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It's by far my most expensive, girthiest, and heaviest pen, but I've been in love with it since I first started writing with it. It fits comfortably in my small-but-thich hands, and writes like a *dream*. Plus, just look at it! It's GORGEOUS. Now I will admit, it would not write when I first got it- it had a plainly visible case of baby's bottom. But after a short and cordial exchange with the retailer I picked it up from (Chatterly Luxuries, not affiliated), they took care of it for me and I've been in pen heaven ever since.

Sometimes a new pen comes along and just shouts, “You need to have me now!” Often these pens come from the big name manufacturers with big advertising budgets designed to whip up the desire of people who have never touched the pen in person. As much as I try not to get sucked into the frenzy vortex, it happens sometimes to the best of us. Then there are magnificent pens that come to you unlooked for and seemingly from somewhere you would never expect. The new Wahl-Eversharp Decoband fits into this category. The W-E pen company was resurrected several years ago by co-owner Syd Saperstein (knows by his FPN handle “wahlnut” around these parts) and has been a real positive example of what can be done when your passion becomes your business. W-E Pen Co. has been putting out some great looking Skyline pens in the last few years, but nothing oversized that caught my attention. That is until I stopped by Syd’s booth at the San Francisco pen show and saw the gorgeous new W-E Decoband in Rosewood with the large #8 Superflex nib. Ordering the Pen You can order this pen from the website now that is it is in production, but I ordered it from Syd and his lovely wife at the San Francisco pen show in August 2015. Syd had a black, rosewood, and clear(demo) pen available to look at and hold. He also had a sample of the lapis blue marble acrylic but no pens were produced yet in that color. I spent a fair amount of time holding the rosewood pen and doodling with it. I walked around for a bit but then came back a few hours later to put down a deposit. I paid half up front and then the other half was due upon completion of production. The total price was $850. A few notes. The pen at the show had an 18K nib, but production pens were changed to have either a 14K Superflex or you can now order a semi-flex 14K EF nib. The blue material is fairly limited because there is only enough rod stock to make maybe 280 pens if there are no production errors. The clear pens were not for sale at the time, but I understand they might be in the future. Contact Syd for more details. The Arrival and Unboxing The pen box is huge and beautiful piano black lacquer. It came in a solid white cardboard box and was wrapped in a protective layer of foam. Even on top of the white box was a rubber shim to help grip the Chilton-style pneumatic filler knob. What a thoughtful touch! Now this pen was not cheap, but you can see the packing materials account for some of the cost. The box is a real solid piece and everything fits in its place. The ink box slot is just the right size so nothing rattles around. The pen sleeps snugly in the case. The ink is a custom blend in an attractive bottle. I did not open the ink as I have so many other bottles already. I’ll save it for a little later. It was a nice touch to include the ink and a worthy compliment to a pen in this class. Now, just to show you how impressive the packing was, here are some comparison shots of the packing materials versus a MB 90th Anniversary 149 – a pen that has a higher retail cost. Notice how underwhelming the packaging is by comparison to the Decoband box. No ink from MB either. The Pen and Design Have you seen those little sponge creature novelties you put in water and they swell up to 10X their size? Well, this is a similar idea of how this pen looks compared to an original Decoband. This new pen is probably 30 or 40% larger than the original Decoband upon which the new model was based. This is really an oversized pen – and one with a lot of heft. I have a lot of large urushi covered ebonite pens that weigh almost nothing, but this pen is SOLID. The metal tubes inside that make up the pneumatic filling system add a good amount of heft to the pen, but the weight is well distributed and the pen sits in the hand nicely. I wrote with the pen for a long while after inking it up and there was not much fatigue in my hand because the ink flows out well. The 150MM long pen body is made of rosewood ebonite with a nice, subtle streaking. The body is very thick, I think about 23MM at the widest point of the cap. This required some larger than usual rod stock when crafting the pens. This pen does have the subtle ebonite smell. It is polished to a high shine and I expect the deep color to last for a long time as I do not exposure my pens to a lot of time sitting in the light. The cap top and filler know are both shiny black and offset with gold rings maybe a little over 1MM thick. The cap has the vintage style clip with a wide rolling cylinder at the tip. Wahl-Eversharp is imprinted upon the gold plated clip and the edges seem to have subtle lines running vertically. Above the clip is a little gold button with the W-E logo that kind of looks like two check marks. Two more 1 MM cap bands surround the wide decoband that is maybe 5MM wide. The wide band is engraved with a repeating greek-type pattern and lots of vertical lines to add a nice texture. All the furniture is gold plated. The filling knob has notches for gripping and, of course, the hole needed for releasing the pressure and causing the pen to fill. The cap comes off in about 1.5 turns (not bad really) and reveals a black section and shiny gold threads. The threads are very smooth to the touch. They are very flush with the rosewood body, but there is a little drop off to the section. The section