74 replies to this topic

[FarmBoy]

I took some shots of the pencils I have on hand.

 

I identified 7 different types of barrel twist mechanisms.  The first picture illustrates those types.  The arrows in the picture point to slight shoulders in the tubes.

 

The second and third pictures are the pencils I have.  Below the pictures, I have a description of each.  You can click the pictures for a higher resolution version.  IF there are any you want to see in greater detail, please let me know and I will try to accomodate.

 

1. Stubby? Vacuum Filler, Undated. Nose drive of some sort. 1.1mm
2. Vacuum Filler, undated. Nose drive.  Same nose drive mechanism as #1, even though #1 pencil is shorter. 1.1mm
3. Ripley, 1939.  Big cone, barrel drive Type 1.  Cone not as big as #2.  No bands on bottom half of barrel. 1.1mm
4. Slender, Q3 1935. Barrel drive Type 2.  one band on bottom half.  1.1mm
5. Standard, Q1 1936.  Barrel drive Type 2.  No bands on bottom half. 1.1mm
6. Junior, Q1 1937. Barrel drive Type 2.  One band on bottom half.  1.1mm
7. Junior, Q2 1937. Barrel drive Type 2.  No bands on bottom half.  Slightly longer pencil than #6. 1.1mm
8. Standard, Q2 1937. Barrel drive Type 2.  No bands on bottom half.  1.1mm
9. Senior Maxima, Q4 1937.  Barrel drive Type 3. 1.1mm
10. Senior Maxima, Q4 1937. Barrel drive Type 3. 1.1mm
11. Major, Q3 1938.  Barrel drive Type 3.  1.1mm
12. Debutante, 1939.  Injector Type. 1.1mm
13. Debutante, Q2 1940. Barrel drive Type 4. 0.9mm
14. Debutante, Q2 1940. Barrel drive Type 4. 0.9mm
15. Major, Q2 1940. Barrel drive Type 5. 0.9mm
16. Dunno what size, Q4 1940. Barrel drive Type 4. 0.9mm
17. Junior, Q4 1941. Barrel drive type 3. 0.9mm
18. Dunno what size. Same size as #16. Barrel drive Type 6. 0.9mm (I think this may be a duofold)
19. Debutante, Q1 1941. Barrel drive Type 7. 0.9mm
20. Major, 1942. Vacumatic in Duofold plastic. Barrel drive Type 6. 0.9mm
21. Debutante, Q1 1943. Barrel drive Type 6. 0.9mm
22. Major, 1946. Barrel drive Type 6. 0.9mm
23. Major, 1946. Barrel drive Type 6. 0.9mm
24. Major, 1946. Barrel drive Type 6. 0.9mm
25. Junior, 1947. Barrel drive Type 6. 0.9mm

 

Also note that pencils 20 and 21 do not have the little knurled part on the nose cone.  They are completely smooth.

[BrianMcQueen]

Can someone tell me what size #17 is?  Also, any insight into the plain nose cone of #20 and #21?

[david i]

17 is a two cap-band Shadow Wave?

 

regards

 

d

[BrianMcQueen]

17 is a two cap-band Shadow Wave?

 

regards

 

d

Oops.  I meant 16.  It's an odd length and I can't figure it out.  It's the same length as #18, whose identity is also unknown to me.

Edited by BrianMcQueen, 21 April 2014 - 09:19 PM.

[Jon Veley]

According to the Cross book, Cross developed a close relationship with Parker in the mid-1930s and by 1937 was barely hanging on, thanks in large part to a contract to supply Parker with pencil mechanisms.

 

That doesn't necessarily mean these were mechanisms for vac pencils,but might also have been for Parkettes, Challengers or other Parker products.

[Jon Veley]

Can someone tell me what size #17 is?  Also, any insight into the plain nose cone of #20 and #21?

 

I had a tip from a vac that came apart once, and from that I learned that the ring of dimples around the tip were actually functional and helped secure the gold-filled layer of material to the underlying base metal.  They are nearly always present on the vac pencils I've found, but I don't find them as often on wartime duofolds.  I have only 4 wartime duofolds that aren't plain, dated 1941, 1941, 1945 and 1945.  The ribbed tips appear again on 51s.

 

The plain tips also have a layer of metal over an inner core, but I'm not sure how the outer layer is secured. Either a spot weld or cold soldering, I should suspect.  Either way, the manufacturing process would have been more difficult to secure the outer shell and then layer it with gold fill as opposed to gold filling the outer shells and then simply crimping them on.

 

Unfortunately, since tips are so easy to swap, I don't rely on these observations to say there was a time period during which they were or were not used. 

[Jon Veley]

Brian, are you sure #20 isn't a mutt?

[BrianMcQueen]

Brian, are you sure #20 isn't a mutt?

 

Quite certain.  It's a proper Vacumatic pencil.  The pencil that pairs with a pen like the blue one in this topic.

[Jon Veley]

So Brian, if I'm reading that older thread correctly, your #20 pencil has a stacked coin band and vac imprint?

Edited by Jon Veley, 23 April 2014 - 05:57 AM.

[BrianMcQueen]

Pencil #20 has a stacked coin band (the skinnier variety, not the wider "jeweler's band") but the imprint is simply "PARKER"

[david i]

Brian, the bland Parker imprint is expected. USA-made Parker Vacumatics lack "Vacumatic" in the imprint.  I'll have to check for exceptions...

 

regards

 

-d

[BrianMcQueen]

David, I knew that aleady. I should have mentioned it. Thanks for stating it.

[david i]

All good.

 

As an aside, there are some quirks with pencil sizes for the 1939-41 Jeweler's Band pencils. I have vague recollection of cap size variation that can make the smaller-band pens longer at times and the wider-band pens a bit shorter.  Might be a date-of-issue thing.

 

regards

 

d

[BrianMcQueen]

All good.

As an aside, there are some quirks with pencil sizes for the 1939-41 Jeweler's Band pencils. I have vague recollection of cap size variation that can make the smaller-band pens longer at times and the wider-band pens a bit shorter. Might be a date-of-issue thing.

regards

d

Might explain the odd length of my pencil #16.

[matt]

Brian, the bland Parker imprint is expected. USA-made Parker Vacumatics lack "Vacumatic" in the imprint. I'll have to check for exceptions...

regards

-d

True. If you want a "Vacumatic"-imprinted pencil, you have to go Canadian. War time "Duofold" pencil, too, I imagine.

Edited by matt, 23 April 2014 - 07:48 PM.