I got this pen today

[OldTravelingShoe]

56 minutes ago, Paul-in-SF said:

 

Really, with all the brassing, missing cap ring and surface scratches? Here's a link to a photo of how I wished it looked; scroll down to the first set of photos. The top photo is the material, the 3rd photo is the size. http://parkercollector.com/vacumatic.html

 

Anyway, here are two photos. First, the full pen in all its glory:

 

 

Then, a fairly extreme closeup of the part of the imprint that shows the date code. Unfortunately for good contrast, part of the imprint appears over one of the light-colored stripes, but if you squint at about 3/4 of the way towards the right side of the picture, you can see .23. very blurry. (You'll have to take my word that the 2nd digit is a 3,this photo is not as clear as it might have been). I don't know why it has dots, meaningful dots in the date codes didn't show up until around 1938, as far as I can find out.To the left of that is where it says Made in U.S.A.

 

Thanks for the photos, @Paul-in-SF! I think we asked for them also because we also buy old, dirty, unloved pens and try to bring them back to a good state. So we see the beautiful pens showcased in Tony Fischier's photos (or David Nishimura's, or Jim Mamoulides', or Richard Binder's, etc.) even in the battered pens 😃

[DvdRiet]

1 hour ago, Paul-in-SF said:

 

Really, with all the brassing, missing cap ring and surface scratches? Here's a link to a photo of how I wished it looked; scroll down to the first set of photos. The top photo is the material, the 3rd photo is the size. http://parkercollector.com/vacumatic.html

 

Anyway, here are two photos. First, the full pen in all its glory:

 

 

Then, a fairly extreme closeup of the part of the imprint that shows the date code. Unfortunately for good contrast, part of the imprint appears over one of the light-colored stripes, but if you squint at about 3/4 of the way towards the right side of the picture, you can see .23. very blurry. (You'll have to take my word that the 2nd digit is a 3,this photo is not as clear as it might have been). I don't know why it has dots, meaningful dots in the date codes didn't show up until around 1938, as far as I can find out.To the left of that is where it says Made in U.S.A.

 

 

I think it's fantastic to see a pen that old, and it still looks like a Parker. Amazing that they have always kept the same 'branding.' I don't know much about Parkers, but all the Vacumatics I have seen are the horizontal stripes. This one is pretty neat with the striations instead. (I also like that red marbled one in the link, wowza!) Congratulations on such a cool find!

[Paul-in-SF]

1 hour ago, OldTravelingShoe said:

Thanks for the photos, @Paul-in-SF! I think we asked for them also because we also buy old, dirty, unloved pens and try to bring them back to a good state. So we see the beautiful pens showcased in Tony Fischier's photos (or David Nishimura's, or Jim Mamoulides', or Richard Binder's, etc.) even in the battered pens 😃

 

I see what you mean. As it happens, I don't plan on doing any further restoring on this pen. The innards work, and they have probably been repaired at least once in their life -- the lockdown filler looks pretty new, although it might have only been thoroughly cleaned, and the diaphragm feels springy and strong -- and that's mostly what matters. The nib was dirty but fairly easily cleaned, and it writes cleanly and crisply. No real line variation, but I wasn't expecting any. 

 

One puzzlement on the nib, when I took it out to clean it, was the existence of a sort of 5-pointed star deeply stamped near the bottom, with very rounded points and with an orientation that makes it look like it is pointing down (away from the tines). I wonder if that has any significance. 

[DvdRiet]

16 minutes ago, Paul-in-SF said:

I don't plan on doing any further restoring on this pen

 

Probably a good idea. If you did any more polishing, you'd lose the last little bit of imprint it still has! I still think it's a beauty either way!  

[Number99]

On 7/9/2022 at 1:15 PM, OldTravelingShoe said:

Very nice pen, @Number99, and in excellent condition too! Thank you for sharing.

 

Would you mind also sharing a writing sample? I'm trying to place the capabilities of this nib between the Volex and Myu nibs. 

 I'm still wondering whether to put ink in Myu Black.

 Guessing from the shape of the nib, I think it is the same as Vorex and Myurex.

 But I also don't know if these nibs have the same geometry. I have the impression that it looks exactly like that and is a different nib.

 

[Number99]

19 hours ago, PithyProlix said:

 

Lovely pen and in great condition. I would love to have one of these myself.