tapers nicely to a little flare just before getting to the nib. There is a gold ring that surrounds the nib and adds a very nice visual flash to the pen. I would say the taper is maybe 2-3MM so the gripping section is probably about 15 -16MM (sorry I do not have precise measurements, but the barrel is 18MM). I like very large pens, and I think this is very comfortable to hold. I think it is a little wider in grip girth than the MB 149 and the Pelikan M1000. The cap will post as the end of the pen is tapered by the filling knob. I don’t post and I am not about to scuff up my new pen to see how secure it will post. I can say a light push indicated to me it would be possible. Since the cap is fairly light, I estimate it would not make the pen too back heavy for those who like to post. The pen is pneumatic filler. It is easy to operate. You simply unscrew the end, draw up the filling tube, fully submerge the nib and a little of the section in ink, cover the air hole, push down, open the air hole and wait for 5 seconds before removing the nib. The stroke is smooth and there is no real challenge to fill the pen. I think it is easier than the Visconti double reservoir filling system of the plunger filler on the Pilot Custom 823. The pen says it holds 2.1 ML of ink per fill. This is more than other similar sized pens like the MB 149 and good for a non eye dropper. I think it will be easy to clean and should have a good service life. Once nice touch is the engraving on the filling tube – it’s a pleasant surprise. In talking to Syd he indicated that the pen is made in such a way that the service center can fully disassemble it and service any of the parts. I find it to be highly engineered and to very, very high fit and finish standards. The pen just feels solid and like something you could pass down to the kids as a favorite heirloom. The Nib and the Writing Characteristics OK, so on to the nib and how the pen writes - what can make or break and otherwise beautiful pen. This pen has a specially developed #8 sized 14K Superflex nib. First, let me say I find this nib visually stunning. The top surface is scalloped out to create a subtle textured surface. At the original surface level remain the logo, the company name and the word superflex, all in capitals. This I love beautiful nibs and this one has so much depth and character that I could stare at it for a long time. You just don’t see too many nibs created using a relief-type removal of metal. On looks alone it is a winner. Luckily this nib is also a great writer. I really like nibs that have a lot of character and create line variation. I like pens before the 1960s when ballpoints took over the world. They tend to have nibs with the ability to flex and add character when writing. (I am quite fond of the MB nibs from the 1950s and early 1960s.) I have found some modern pen makers, especially those who make high end custom pens, can order their large #8 size nibs form Bock to have some approximation of vintage flex. This is the first larger scale production pen I have tried that gives me a similar level of flex to what I have experienced in my vintage pens. Some people like the soft nature of the Pelikan M1000 nibs, but to me they feel mushy, like pushing on a marshmallow. This pen gives with some pressure but still has firmness when writing . With no pressure the pen writes a western M. With a little pressure it creates a BB line about the same as my steel 1.1 Jowo nibs. At moderate pressure (what I call max for fear of pushing a nib too hard), it is maybe the same as a 1.5 to 1.7MM nib width. This is about the same variation as my OM 1950s MB 138. While the W-E website claims a range from F to BB, I think M to 5B is my experience so far. I like that the extra width is available on my command but I can just have plain of M in normal conditions. The nib is not a wet noodle, but I think it is more usable flex for everyday writing. The snap back (how quickly the tines close after opening) is good but not amazing. Perhaps it is because the nib is not a needle point – it just can’t snap back below a medium. There is a little bit of feedback to the nib. I prefer that over a glass smooth surface. The important thing for me is that no special care is needed, and I can write with this pen at full speed with no issues. The feed is a really special bit of flash in this pen. The split ebonite feed is coated in red urushi. The cut in the feed runs parallel to the underside of the nib from side to side. The top layer of the feed is heat set to curve up against the nib so he feed can keep the ink flow going even strong during flex. This gives the pen some real panache and flair. It is another small aspect that really drove home the special nature of this pen and the thoughtfulness of the design. It really plays well with the red tone in the ebonite. Someone even said (I think it was Syd’s wife) that it was reminiscent of the red underside of Louboutin heels! It is just another bit of eye candy to admire when waiting for writing inspiration. Final Impression The new Decoband in rosewood ebonite with a 14K Superflex nib is the best of both worlds; vintage style and flex with modern reliability and size. This well put together pen will give you a substantial feel in the hand with a generous amount of ink for your writing. The flex allows you to add character to your script and the bits of flash will ensure you never treat this pen like a utilitarian tool. Buying one also means supporting a fellow pen enthusiast and encourages the creation of more modern marvels with style to spare. At $850 this is not an inexpensive pen, but I have paid more for much less writing pleasure. I would recommend this over many other high end pens, especially of you like a real oversized experience. A Few Bonus Comparison Shots Here are a few comparison shots to a 90th anniversary Montblanc 149 with an 0BBB nib. Thanks for reading.

