Wahl Oxford Information

[jde]

Sources used are this forum, Eversharp catalogs (1935 & 1939), and Lambrou's Fountain Pens: United States of America and United Kingdom. Kindly looking for corrections to what I've written and other information anyone may have. I'm hoping this to be of use to others like me who are often confused and curious about the Wahl Oxford. Also I hope you will post your own photos of your Oxford variations.

In Syd's history of the Wahl Oxford he writes that Wahl-Eversharp's use of "Wahl Oxford" appeared in the 1920's on some hard rubber models and some pens meant for Gregg and Palmer Method users. See Syd's posts: Wahl Oxford History and Wahl Oxford Same Company? I have wondered if some of the Wahl-Oxford ringtops I see from time to time on eBay or MartiniAuctions are from this period. If anyone has any light to shed or photos of these early named Oxford pens to share, that would be appreciated.

Moving on from the 1920's, there were two distinct Wahl Oxford versions manufactured a few years apart. The first version was made from 1931 to approximately 1935 or 1936. The second version appeared around 1939 and was finally put to rest in 1941.

 

The easiest method to distinguish the 1930's versions is the size of the pen and the placement of the clip. The 1939 model is short and stubby with the clip near the top of the cap. The earlier model is longer, slender and the clip is set further down on the cap.

 

Both versions of the Wahl Oxford offered matching pencils and Desk Sets were also available.

 

EARLY Wahl Oxford Introduced in 1931 the Wahl Oxford was launched as a low-priced lever-filling pen with gold-plated trim and 14K nibs. A 1935 Wahl-Eversharp catalog states the "pens are of the lever-type equipped with available 14 Karat nibs, in Fine and Medium types only." The catalog photo shows the Wahl Oxford fitted with a 14K Warranted #3 nib. Today these pens are found with the Warranted #3 nibs, and sometimes "Oxford" imprinted nibs and Eversharp nibs. The cost was $1.95 for a pen and pencil set.

 

Size: The early lever-filling fountain pen is sized approximately 5" capped, 4 1/2" nib to barrel. These pens are often still found today with a 14K warranted #3 nib as listed in the 1935 catalog.

 

Colors: The same 1935 catalog lists the colors for the Wahl Oxford as Black, Pheasant (green), Sardonyx (red) and Silver Green. Other colors can also be found such as black and pearl, marbled brown, and a hatched pattern silver and black. See FPN's philm's Munson Pens blog post for the hatched pattern, marbled brown with red veins, and two other colors (Pheasant and Sardonyx?). Reviewing archived copies of Gary Lehrer's sale catalogs will net other photos of Wahl Oxfords such as one in black and pearl.

 

Desk Sets: Desk pens were also made with a variety of bases. A 1935 catalog lists six different kinds of bases made from formica, brass, marble or glass. Desk sets ranged in price from $2.95 to $4.95.

 

Twist-Filler: I've seen two variations of this model and do not know if there are more. The two colors are a burgundy/green/blue marble and a silver/black hatched pattern. The band and clip are gold-plated.

 

The marble patterned twist filling pen sports a single rhomboid style band. My pen sports an Oxford imprinted nib and I don't know if it is original to the pen. The clip has the Wahl-Eversharp imprint. Again whether its original or not I do not know as I have not seen a catalog carrying this pen. However, I suspect it is not original because Syd's repair diagram boasts what looks like an Oxford clip similar to Ihmlen's photo in this post. In addition to the hatched Oxford's clip, the cap has two slim rings near the base and Ihmlen's looks to have an Wahl Oxford imprinted nib.

 

The pen is filled by removing the blind cap and turning a knob (several times) which twists the sac inside the pen. In 2008 Syd posted a complete repair diagram which shows all the innards. My pen was restored by Ron Zorn who told me the pen will hold as much ink as a vac-fill Parker 51 (approx 1.8ml). (These pens are hard to flush, in my experience, and so I use a single in color in mine.)

 

The "Large Bantam:" There are Wahl Oxfords which look like large-sized Bantams. These are bulb-filling fountain pens. The distinctive colors on these pens are different from the Wahl Oxford lever-filling model. I've only seen the Titan Red and a Brown color. Paired with the Wahl Oxford in a 1935 catalog is the tiny Bantam fountain pen.

 

LATER Wahl Oxford Introduced around 1939, this version offers an odd selection of less distinctive plastics as well as some interesting plastics. Sometimes these pens are found with Wahl Oxford imprinted nibs and or Eversharp imprinted nibs. It is difficult to say if they are original to the pen or not.

 

1939 Eversharp catalog lists three types of Wahl Oxford.

 

1. Wahl Oxford Select-O-Point fountain pen which came in Jet Black, Brown Swirl or Green Swirl colors. The pen was touted as a "Quality Dollar Pen" with interchangeable screw-in nibs (like an Esterbrook J). "A new point at any time for 35¢." The nibs were gold-plated iridium tipped. The point sizes were listed as "A" fine firm, "B" medium firm, "C" fine flexible, "D" medium flexible. The nibs are imprinted with "Select-O-Point" and either A, B, C or D.

