Treasure Brand Vintage Pens?

[marigolds]

I am OBSESSED with the color spring green (that bright yellowish-lime green color) and I've recently seen three different vintage pens listed on eBay in this shade. Two are sort of Big Red Duofold-shaped, and one is a kind of striped celluloid looking rounded-end type. All are made by "Treasure" pen company.

 

I REALLY want a pen in this color (yes, I have the Safari apple green already!) -- is Treasure a fourth- or fifth-tier maker? Would it be worth even $9.99? Could I get it to write decently? I don't want to have a pen that just sits in the pen drawer because it's a terrible writer.

 

I've never heard anything about this maker on FPN and it's difficult to find any information about them on the web.

[marigolds]

So...I'm guessing nobody has tried any of these?

[paultyler_82]

IIRC, Treasure was a marquee, sub-brand, or model of Wearever, a third-tier company. The actual company was David Kahn Inc who manufactured the Wearever and Pioneer brands.

[rwilsonedn]

I have a couple of Treasure pens, if I recall correctly. They are pretty decent third-tier pens: no gold nibs, no fancy filling mechanisms, no expensive furniture. But unless the nib is damaged, after clean-up, sac replacement and a bit of nib tuning, you should have a very pleasant writer. Don't expect the pen to arrive ready to use, though, unless it is listed as restored and with a new sac. If you don't mind doing the restoration work, for $10 how can you lose?

ron

[marigolds]

So...I'm guessing nobody has tried any of these?

 

 

Thanks! So it might be a decent, if not great, writer then?

[phlosar]

I have some mini Treasure pens and pen/pencil combos. The marbling is pretty -- dark green with some gold sparkle. The nibs are steel of course. I don't recall any full size ones in my collection. One pen is a souvenir from Minnesota (per the engraving). Cute, Peter Pan size, but a bit lower quality and lower cost.

[tandaina]

You never know. One of my best pens writing wise is a 3rd tier aberration with a gold nib. (An Eagle.) It's worth a try at the very least!

[marigolds]

It is worth a try, then! And I just received DA BOOK today, so having some cheap pens to practice on wouldn't be a bad thing.

 

Thanks for the advice.

[Bo Bo Olson]

You really need 'Pen Repair', second edition by Marshall and Oldfield, it is a much better book than Da Book.

There are parts of Da Book that modern expert professional repair men disagree with...like nail polish for putting on a rubber sac.

 

I only have nail Wearever nibs, others have them in regular and semi-flex.

 

Just because it's third tier don't mean it is a bad writer.

 

Now any old pen that has been setting for a few decades picks up some micro-corrosion of the 'iridium'. I buy those kind of pens...normally German second tier, some first tier.

The nib will be a tad scratchy, until you have tried the brown paper bag trick.(after and only after you have checked the nib alignment....you need a good quality once in a life time buy of a 10-12X good coated, good glass loupe. You need that as your most needed fountain pen tool. Costs some $35...buy cheap=buy again.)

 

Look up 'brown paper bag' in the advance search.

It is the least abrasive way of removing that micro-corrosion....cheap too...buy a good brown paper bag...none of the hairy ones.

 

Smooths the iridium up to good and smooth...is not micro-mesh...which is IMO requires more care so you don't remove too much nib tip.

You can grind a nib away with micro-mesh lots easier than a brown paper bag.

I don't think you need to make a nib 'butter smooth' but many noobies are infatuated with 'butter smooth'.

I like the level lower...good and smooth.

[lovemy51]

You never know. One of my best pens writing wise is a 3rd tier aberration with a gold nib. (An Eagle.) It's worth a try at the very least!

 

your mention of the eagle pen nib keeps popping up and i have to agree every time! my eagle has the best superflex nib i own!

 

Eagle Pen Co. 14k Flex:

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/PC220029.jpg

http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n419/peterpaul_rguez/scan0003-1-1_zps023cb53e.jpg

 

edited to add: the 14k nib is an actual Eagle nib.

Edited January 15, 2013 by lovemy51

[Harlequin]

Out of curiosity, was the gap in the lower part of the E in Eagle done deliberately? I've seen the effect before, but it's always been referred to as "railroading" in the threads I've been reading, and it never seemed to be supposed to happen. If you did it specifically that way, how can you do that? I guess what I mean is, did it happen while completing the E in a normal fashion, or did you have to do one side, then the other, etc? Sorry for the odd questions, I'm just puzzled by it- I really like the effect though!

[Happy Harry]

I've seen Treasure pens made by C.E.Barrett iirc.

