Vintage Conklin Glider

July 12, 2009

This is a review of the vintage Conklin Glider, not the modern one, for the record. This was considered a budget pen in its day, but its performance is quite excellent.

I. Appearance: 9/10

The Glider is made of celluloid which features some very nice, luminous stripes. This model has blue and grey, with brown tones mixed in. The shape of the pen is generally a streamlined shape in the vein of the Sheaffer Balance. However the very ends of the pen are not perfectly finished, rather they're somewhat pointed. This probably was to help keep production costs low. The The metal trim was originally gold plated, but the plating was so thin on the clip and lever that it's all worn off. The cap ring has done a bit better. The section is amber celluloid, which was originally dyed black. However over the years, the dye has worn away and the section is now translucent. It does allow the ink level to be viewed. The cap clip has "Conklin" engraved on it. I especially like the celluloid stripe pattern on the Glider, and despite its cheap price, this is a very attractive pen. The nib itself is gold and quite attractive in its own right. The clip itself seems to just be a piece of metal clamped into the cap. It's not very good. The script Conklin logo looks nice though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/SirMike1983/Conklinreview1.jpg

II. Feel In Hand: 8.5/10

The pen is of medium girth and is fairly lightweight. The section is relatively smooth and not rough, like some of the Gliders (a symptom of dull and worn tools used to make the parts). The pen posts alright, but I prefer to not post. The pen is adequately comfortable, and the section is long enough to handle most fingers. I would describe this as being somewhere between a Sheaffer full Balance and a Sheaffer slender Balance in terms of how wide this pen feels. The celluloid is quite smooth and well-finished, and I sense no roughness in this particular pen. Beware though that some of these pens are not entirely well-finished due to poor tooling. I would desribe its feel as "plain vanilla"-- not very heavy, neither thick nor thin, comfortable enough to write with. There's not much remarkable in this category.

III. Filling: 9/10

As mundane as a lever action is- it's common for a reason: it's reliable and simple. The lever fill system fills simply and once you're familiar with the process you really can't go wrong. The down side, of course, is that you need to make sure your sac is pliable and the press bar is working correctly, but beyond that there isn't too much to it. I actually go higher in this category for the lever than for the Touchdown model. I know some people will certainly disagree- but the lever fills simply and reliable without the use of air seals (which often require fixing for restorers in addition to the sac). The lever is timeless. The only drawback on this particular design is that the lever is very thin and cheap feeling. You have to really dig your nail in underneath to get under and life the lever. But frankly that's isn't a big deal; it's more of a convenience thing. While a good Sheaffer lever is easier to work and has a better feel, this functions just as well when in proper repair. The internal spring works well enough. It fills fine. This is the best filling system ever devised for the simple reason that it's usually easy to fix, reliable, and not any more complex than it needs to be.

IV. Writing: 9.5/10

Many Gliders came originally with Conklin Toledo "Cushon" Point nibs (sometimes also called "Cushion"). You can identify these by the little crescent shape near the breather hole. These nibs are often gems-- very smooth, and varying in flexibility. This particular nib is semi-rigid, with just a little bit of spring to it. Its smoothness is second to none and writes with a very wet line. The nib is every bit the equal of a Sheaffer Lifetime, and it's hard to believe you could get such a good writer for so little money. As far as I can tell, this pen represents one of the single best values in a vintage pen because many people assume it's a junky, third-tier pen. The nib is what makes this pen a real bargain and a sleeper pick. That said, as nice as they look, I wouldn't buy this pen for more than a few dollars if it has a lesser nib in it. The real beauty of these pens is in the Cushon nibs. They not only look nice, but write very well, in general. They're 14k gold, by the way. My only complaint is that it's a touch softer than I'd like it to be. That's nitpicking though.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/SirMike1983/conklinreview2.jpg

V. Durability: 8.5/10

The plated parts will almost always be bare, or almost bare. The plating they used on these is among the poorest I have ever encountered, and is probably where they cut corners the most in terms of keeping this pen's cost low when it was new on the market. The metal parts, aside from the nib, seem to be the basic stamped steel sort of thing you'd see on lower grade depression-era products. However everything works properly. I will admit that as bad as the plating is, and as corrosion-prone as the metal parts are (aside from the nib)-- they do clean up well and do still perform their function. The cap rings seem to fare a little bit better, but are still a cheap item. However the celluloid is actually pretty durable, as celluloid goes. It appears they used a little bit thicker celluloid stock than the leading companies like Parker and Sheaffer. As a result, this celluloid actually tends to hold up better than the more expensive pens. Watch out for the usual cap lip cracks, but this celluloid really seems to hold up quite well, all things considered. The nib is quite durable and corrosion resistant as a 14k gold item. As a result, I give a balanced out durability score, with a deduction for bad plating and cheaply stamped metal parts, but with a boost for more durable celluloid and a 14k nib. The section dye does seem to wear away, but it doesn't seem to harm the function at all.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/SirMike1983/conklincapsig.jpg

What to look for:

-CUSHON NIB: this is the main saving grace of this pen, along with the beautiful celluloid patterns. You want that.