I got lucky in an eBay auction yesterday: a Doric ringtop in Kashmir. The condition seems decent, and I'll replace the Manifold nib with sliderless Adjustable nib that I stripped from the corpse of a ruined pen. You might call the nib ruined, but I call them paintbrush-flexy. When I get the thing I'll post some pictures.

I have Walh-Eversharp equi-poised fountain pen, it has stub nib. At least I think it is stub, nib leaves wide stroke down and thin sideways. But I just can't make it work with my handwriting! No matter how I try to hold it, it makes it look horrible... Nib is really flexible, wet and smooth. So nothing wrong with the nib, more about "user error". How stub nib should be hold when writing? Do I need to write fast or slow? Also, is there some script that is suitable this kind of nibs? If everything else fails, is it possible to regrind this stub to needlepoint? It has almost no tipping material at all. Also, I don't want to ruin perfectly good nib just because it doesn't fit my writing style. I would really love to learn write with this nib, I love the pen so much and nib is really nice writer, except I don't like the outcome... Some pictures to help clarifying things.

Hello, I have a confession to make. I ran into some issues while restoring a Wahl-Eversharp Skyline, and suffice to say, while I was not the cause of all of them, I handled it like an idiot. I am sorry to both the pen and the kind people that are reading this. The images that follow are slightly graphic. With that out of the way allow me to tell the tale - To remove the barrel I used gentle heat and it felt like the barrel was coming off with no problem. Suddenly, POP! I feared the worse only to find that everything looked normal...or so I thought. I continued to work on the pen; cleaning, polishing, disassembling the clip. My fears resurfaced as I saw a crack running across the base of the threads. With my hands shaking I reached for super glue to fix the now broken-off threads. I applied small amounts as I convinced myself that everything was alright. Indeed, all was fine until I tried to reassemble the clip. My heart dropped as I held all four pieces of a once three piece clip. I once again returned to my good friend super glue to restore the clip to no avail. Multiplicity of a failed action does not lead to a successful action. The clip was lost until the next day when I had derived a solution, which was to assemble the glue-covered clip on the pen to hold it in place. As with the threads, it works. The third nightmarish episode came when it came time to insert the barrel back into the pen, the embodiment of dread. Even with more gentle heat the terrible glue job on the threads had broken and a new crack had developed, the barrel was simply too small to fit over the section. With the three deadly trials over, I could now rest and fill the pen. Although the clip looks like trash and doesn't fit the derby, the plastic is severely discolored and cracked, and the lever having too much play, the pen writes...wonderfully. For the love of penmanship, please use extreme caution when restoring a vintage pen and don't use super glue, it looks terrible. Take note however, that early polystyrene pens such as the Skyline are much more prone to cracking and shrinkage than many celluloid pens (in my experience). The solutions shown here seem much more effective than mine.

Hello Everyone, I finally created an account today after browsing these forums for the last few years. I am new to vintage pens, but not fountain pens in general. I often go to antique stores to pick up older pens, and can complete simple restorations. In this case I believe I have met my match. I found this Doric for $20.00 at a local antique shop. Since then I have done a simple cleaning of the pen, and was able to free the plunger, along with the adjustment slider. The nib is very whet, and uber flexible... but is as sharp as a knife. The second issue is that the seals seem to have given out, and it refuses to drawing ink. The internal mechanism seems to be beyond my repair expertise, and at this point I don't want to damage the pen because the body is in almost perfect condition. Who should I go to that could repair this pen? I'm a student and don't have hundreds of dollars to spend on this, but at the same time I don't want to break the pen of my dreams. Images (Not sure if this is how i'm supposed to do this)

I've read the few reviews written about the new Wahl-Eversharp Decoband with the superflex nib, but I haven't seen a review by a woman (or someone with small hands). I know this is an oversize pen, and it weighs 45 grams uncapped. I'm interested in hearing from someone who owns the pen and has small hands. How does the pen feel? Can you write for long periods without fatigue? Does it seem just too big? Unfortunately, I'm too far from civilization to attend one of the big pen pen shows (and I wasn't able to go to the Dallas show this year). Thanks. Susan

