Who Knew That The Skyline Was Designed For This Purpose!

[OakIris]

This was in the description of an eBay auction for an Eversharp Skyline. According to the description, the Skyline was not designed by Henry Dreyfuss to give the pen a streamlined, futuristic look, but so that it could facilitate the dialing of "the old phones," presumably rotary phones. Now,I can't say exactly what was in Mr. Dreyfuss's mind at the time he thought up the design, but somehow I don't think this was at the top of his list. Interesting way of trying to appeal to folks to buy the pen...I guess. (But is it true?!?) Quote from the item description, my emphasis:

 

Eversharp Brown

Classic vintage fountain pen

with end of barrel, made, to also be used to dial the old phones

 

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fountain-Pen-Classic-Vintage-Eversharp-/121402695551?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

 

Holly

Edited August 6, 2014 by OakIris

[Ted F]

I don't believe they were designed to dial a phone. The shapes aren't compatible. That's not to say it wasn't done. I know I used the end of a wooden pencil at times. Also, during the 40s dialing wasn't used 100% throughout the country. I know in Chicago in the 40s you had to dial. In NY during the 40s (not the city) you had to ask an operator for the number.

[Millefleurs]

If you follow this link http://www.telephonymuseum.com/new_page_1.htm and scroll down about halfway, it shows a photo of the Western Electric "302" phone designed by Henry Dreyfuss in 1937. So...maybe? Although as Ted F pointed out, the shapes don't appear compatible. Still, an interesting theory, and as you said, an interesting way of adding a bit of nostalgia to the listing.

[Charles Rice]

The answer is yes, they were - at least in part.

[BlotBot]

I do think it would be easier to dial a rotary phone with the semi-point end of the Skyline versus the rounded or flat ends of other pens. However, I no longer have a rotary phone to try it out. Anyone with the proper equipment?

[Charles Rice]

Back in the "old days", some kind of tool for dialing a phone was common. My mother used one once in a while, and come to think of it, so did I when my right hand was split open from football.

Edited August 6, 2014 by Charles Rice

[OakIris]

@Ted F - I don't quite know what you mean by "The shapes weren't compatible." The end of the barrel of the pen, which is what the seller was referring to, would fit fine in the holes in the dial of a rotary phone, at least in all the ones I have seen or those that I used 'back in the day.' And, true, I would say that the majority of people back when the Skyline was first in use probably went through an operator to make a phone call as opposed to having a phone with a dial on it - I didn't even think about that!

 

People did use a pencil or similar object to dial a rotary phone; I can't remember if I ever did - I just used my index finger, as I recall - but I did see other people use a pencil to dial from time to time, and have seen this being done in movies as well. I suppose if you didn't care about damaging the plastic on your pen, you could use your Skyline and scrape it around the dial, but I find it hard to believe that the design of the pen was based on this use, or that such a use was even considered. (Of course, pens weren't designed to be 'pacifiers,' either, but apparently some people used to chew on the barrel ends of their pens, just the same. )

 

I found the comment in the item description amusing so wanted to share it with folks here that would be more likely to use the pen for the purpose for which it was designed - writing! - but who might want to know that the Skyline was quite the multi-tool back when it was first introduced!

 

Holly

Edited August 6, 2014 by OakIris

[Ted F]

I don't think the shapes are compatible because the pen barrel at the end is pointy and slippery. If you were to design something to specifically dial a phone I would think you would make the item blunter. A Doric would be a better choice. I'm sure someone dialed with the Skyline but I don't believe Henry Dreyfuss had that use in mind when he designed the pen. Anything that could be stuck in the dial's holes could be used.

[Charles Rice]

The Skyline came out in 1940. By then almost all phones were dial.

 

And, true, I would say that the majority of people back when the Skyline was first in use probably went through an operator to make a phone call as opposed to having a phone with a dial on it - I didn't even think about that!

 

Holly

[Ted F]

Westchester County, New York, (just north of NYC) used operators to place phone calls until about 1946. I remember the day we switched over to dial phones. An operator called each house, gave instructions on how to dial, then the person who answered had to prove they knew how to dial a phone by dialing a number they were given.

[Tweel]

I don't believe they were designed to dial a phone. The shapes aren't compatible.

 

I've certainly encountered the term "telephone dialer pen", but I don't know whether it's collectors' jargon or one actually used by manufacturers. I don't believe the Skyline was made for the task, though. According to Richard Binder's Glossopedia, it's:

 

A desk pen with (usually) a taper that is shorter, thicker, and more rounded on the end than usual, for use in dialing a rotary telephone.

[LBpens]

I think if that had been the intent, it would have been included in advertising, and I don't believe it ever was. I think if they had had ttone phones then, he still would have designed the Skyline the same way.

