Dennis B

Bexley has made some of the most attractive modern Limited Editions of any manufacturer. At least that is my biased viewpoint. Styled ala the Waterman 518, this Bexley Grand Finale LE from 1999, has an 18K filigree overlay on a gorgeous wood grain ebonite. I wasn't sure I'd ever add one of these to the collection but this one popped up on eBay at a price I could handle. Hope you enjoy seeing this rare pen.

Dennis B

Not much new information has come to light about the Kraker Pen Company in the past year or so but today I received an eBay purchase of hard rubber parts that included the reason I bid - two "HALLMARK" imprinted barrels. Now Kansas City is the home of the well known Hallmark greeting card company but that name was not trademarked until later (1928?). I am 99.9% certain these barrels wre made by the Kraker Pen Company in Kansas city, MO.



Patent # 1,164,654 was applied for by George M. Kraker on 12/28/14 and was issued 12/21/15. George Kraker assigned the patent to the Kraker Pen Company. Patent # 1,199,993 was applied for by George M. Kraker on 12/23/1914 and was issued 10/3/16. George Kraker also assigned that patent to the Kraker Pen Company. Patent 1,199,993 covers the lever as shown at the bottom of the above photo. In his testimony in the Sheaffer v. Barrett case, George described this lever and said it was the only lever the Kraker Pen Company was producing.

Pens are known with an imprint that looks to have originally been "HALLMARK" altered to "ALLMAR." These two barrels may never have been part of complete pens as they show little or no wear and swabbing the inside with a damp Q-tip brought out dirt and rust but nothing that looked like ink.

Comments welcome.

Dennis B

I finally managed to snag one of these from eBay and it is better condition than some I've seen. The nib is a Warranted #3, logical for a School pen. Cap top imprinted "sCHs", presumably (sometown)Central High School. That's my guess anyway. Made by Kraker in Libertyville, IL ca 1928-1932.

Dennis B

Wonder what Walter A. Sheaffer thought of Davis assigning this patent to the Michael-George Co. (George M. Kraker). Davis was granted two design patents for chasing that he assigned to Sheaffer.

I don't think many of these survived.

Dennis B

Last week I was contacted by a local woman who asked if I would look at some Parker pens that had belonged to her grandfather. She found my name in an Internet search for info by landing on something I had written for the Pennant. She came by today and I bought the pens. No, not Aztecs or Snakes, but a decent little group. Here's a pic of one - a 45 Brocade in gold.



Also included in the lot was a "51" Flighter, A Mark I 21, a First Edition 61 (with a cracked barrel) and a First Edition 61 pen/LL pencil set in the original box. The LL still writes and doesn't appear to have been used. All in all a nice little find.

Dennis B