Maybe I just haven’t been paying close enough attention to the pen world, but the resurrection of the Wahl-Eversharp pen company slipped right past me. For those of you who haven’t delved into vintage pens or their history, a brief explanation may help. During the Golden Age of fountain pens, the “Big Four” American pen companies were dominant: Conklin, Waterman, Sheaffer, Parker and Wahl-Eversharp. Some of you may think my math is funny, but Conklin went into decline at roughly the same time Wahl-Eversharp was rising to prominence, so there were only four major companies at any given time. Wahl-Eversharp were best known for luxurious Gold Seal pens, the Equipoise, the faceted Doric and the art deco Skyline. All fountain pen makers were devastated by the sudden onslaught of ballpoints, and all of the Big Four changed hands in various ways. Waterman, Sheaffer and Parker never went away completely. The Conklin brand was revived a few years ago and is now owned (along with Monteverde) by Yafa. That left Wahl-Eversharp as the only “Big Four” brand that you couldn’t buy a brand new example of. Well... Now they’re back! Right now the revived Skyline is it, though they’re said to have a new Doric in the works. I’ve had a few Wahl-Eversharps in my collection and liked them, but I never had a Skyline. Although the design has garnered a lot of praise and is considered iconic by many, it always looked awkward and strangely proportioned to me. The pen body is sleek and streamlined, while the cap is big and clumsy. They don’t seem to go together. When I saw the new Skyline Technic, I had to reconsider my feelings. The pen body and the cap are machined from billet aluminum. The solid gray pen seemed understated, taming the excesses of the design and unifying the pen and cap. When I learned that these have a “revolutionary”, ceramic-coated, semi-flex, steel nib and a matching computer-designed feed, I was sold. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_skyline_technic/skyline_technic_box.jpg Unboxing the pen, I was first confronted with a large, glossy, black, presentation box with metal hinges and a sort of fluffy, fleecy, white lining. The pen itself was sealed into a clear plastic capsule. I was unimpressed with this packaging. The big box is attractive when displaying the pen in a boutique or for gift-giving, but once you’ve got the pen it becomes nothing but a bulky piece of junk to store. These types of boxes are all too common, and I find myself wishing pen companies would go back to the good old days of small presentation boxes that were also practical storage cases. (For a modern example I might point to the Levenger True Writer.) http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_skyline_technic/skyline_technic_box_closeup.jpg I also noted that the box has some cosmetic defects. This is what I call a “piano box” since the lacquered wood and metal hinges are reminiscent of piano construction. This one has some dings near the front-left corner, rough finish at the opposite corner, and slightly rounded-off edges near the corners of the lid closure. As well, the glossy black finish isn’t entirely smooth. Frankly, I have seen cheap Sheaffers sold in piano boxes that were more nicely done than this one. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_skyline_technic/skyline_technic_capped.jpg After breaking the pen out of its carbonite prison, my first impression was very positive. The fit-and-finish on this pen are outstanding, as one would hope for in a pen of this price category. I give the new Wahl-Eversharp company praise for recreating the Skyline accurately, with the original’s size, shape, and even parts that are said to interchange with the original. Other classic pens that have been brought back from the past bore only loose, superficial resemblance to their vintage counterparts. (I’m looking at you, Sheaffer Balance!) http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_skyline_technic/skyline_technic_uncapped.jpg The choice of C/C filling is not exciting, but it makes sense. It brings Skyline into the modern era, and it also solves the problem of the posted cap tending to scratch up the filling lever. In this case the supplied converter (already installed in the pen) is a screw-in type of high quality. It’s secure, it doesn’t leak, doesn’t wobble or rattle, and is about as good as converters get. The slender pen body is a thin and form-fitted shell that just barely contains the converter; there is no wasted space. This is different from the plastic-bodied Skylines, which make you access the cartridge or converter from the rear of the pen using a blind cap. That seems awkward, and I’m glad the metal Technic manages to avoid it. As metal pens go, it’s lightweight. It’s slightly lighter weight than my sterling silver Sheaffer Targa, but slightly heavier than several of my all-plastic pens (Bexleys, Edisons, etc.). Plastic threads inside the cap make posting safe; it's not going to scratch up the pen's body. It posts quite well, deeply and securely, and the balance when posted is very good. I do not usually post my pens, but this is one that actually feels more comfortable to me when posted. I really do find the pen's size, weight and balance pleasing. The Skyline Technic is available in black, in blue, and in natural aluminum colors. The natural aluminum that I got is not exactly what it sounds like, since it has a gray anodized (I presume) finish that doesn’t look like bare aluminum metal at all. It’s much darker, it’s more of a semi-gloss texture, and I find it handsome in a sort of subdued and rugged way. It should prove to be quite tough and scratch-resistant. When I turn the pen in my hand, I can see very slight shading differences around the pen, but this is not noticeable when not looking for it. The semi-flex nib was the one element that I was most eager to test, and which I was most uncertain about. The impressions from reviewers online varied widely, so the only way to get the real story was by writing with it myself. The nib is on the smaller side (No. 5) making it nicely proportional to the pen. (I find that No. 5 nibs are often more comfortable for me than the big No. 6 nibs, as I can get my fingers closer to the page and hold the pen at a more natural angle.) The ceramic finish on mine was a dark, glossy black, whereas the Wahl-Eversharp website had indicated this pen would come with a titanium gray nib. The immediate good news is that it’s quite a smooth writer. There was just a bit of very finely-grained “feedback” letting me know what kind of paper I was writing on. The flow was also very nicely adjusted as it came to me: wet but not gushing. Tip size is an issue for me. These nibs are supposed to be “fine to medium” size, but the one I got looks