66 replies to this topic

[david i]

This thread is something of a do-over from a line of discussion I'd generated on FPN some time back, before I was forced to stop FPN from using my photos (ohh, they were a bit cranky about that ).

Whether there is enough of a reader base here yet to sustain real interest in this topic... remains to be seen. Still, if this board thrives, this discussion will make it to Article status, I suspect. The issue at hand is one that- prior to the original thread of this title- was not well known to many, perhaps known to a modest number of individual collectors. My awareness of the re-badged Vacs stems to a couple discoveries early in my collecting days and to discussion- in limited fashion then- on the esteemed Zoss list. As this subject was discussed before, this series now no doubt will have bit of a contrived structure as it cannot arise "spontaneously" twice. Still I'd guided the original board discussion couple years back, so perhaps too it was a bit contrived even then.

Be that as it may, Chris "csikora" posted an interesting Vacumatic-ish pen here on FPB, which is perfect jumping point for this discussion.

Cue the foreboding music, " Dah DAH DummmmMMMmmmmmm...."

Parker was a dominant force in the 1930's American pen scene.


High Line First Generation Vacumatic Standard

Junior line Vacumatics are well known in plastics such as mottled and "Golden Web"

Parker also made quality second-tier pens during this era, the Challenger family: Challenger, Deluxe Challenger, Royal Challenger.

Early Deluxe Challenger

Late Deluxe Challenger

Late plain Challenger

So, Chris "csikora" posted here on FPB a photo of a most odd Parker 1930's pen, featuring a vacumatic-type lock-down metal filler, but with some unusual style features relative to most Parker Vacumatic pens, proper.

Let's take a look...

The pen shown above has:

• Barrel transparency, nib and filling unit of a Parker Vacumatic.
• Blade clip with thin washer and large top black piece similar to the late regular Challenger.
• The black blind cap (short, unjeweled, stepped) evokes that of Challenger and Deluxe Challenger.
• Barrel that lacks any Parker imprint.
• Plastic not seen on any catalogued Parker pen

So, just what is this pen?

Yes, if you have read my prior essay on this you know, but hey- that's ok


Let's start out by considering a most unusual pen that packs Parker's so-called Golden Web plastic. Look again at the various pens above (the Vacs and Challengers) if you need a baseline for comparison.

What is unusual about this pen?

If you know what is not "classic", that will be a start. I'm more than willing to spoon feed answers, but a bit of feedback will stimulate the chat

There is enough info here to comment. We will work our way to Chris's striped green "Vac"... eventually.

regards

David

[FarmBoy]

Ahh, the bricks of Gold, Silver, and Green. Among my favorites of the non-standard non-Vacs.

Shall we say these pens deserve a Medal? or even Diamonds?

T

[csikora]

The green web is a bit on the strange side - it has the cap top of the challenger, the rear button of a challenger deluxe, a vac filler and a challenger-ish clip...all without an imprint.
I don't know a lot about the diamond medal pens, but weren't they a Sears custom pen? I find it interesting Parker would lend its flagship filler (vacumatic) to outside company pens. What I don't know is why this ISN'T marked Diamond Medal, doesn't have an imprint and is sporting a parker clip. Spare parts from a diamond medal run? A different market? And why is there only two cap rings instead of three?

I have too many questions....

Instead, I'll offer up a pen I couldn't bear to put into the parts bin.
Chris

[Hugh]

I wonder where the rod stock for the green pen that Chris owns came from? To me it has a "Chicago" look about it but expect that's not the case.

Regards
Hugh

[david i]

Chris's red pen above is a nice example of one of the better variants of Parker's third-tier-family pen Parker Parkette, 2nd generation, 1934 (with stepped ends) to be specific.
Still, let's pursue his green striped pen.

EDIT: My mistake. Chris's pen looks a bit like a 1934 2nd Generation Parkette, but in fact is a Fifth Avenue, a pen that fits right into the theme of this discussion (to be expanded upon via the next dozens of posts).