 

The Wahl Oxford Select-O-Point was a lever-filling pen. Eversharp called this a "lever-vac filling mechanism." An ink window was available on these pens.

 

2. Wahl Oxford Special fountain pen came with an ink window. The colors were Jet Black, Green Pearl, Red Pearl and Gray Pearl. The pen cost $1.50. In the catalog the nib for this pen is shown as Warranted #3 14K Made in USA.

 

3. Wahl Oxford Regular fountain pen had all the same features as the "Special" except for one: there was no ink window on the "Regular" version. The pen cost $1.25. In the catalog the nib looks to be a Wahl Oxford imprinted nib.

 

The 1939 catalog lists over 15 different Wahl Oxford desk sets.

 

Some photos of Oxfords:

 

• My "new" Wahl Oxford ("Bantam" style Oxfords)
• Speaking of Oxfords (some great photos of unusual plastics. this post seems to have been an attempt to gather Oxford photos)
• Identify Wahl lever pen
• Twist fillers

 

My Oxford photos:

 

circa 1931 http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae9/jdejh/Wahl%20Oxford/th_oxford1.jpg

 

circa 1939 http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae9/jdejh/Wahl%20Oxford/th_oxford2.jpg

 

twist filler http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae9/jdejh/Wahl%20Oxford/th_oxfordtw.jpg

 

 

Oxford imprinted nib http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae9/jdejh/Wahl%20Oxford/th_wonib.jpg

Edited February 4, 2011 by jde

[jonveley]

I don't know if you are limiting discussion on this to the pens, but I do have several pictures of Wahl Oxford pencils on the Eversharp page of my Mechanical Pencil Museum.

 

I also set up a page on Gregg- the example I have is what appears to be a clipless Wahl Eversharp Equipoised pencil in mottled hard rubber. Kind of wierd to see the Gregg seal on a pencil (since any pencil will write just as fast as your fingers can move).

 

I added a link to my museum to my signature below. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.

[jde]

I don't know if you are limiting discussion on this to the pens, but I do have several pictures of Wahl Oxford pencils on the Eversharp page of my Mechanical Pencil Museum.

 

I also set up a page on Gregg- the example I have is what appears to be a clipless Wahl Eversharp Equipoised pencil in mottled hard rubber. Kind of wierd to see the Gregg seal on a pencil (since any pencil will write just as fast as your fingers can move).

 

I added a link to my museum to my signature below. Let me know if there's anything else I can do to help.

 

Oh yes, your collection is great! Thanks for adding this info, Jon!

--Julie

[jonveley]

I'm glad to help!

[Readymade]

I've have what looks like a circa-1931 Wahl Oxford, but with 2 characteristics I used to associate with the '39 ones:

 

1) a #2 nib, marked “WAHL OXFORD 2 MADE IN USA”, with “WAHL OXFORD” in the same script as that used on the clip, Instead of an unmarked Warranted #3 nib.

 

2) The “MADE IN USA BY THE MAKERS OF EVERSHARP” imprint is across the barrel, not along its length, so that it reads right-side up when the nib is pointed down (meant to be read while you’re writing?).

 

Pics here - http://strangeknight.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/wahl-oxford-reddish-brown-gold/

 

Anyone have any info about these variations?

[BamaPen]

It's been a while since this thread was active, but I want to add a little information to it. Please forgive the pictures, as I've not cleaned up the set at all yet.

 

I recently purchased a Wahl Oxford fountain pen desk set. The marble (?) base is identical to one that sold about a week ago on ebay, but with a Wahl Doric pen and socket. The socket and pen are much lower end components, although the swivel for the socket is identical to the one on several of my Eversharp Skyline desk sets. The pen is very similar to one of my Eversharp Skyline desk pens, but has a Wahl Oxford 7 nib - much larger than the Skyline nib - and is imprinted on the barrel "Made in USA By the Makers of EVERSHARP." The barrel imprint runs across the barrel between the section and the lever and is oriented so that if the nib is pointed toward you, the imprint is then right side up. The socket and pen are unadorned except that the pen has a tiny "gold" band where the taper joins the barrel.

 

I really bought this set for the base, and will probably replace the trumpet and pen with either a Doric, should I find one, or one of my Skylines that has a lower-end base.

Edited December 29, 2012 by BamaPen

[Mags]

I have only one Wahl-Oxford pen example to share. I am the owner of the custom rebuild of this pen displayed by the craftsman who turned my capless ED filler to go with the old nib. Rather than resac and build a cap I elected to have the feed saved and the nib and then had Appleman build me a 1/1 Limited Edition in asparagus green. Worth every penny to save the $5 nib.

 

http://appleman-pens.blogspot.ca/2012/07/custom-clipless-ed.html

 

 

Mags