Who Loves Desk Pens?

[flyingfox]

@FlyingFox

That is an Esterbrook 407 inkwell.

In the group pix, the one on the right with the pen with the copper color barrel + clear taper is an Esterbrook 444 inkwell.

Both of these are for the Esterbrook dipless pens.

The one good thing about the dipless pens is, you don't have an old rubber ink sack that is probably brittle and in small pieces to deal with.

 

Enjoy your new set.

 

BTW, the Morriset Constant Flow ink well uses the same principle of an inverted jar.

 

Thank you for identifying the inkwell sets! I was looking at the other thread (re. the Morriset) as well, and am totally intrigued. Now I am totally kicking myself for not buying the 444, it is so cool. Also, it is more practical, in the sense that it would take me forever to finish 50ml+ of ink (407 would be able to contain that much,) the ink will evaporate WAY before... Hopefully I will find the vendor at the future flea market and will be able to buy it...

[irrigger]

I have a few desk sets, but am still on the look out for the "one". This one is a very basic one but it works.

Parker Challenger

[ac12]

 

Thank you for identifying the inkwell sets! I was looking at the other thread (re. the Morriset) as well, and am totally intrigued. Now I am totally kicking myself for not buying the 444, it is so cool. Also, it is more practical, in the sense that it would take me forever to finish 50ml+ of ink (407 would be able to contain that much,) the ink will evaporate WAY before... Hopefully I will find the vendor at the future flea market and will be able to buy it...

 

Actually, I think the 407 might be good for small amounts of ink. You do NOT have to FILL the bottle.

Try filling it up with different amounts of water and see how it behaves.

 

The 444 does indeed look neat. It is a "streamlined" inkwell.

[TXKat]

Bumping to see if anyone knows anything about the pen and holder I posted earlier. I don't even know where to begin with the two parts as they are not a set, rather two individual pieces needing each other, lol. I know absolutely nothing about desk sets.

 

Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!!

[Misfit]

Can pens that don't match the stand still be used? Like an Esterbrook in a Parker stand?

Is the tulip or pen holder consistent over brands?

[ac12]

 

1 - Can pens that don't match the stand still be used? Like an Esterbrook in a Parker stand?
2 - Is the tulip or pen holder consistent over brands?

 

#1 - Yes, but only if the pen shape matches and it can still seal reasonably well.

 

#2 - NO. It is not even consistent within some brands.

 

Example1, there are several different shaped holder/tulips for the Parker 21,45,51,61 series of pens. And of the different ones that I have, only ONE of them will fit a Lamy 99s desk pen. There is slight difference in the shape of the different holders. The difference in shape makes no difference to the Parker pens, but it does to the Lamy 99s pen.

 

Example2. I have 2 different Sheaffer desk pen/bases.

#1 has a thread on the pen and holder, where you screw the pen into the holder to seal it.

#2 the pen just slips into the holder.

[Frontier]

Only have one desk pen in my collection, but they are great pens!

 

Picked up this Esterbrook Dipless #447 deskset, from eBay, NOS, and sealed in the original packaging.

 

http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae5/andrewbensch/FPs/DSCF6607_zps4514c855.jpg

[ac12]

Andy,

Congrats on the 447 dipless.

 

Tip-1 Be VERY careful when you lift the top.

- Use something that will reach into the gap to lift as far in as possible, to reduce the stress on the edge. I used the handle of a spoon.

- Next I lifted a little, then moved around the top, lifting a little at a time, then moved around again... until the top popped off. Lifting in one spot can put too much pressure on the edge and break it.

 

Tip-2. Put some silicone grease on the rubber seal. That will help it last longer and seal better, since the rubber has aged a few decades. The silicone grease also makes lifting the top off later a lot easier.

[TXKat]

@Misfit... my above combo works fine...but I still don't know what either piece is!

[ac12]

I have a desk set (that's not an actual set) that I know nothing about either piece. Can anyone possibly help me identify my parts? The pen writes beautifully and has a 14K gold nib stamped Belmont 3. Nice flexible nib~~ As for the base, on a random roadtrip, picked it up at a garage sale for $.25 as I needed something for the pen even though the pen fills.

 

I also have a WASP desk pen that I have no idea how/what fills it as the back portion, midway down the pen, unscrews, but there is nothing inside. The end has a nib feed, so it must get ink from somewhere, but a cartridge would have to be super long! Ideas??

 

And if this is the wrong thread, moderators, please move. Thanks all.

 

The holder on the base looks like an Eversharp that I have.

Is there a label on the bottom of the base?

