Pick Pen Co. "exceptional"

[Dennis B]

http://www.parkvillepen.com/images/misc/pickjadert.jpg

http://www.parkvillepen.com/images/misc/pickjadertnib.jpg

 

I ran across this Pick "Exceptional" this morning in my waiting for attention pile and gave it a restoration with a new sac, a pressure bar (the original was missing) and a light polish. Nice celluloid with a hard rubber section and feed and the original Pick nib. Actually a nice writer.

 

Curious about the company, a Google search led me right here to FPN where Halljer posted this info in 2006. Glad I was able to find it. I guess Pen World no longer sells back issues as their web site doesn't list any.

 

"I received the article from Pen World. It was fascinating! Arthur Schoenberger started the company in 1920 at 2100 Reading Road in Cincinnati. The building is still there with the company name faintly visible on the side of the building. He knew nothing about fountain pens or how to make them. He named the company for his cousin Ed Pick, who loaned him the money to get started. He hired a man named Weidling who had worked for the Weidlich Pen company to set up the machinery and get the plant started. They produced pens there for 13 years. They produced high quality pens and marketed them by doing demonstrations in the client store windows. They would drive the pen into a block of balsa wood, removed it, and show that it still wrote well. Kind of flashy, but compared to today's commercials, rather tame. The company faltered only because of lack of sales experience. Arthur died in the 50's at the age of 84. The article is an interview with Arthur's son, Eckbert, who worked in the Pick plant from the age of 13 till it closed. It was a fascinating read and I thank Carlos for bringing it to my attention."

 

Anyone have other Pick Pics?

 

Dennis B

Edited July 17, 2010 by Dennis B

[kudzu]

My pen has a Pick nib, so I'm assuming it's a Pick Pen, although there are no engravings anywhere on the pen, just the very nice chasing on the BHR. Does your pen say Pick anywhere except on the nib? I wonder what Exceptional meant for the nib?

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4828634563_e7aab03f46.jpg

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4101/4829248184_90c21d30ca.jpg

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4828640873_7bf1c3cf53.jpg

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4139/4829260570_ec95071e21.jpg

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4141/4829263514_68b0f800e3.jpg

 

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4828658803_92860b4147.jpg

[Johnny Appleseed]

It is a major shame that L&P is still down, because I think there is some Pick info there that would be of great help.

 

As for kudzu's pen - I will lay good odds that that is not a Pick Pen, but a Paul Wirt pen with a replacement Pick nib. The feed, with the large vent-hole through the middle, is a classic Wirt feed. Many Wirt pens are found with no identifing logo or name, except for a distinctive "W"-and-vine-logo on the nib, so it would be fairly easy for the nib to get swapped. I also suspect that many of these "no-name" Wirts were made for sale by other retail or catalog outlets (Sears Roebuck for one).

 

John

[BobR]

I purchased this Pick pen on Ebay several years ago and sold it a while back here on FPN. The pen obviously had problems (discolored and someone clipped the clip), but had a marvelously flex nib. I miss it!

[Dennis B]

As for kudzu's pen - I will lay good odds that that is not a Pick Pen, but a Paul Wirt pen with a replacement Pick nib. The feed, with the large vent-hole through the middle, is a classic Wirt feed. Many Wirt pens are found with no identifing logo or name, except for a distinctive "W"-and-vine-logo on the nib, so it would be fairly easy for the nib to get swapped. I also suspect that many of these "no-name" Wirts were made for sale by other retail or catalog outlets (Sears Roebuck for one).

John

 

Wirt was also the first thing I thought of when I saw the feed. Nib and feed from a BCHR Wirt.

 

http://www.parkvillepen.com/images/otherhr/wirtbchrnibfeedlg.jpg

 

As for imprint, my Pick pen has "Exceptional" in script with the end of the "l" going back under the other letters as an underline. Below that is "THE PICK PEN CO. CINCINNATI. O."

 

Dennis B

Edited July 26, 2010 by Dennis B

[kudzu]

Wow! Great to find out what my sweet little pen probably is: a Wirt! The Pick nib is a nice writer. Thanks, John, for enlightening me about Paul Wirt's pens. Dennis B - thanks for the photos of your Wirt feed, too.

[Dennis B]

You're quite welcome. That's what this forum is all about - exchanging information to better educate us all about our treasures.

 

Dennis B

[Neatman]

I am new to the FPN and found the site by searching "Pick Pen" at Google.com. I recently purchased a Pick Pen Exceptional at an Antique Mall but the cap was missing. The nib looked okay so I bought the pen anyway. This pen is my very first restoration (resac, clean nib etc.) but I need a cap, does anyone know how I can use the FPN to locate a cap for this pen? I am enclosing pics.

Neatman

[Tweel]

I like that nib!

 

...does anyone know how I can use the FPN to locate a cap for this pen?

 

Hang around. When you've been a member for 30 days and have made 30 posts (other than in the Chatter forum), you'll be a Gold member and can place a "wanted to buy" ad in the Classifieds.

[Neatman]

Thanks Tweel -

 

I really appreciate the info. By the way, I like the nib too. I couldn't wait to find the right cap, I went ahead and inked up the pen and have been doodling with it. I snapped on an old Sharpie lid to keep the ink from drying out. Still, I would really like to find a matching cap for the pen.

 

Greg

[rwilsonedn]

Careful not to damage the threads with that snap-on cap.

ron

[jonveley]

Reviving a very old thread with some very new information:  "So our collector’s lore had a little bit of basis.  A guy named Arthur W. Schoneberger (not Shoenberger) went into business with Ed Pick (not by himself) in 1920 (that part was right) as the Pick Manufacturing Company (not the Pick Pen Company) at 214 East 9th Street (not 2100 Reading Road), Cincinnati."

 

Full article on the founding of Pick, including connections with Charles R. Brandt, are posted at Leadhead's:

 

Lore Galore