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US Chromatic Gold OneColor BP
(Preview)
This is a cheap ($6) find I picked up recently - a NOS Chromatic one-color BP in gold plating, made in the US. This is a cheap pen in all aspects, unfortunately, and it probably will not get much use in my hands. The pen came in a cardboard box in a clear sleeve and foam, with a small cardboard ID tag. The finis...
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WriteAway
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2
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1364
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Skilcraft US Government Ballpoint Pen
(Preview)
After a long while of deliberation (and fruitless searching) I came across the famed "US Government" ballpoint pen available at a reasonable (cheap) price through Amazon, of all places. For $6.89, I received a full dozen of these pens in a box, along with two other Skilcraft pens I ordere...
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WriteAway
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8
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2171
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BIC Clic BPs
(Preview)
Here are a few advertising specialty BIC Clic BPs I picked up along the way. The Clic was a serious (? - my opinion) challenger to Papermate BPs when they came out. They were pretty cheap compared to a Papermate Malibu or Parker Jotter, and somewhat attractive. The Clic had two main flaws: 1) The BIC refi...
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WriteAway
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2
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1474
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Dip pen maker id?
(Preview)
I'm trying to discover who the maker was for three dip pens and one nib I recently acquired. The only markings are "SP" in a circle, and "Made in USA." The construction looks to be somewhere between 1950 and 1970. Here's the logo on the nib: And a line drawing: Anyone?
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Chthulhu
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0
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813
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Oddities (to me, at least)
(Preview)
Howdy, group! Today I picked up mail from Saturday, and one piece was eBay item 181241048235. Amongst that mess-in-a-box were these three items, loose and separate: That's a German-made "Bolascrip" pen and pencil set. I'm assuming the pouch goes with them as it's the right size exactl...
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Chthulhu
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0
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1068
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Sheaffer Crest BP Reissues
(Preview)
These Sheaffer Crest BP reissues just struck me when I viewed them at Peyton Street Pens, so over the past couple months, I ordered the gold/black pen first, and then the gold/red model this month. They may not be pretty, but they have a distinct "1940's style" while being a "modern&q...
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WriteAway
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0
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2609
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Dip Pens?
(Preview)
http://cednocon.com/760/modified-imperial-101-nib-wet-noodle/
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Chthulhu
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1
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829
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Autopoint Twist-Action Stylus/BPs
(Preview)
I finally got around to shooting photos of my group of Autopoint twist Stylus/BP pens. These Sheaffer Connaisseur look-alikes are actually lacquer-coated brass, and quite hefty. These come only as stylus models, but use Parker-style refills, so a quick swap gives you a Parker-fueled Sheaffer...
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WriteAway
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2
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814
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Tombow PGS pens?
(Preview)
I picked up a set of these things that are technical markers, something like the Pigma Micron pens, but refillable. The PG5-1A set includes five markers in different tip sizes, a mottle of ink, spare fiber tips in each size, and adapters for use with a drafting compass. Does anyone know anything about...
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Chthulhu
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2
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1546
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Early ballpoint, unknown maker
(Preview)
Not a mark on this pen, which is nicely machined apart from the very cheesy tip portion, which is a casting and is drilled off-center: The clip doesn't appear to be original to the pen, and in fact the point extends better with the clip left off. I would love to know who made this thing. 
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Chthulhu
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0
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596
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Parker (Argentina) Minim Signet
(Preview)
I really didn't know what this was going to really end up being, but I couldn't pass it up for $24 from eBay seller penpartsstore: It does look somewhat like a US-made Minim, though only about 2/3 the diameter and half an inch longer. Also unlike the US Minim, it doesn't take a standard Parker refill, but...
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Chthulhu
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5
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1264
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Parker Touche BP
(Preview)
Just bought a red Parker Touche, vintage 1966, with the Big Red BP adapter. This was an unsuccessful Parker felt tip model, and they made it into a BP using that two-piece adapter. I always liked the 45, and this is basically a 45 (of which I have 2 FPs), IIRC). It's a smaller-bodied pen, and the plastic is...
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WriteAway
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13
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3119
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Stainless Papermate BP
(Preview)
Pardon the bad pics, but this is a stainless steel (or brushed chrome, I'm not sure) Papermate BP (with a matching .7mm pencil hiding somewhere else) I received as a gift when I was a reporter and editor at a weekly newspaper office in the early 1980s. I don't remember the model name, but it is a very nice p...
