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Two New Skunks


Chiro75

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Haven't bought a pen in forever but decided to hop on an auction site last night and scored two new Bell Systems pens. Look like J's from the pic, but who knows? $20, not a bad score. I love me anything with an inscription... the skunkier the better! LOL

Steve. Just plain ol' Steve.

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This post smells...

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Skunk? Help a new kid out.

skunk is the affectionate term for a company branded black esterbrook J with a white label, Bell Systems is the most common kind.

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skunk is the affectionate term for a company branded black esterbrook J with a white label, Bell Systems is the most common kind.

Not quite. Bell Systems pens are officially termed Skunk. All others are just monagramed pens.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Here you go... both have 9556 nibs that look to be in good shape. Jewels intact, both are regular J's in great shape and they'll clean up nicely. Score! One nib is a vertical 9556, the other a horizontal 9556. The vertical one has the little filler hole thingie so you don't have to get the section inky when filling.

 

Good lord they make it tough to post a photo on this site. Sheesh! Here's the link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dharmabum75/14857048864/in/photostream/.

Edited by Chiro75

Steve. Just plain ol' Steve.

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Not quite. Bell Systems pens are officially termed Skunk. All others are just monagramed pens.

was not aware of the official designation. Please don't mention this slip up to the International Esterbrook Commission ok? I dont want to get sanctioned.

:D

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I only ever found one skunk. I rehomed the section to a J. Now looking for some other section to make an interesting Skunkfrankenpen.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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i

 

Good lord they make it tough to post a photo on this site. Sheesh! Here's the link:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dharmabum75/14857048864/in/photostream/.

 

It's easy, once you get the sequence. What threw me at first was not realizing that it's a 3-step process.

 

First, use "More Reply Options".

Then, at the bottom, find the picture's address on your computer using the "Browse" button and click "open".

Then, click "Attach This File". This pins the photo to the thread. You'll see a thumbnail of the pic.

Then, when you have the place on your reply where you want the photo, click "Add to Post", and voila, it'll be there. (Sample posted just to make sure I said it right)

post-242-0-11119200-1407608321_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

Best Regards
Paul


“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

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Ahhhh... I was using the image embed button in the top of the reply window, which requires code that FPN didn't like from Flickr. OK, I'll keep that in mind! Thank you!

Steve. Just plain ol' Steve.

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Hope this isn't a hijack, but I have a question. I have a skunk that I picked up as NOS. Dummy that I am, I loaded it up, forgetting that a 50+ year old sac was probably crispy. Well, it was and when the sac let go, the ink came out mostly through the lever and stained the "Bell Systems Property" imprint. Is there anything I can safely use to remove the ink but not the white paint? I've tried water and Windex to no avail.

Chris

 

Carpe Stylum!

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The white stuff they rub in to highlight the engraving has likely absorbed the ink, so I don't think you'll have much success cleaning it off. To restore that I'd go to someplace where they do engraving on plastic and see if they can just re-coat it for you.

Best Regards
Paul


“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

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i

 

 

It's easy, once you get the sequence. What threw me at first was not realizing that it's a 3-step process.

 

First, use "More Reply Options".

Then, at the bottom, find the picture's address on your computer using the "Browse" button and click "open".

Then, click "Attach This File". This pins the photo to the thread. You'll see a thumbnail of the pic.

Then, when you have the place on your reply where you want the photo, click "Add to Post", and voila, it'll be there. (Sample posted just to make sure I said it right)

attachicon.gifMVC-031L.JPG

 

 

 

 

You could also use the "upload" option to upload pics to FPN, then just copy and paste the pics to a post, whenever you want.

Edited by pajaro

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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The white stuff they rub in to highlight the engraving has likely absorbed the ink, so I don't think you'll have much success cleaning it off. To restore that I'd go to someplace where they do engraving on plastic and see if they can just re-coat it for you.

 

I suspected that but had not thought of taking it to an engraver. Thank you for the suggestion.

Chris

 

Carpe Stylum!

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  • 2 weeks later...

This is probably heresy, but you might want to try the old "rub the imprint with a white Crayon" trick once and see if that helps. I know it's not the same as the white paint or whatever was originally used but it might be good enough for what you have in mind for doing with the pen...

Steve. Just plain ol' Steve.

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One of my favorite esties is a skunk, but it's a University of Notre Dame skunk, not a Bells Systems.

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