Keep in mind, we attempt to link to more conventional Parker Vacumatics, other Parkers or other makes, Chris's green striped "Parker Vacumatic" that features:

• Barrel transparency, nib and filling unit of a Parker Vacumatic.
• Blade clip with thin washer and large top black piece similar to the late regular Challenger.
• The black blind cap (short, unjeweled, stepped) evokes that of Challenger and Deluxe Challenger.
• Barrel that lacks any Parker imprint.
• Plastic not seen on any catalogued Parker pen

In the first post I showed some Parker Vacumatic and Parker Challenger pens, and one can see that Chris's pen shares some features with each.

The picture above of a pen in so-called "Golden Web" plastic had quirky features relative to typical Parker Vacumatic. Here again is that shot. Did you catch the anomalies?

Unlike The conventional Parker Vacumatic Junior family pen in this plastic...

The pen in close-up above it has triple rings and has, apparently a ball-clip, not arrow clip. There are more surprises. Perhaps time to see the whole pen, which reveals part of the puzzle...

This oen is a Diamond Medal Vac-Fil. The thin "Washer" style clip ring held in place by large black top piece (unlike Parker Vacumatic's fatter ring and smaller end-jewel) leads to a clip fully marked Diamond Medal. And of course the pen has a barrel imprint of that sort as well.

There are charming elements to the DM Vac-Fil, for collectors of all things Parker. Of course the story (as best we know it) is a big part of the charm. Suspect I will detail that in this thread, though input from others of course appreciated too

Per csikora: I don't know a lot about the diamond medal pens, but weren't they a Sears custom pen? I find it interesting Parker would lend its flagship filler (vacumatic) to outside company pens. What I don't know is why this ISN'T marked Diamond Medal, doesn't have an imprint and is sporting a parker clip. Spare parts from a diamond medal run? A different market? And why is there only two cap rings instead of three?

Yes, it was perhaps 8 years ago on Zoss List, when this first discussion was first exposed to me (think I'd posted a pen image, who can recall?) that the late Mike Fultz (Chi based collector/researcher on Parker amongst other pens) dropped the simple comment, "Think Sears". No doubt we should discuss why Parker might lend its flagship name to cheaper pens sold by a national chain. Or did someone just swipe the style?

-david

[djohannsen]

What is unusual about this pen?

Couple of things jump immediately... Three cap bands. As the so called "golden web" is only found on Junior Vacumatics, this cannot be a Vac. Also, the ball clip (instead of an arrow clip) is another give-away that the pen is not a Vac.


Dave


Doh! Just saw your above post. Sorry that I was late to the party. (David, you've got to give some of us more time on these things :-) )

[david i]

Couple of things jump immediately... Three cap bands. As the so called "golden web" is only found on Junior Vacumatics, this cannot be a Vac. Also, the ball clip (instead of an arrow clip) is another give-away that the pen is not a Vac.


Dave


Doh! Just saw your above post. Sorry that I was late to the party. (David, you've got to give some of us moertime on these things :-) )

My apologies

I saw your post show up independent of mine, so you get the points, no worries. I will try to slow down. There could be couple weeks of posts here if played right

Do keep chiming in. This will be (if anyone bothers to play) a rather comprehensive discussion- in my usual style discussion models and company materials. Indeed, if it helps my put together my thoughts on the subject, I'll probably turn it into a print article series for PENnant, on this long overdue subject.

regards

David

[david i]

Here is the Diamond Medal Vac-Fil in "Golden Web" plastic, shown open. The barrel-section looks like typical Parker/ typical Vacumatic, though the size is larger than that of the fatter Vacumatic Junior in this color. The pen is size of Vacumatic Standard or Challenger Standard. Triple cap-band (like high line - not Golden Web Junior- Vacumatic and like Deluxe Challenger) is present. Neat two tone nib. The blind-cap is Deluxe Challenger type and the thin ring clip is like plain Parker Challenger, though of course with Diamond Medal imprint. Note the neat two tone nib.