and feels like a full flabby M. My personal preference is for F and EF nibs, so this was not really my thing. Worse, it’s not a good choice for showing off what a “semi-flex” nib can do. Flex expression is more pronounced with finer nibs. The advertised “semi-flex” quality of this nib is something I’m not really finding. It’s firm. It’s not a manifold type nail, but it’s firm. You can make it flex quite a bit if you push it. If you write with a ballpoint-trained Gorilla Hand, then it will produce bold text, but writing in the normal way of fountain pens won’t really give you anything. I doubt whether I would have even advertised this as a semi-flex. My Sheaffer Targa is more expressive, and Sheaffer have hardly been known for nib flexibility. Worse, I also had some instances of hard starting, where the pen skips on the first stroke as it touches the paper. It didn’t happen too often, but it shouldn’t happen at all. I have too many other pens in my collection that never do this. Thus, I contacted Wahl-Eversharp. I got a swift response promising a replacement nib — indeed, a replacement nib-feed-section assembly. Also, I was told a small run of “natural aluminum” Technics came with the black nib, but they are now shipping a much lighter colored nib, called “light titanium” finish. I opted for one of these as the replacement, and I found it actually looks much like normal polished steel. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_skyline_technic/skyline_technic_nib.jpg The hand-written note that came with the replacement nib said, “I hope this works better for you — it was good to my hand.” That seems to be saying it was tested before being sent to me. I had to question that assumption, though, as soon as I had it inked up and touched paper. It’s a gusher! It’s a fire hose! Am I really expected to write with this? Ink flow on the first nib was perfect, so why is this one a fire hose? At least this proved the computer-designed feed can deliver a lot of ink throughput! Now feeling rather frustrated, I pulled one of my driest inks out of the closet: Montblanc Jonathan Swift Seaweed Green. This tamed the fire hose down to a wet-but-usable level (at least on my denser paper, such as a Rhodia pad) with lots of shading. This is still not the style of writing that I usually go for, but it’s acceptable, and some people might like it. Also, the replacement nib doesn’t skip as much as the first one. It still does once in a while, but it’s infrequent enough to not be much of a bother now. Since I received the replacement nib, feed and section assembly and was never asked the return the original, I now find myself with spare parts to play around with. I began trying to fit some other #5 sized nibs into the original feed and section to see how they perform. A nib from a TWSBI 530 fit with no problem, and so did a FPR (Fountain Pen Revolution) flex nib from India. In both instances they became quite wet when fully seated. It seems as though the feed and its housing are applying pressure to the nib in a way that causes its tines to spread slightly, so that every nib installed becomes wetter than it was before. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_skyline_technic/skyline_FPR_flex.jpg The FPR nib is most interesting, as its dull steel color closely matches that of the pen body, it writes smoothly, its fine point better suits my preference, and it also has a wee bit of flex. FPR currently have these listed for $7 each, or 3 for $15. However, the FPR nib also has an occasional hard-start. That makes it the third nib in a row with this problem, to some extent, and I’m beginning to think the feed is the actual source of the problem. Forcing the tines apart may not only make the nibs write wet, but it may also contribute to the hard starts. Even though I eventually got mine writing somewhat acceptably, I’ve got to say the Wahl-Eversharp nib was a big disappointment. The “revolutionary” semi-flex nib doesn’t flex in a way that I find particularly useful, and it’s flabby, and I’m restricted to dry inks and premium paper. I was told I could get a Fine nib (or, I assume, perhaps even EF) custom ground for an additional $50. Hmm... An additional $50 to get a fine nib on an already quite expensive pen? You know, I can buy a TWSBI with my choice of EF, F, M, B, 1.1mm ST or 1.5mm ST nibs. Why does this much more costly Wahl-Eversharp only come with M? Well, the TWSBI nibs are generally good writers, but quite firm; they won’t flex at all. The Wahl-Eversharp nib can be made to flex if you Gorilla Hand it. Surely that is worth something? Then I compare with the steel nib in my Baoer 388, a Chinese pen with a list price of $15. (I actually got mine on sale for $5!) Then I compare with the FPR nibs from India. These aren’t like vintage flex either, but they can actually flex a little bit when writing normally — more than I’m really seeing from the Skyline nib. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_skyline_technic/targa_skyline_baoer.jpg That brings us to the larger question of value. This pen sells right about the $280 mark. That’s for a non-limited-edition C/C filling pen made from aluminum and steel, not silver and gold. I could buy two nice Bexleys with steel nibs for that much, or probably four Monteverdes. Actually my sterling silver Sheaffer Targa with a 14K gold nib cost me only $200, and it writes much nicer. I’m not saying the Skyline is a rip-off, or that anyone who buys it is a chump. However... You probably need some sort of attachment to Wahl-Eversharp, to the style of the vintage Skyline, and you need to appreciate the aluminum construction and the superb fit and finish. If those don’t push your buttons, there’s not much logic in choosing this. The nib is particularly disappointing. This is the highest-priced pen I can recall seeing sold with a steel nib. Then factor in the minor-but-persistent hard-start problem, the lack of options for tip size, the poor flow adjustment of the second example, and the minimal degree of flex. Although this steel nib is perhaps as good as a typical modern gold nib, it doesn’t offer any improvement over gold, and it doesn’t cost any less than gold, so what’s the point? Harsh though it may sound, I hope this review comes across as constructive criticism. I’m thinking back to the first pens from the revived Conklin, a few years ago, and how they were actually rather crude in some ways. They’ve improved greatly since then, and I hope Wahl-Eversharp will go through a similar learning curve and product improvement. One sign of optimism is that the parts of the package actually made in-house by Wahl-Eversharp (namely, the pen body and cap) are so excellent. It's only the outsourced (I assume) bits that let me down, so I'm sure that can be solved.

