Interesting Parker Vac Blind Cap..

[JotterAddict62]

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f239/Jotteraddict62/002_zpsonsbqmo1.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f239/Jotteraddict62/003_zps0tghzxpp.jpg

Pen arrived today.

 

Waiting for the comments....

[kirchh]

Missing tassie -- is there something else?

 

--Daniel

[Romagno]

It looks longer than the ones on my Vacumatics.

[JonSzanto]

As Daniel said, it's missing the tassie. And it's that long because (and please correct me if I'm wrong), but this pen is the first model with a Speedline filler. Prior to this was the Lockdown, which required only a short blind cap, as the filler 'rod' stayed stored in the down, or compressed, position. Without the lockdown, the spring tension keeps the rod extended, necessitating a longer blind cap.

[joss]

is that the blind cap with 'faux' jewel (jewel is integral part of cap).

[JotterAddict62]

No not missing the tassie.

Blind cap is all one piece. Machinist must have gotten carried away when tooling the blind cap.http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f239/Jotteraddict62/005_zpsved9li4p.jpg

Edited September 14, 2015 by JotterAddict62

[kirchh]

No not missing the tassie.

Blind cap is all one piece. Machinist must have gotten carried away when tooling the blind cap.http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f239/Jotteraddict62/005_zpsved9li4p.jpg

 

I'm not sure what you mean. There's no tassie anymore, so therefore it's missing.

 

--Daniel

[T1Love]

I agree, no tassie.

[JotterAddict62]

There is no jewel on the blind cap. Blind cap is the same size as a major blind cap.

The blind cap is one piece.

 

I'll send to anyone who thinks they can pull it apart and prove me wrong that the blind cap is not one piece.

Edited September 14, 2015 by JotterAddict62

[kirchh]

There is no jewel on the blind cap. Blind cap is the same size as a major blind cap.

The blind cap is one piece.

 

I'll send to anyone who thinks they can pull it apart and prove me wrong that the blind cap is not one piece.

 

I think you're mixing up "jewel" and "tassie." The tassie is the stepped metal ring that encircles the end of the blind cap.

 

Your blind cap is clearly missing its tassie. That's all.

 

--Daniel

[JonSzanto]

I believe that the blind cap being shown has been the subject of a 3rd-party repair to emulate the missing tassie. I took a quick (i.e. my phone) pic of my recent purchase from John Strother which I believe to be in the same era as your pen, including the same filler. You can see the complete tassie with matching button (in my case, green):

 

http://i.imgur.com/23EjpUU.jpg

[kirchh]

I believe that the blind cap being shown has been the subject of a 3rd-party repair to emulate the missing tassie. I took a quick (i.e. my phone) pic of my recent purchase from John Strother which I believe to be in the same era as your pen, including the same filler. You can see the complete tassie with matching button (in my case, green):

 

http://i.imgur.com/23EjpUU.jpg

 

I disagree. [The OP's blind cap is] exactly what the blind cap looks like without the tassie.

 

--Daniel

Edited September 14, 2015 by kirchh

[JonSzanto]

 

I disagree. That's exactly what the blind cap looks like without the tassie.

 

--Daniel

 

Crazy - I thought the circular, plated "ring" at the end of the bc, that contained the jewel of matching celluloid in the middle, *was* the tassie. I'll butt out, as these pens are far from common with me, but I must have gotten the concept of "tassie" wrong.

 

ETA: the photo I included, of my pen, clearly shows the object that matches the description for "tassie" as described in Richard Binder's Glossopedia. If there are alternate versions of what is, and what is not considered a tassie, my education will continue apace.

Edited September 14, 2015 by JonSzanto

[kirchh]

 

Crazy - I thought the circular, plated "ring" at the end of the bc, that contained the jewel of matching celluloid in the middle, *was* the tassie. I'll butt out, as these pens are far from common with me, but I must have gotten the concept of "tassie" wrong.

 

ETA: the photo I included, of my pen, clearly shows the object that matches the description for "tassie" as described in Richard Binder's Glossopedia. If there are alternate versions of what is, and what is not considered a tassie, my education will continue apace.

 

Your pen's blind cap has its tassie.

 

JotterAddict62's pen's blind cap is just like yours, except its missing its tassie. There is no "repair." It's a blind cap that has lost its tassie.

 

I'm not sure why this is causing any confusion.

 

ETA: Your blind cap has a screw-in jewel; JotterAddict62's has an integral jewel.

 

--Daniel

Edited September 14, 2015 by kirchh

[mitto]

I disagree. That's exactly what the blind cap looks like without the tassie.

 

--Daniel

 

Yours looks the same as OP's blind cap. I see no difference. If his is missing the tassie yours too is misissing.

[JonSzanto]

Daniel,

 

Your response to the photo of *my* bc was this:

 

I disagree. That's exactly what the blind cap looks like without the tassie.

 

When you said "That's exactly what the blind cap looks like..." immediately following the photo, I thought you were referring to the bc in the photo. You then responded to my comment (and my confusion) with the following:

 

Your pen's blind cap has its tassie.

 

I'm not sure why this is causing any confusion.

 

I thought you were saying that mine was missing it's tassie, and then you responded it *does* have it's tassie. Just unclear in the commentary, and I'm grateful that, at least, I actually *do* know what a tassie is. There is so much I don't know that I am pleased when I find I do know something. All sorted out now.

 

Best of luck to JotterAddict.

Edited September 14, 2015 by JonSzanto

[Ron Z]

The blind cap shown in the OP's picture is missing it's tassie. The cap is one piece, tassie (i.e. the metal trim ring) on the pen was pressed on, instead of having a jewel that screwed into the blind cap through the tassie to hold it on as is found on most of the 51 and Vac blind caps that we see. It is often referred to as a "faux" jewel, or in cases where the end comes in the right place, you end up with what is often called a "bulls eye" jewel, which it sort of looks like you have. That is, the end looks like a bulls eye because there is a ring instead of either solid black or stripes in the "jewel" You will not see the end of the jewel on the inside of the blind cap.

I do not know precisely what procedure Parker used to put it together in the first place. Trying to press a generic tassie on generally does not work. Repair is challenging and requires a lathe. You have to cut shave off the jewel that is there, drill and tap for a replacement jewel, and then machine and fudge a bit to get a regular tassie to fit in its place before screwing on the jewel to secure it.

[kirchh]

Yours looks the same as OP's blind cap. I see no difference. If his is missing the tassie yours too is misissing.

 

Look again. Jon's blind cap has a tassie; the OP's does not.

 

--Daniel

[kirchh]

I do not know precisely what procedure Parker used to put it together in the first place. Trying to press a generic tassie on generally does not work.

 

I believe the tassies for one-piece blind caps are different from the ones secured by a screw-in jewel. Lacking the broader top flange, they will press on, though they might fall off rather easily, as slight shrinkage of the celluloid might be the reason the original tassie detached.

 

--Daniel

[kirchh]

I thought you were saying that mine was missing it's tassie, and then you responded it *does* have it's tassie. Just unclear in the commentary...

 

I edited my post to clarify.

 

--Daniel