A close-in of the nib shows a very Parker-like date code of "17" for first quarter 1937... one of the two years that the Parker Vacumatic, proper, featured "Golden Web" plastic.

regards

David

[Kirchh]

I know next to nothing about this topic, but I found it most interesting that the nib on this pen bears what appears to me to be a Parker-style date code, and I have not seen anyone point that out yet.

--Daniel

[John Danza]

Until David mentioned it, I hadn't noticed that the nib on the DM green web I had also had a date code on the nib. You can't tell in this photo, but the code is "28".

[david i]

I know next to nothing about this topic, but I found it most interesting that the nib on this pen bears what appears to me to be a Parker-style date code, and I have not seen anyone point that out yet.

--Daniel

A key observation. I believe I showed that nib back when originally posting this thread on FPN, but the observation bears repetition. The nib code is very Parker-esque and indeed is the code one would expect (1936-1937: "17" indicates first quarter 1937) for Parker made pen in "Golden Web" plastic, as the Junior line Vacumatics appeared in Parker catalogues in that color during those two years.

-d

[david i]

Until David mentioned it, I hadn't noticed that the nib on the DM green web I had also had a date code on the nib. You can't tell in this photo, but the code is "28".

Yep, this does not surprise. It is right about the time the mosaic plastic was used by Parker. Late "Golden Web" Vacs do show up, but who knows what is "late" or not for Diamond Medal?

-david

[david i]

The Diamond Medal Vac-Fil pens, demonstrating a mixed bag of styling cues derived from Parker pens such as Vacumatic (high line and low line mixed features) and Deluxe and plain Challengers, appear to have been manufactured in two sizes. Since we discuss the Golden Web plastic, let's view the two sizes of pen and single size pencils. These gems are from my own wee collection

Of course, Parker made the "Golden Web", a mosaic-pattern plastic, only in... well... golden. So those who see a connection between Diamond Medal's Vac-Fil and Parker's Vacumatic are happy to find in the Diamond Medal line some mosaic plastics besides "Golden". As per this shot...

More to follow...

regards

David

[david i]

I remain aware that this essay started out featuring csikora's strange Parker pen (at least with Parker trim) that mixed features of several Parker pens and which lacks a Parker barrel imprint. We will... eventually... get there.


We've examined a few Diamond Medal Vac-Fil pens that also borrow features from various Parker pens from the 1930's: Vacumatic, Challenger and Deluxe Challenger.

Again, I recall finding my first Diamond Medal Vac-Fil around, oh, 2002 and wondering how DM "got away" with "borrowing" so many Parker styling cues, not to mention Parker engineering. Seemed to me that Parker would not take kindly to having its best material swiped. After it was suggested, on the Zoss List, to "think Sears", the pieces began to fall in place.

Over the years I tracked down several "Web" (or... mosaic) pattern DM's, Unlike the Parker "web" Vacumatic Junior, the DM appeared in three colors. I own both sizes in Golden Pearl, both sizes in Silver Pearl and do not yet own an Emerald, though I photo'd a couple and perhaps foolishly passed up the chance to buy a (not inexpensive) larger size green set.

Here are my two Silver Pearl mosaic Diamond Medal Vac-Fill pens, again, with the body of a high-line Vacumatic, the color related to the economy line "Golden Web", the clip like that of plain Challenger and the blind cap similar to Deluxe Challenger

You might be familiar with my screed about 1930's "Silver Pearl" pens by most of the big makers. Hard to find clean. Often the color shows significant ambering. Once the chrome trim (unlike the gold filled trim found on most other colors) is worn, it cannot be polished to original appearance. In other words, it is hard to find clean silver pearl pens. The larger of the two Silver Pearl DM Vac-Fil pens showsn above is in great condition

Of course, it would be nice if we had some evidence to support the Sears house brand Diamond Medal's link to Parker...

regards

David

[matt]

Of course, it would be nice if we had some evidence to support the Sears house brand Diamond Medal's link to Parker...


umm, how about this ad:

http://www.goantique...id,1418285.html

[djohannsen]

umm, how about this ad:

Well done! We can see one more feature "borrowed" from the Vacumatic line (and not evident from inspecting the pens themselves)... Note the inset depicting the nib writing both ways (producing a medium line if used "right side up" and a fine line when used "up side down"). This feature was a prominent part of Vacumatic advertizing.


