9 replies to this topic

[david i]

Happy to have returned from the Ohio Pen Show (Nov 2011) with a great spread of old pens. Unfortunately so many of them are of interest to me that my personal collection might be growing more than the planned "couple" pens I like to add each show. Of course that seems to happen at, well, every show. Sigh.

Wahl Doric. 2nd Generation-- "shell" color era, mid-late 1930's-- economy (non-gold-seal) model in green/emerald. Gorgeous pen. But, typical cap-band as documented is a thin open-work thing. I've seen couple before like the following, with wide solid cap-band. Off-catalogue and tbomk undocumented. Not sure there has been any discussion online ever of this variant, but with all the babble online, I could be wrong.

This is a wee gem. Scarce. Beautiful. A classic from the 1930's. We can speculate as to "why" of this pen, but the guesses are typical to any pen from the era with off-catalogue features: seasonal item (?), low-run for specific store chain (?) and so forth.

Comments, questions, insights of course are invited.

regards

David

[Hugh]

Hi David,

Beautiful pen, hardly deserving the moniker of an "economy" model !! What size is this pen?

Regards
Hugh

[Jon Veley]

I've documented the pencil at page 68 of my book. I understand they were specially made for presentation sets.

[david i]

I've documented the pencil at page 68 of my book. I understand they were specially made for presentation sets.

A not unreasonable hypothesis, though one found as well with other pens with anomalous trim. Any paper/evidence, or just the usual collector hearsay?

-d

[david i]

Hi David,

Beautiful pen, hardly deserving the moniker of an "economy" model !! What size is this pen?

Regards
Hugh

Hi Hugh,

The "economy" element is based on trim, nib, warranty. This is a non Gold-Seal model, though as with various other Lifetime/Non-Lifetime sorts (Vacumatic Major vs Junior, Sheaffer Premier vs Admiral Balance), the core quality tends to be pretty much the same.

This one is small model. Not in front of me but I'd guess it runs 12 cm or so.

regards

David

[marcshiman]

The original post is a bit old, but since the pen just came in off the 'bay, I thought I'd share:

Edited by marcshiman, 14 January 2012 - 01:52 PM.

[david i]

The original post is a bit old, but since the pen just came in off the 'bay, I thought I'd share:

Marc, that is a monster.

I am cheerfully envious

regards

David

[marcshiman]

There's another one on the 'bay. Its not a great example of a pen, but it seems they are still out there. Pretty plastic though.

The interesting thing about these pens is that this one, David's and mine all have what would be considered non-standard nibs in them. The one I got has basically the same nib as David's and was advertised as having a "correct" replacement nib (whatever that means). The one on the 'bay has a warranted nib. My understanding is that in a plunger filled, second gen pen they would use a banner nib as a replacement (sometimes mislabled "skyline nib".

[David Nishimura]

The so-called "Skyline" type nib only came in c. 1939, so at the very end of the run. Even among the later model Dorics, most would have left the factory with earlier types of nibs. Note that there is a very specific Wahl-made warranted nib that one often finds on these, particularly on pen with drilled Gold Seals -- it's not just any old warranted nib.

[marcshiman]

Note that there is a very specific Wahl-made warranted nib that one often finds on these, particularly on pen with drilled Gold Seals -- it's not just any old warranted nib.

David,

Have you ever seen a drilled Gold Seal on a Doric? I can't say I have. Only on a personal point.

Marc