 

EDIT:

• The last two digits on the nib code, which I can't quite make out, represent the Common Era year. 
• Also, isn't this model also known as the Volex? I'm a bit confused about what distinguishes the Volex from the Myu on models that don't have an integrated nib. Perhaps it is the cap, which has the same design as the integrated nib version of the Myu, except for the finish?

Thankyou.

 

About parent-child fountain pens;

 I'm not familiar with it, but I think there was a manufacturer called "Special".

 

 

 About Myu Black;

 The difference between Myu Black and its different color series and Vorex lies in the cap and near the nib collar.

 The shape of the Myu Black cap is the same as the Myu701, but the Vorex has different shape.

 The nibs of the two pens are so similar that I can't tell the difference.

 There are also similar Pilot pocket fountain pens that do not fall into these categories.

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2022 by Number99

[OldTravelingShoe]

I am exploring French fountain pens, so I got a Waterman Strong pen with Super 6 nib. It's a black, unassuming pen, except for the two-tone nib, which seems similar in structure and style to the later Gentleman and Man 100.

 

I believe the pen I got is a 1960s model. I got curious also because I'd like to learn first-hand how that periods' nibs compare. 

[Misfit]

I got this pen, which is a Karas Kustoms Decograph with a 1.1mm stub nib. It features a color they call Monster Green Cerakote paint over aluminum. 

[DvdRiet]

1 hour ago, Misfit said:

I got this pen, which is a Karas Kustoms Decograph with a 1.1mm stub nib. It features a color they call Monster Green Cerakote paint over aluminum. 

 

Now THAT is green!! What a fun pen! Would love to see how it writes.

[Misfit]

I will post a photo once I have chosen the ink for the pen. Two are in consideration. 

[DvdRiet]

Filling in the gaps in my collection one by one… 

 

[InkyColors]

10 minutes ago, DvdRiet said:

Filling in the gaps in my collection one by one… 

 

Pretty!!

[DvdRiet]

1 hour ago, InkyColors said:

Pretty!!

 

Thanks! The color is actually even nicer than I expected it to be.

[Paul-in-SF]

7 hours ago, DvdRiet said:

Filling in the gaps in my collection one by one… 

 

 

I see a cat looking for mischief something to do. That's a nice full cup you have there, it would be a shame if something happened to it. 

 

[DvdRiet]

13 minutes ago, Paul-in-SF said:

I see a cat looking for mischief 

That’s certainly one of the reasons his name is Monkey 😁

[Misfit]

On 7/22/2022 at 2:40 AM, DvdRiet said:

 

Now THAT is green!! What a fun pen! Would love to see how it writes.

Here is a writing sample as promised. 

[inkstainedruth]

On 7/27/2022 at 4:05 PM, Paul-in-SF said:

 

I see a cat looking for mischief something to do. That's a nice full cup you have there, it would be a shame if something happened to it. 

 

We used to have a cat that would try to stick his face in a glass to see if there was something in it he wanted (only to often find out it was something like lemonade -- cats tend to NOT like citrus).  But because he was a Peke-faced Persian (i.e., he looked like a Persian who ran head first into a wall) he couldn't get his face into most glasses.  So he'd stick a paw in and end up knocking the glass --and its contents -- onto the floor....   (He wasn't JUST called Troll by his previous owners because of how he looked...).  But the SMART cat, Polychrome (a dilute Tortie) put him in his place -- she figured out within a day that "If I don't run, he can't chase me...."  And within a week or two, all she'd have to do was to LOOK at him, as if to say, "YOU are in the sunny spot!  I WANT that spot!" -- and he'd *immediately* move.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[DvdRiet]

It's here! The red Skyline to match the blue one I got a couple of months ago. Loving how shiny and bright the lacquer over guilloche is on these pens 😍

 

[ruby.monkey]

Today's arrivals:

IMG_4434 by Jean-Yves, on Flickr

 

A new TWSBI Diamond 580 with 1.1mm stub, filled with TWSBI black ink via a TWSBI pipe just to see how well it works (very well indeed); and a used Pelikan Level 65 with broad nib and a bellyful of Pelikan Royal Blue.

[OldTravelingShoe]

On 7/27/2022 at 2:58 PM, DvdRiet said:

Filling in the gaps in my collection one by one… 

 

Tah-daaah! The story of Diplomat is assembling in one multi-drawer stash 😄