Wahl-Eversharp is an American pen manufacturer that started making their Pyralin (celluloid) pens in 1927. One year later they added the Personal Point, which was one the first interchangeable nib systems. For more information about the history of the Wahl-Eversharp company, see the links at the bottom of the review. This pen has excited me ever since I first laid my eyes upon it, sitting in an antique store next to a battered and bruised Esterbrook SJ that had seen better days. Twenty dollars later, I walked out with a dirty, unusable, and old Wahl-Eversharp. After some careful restoration, I now have a beautiful piece of vintage glory. Although I tried my best, the pictures I took with my phone don't quite capture how nice this pen is. Design and Construction: The pen follows the classic flat top design characteristic of many Wahl-Eversharps, and is made of Jade Celluloid with ebonite finials and an ebonite section. Overall, the design is very classy and looks relatively modern. The pen feels very high quality. Interestingly, the barrel of this pen is lined with metal. This has helped the pen retain most of its color in the barrel, but has caused the area around the lever to discolor as the gases from the decomposing latex sac escaped. The four bands and the clip are gold-filled and have held up well, with only slight brassing. The roller ball on the clip helps make it very easy to use. The threads are very well made, and the cap comes off with one full rotation. Size and Ergonomics: Capped: 133 mm Uncapped: 125 mm Posted: please don't Section diameter: Approximately 8.5-10 mm Comparison of the Edison Collier, Lamy Safari, Wahl-Eversharp, and a Parker Duofold Junior. Note the Edison will not post. The size of this pen is really similar to the Lamy Safari, and even longer when posted (do not post it ). However, the pen is heavier than the Lamy, especially when they're both uncapped, but they're not exactly heavy per se. It's a pretty comfortable pen in the hand, although not the thickest pen in the world (ie. the Edison). You're not exactly going to want to write a twenty page essay with this pen, unless for some reason you want to and I'm assuming too much about you. Filling System: This pen is the rather common lever filler. The lever seems to lock in place and will not move unless you make it. With a number 18 sac in this pen, it holds about a ml of ink. The removable nib also means you can fill the pen up with a syringe (sample users beware) and it can make cleaning and drying the pen a lot easier. The Nib: Arguably the best part about this pen, the medium semi-flex nib on this pen is amazing. It's definitely finer than a modern European medium. It requires just enough pressure to flex to be usable for normal things, but provides a nice amount of flex, that can embellish your handwriting if you have a heavy hand (unlike me). Be aware this is a semi-flex nib; it has more flex than modern semi flex nibs, but is not a full flex nib or a wet noodle, which both require very little pressure to flex. In any case, a flex or semi-flex nib will be easier to apply too much pressure and ruin to than most pens. The paper is Rhodia Conclusion: This is an excellent vintage pen, however it is a vintage pen. Enjoy it at a slower pace; this is not really a suitable pen for bringing places for everyday use since the feed has essentially one giant air channel, which while it allows the pen to flex consistently, it also makes it so the pen is an ink cannon (literally) with even the lightest shake. It usually won't get ink on you're paper, but it will sometimes get ink in the cap and on the section. I don't mind inky fingers, but it's kinda awkward trying to find a tissue to wipe your pen. There's also the matter that it's an old pen that's not readily available. Everyday carry or not, Wahl-Eversharp has made a fantastic writing instrument that is willing to serve the best it can and is always a pleasure to write with. While this review is of this vintage pen, I certainly advise you to seek any vintage pens. I'm sure you'll find some you want (need). Restored pens can be found at pen shows or online, but it's also a really rewarding experience to restore a pen that you find in an unusable state (antique shops, Ebay). Do not be afraid of the vintage pens, they are our friends. As will always be the case, your feedback is greatly appreciated. Links: http://www.fountainpen.it/Eversharp/en http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/eversharp.html