[philm]

I am not sure who manufactured Treasure Pens. It seems to me that they may have been a Chicago (thus the Barrett comment above would make sense) product, but Paul above seems quite certain on the Wearever connection. Anyway, they are very much a third tier member. If you really like the exterior, but the nib is substandard ( which any Treasures I have seen are), the solution is to find a nicer 14K nib from another pen that fits, and you have the best of both worlds - the color pen you enjoy, and one that writes well after the sac is replaced. This might be an easier solution than trying to smooth an old plated nib. Just my 2 cents.

 

Phil

[tandaina]

That "gap" is called "railroading." I've seen calligraphers do it on purpose for effect.

 

Usually it just means that we've flexed the pen too much for the feed to keep up with. Happens when moving too FAST with a flex pen. The feed can't supply enough ink to fill the space between the tines when flex and bam, you get a railroad. The tines keep dragging down ink so THEY make lines but the space between goes dry.

[Harlequin]

Wow, great effect. If that wasn't done intentionally, I'll say it happened at one heck of an opportune time!

[marigolds]

I think someone on the Penmanship board mentioned that there was a nib that replicated that effect--I think they said it was a shadow nib?

[Harlequin]

lol,that was me. But a shadow nib has two lines that are different widths and spaced such that the thinner one looks like it is the other's "shadow". If you used a shadow nib to make that "E" above, if would look weird, b/c the two “railroad tracks“ wouldn't be the same width.

Edited January 16, 2013 by Harlequin

[Happy Harry]

I am not sure who manufactured Treasure Pens. It seems to me that they may have been a Chicago (thus the Barrett comment above would make sense) product, but Paul above seems quite certain on the Wearever connection. Anyway, they are very much a third tier member. If you really like the exterior, but the nib is substandard ( which any Treasures I have seen are), the solution is to find a nicer 14K nib from another pen that fits, and you have the best of both worlds - the color pen you enjoy, and one that writes well after the sac is replaced. This might be an easier solution than trying to smooth an old plated nib. Just my 2 cents.

 

Phil

 

The more I think about the more certainty I feel in the Barrett connection, only as Treasure on one occasion ( at least that I've seen)used the same plastic as Sheaffer and the "who made Treasure" has been at the back of my mind since. The one I've seen was boxed and the paperwork linked Treasure to Barrett for warranty. There is a possibility that the "Treasure" name was owned by a third party who had them manufactured by various makers over time, unlikely in this case though.

[79spitfire]

The 2 or 3 'Treasure' branded fountain pens I've seen had clips and sections that appeared to be similar to (if not the same as) Wearever. I would suspect the word "Treasure" is not copyright or trade mark -able, thus leading more than one manufacture to have used it at some time. Like many Wearever, Gem, or Famous branded pens, they can be very hit or miss. Many are very good writers, some not so. One thing is certain, at $10 (IMHO) it would likely be worth the effort to purchase and repair for the learning experience. If the nib is broken or just unpleasant, you can always fit it with a modern nib (possibly feed) and make a great user out of it, and the learning, priceless.

[paultyler_82]

Sometimes, with these vague third tier sub brands it's difficult to know who exactly made them... some may have changed from time to time or multiple companies may have used the same names over different times.

These were pens for every-men who didn't have the cash to buy a Parker or a Sheaffer... manuals, leaflets and boxes were mostly tossed in the rubbish, same as you or I would toss the blister pack of a modern cheapo Vector. There was no dedicated base of collectors dedicated to these tiny brands to preserve the history.

The reason for my statement is my own personal experience. I have seen exactly three 'Treasure' brand FPs in person. Two of which were an FP/pencil set, the third was an FP alone and was identical to the FP in the sets. They were an odd, pale but bright green celluloid with cheaply plated hardware (the plate was mostly worn off one of the sets and the single pen) with clips identical to those on Wearever pens, the single pen actually had a Wearever nib. They even had the typical Wearever seam and thin wall from the barrel being rolled from sheet. One set was accompanied with a green paperboard box and degraded marketing flier announcing the Treasure pen and pencil set 'by Wearever'. I've never seen a Chicago/Barrett Treasure myself, but wouldn't be surprised if the name was used by them as well. Since Harry has said he has seen C. E. Barrett Treasures, then I would believe that there are Barrett/Chicago Treasure pens too. Somehow, I doubt the third tier companies had the time or resources to concern themselves with other third tiers using the same name for a sub-brand.

Edited January 16, 2013 by paultyler_82