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WriteAway
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8
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1108
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Cross Century "Click" ballpoint
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1 2
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(Preview)
WriteAway reviewed this pen last year "elsewhere" and I just found it a few days ago; I'd missed hearing about this pen previously. He mentioned that he felt the clicker was weak, and that made me a trifle hesitant to order one, but I had other reasons to trek across town, so ... They're curre...
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Chthulhu
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20
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2778
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Cross Soft Tip
(Preview)
Just received one of these (Century style in "lustrous chrome") with a refill in place that had a mangled tip. I don't yet know whether the current Selectip refills will fit, but have a couple of them, and a couple of original Soft Tip refills, on the way. In the meantime, a short spring at the...
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Chthulhu
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6
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1242
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Jotter desk base
(Preview)
Howdy, group! I found this in a local antique mall this afternoon: What I don't know is whether that black Jotter pen belongs to that "Spherix" base, and whether it's missing a trim ring between the cap and barrel. It has a working fine blue T-ball refill in it, and fine threads. The bottom ha...
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Chthulhu
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0
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656
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Cross USA ATX Black Matte BP
(Preview)
This is the US-made Cross ATX my wife bought for me several years back when she stayed in Providence, RI on business. She bought it at the hotel gift shop, since she certainly was not going to track down the Cross Store just on my behalf! This is matte black with chrome trim, and I love the sharp "CRO...
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WriteAway
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2
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767
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"Tank Car"
(Preview)
I may have met my match in the make-it-fit field with this one. I acquired a pretty, blue, slim 1960-ish Waterman (USA) ballpoint that has absolutely the quietest pushbutton mechanism I've found, but which uses the "Tank Car" refill. This thing has a small-diameter tip like a Paper Mate,...
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11
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1252
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2000 Saturn Automobile Promotional BP
(Preview)
Worst car I ever bought was the one I owned for the longest time. A dark green first-year 2000 Saturn LS2 V6, a money trap if there ever was one. But at least I got a pen out of the deal. And the pen has outlasted the car, and in far better condition, too! It's this twist action ballpoint that has sat in my pen c...
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WriteAway
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2
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672
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Retro 51 Tornado
(Preview)
My all-black "stealth" Tornado now carries a lovely, smooth, broad black Montblanc refill, which dropped in with no modifications required.
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Chthulhu
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3
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526
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Felt-tip markers
(Preview)
Howdy, group! Since we don't appear to have a forum for pens that are not fountain, ballpoint, or rollerball pens, I'll just do this here. <G> I picked these two up on eBay: I was tempted to load the red one, but got to thinking about Marsh's solvent-based ink, and thought it might be good to see wha...
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Chthulhu
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5
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1897
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Some Parker Vector RBs
(Preview)
The Parker Vector rollerball was a favorite of mine in high school. I used my first (and favorite, a black one) so much I wore out the cap clutch, making it pretty much useless to me. That pen was somehow lost to the sands of time, and it was probably tossed away by me. I did get a few more and enjoyed them (n...
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WriteAway
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1
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489
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Stratowriter and "widget"
(Preview)
Howdy, folks! Recently, I scored a very nice gold-filled retractable Sheaffer Stratowriter (1946/1947?) with a functioning push+twist mechanism and an original refill that just barely makes marks. I was peripherally aware of the "widget" converter, and went ahead and ordered one....
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Chthulhu
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4
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1882
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Dating a Cross Century BP&MP set
(Preview)
Howdy, gang! I acquired a somewhat battered but (now) functional gold-filled Century set that I'd like to date a bit more closely than I've so far managed. Century ballpoint = post 1953, and the old RCA logo attached to the clip = pre-1968. This set doesn't have "Cross" stamped on it (emble...
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Chthulhu
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3
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1533
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Colorful Cross Solo Sport BPs
(Preview)
Here are my Cross Solo BPs I've gathered up from various places. Several were really inexpensive since they have the dreaded Cross "dried-up refill advance mechanism", but all work reasonably well. The transparent green pen is a regular Solo, while the colored ones are from the Solo Spo...
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WriteAway
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11
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762
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