Sheaffer Wasp - New Photo Thread

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

I was looking at the February, 1938 Sheaffer WASP Clipper brochure and remembered that I have a few of those pens and thought I would post one and start an new thread to capture as many of them as we can.

http://penhero.com/Temp/WaspGreenPearl_1280_01.jpg

This is a WASP (stands for W. A. Sheaffer Pen) Clipper Medium Size lever fill fountain pen in Gray Pearl. The exceptionally interesting celluloid must have been rolled as a tube because both the cap top and barrel end have chrome plated metal end plates with a faceted design. It has chrome trim and a grouped straight line repeated engraving pattern on the very wide cap band. Sheaffer advertised the unhallmarked nibs as solid gold, probably 12 karat. This is a lever filler. The pens also were available in a translucent barrel vacuum-fil version where a blind cap has to be removed to access the plunger. The visulated section was trademarked "Trans O Meter." The Medium Size pen sold for $2.95 with the Number 6 nib.

Thanks!

Edited July 4, 2017 by PenHero
Corrected color, size and price

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

This is an example of what you can find when you buy the proverbial bag of pens. This is a Sheaffer WASP (W. A. Sheaffer Pen) Clipper in Brown Lahn made probably c1937, based on a 1937 advertisement I have that calls this version of the pen "new." Sheaffer changed the Clipper design in 1938, so it's possible this pen was made only one year.

Now why would I show a less than perfect example of this pen, especially one with lots of plating loss? Take a close look at the nib. This Clipper has a gold number 3 stub nib! Although not hallmarked, Sheaffer advertised that the WASP nibs were solid gold, probably 12 karat.

http://penhero.com/Temp/WaspClipperBrownLahn_1280_01.jpg

The amazing material is called Brown Lahn, and according to Richard Binder's profile of the Sheaffer WASP Clipper pens, the material is patented by the Celluloid Corporation for a material that is a laminated celluloid with a decorative threads effect. The pens came in three of the Lahn colors, Brown, Green and Silver. They sold for $1.95-$3.95 depending on size.

Thanks!

[3rdlakerobert]

I've gotta say that Circuit Board WASP looks like a Gray Pearl example, Jim. I have here a photo of a Green Pearl in large next to a Gray Pearl oversize.

 

 

 

Just to confuse the matter, . . .

 

 

 

And here are a couple Vac-Fil models from my WASP collection:

 

[mitto]

Beautiful pieces of history.

[PenHero]

I've gotta say that Circuit Board WASP looks like a Gray Pearl example, Jim. I have here a photo of a Green Pearl in large next to a Gray Pearl oversize.

 

 

 

Yes it is! I actually made two mistakes in the posting, which I will correct. The pen is indeed a Gray Pearl - I am color blind and asked about the color and the pen has discolored to a green tone, thus mistake number one. I went back and pulled ALL my WASP info and did a few more searches and the pen is the Medium size, which would have the Number 6 nib. The large would have a number 7. I'll post a real Green one later today.

 

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

This Sheaffer WASP Clipper was a bit of a puzzler for me. The previous Gray Pearl WASP I posted above has a Number 6 nib. This one is the exact same size as the Gray Pearl, and can swap caps, but it has a Number 7 nib also stamped "Writes Two Ways." The Standard Size or Medium Size (seen it both ways in ads and catalog pages) WASP Clipper was sold with either a Number 6 nib for $2.95 or with a Number 7 nib for $3.95. The Number 7 nib was the primary nib for the Large Size pen, which wold for $5.00. The smallest Clipper has a Junior stamped nib and sold for $1.95.

http://penhero.com/Temp/WaspGreenPearl_1280_02.jpg

This WASP (stands for W. A. Sheaffer Pen) Clipper Medium Size is a Green Pearl Plunger Type with a "full length visible Skrip supply," Sheaffer's term for the transluscent barrel. It has cheap gold plate trim. Sheaffer advertised the unhallmarked nibs as solid gold, probably 12 karat. I have one non-Sheaffer catalog page that outright says the nibs are 12 karat. The pens also were available in four colors, Green Pearl, Brown Pearl, Gray Pearl and Blue Pearl.

Thanks!

[alfredop]

Here there is my vac-fill black striated one (sorry for the quality of the images):

 

Alfredo

[3rdlakerobert]

I don't think I've seen another WASP nib like this one. It's from the green standard size pen with the deco band in my first posted photo

 

 

The color I think is unlike most WASP nibs, which tend to be rather "copperish" in color.