 

As for the pen, if there is no engraving or etching on the pen, it is a "brand X" pen.

I have a couple of those pens, where I will never know who made it. Probably small 3rd tier manufacturers.

 

Your WASP pen would have to be either a lever fill (is there a lever?), or possibly a dip pen similar to the Esterbrook dipless where there is nothing behind the nib. The only ink in the pen is what is held in the feed.

Edited August 4, 2014 by ac12

[Misfit]

Thanks to this thread I looked at sets on eBay. Some didn't come with pens, some had no idea what the pen was or if it worked, some too expensive. I liked a few, maybe I'll bid on one.

 

Darn it all, I need to stop reading FPN reviews. I start wanting pens and now desk sets.

 

I'm sure I won't stop though. Thanks for the answers!

[TXKat]

ac12...

 

My base does not have a sticker on the bottom. There are no markings, but it looks like there is some very faint stamping or maybe ocne there was an identifiying something on the brown ink part of the base. Like I said...random garage sale, 25¢. The pen is a lever fill with a 14K nib, but no marking on the lever. The nib says Belmont 3 and the back section (out of the picture) is black. Regardless of who made it, it writes like a dream!!! ~ Thanks for the info!

[Misfit]

@TXKat

I wish I could find cool items like you did. I need to visit estate sales, flea markets, maybe garage sales. Just haven't done it yet. Some people find very cool pens that way.

[Misfit]

Drat, a desk set I liked didn't mention much about the pen. I sent a message to the seller, and found out it's a ballpoint. Waah!

 

I like the base a lot.

 

Would it be worth it to try and win it in the hopes I could find a fountain pen that would work in the holder?

[ac12]

 

Drat, a desk set I liked didn't mention much about the pen. I sent a message to the seller, and found out it's a ballpoint. Waah!

I like the base a lot.

Would it be worth it to try and win it in the hopes I could find a fountain pen that would work in the holder?

 

Better you found out before you bid.

I got burned on one, listed as a Parker 51, but what arrived was a cheap ball pen.

 

You take your chances on the base, as I mentioned, fitting a pen to a base could be a (bleep)-shoot. It all depends on what kind of holder it has. Some holders are more accommodating of different pens than others.

However, IF it is BALL PEN base, then it is highly unlikely that you will find a FP to fit. The BP holders are in general too small in diameter to fit FPs.

[Misfit]

Thanks ac12. It was neat with day date setting and a globe image. I liked that part a lot. But I'm not looking for ballpoint pen items. So it goes. I should just look at simpler holders or forget about it. I have that "oh look, shiny object" problem when it comes to this forum.

[dannyboy]

Here's another way to look at desk pens: go to Scriptorium Pens and look at the model Literati. It's a desk pen with its own cap and comes with a pen rest to match the material it's made of. You can choose your own material, change the design, etc. in helping make your own desk pen. I have a Literati in Amber Water and absolutely love it! Take a look and see if there's something you like.

 

And, yes, I have several vintage desk sets and they do take up lots of space, but they're such a pleasure to use! Good luck in your search!

[Misfit]

Thank you dannyboy. I'll check that out.

I got lots of help, and I mean lots, from Bruce in Ocala when I was looking for Esterbrook fountain pens. This forum has some great people who will help others by sharing their knowledge.

[TXKat]

Has anyone had issues with the band on the inside of the stand coming loose? My garage sale find sometimes has an internal band that comes out when I remove the pen. I'm sure it was glues at some point in it's life, but I'd prefer just tamping it back in until I know what the heck it is for sure. It's not worth more than the quarter I paid for it, but functionality wise....it's priceless! Is it something that should be glued? does it just keep the nib from bottoming out?? (DUH!!! My ignorance is showing...AGAIN!)

[ac12]

 

 

Has anyone had issues with the band on the inside of the stand coming loose? My garage sale find sometimes has an internal band that comes out when I remove the pen. I'm sure it was glues at some point in it's life, but I'd prefer just tamping it back in until I know what the heck it is for sure. It's not worth more than the quarter I paid for it, but functionality wise....it's priceless! Is it something that should be glued? does it just keep the nib from bottoming out?? (DUH!!! My ignorance is showing...AGAIN!)

 

Are you talking about a round band with a taper that the front of the section rests in?

If so, I don't know it is supposed to be secured inside the holder, cuz I have my mothers Eversharp desk set, and that tapered band is also loose.

The tapered band allows for slightly different size sections to seat/seal onto it.

And yeah you don't want the nib to bottom out in the holder.