Dave

[david i]

Of course, it would be nice if we had some evidence to support the Sears house brand Diamond Medal's link to Parker...


umm, how about this ad:

http://www.goantique...id,1418285.html

Well, my bold line was meant to be... foreshadowing... not a plea, per se, though always I am thrilled when more information results from valued sources

Anyway... Cue the foreboding music, " Dah DAH DummmmMMMmmmmmm...."


What I inferred from Fultz's comments back in '02 or so on that Zoss discussion, when he said--probably to paraphrase, "Think Sears"-- was that Sears tended to rebadge well known brands, sometimes with (sometimes without?) styling tweaks, to sell as its own products; Kenmore washers come to mind. Much of what they carried was not junk, but rather items of quality, made by well-known sources, but with Sears branding.

Certainly it seems likely that the Sears Diamond Medal pens were outsourced, manufactured by other pen manufacturers of the time. There are DM's that resemble other product lines of the National Pen Company of Chicago, for instance, at least iirc.

Of course, when I found my first couple Diamond Medal Vac-Fil pens, I did not know that Diamond Medal in general was a Sears pen.

Yes, it is highly unlikely that Parker would allow other, lower price point brands to simply steal its Vacumatic Filling system and aesthetic style, as I'd wondered aloud. Indeed, it seems in the midst of the Great Depression it would be prohibitive for an upstart to try to remanufacture Parker's technology and look, not to mention handling the legal risk. The, "Think Sears" was a valuable clue by someone with some familiarity with these pens, as to what really was the connection. It was not an issue of "stolen" engineering.

But, before we move on to discuss that connection and-- having shown some images of Golden Pearl (seen too with Vacumatic, proper) and Silver Pearl mosaic pattern DM's-- let's show the third color of Diamond Medal mosaic pattern Vac-Fil, Emerald Pearl. John Danza put one up earlier, which appears to be the smaller- or Slender- pen.

I've also shot one pen, this one not my own, also Slender. Parker catalogued only the brown color. Gray and Green are part of the added charm of the Diamond Medal pens

Again, tragically I passed on chance for a full size pen (set indeed with nice DM case) some years ago. Ah well...

So, although no doubt most readers have already arrived at the conclusion at hand, or knew perhaps before this thread began (after all this thread has cropped up before), we conclude that:


Sears Roebuck's mid 1930's pens including: Diamond Medal Vac-Fil pens, some DM button-fillers, certain Webster pens and even some Good Service pens, all appear to be... rebadged Parkers. And just to round out the concept, let's at least mention not a pen by Sears but instead Woolworth's Fifth Avenue pen


Rebadged Parkers. Rebadged Parkers. Rebadged Parkers.


Re... Badged... Parkers


Let that thought percolate. No doubt even when I was even more a hack amateur newbie Parker collector than I am today, there were plenty of individual collectors who knew about the Parker- Diamond Medal connection.

But, in those bygone days of the internet, way back in '02, there had not been much, if any, online discussion of that connection. Having read most Penworld, Stylus, PENnant, Pen Fanciers Magazine, I recall no print article addressing the connection.

While by today, awareness of the mid 1930's Parker- Sears (DIamond Medal,etc) connection largely has diffused through collecting circles, many have but a casual familiarity with it. The depth of the connection- the number and styles of pens to be found- is not widely recognized.


Some issues and question to consider in learning about rebadged Parkers:

• Rebadged Parkers, labelled for Sears and for Woolworth's, are never quite identical to native Parker items

• Rebadged Parkers offer some plastics unlike anything found on catalogued Parker pens, proper

• Which Parker served as templates for the rebadged Sears Diamond Medal pens?

• Rebadged Parkers offer some interesting twists on plastics that did appear on Parker pens

• What evidence is out there to support the connection between Parker pens and some Diamond Medal, Webster and Good Service pens all by Sears and the Fifth Avenue at Woolworth's?

