18 replies to this topic

[kimsdad]

Okay, I have looked for pens for these for years with no luck. The really thin Stenographer pen kind of fit one, but I don't know if they were made to hold a pocket pen or special thin desk pens. Can anybody share the real story on these bases?
Thanks Jim

Edited by kimsdad, 29 November 2012 - 07:26 AM.

[kimsdad]

Somebody has to know. Pretty please....... it's Christimas.

[david i]

Somebody has to know. Pretty please....... it's Christimas.

You sure the middle one isn't a Sheaffer?

regards

david

[George]

I have no clue on the two bases on the ends (they look mid 1930's to me), but I think David is right- I think the middle base is a Sheaffer with a little painted border. Can you take a picture of the tulip?

Regards,
George

[kimsdad]

Here is the Sheaffer base I think you are referring to, quite different. The middle base has a tiny holder, not even a pencil will fit, the other two are a tiny bit larger, and the pencils only fit because they are sharpened. The base in question also has Watermans printed on the felt. Why do you think 30's?
Jim
t

Edited by kimsdad, 22 December 2012 - 02:26 AM.

[Roger W.]

Here is the Sheaffer base I think you are referring to, quite different. The middle base has a tiny holder, not even a pencil will fit, the other two are a tiny bit larger, and the pencils only fit because they are sharpened. The base in question also has Watermans printed on the felt. Why do you think 30's?
Jim
t

With how tiny the hole is was it made for an actual quill?

Roger W.

[TomS]

This is likely a silly question, but would a capped pen with a taper cap fit into the holders?

Tom

[kimsdad]

I don't think Waterman made quill pens and I don't think they would make a generic holder for a quill.
They don't hold regular pens. The closest I have found is a Stenographers pen in the largest holder.

Edited by kimsdad, 23 December 2012 - 07:37 AM.

[kimsdad]

I was looking at the 1925 Waterman catalog on the PCA site, and it looks like bases with these bases are in the pen cases. Unfortunately, they don't look like the bases they are selling in that catalog. More research............

[George]

I don't know when the base was first offered, but this type of snub nosed tulip base appears in Waterman Pen Prophet Summer 1927, page 11, available from the PCA Reference Library.

Regards,
George

[kimsdad]

Thanks George, page ten and eleven show the holder, and they appear to have ordinary pens. The ones I have don't fit at least not how I would imagine they should. Jim

[George]

Do you have any slender 2 sized desk pens? They are the thinnest ones made by Waterman.

Regards,
George

[kimsdad]

George,
I tried the number 2 desk pen. It sits in there by the nib and feed. Typically, desk pens are held by the section and barrel. Admittedly, these are very early bases, so maybe the fit was different then. I just don't know.

[pen piddler]

Hi. I have a base like the one on the right in your first pic and also haven't found a pen to fit satisfactorily either. I recently acquired a "Waterman" pen lamp and decided to try to verify that it was a Waterman product. In the process I found this and found it quite interesting. I thought you would too! Take a look at the first row of " The Greenalite Line" and our bases look like inserts in the first and third lamps. Do you agree? The pen looks like a taper cap, but the logo on my base looks more like '30's or '40's. The best fit I've found with my base was an earlier straight holder pen, but the fit wasn't truly satisfactory.

http://fountainpenbo...man-lamp-bases/

[kimsdad]

Yes, I agree. I also posted that copy of the lamp catalogue

[pen piddler]

Yes, I agree. I also posted that copy of the lamp catalogue

lol I see that now. I didn't catch that before. Do you know what year the catalog is from?

[kimsdad]

Yes, I agree. I also posted that copy of the lamp catalogue

lol I see that now. I didn't catch that before. Do you know what year the catalog is from?

No, it was on Ebay, and the winner of the auction was kind enough to send me some pics of the pertinent pages. I did not think to get the date.
Live some, learn some.

[Roger W.]

Yes, I agree. I also posted that copy of the lamp catalogue

lol I see that now. I didn't catch that before. Do you know what year the catalog is from?

No, it was on Ebay, and the winner of the auction was kind enough to send me some pics of the pertinent pages. I did not think to get the date.
Live some, learn some.

The Greenalite lamps are similar to Amronlite lamps that were patented in 1917. A search on Greenalite finds that it was a widely discussed mineral in 1919 so it's inception probably dates to that. As the one seems to be a proper holder for a desk pen likely after 1925 and Sheaffer was using amronlite lamps from Decatur Illinois (Faries Manufacturing) in 1928. Therefore the late 20's is the most likely time for these catalogs to have been in print. Greenalite seems to have been more of a "line" and not set up as a seperate entity such as amronlite so I haven't found much in a short search. S. Robert Schwartz appears to have lamp catalogs dating to 1922 and 1923 and presumably after so that also supports a mid to late 1920's period. Doesn't the holder number for the Waterman base clear up what these holders and pens are?

Roger W.

[pen piddler]

Yes, I agree. I also posted that copy of the lamp catalogue

lol I see that now. I didn't catch that before. Do you know what year the catalog is from?

No, it was on Ebay, and the winner of the auction was kind enough to send me some pics of the pertinent pages. I did not think to get the date.
Live some, learn some.

I see, thanks.

The Greenalite lamps are similar to Amronlite lamps that were patented in 1917. A search on Greenalite finds that it was a widely discussed mineral in 1919 so it's inception probably dates to that. As the one seems to be a proper holder for a desk pen likely after 1925 and Sheaffer was using amronlite lamps from Decatur Illinois (Faries Manufacturing) in 1928. Therefore the late 20's is the most likely time for these catalogs to have been in print. Greenalite seems to have been more of a "line" and not set up as a seperate entity such as amronlite so I haven't found much in a short search. S. Robert Schwartz appears to have lamp catalogs dating to 1922 and 1923 and presumably after so that also supports a mid to late 1920's period. Doesn't the holder number for the Waterman base clear up what these holders and pens are?

Roger W.

Thank you kindly for your informative response, but exactly what holder number are you referring to?