistaking, did they not resemble papermate's first design as well?

nice display, fwiw

#3 Joe - the pencil guy

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Posted 15 July 2011 - 06:15 PM

The first year Blythe's and Papermates appear to be identical to me including the 'push down and to the side' activation button.

Joe Nemecek

#4 Mike Kirk

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Posted 17 July 2011 - 03:56 AM

the early blythe ballpoints were really cool. I had a few of the first models, over the years. If I am not mistaking, did they not resemble papermate's first design as well?

nice display, fwiw

Did you take any photos of your early Blythes? I thought the first Paper Mate pens were button actuated. The body & barrel of these did resemble many including these in my post (sans button).

The first year Blythe's and Papermates appear to be identical to me including the 'push down and to the side' activation button.

Joe Nemecek

Again, if you have any photos of the first year Blythe's, please post!

I've since researched a bit more and found that the Blythe was named after the president of B.B Pen Company, Robert Blythe, who was President for at least 25 years (as far as my research took me).

Regards,
Mike

Mike Kirk

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#5 Rick Krantz

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Posted 18 July 2011 - 12:25 AM

I know the ballpoint book a number of years ago had a picture of both.

#6 Mike Kirk

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Posted 19 July 2011 - 03:53 AM

I know the ballpoint book a number of years ago had a picture of both.



I will have to check out my copy when I get back home. Thanks, Rick!

Mike Kirk

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#7 philm

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Posted 20 July 2011 - 08:50 PM

Another outstanding article from the Bathroom Studio.....including the TIME link. Very informative stuff. Amazing how that display held up.

Thanks,

Phil




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