Hello, I must admit my ignorance as I purchased recently a Wahl Eversharp Skyline with chocolate derby and body off the Ebay. I discovered that the barrel was cracked and the nib section was glued in. I tried warm water to loosen the glue but with no luck. I paid like 7 dollars for the whole pen and that should have told me something. The pen has perfectly alright feed, breather tube, perfectly alright cap and an excellent smooth Wahl Eversharp nib. I was wondering if any one on the FPN can guide me if there is a website where I can purchase barrel and the nib section without a nib and feed. I will appreciate your help in these matters. Thank you and Happy Holidays. Or Should I just send it to get it repaired/ restored? I love its nib.

Midnight shifts are dangerous times when the work is done and the internet beckons. Slumming around Ebay at around 3am a week ago i blearily stumbled my way into the vintage fountain pens. Unsurprisingly there were some very nicely cleaned up and repaired Skylines waiting for a new home. Sadly the one i set my sites on sold with a stratospheric price. And then i found this beauty. Snagged it for a song compared to the other Silver/Grey modern stripe i had been oggling earlier in the week. It is absolutely gorgeous! Not a crack, dent, ding, or major scratch on it. As you can see, a modern strip Skyline, normal 5 1/4" length with a maniforld(non-flex) nib. In the hand, it is very light light pen. I do not have a scale to weigh it, but by hand, the Skyline weighs less than my Lamy Safari. The nib is buttery smooth with a hint of feed back. Right now it is writing with a fairly wet medium line. For the moment, Noodler's Squeteague is the ink of choice to help get the last residue of whatever ungodly blue was in it when it arrived. I cleaned it well(or so i thought) when i woke up this morning. But the Habanero i loaded into the pen started out as brownish and eventually turned to a brackish green blue. Much more cleaning later and the Squeteague is holding steady color-wise. On the left is a modern Skyline, middle a normal sized flex and then the newbie. Flex on the right, manifold left, modern middle. I wasn't expecting the Manifold nib to have quite that much of a different shape compared to the flex until i had them side by side. The manifold is narrower, and has a much more pronounced curve to the nib where the Flex is wider with a more gentle curve to the nib. Lastly some size references between themselves and some common pens. There really isn't too much I can add about the Wahl Eversharp Skylines that hasn't already been written. They are very good looking pens, they write extremely well, and there are plenty of them. I love it, and in a week or two i should have a semi flex Skyline in my hands to compare to the flex and manifold Skylines!

I've replaced the sac in many Wahl-Eversharps, but I've run across two now that baffle me. I must be missing something obvious. Both are small lever fillers with screw-in sections, I don't know the model -- maybe a Bantam? The think is: There is no nibble at the end of the section; it's open. So where does the sac attach? I thought maybe the first had lost a nipple the simply inserted in the opening. But I'm sure the second had all the original parts. The barrel takes only a very small - probably #12 -- sac that actually fits inside the threaded nipple neck, but how would it attach? I thought about posting this is the Wahl forum since it is so brand specific. The moderator can certainly move it if that's more appropriate. FPN rarely lets me down. Thanks for any help.

