eBay Watch: Conklin Endura
#2
Posted 03 May 2013 - 05:24 AM
Regards
Hugh
#5
Posted 03 May 2013 - 11:16 AM
What are your thoughts, Brian?
Larry
Edited by ljwahl, 03 May 2013 - 11:17 AM.
#7
Posted 03 May 2013 - 12:44 PM
The Conklin OS Endura is Black/Bronze.
It is a rather flawed Black/Bronze, and while perhaps we can nitpick whether the flaw changes the formal grade ("Mint" etc is an oddly mapped term anyway, given pens never were minted) as our grading scale tends to cover use/wear but does not reflexively cover... color (a jade green Sheaffer can be unused but faded, etc), such that color perhaps is a key, but off-axis, independent-of-mintiness aspect of cachet and value.
Pens that have metallic look (eg. the Moss Agate dark-green-bronze of Waterman, but not the vaguely similar dark-green-and-brown of Wearever and of Canadian Parker Parkette) including the Waterman Moss Agate, Wahl Brazilian Green, etc, are at risk for losing the metallic element-- perhaps we can call it the metalessence-- from the metallic finish portions of the celluloid. Heat, chemical, liquid, light all might play role. I handled black/bronze Moore and Conklin pens just today at the Chicago Pen Show that showed just some degree of fading. Most pens have good color though. This is something to be watched for when examining/buying/valuing pens, but is not nearly found with frequency of, say, discolored Jade celluloid. The "bronze" colors are fairly stable.
Unlike color ambering (jade pens going spinach), this fading is not from inside out but rather from outside in. In many cases an aggressive polish or sanding can reveal metallic finish present below the faded white-ish panels. One must be cautious pursuing this by the imprint (life involved trade offs), and it does not always work.
The price on the pen is retail for a superb restored warrantied OS black/bronze Conk. The pen might not have been worn, and might have trim and imprint sharpness c/w the "nearmint label", but the color is a flaw. Think how you might price/value an OS Sheaffer Balance in Jade, nearly unworn but with brright jade color vs with spinach color.
In my view, with this level of color, the pen in question is quite overpriced. If it were carefully restored with attempt to reveal original color, it might then be worth the price, but I'd rather have that attempt made before I committed $500 to it.
Also, I often am leery of ads offering many exclamation points and advising/warning folks to consider the photos... strongly.
THoughts?
regards
david
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net
#8
Posted 03 May 2013 - 12:54 PM
"Rare Protoype Dark-Green Pearlescent and White" Waterman 94
Which would you rather pay $450 for?
regards
david
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net
#9
Posted 03 May 2013 - 01:56 PM
Edited by BrianMcQueen, 03 May 2013 - 01:57 PM.
#10
Posted 03 May 2013 - 03:56 PM
Edited by Procyon, 03 May 2013 - 04:08 PM.
Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.
Regards,
Allan
#11
Posted 03 May 2013 - 04:08 PM
I am also late to the thread, but I agree with David 100%. This is a black and bronze that is discolored to the extent that the bronze portions have lost their "glitter" look. I have seen the same thing in a Wahl-Eversharp Brazilian Green pen. One sure tip-off is the yellow paint in the small circular grooves in the cap and barrel (I don't know what to call these - never have). The black and bronze had yellow - the black and pearl had either black or none - I can't figure out which.
If I remember correctly, they are called "Annular lines" in the Conklin catalog.
Preston
#12
Posted 03 May 2013 - 04:11 PM
I am also late to the thread, but I agree with David 100%. This is a black and bronze that is discolored to the extent that the bronze portions have lost their "glitter" look. I have seen the same thing in a Wahl-Eversharp Brazilian Green pen. One sure tip-off is the yellow paint in the small circular grooves in the cap and barrel (I don't know what to call these - never have). The black and bronze had yellow - the black and pearl had either black or none - I can't figure out which.
If I remember correctly, they are called "Annular lines" in the Conklin catalog.
Preston
Good to know, Preston. Thanks! I also just went and looked at my black and pearl, and I am pretty sure the annular lines are black, and not just dirty, so I edited my previous comment to reflect that.
Not sure I will ever remember "annular lines", though.
Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.
Regards,
Allan
#15
Posted 03 May 2013 - 07:39 PM
Left to Right: Red, Imperial Blue and Bronze, Black and Bronze, Black, Black and Pearl
Left to Right: Sapphire Blue, Mahogany, Dark Green, Green, Light Green
Note that the Black, Sapphire Blue, Mahogany, and all the Greens have Red annular lines. The Imperial Blue and the Black and Bronze have Yellow, the Red pen has Blue lines, and the Black and Pearl has Black annular lines. Also interesting are the three shades of green - usually you see either dark or light, but I have one pen/pencil set that is sort of in-between (didn't show any pencils here).
Edited by Procyon, 03 May 2013 - 07:47 PM.
Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.
Regards,
Allan
#16
Posted 03 May 2013 - 09:22 PM
Well, of course I don't, I'm just waiting patiently for my *first* Endura some day, and here you are with... the family! All kidding aside, I"m going to snag those photos as a reference source. I'm not sure what it is, but style, size, shape, etc - the classic Endura just hits my sweet spot for a lovely pen for the ages. I appreciate you sharing those images with us!
#17
Posted 04 May 2013 - 01:27 AM
#18
Posted 04 May 2013 - 01:59 AM
One of the first pens I ever bought was a quite rare Endura. I didn't know what i was buying when I bought it. Procyon, you didn't picture it in your post above. It was a Senior size Endura in red with a Crescent Filler. Very short production run. Kind of wish I had it back but couldn't turn down the money at the time.
That is a rare pen. I would love to have one. I think the only one I have seen was also red. Don't know if other colors exist or not.
I have a few crescent fillers, but haven't really concentrated on those. I do particularly like the overlays, and have a few.
Also, I don't care much for the later Endura Symmetric streamlined shape, so I have basically ignored them, and, in fact, don't own an example.
Schrödinger's cat walks into a bar. And doesn't.
Regards,
Allan
#19
Posted 04 May 2013 - 10:40 AM
One of the first pens I ever bought was a quite rare Endura. I didn't know what i was buying when I bought it. Procyon, you didn't picture it in your post above. It was a Senior size Endura in red with a Crescent Filler. Very short production run. Kind of wish I had it back but couldn't turn down the money at the time.
That is a rare pen. I would love to have one. I think the only one I have seen was also red. Don't know if other colors exist or not.
I have a few crescent fillers, but haven't really concentrated on those. I do particularly like the overlays, and have a few.
Also, I don't care much for the later Endura Symmetric streamlined shape, so I have basically ignored them, and, in fact, don't own an example.
I'd agree, rare pen. Seen several over the years and red as well, somewhere in the back of my mind says "also in black" with ????. Unlike Alan I love the streamline Endura/ Endura Symetric pens , I'd have more of them than flat tops.
Regards
Hugh
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