So, I am a big fan of the 8-ball desk set. Specifically, the one with the chain and the PLEASE REPLACE PEN IN SOCKET label.

So I bid on, and won, this one here.

Turns out it is a ballpoint! With no refill... but I do not care, I will get something to work, even if I have to seriously modify the thing.


You see, I have been looking for a ballpoint to keep on my desk so that people who come in here will stop grabbing my Pelikan and trying to rip the cap off. So now I have the solution, and it matches the rest of it brothers and sisters!

Excuse me for the ignorance, but was it a custom job or did they actually make 8-ball sets in ballpoints??

I've never seen an 8-ball set in a ballpoint, but I also haven't spent much of any time looking for them either. Nice find, James. How many of those 8-balls do you have now?

(Good Lord...just realized I made you look like a cokehead! Sorry!)

With the BP, I have five that have the message on them.

This is not a custom job. It looks like the other desk pens, black body, clear tail, but it has no lever. Also the section is replaced with a pointed, ribbed section.

I do not know if the section is made to come out, or if the refill should drop in from the back.

What you have is a model DB-113. I have a Esterbrrok BP virtualy the same but it was from a standard desk set base (it hade one FP and the BP). I would say for $6.00, you got a pretty good deal.

I would be interested to see a better picture of that ballpoint pen if you could get one. I'm not sure I've seen one quite like it.

Thanks!
Brian

Brian,

Here is picture of a non-chain version of the same pen. I don't have an Esterbrook cartridge for it but I grabbed a few odd BPs from the box o'junk and found several that fit fine.

The imprint is a simple Esterbrook with the Circle R and MADE IN USA.
Click to view attachment

Sorry about the bad focus...

Todd

Mine is just like that, but has the chain attachment.

Somehow, I left it at work... I will get it this weekend and take pics.

Mine does not have the black piece attached to the tail. It is broken off, but I have it.

Wow, I have not seen one of these. Thanks for sharing. I wonder if they retrofitted a bunch of leftover desk pens as the ballpoint took over in an effort to compete and salvage some stock. In any event, thanks for the new stuff....

The end of the barrel, where it meets the section, is slightly different on the BP that I have. It tapers quite a bit more... you might be able to pick this out in FarmBoy's pic.

Interesting stuff. One more to add to the list I guess....

Thanks!
Brian

So you are saying that I should NOT drill out the section to make a modern BP fit in it?

You Estie people need to advise me on this. Unless I hear otherwise (that this is something worth preserving in its original state), I am going to mod this pen so that it will take a modern refill.

If you put the brakes on this mod, on will likely sell it off.

James,

I was able to find a BP refill in my parts box that works without modification ot the pen. The package read Size-it Ball-Point refill. It came with a spring that I didn't use and I snipped the tube off to the right size to fit. I luckily didn't hit ink on the cut or it would have been messy. Just in case, I stuck a bit of cotton in the end of the refill.

It would be rather easy to drill out the tip to accept a roller ball refill but all the ones I have in my parts box are longer than would fit.

Based on Brian's comment, I would guess there are not a lot of surviving examples. That said, I'm not sure they would command a very high price either. The nice part about your base is it also accepts the fountain pen and would be correct as a set. The desk pens are relatively common but it is a bit harder to find the ones with a chain.

I guess I would take a trip to the local office supply store to see if there was a refill that could be modified to fit or go through the give-away BPs and look for a refill that would work before I modified the pen. I'm sort of a sucker when it comes to keeping pens in original condition even if that means you can't use them until the right part comes along. I'll guess Brian will weigh in later.

Todd

I did not think that this was unique until you guys said that you had not seen one.

I will not be doing any drilling on this pen.

I will try to find some BP refill something that will fit. The problem is that the hole is REALLY small!

As for commanding a high price, if I were to get rid of it, I will likely trade it for some Estie stuff (colored desk pen tails!!!!) or just sell it for what I bought it for.