I've got a couple of nice little vintage pens with flexible nibs, but I've long thought about a big, robust, modern pen with a flex nib. I mean a good one, not some cheesy something with steel or titanium sorta-flex. I know there are a few options. I have pondered. . . custom Edison with modified 14K flex nibGate City Belmont with modified 14K flex nibnew Wahl-Eversharp DECOBANDMy expectation is that the Belmont would be the least costly and not exactly elegant, but perhaps the most dependable, not having a sac or converter. The Wahl-Eversharp, obviously pricey and a thing of beauty to behold, but with a rubber sac that might somewhat limit my ink choices. The Edison, somewhere in between -- and it might be possible to get the nib from Edison for my Glenmont bulb-filler. But how do the nibs compare? Which is going to be the most pleasing to write with? That's the real goal here, after all.

I believe it's the nib on their new Decoband series, if I remember correct. Curious if anyone has tried it yet/has thoughts they'd like to share

Here's your morning dose of cognitive dissonance. This is a Wahl-Eversharp desk set offered by the guys at Pendemonium. Looks like the Europeans are checking out the competition: http://i.imgur.com/gSifqz8.jpg

I have a beautiful Doric pen that I would like to eventually sell but it has a lever that won't budge, and an internal rattle. I'm guessing it needs a new sac. Does anyone have a step by step for taking the pen apart and replacing the sac or can you recommend a good repair person? See photo below of pen.

This is a series of ink reviews "blues reviews" covering nearly all the blue inks in my collection that I haven't yet reviewed. This ink a modern ink of the Wahl-Eversharp brand. It's unclear who actually makes the ink. There are two blues: Everberry and Wahlberry. The former is more of a bluish purple, the latter more blue. Tested on Mohawk via Linen, Hammermill 28lb inkjet.

I saw the new Skylines and the 100 year pens, wow They are very nice pens. I was quite impressed.

I just felt a need to show this off... http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_monitor/01.jpg I found that on eBay, it didn't cost much. The nib is marked WAHL, the pocket clip says WAHL PEN, and the very faint, barely visible imprint on the cap says MONITOR. I assumed that Monitor was the model name, but a little research suggested that Monitor was actually a sub-brand of Wahl-Eversharp. Most likely what I have here is a Monitor that some pen restorer found with a missing or broken nib and clip, and they went through their bin of Wahl parts until they found some that would fit. So... It's a mutt. A frankenpen. It has no real collector value as such. However, I'm glad to have it. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_monitor/02.jpg The body and cap are mottled ebonite, and I believe the section and feed are black ebonite. The pocket clip is marked 14K 1/10, meaning that it's "gold filled" with 14K alloy to 1/10th the weight of the clip, not merely plated. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_monitor/03.jpg The nib is gold (I assume 14K), No. 2 -- meaning rather small, but it's a perfect writer: smooth, wet and flexible. It's not the most flexible nib I've ever seen (not as flexible as my Waterman Thorobred), but it's very usable for everyday writing tasks. I can write with my normal hand, no special effort or technique, and get that old-fashioned look that I like. http://zobeid.zapto.org/image/pens/wahl_monitor/04.jpg For those of you who habitually shop all the websites and catalogs full of new pens, and you've never taken a gamble (it seems so scary!) on a vintage pen... My advice is: dive in! Go for it! There are gems to be found, and nobody makes anything like this anymore.

Wahl-Eversharp's haven't really been my thing in the past but I have what I think is quite a nice one on the way to me. It should be here tomorrow here are the auction pictures, its second from the left on the bottom of the first picture. It looks to me, with my limited knowledge of eversharps, like a full size Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal in Rosewood. Can anyone who knows more offer any insight? I should be able to take better pics tomorrow. Get this, the lot was only $37.66 shipped! I'm trying (and failing) to not get too excited in case it is horribly damaged or something but I think this lot is the best fountain pen deal I've ever gotten. http://i.imgur.com/lWaqcDbl.jpg http://i.imgur.com/nyRMFAnl.jpg

The new WAHL-EVERSHARP Classic fountain pen in "Very Red" with Palladium Cap with Gold Trim and the now widely acclaimed Semi-Flex, Gold plated and Ceramic Coated nib is a featured pen in the the magazine's "Hot In August' Article. We are very flattered and pleased that one of our pens was chosen. You can see it on Page 18. There is also a good image of our Tribute to Firefighters Pen on Page 34. I hear that the Pen World August Issue is on its way to subscribers and newsstands now.