[3rdlakerobert]

 

The WASP Junior, with the word "Junior" in a script similar to the Sheaffer Junior's.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

This is a Sheaffer WASP Vacuum-Fil Junior pen in Green "Lizard" c1936. Note the gold Junior unhallmarked nib.

http://penhero.com/Temp/WaspVacuumFil_1280_01.jpg

Pendemonium has an advertisement from Liberty Magazine dated November 14, 1936 that shows these pens without using the Clipper name. On Richard Binder's WASP Clipper profile, the same style pens are shown as Clippers in a May 1, 1937 advertisement in The Saturday Evening Post. It appears that the WASP Vacuum-Fil pens were rebranded as Clippers and then redesigned in 1938.

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This Vacuum Fil pen is the same size and shape as the WASP Vacuum-Fil Junior pen in Green "Lizard" c1936 shown above. I had this pen back in 2004 and took this shot of it. You can sort of see the barrel transparency. It probably dates to 1934-1935, when the Vacuum Fil pens were introduced.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/WASPVacuumFilBlack_1280_01.jpg

 

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Here there is my vac-fill black striated one (sorry for the quality of the images):

 

 

 

Alfredo

 

Thanks for showing it!

[PenHero]

I don't think I've seen another WASP nib like this one. It's from the green standard size pen with the deco band in my first posted photo

 

 

The color I think is unlike most WASP nibs, which tend to be rather "copperish" in color.

 

Thanks for showing the two-tone nib!

[3rdlakerobert]

In the earlier photo, I should have mentioned that the plunger in the green pen is a replacement. I couldn't reuse the original black coated rod because of corrosion. Many of these coated rods rusted. I think the steel was poor and Sheaffer hoped the coating would suffice. Maybe it did for a while, but few survive in usable condition now. Fortunately the same length steel rod from a Sheaffer Vac-Fil will work well, as the threads are the same.

 

[3rdlakerobert]

Something a little different (and a little out of focus). The Rite-o-Way dip pen and reservoir containing an uncapped, upside-down bottle of Skrip inside. It actually screws into the Rite-o-Way holder by its cap threads. The dip pen sits in the ink, ready to write when withdrawn. It has a shouldered section just above the steel nib that butts up to a shoulder inside the Rite-o-Way reservoir for an air-tight seal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jonveley]

For what it's worth . . .

 

 

I posted an article on these and the different generations, including ads for both pens and pencils, at Leadhead's. Direct link to the article is http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2017/01/sharp-in-more-ways-than-one.html

[mitto]

Interesting reading. Thank you, jonveley.

[Estragon]

About time for a good WASP thread! Here's a quick shot of my collection of WASPS/Sheaffer sub-brands with NPT:

 

http://i.imgur.com/lO1b1la.jpg

 

I've never been able to divine the rhyme or reason behind the imprints on these. The Lahn pen, for instance, is marked "Clipper," while identical pens that collectors identify as "Addipoints" have discrepant imprints. For those curious, the imprints on these pens (from L to R) read as follows:

 

1. Vacuum

2. Vacuum

3. The Clipper, WASP Pen Co. Inc...

4. The Clipper, WASP Pen Co. Inc...395

5. WASP Pen Co. Inc...

6. WASP Vacuum-fil...

7. WASP Vacuum-fil...

8. WASP Vacuum-fil...

9. WASP Addipoint...

 

There is no indication of place of manufacture ("Ft. Madison, Iowa, USA") on the first two pens.

Edited August 6, 2017 by Estragon

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a WASP Vacuum-Fil fountain pen in burgundy and olive marble celluloid c. 1936. Sheaffer changed the name of the Vacuum-Fil Pen Company to the WASP Pen Company in 1936, WASP being an acronym for W. A. Sheaffer Pen company. This 4 15/16 inch long pen is a lever fill type. All trim is gold plated, though showing a lot of wear. The barrel is stamped WASP over VACUUM-FIL over FT. MADISON, IA, U.S.A. The gold nib is unhallmarked and stamped WASP over MADE IN U.S.A over 2, the nib size.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/WaspVacuumFil_1280_08a.jpg

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is a WASP (stands for W. A. Sheaffer Pen) Clipper Junior fountain pen in Brown Pearl c. 1938. It is a vacuum-fil type with a translucent barrel where a black end cap has to be removed to access the plunger. The exceptionally interesting celluloid was probably sheet stock rolled into a tube. It has gold plated trim, including the clip, cap top and cap band. Sheaffer advertised the unhallmarked nibs as solid gold and were probably 12 karat. It’s stamped WASP over MADE IN U.S.A. over Junior. The barrel is stamped THE CLIPPER over WASP PEN CO. INC. over FT. MADISON IOWA, U.S.A. over PATENTED IN U.S.A. This 5 1/8 inch long pen came in brown pearl and green pearl with gold color trim or gray pearl with silver color trim and sold for $1.95 with a Junior stamped nib. The matching pencil was $1.65.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/WaspClipperBrownPearlJunior_1280_01.jpg

 

Thanks!