• Is "rebadged Parker" even the best term for these critters? I believe (but don't insist that) I coined the term, and it seems to fit, but I am amenable to better labels before pushing for Collector Consensus status for the term.

• Why would Parker- the "premier pen maker" allow its vaunted Vacumatic and other nice pens to be issued in less expensive form by Sears?
  

• What about some odd Parker pens-- such as the green set that started this thread (shown by FPB'er csikora)-- that pack Parker nibs and trim, but which resemble some of these rebadged pens. Could these be... uhhh... rerebadged Parkers? Meaning... Parkers "meant" to be rebadged as some other label (eg. Diamond Medal) but ultimately released as Parker pens, proper? Or should that be... derebadged?

This probably is more than enough fodder for one post.

In the next post I'll follow up on Matt's post regarding evidence of the Parker- Sears connection, mainly ads from Sears catalogues.

-david

[david i]

SNIP
Instead, I'll offer up a pen I couldn't bear to put into the parts bin.
Chris

My apologies to Chris. Surprised no one called me on my prior response to this post. I noted the pen was a nice 2nd generation Parker Parkette. In my own haste, I wholly missed the "Fifth Ave" imprint and other subtle differences. The pen of course is not a Parker Parkette, but is another "rebadged" Parker that only rather looks like a Parker Parkette

Just goes to show that careful perusal always is important.

-david

[csikora]

So, for the market of third-party pens (i.e., pens created for Large companies who could market them themselves, but not necessarily manufacture the pens), Parker would:

• use the identical plastic as their regular models (gold mosaic/web)
• use 'similar' plastic as their regular models (silver mosaic/web)
• use completely different plastic (the green 'wrong way' stripes)

Is this all is hopes of not diluting their regular business-like pen market? I know the gold/mosaic pattern is collectible now, but was it a high-line model when it was released? From a market standpoint, what /was/ the influence Sears and Woolworth had on Parker? Just how big were these contracts to Parker that they could request an in-hosue plastic? ....and where do the Cadilac pens & their types of plastic fit in?

BTW - I have /never/ seen that silver mosaic/web patterned plastic before in ANY pen.

Chris

[david i]

Yes, Chris summarizes one or more elements of the Parker - Sears (DIamond Medal house brand, amongst a couple others) connection from my list of issues to consider: what celluloid patterns were used for the Diamond Medal Vac Fil pens (though the principle maps onto some other Parker-made pens for Sears, including Webster and Good Service).

The answer to how various Diamond Medal plastic patterns were connected to documented Parker plastics:

• Identical
• Related
• Wholly Different

Go figure. It is uncertain which DM patterns most charm collectors today. Various with mood. And as with many things "collectable", there is a subjective element of course. I lean toward "Related" very often-- eg. how neat is it to find a Parker-made pen in SILVER mosaic ("web") or to find a pen in Plaque-on-Black as with Deluxe Challenger, except in the case of DM the color being Plaque-on-Clear. Although, we are many posts away from "plaque on clear" issues, unless anyone else posts image, but we will get there, etc.

Anyway, time for some evidence regarding the link between the Sears Diamond Medal Vac Fil and Parker's Vacumatic.

Matt posted link to a Sears ad from a catalogue. I'll offer some actual ads from my hard fought collection. The smaller image gives good view of some graphics. The larger view allows peek at text. I'm far too swamped this week (probably this month) to pull my Parker ads and catalogue pages that reflect similar or linked verbiage, though maybe some others can do so. If not, perhaps down the road I'll post connected info.

In meanwhile, look at the graphics. Look at the text. I highlighted one point. See how Parker-like are some of the references. Those of you with ads and catalogues know what I mean.

Both pics should be a bit expandable with a click

While any retailer could I suppose, could simply lie, Sears was not known for that sort of behavior. They were unlikely to reference a bogus source and to lift ad text. Of course, i could be wrong

The linkage to Parker in this ad for the mosaic pens, citing the three colors, is huge. If no one bothers, I will post quotes that are suggestive and why they are so. Must get bit more sleep though before work.

regards

David