[OakIris]

I don't think the shapes are compatible because the pen barrel at the end is pointy and slippery. If you were to design something to specifically dial a phone I would think you would make the item blunter. A Doric would be a better choice. I'm sure someone dialed with the Skyline but I don't believe Henry Dreyfuss had that use in mind when he designed the pen. Anything that could be stuck in the dial's holes could be used.

Now I understand - thank you for the clarification, Ted. I could see someone trying to use the Skyline for this purpose and snapping off the end of the barrel....

 

So, I have learned something from this thread I started with tongue-in-cheek - though the Skyline probably wasn't one of them, there were actually pens made with the intention of also being used to dial rotary phones. I grew up using rotary phones but no one in my family used a 'special pen' or other tool for the purpose. I am sure that shortly after the phone was 'invented' some not so wonderful person had an moment, and thus telemarketing was invented; for those folks and others whose jobs required them to be on the phone all day, I am sure these tools helped with finger fatigue! (Actually, according to another auction site (Ruby Lane,) these tools were used to "protect fingernails....")

 

Here is a sterling silver ballpoint made for this purpose, photo from an eBay auction:

 

http://image0-rubylane.s3.amazonaws.com/shops/822898/411.1L.jpg

 

 

 

And here is a Sheaffer "phone dialer pen" from this article - http://nibcrease.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/sheaffer-phone-dialer-pen/ I must say the shape of the barrel reminds me of the Skyline....

http://nibcrease.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/i-wx2vqmk-l.jpg?w=500

 

Holly

[BlotBot]

I think a phone-dialing implement would come in handy if you dialed phones a lot, particularly if you had a manicure! Maybe these were executive assistant pens!

[Charles Rice]

From Fountain Pens History and Design 1997:

 

 

"while the barrel is streamlined downwards so that it could be used to dial phone number."

 

Of course, the book might have it wrong.

[donwinn]

The Skyline came out in 1940. By then almost all phones were dial.

 

In southern Illinois, where I grew to adulthood, we got a dial phone in 1962. In the late 50s, the even smaller town 5 miles north, we had a wall hanging phone with a crank on the side, but at least it had a regular handset. We were on a party line, and our ring was 3 shorts and one long. All calls were made through the operator. Same with the desktop phone when we moved to the big city (pop 4300) no dial, and all calls were through the operator, and again, we were on a party line, as a private line was much more expensive. And long distance? Hugely expensive. Didn't even have area codes back then. Up into the late 60s early 70s, the phone numbers in Cape Girardeau Mo, the numbers were Edgewater 3 or 4 or 5, then the four digits. Once converted to dial, the exchanges were 333, 334, or 335. Advertisers still gave the numbers with the Edgewater X followed by the four digits. Cape Girardeau is on the Mississippi River, so the Edgewater made sense after a fashion.

[Roger W.]

Now I understand - thank you for the clarification, Ted. I could see someone trying to use the Skyline for this purpose and snapping off the end of the barrel....

 

So, I have learned something from this thread I started with tongue-in-cheek - though the Skyline probably wasn't one of them, there were actually pens made with the intention of also being used to dial rotary phones. I grew up using rotary phones but no one in my family used a 'special pen' or other tool for the purpose. I am sure that shortly after the phone was 'invented' some not so wonderful person had an moment, and thus telemarketing was invented; for those folks and others whose jobs required them to be on the phone all day, I am sure these tools helped with finger fatigue! (Actually, according to another auction site (Ruby Lane,) these tools were used to "protect fingernails....")

 

Here is a sterling silver ballpoint made for this purpose, photo from an eBay auction:

 

http://image0-rubylane.s3.amazonaws.com/shops/822898/411.1L.jpg

 

 

 

And here is a Sheaffer "phone dialer pen" from this article - http://nibcrease.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/sheaffer-phone-dialer-pen/ I must say the shape of the barrel reminds me of the Skyline....

http://nibcrease.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/i-wx2vqmk-l.jpg?w=500

 

Holly

Sheaffer called these short quills and not "Dialers". I don't think their intent was that they should be used to dial phones. The ones with a larger ball end like the metal pencil shown were intended for phones. So, per this discussion I doubt the skyline was designed for dialing either. I never dialed with anything other than my finger and would think a stick harder not easier to dial with but, people do all sorts of things.

 

Roger W.

Edited August 8, 2014 by Roger W.

[LBpens]

My mom was a secretary in the late 50s and early 60s and I remember various plastic implements that were intended to be phone dialers. Many had advertisements on them, No doubt women who dialed the phone a lot liked a tool instead of their finger. But it was never a good second purpose for a fountain pen

Edited August 8, 2014 by LBpens

[SteveE]

In the 40's through the touch-tone revolution, the pens with the ball-ended phone dialers were most popular with female secretaries and receptionists who had long and polished fingernails. Using the dialer preserved their nails, and probably their social lives, etc.

 

Most of us guys just stuck a finger into the phone and twisted the bugger into submission. . .

[LBpens]

Someday there will be a phone you just crank and tell a person on the other end who you want to talk to.