-new sac and a functioning lever that moves without a struggle, and doesn't flap around freely

-Cushon nibs can vary in terms of flex- take your pick of them. The nib, as always, should be free of defects and should write fairly smoothly. These nibs are often gems.

-be aware that the clip and lever will probably be corroded. But it should still be functional. The clip will probably not be very helpful.

-the section should fit snugly and tightly to the barrel

-check the cap lip for cracks

-you will need bottled ink as the pen doesn't take a modern cartridge

-with celluloid models beware of celluloid damage like cracks or celluloid shrinkage. A little shrinkage may be present, but heavy-duty shrinkage could cause problems

-as always with a lever fill- watch out for cracks around the lever slot

The Final Word

This pen is a true sleeper. They usually sell for very little money today (aside from near-perfect ones), but with the Cushion nib will write well. The lever system works, but the metal parts aside from the nib are pretty cheap and low grade. You really can't go wrong if you can get a Cushon nib glider on the cheap because the nibs are often so good. They make perfect vintage user pens because of the low price, but great writing characteristics. This is one of the best kept secrets in terms of vintage pens. I'd love to acquire more of these to add to my stable because for under $100 you can grab several at the going rate. Restoration shouldn't be a problem, as it's a basic lever filler.

Edited July 12, 2009 by Ray-Vigo

July 21, 2009

I'll also add the above pen is not the "blue" color scheme but is either the green or the brown. I think this is the "brown" color scheme. I have also recently acquired a true "blue" Glider and will post pictures of it when I get a chance. But even though this review does state this has "blue stripes" it's actually closer to the brown scheme that the factory produced.

July 21, 2009

I second your enthusiasm for these pens! I got one unrestored for very little money at the LA pen show last year - had Fred Krinke put a new sac in it, and it writes beautifully. And I love the thin vertical stripes.

July 25, 2009

Here's another couple of pictures:

As you can see, one of these is the "Blue" color and the other either the "green" or the "brown". The latter was the original pen in this review. The Blue pen has a little bit different feed and a little more flex character, but the writing experience is largely the same and therefore quite good.

It's also worth noting that these pens are somewhat irregular: the Blue pen is maybe 1/6 of an inch shorter than the other it seems. Also, the lever on the Blue Glider is in a slightly different location, closer to the end of the barrel. They're very similar otherwise.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/SirMike1983/conkbluesig.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v516/SirMike1983/2conklinsreview.jpg

Edited July 25, 2009 by Ray-Vigo

July 26, 2009

Excellent review...compelled to send compliments.. however, it does mean the word gets out about a sleeper;)

October 23, 2012

I just purchased one for 83.00 at eBay... Seems to be in a very good condition and the seller says so. Was it a good deal?

October 23, 2012

I just purchased one for 83.00 at eBay... Seems to be in a very good condition and the seller says so. Was it a good deal?

July 3, 2014

I just purchased one for 83.00 at eBay... Seems to be in a very good condition and the seller says so. Was it a good deal?

I just now saw your post, Joka. How did the pen do for you? I found a similar pen on eBay --the red and gold version, and I paid a slightly higher amount (about $90). I am still waiting for it to arrive, and once it does, I'll post photos.

July 6, 2014

Excellent review...compelled to send compliments.. however, it does mean the word gets out about a sleeper;)

Same sentiment, beautiful pens from the less known brands do deserve praise.

July 8, 2014

My vintage Conklin Glider arrived yesterday. So far, it's been very fussy. The ink flow is somewhat unpredictable, and although it was advertised as having "some flex" in the nib, there is very little. And when I try to write with any pressure, the ink completely stops. So a very light hand, and the pen is moderately acceptable. I'm a bit disappointed, since I had bought it to add to my collection of flex nibbed vintage pens.

One question: does the back of the nib look typical (normal)? Most nibs I've seen had the black plastic part (don't know what it's called!) higher, towards the end of the metal portion. Any opinions?

October 6, 2015

OK. I am in the process of cluttering your nice review. I appreciate the info. I just recently acquired a Conklin 4NL, likely needing nib attention. I'll also mention that I purchased a glider with a "warranted" nib, probably #2 (fairly small) and it has little flex but looks like a nice pen. I'm interested in more of Conklin and have engaged to purchase a small number of other examples from which to learn. One is a glider with Cushion point, and I'm looking forward to its arrival. Thanks for your review.

HalloweenHJB: you ask an interesting question. I've just committed on a transatlantic purchase of a Conklin glider (see above), bringing it "back home," so to speak. There's another currently in the classifieds

( www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/classifieds/item/34676-restored-conklin-glider-semi-flex/ )

which might provide some reference. I'm purchasing a Cushon Point nib version. However, the classifieds version is extremely competitive, and I'd likely opt to purchase both if I simply had the loose cash. I have no connection to the seller, and can't even remember the name just now.

Anyway, your ink-starved behavior sounds like a typical complaint which can be remedied by undoing its cause. The cause is commonly mis-placement of the otherwise carefully designed feed/nib/collector/collar pieces of the pen. This design is the heart of the fountain pen ink management system. The nib is the delivery point, and may be involved in this because it is the final delivery route for the ink. But getting the ink to the nib and keeping too much from getting there is at the heart of a functional fountain pen. Your pen sounds nice. "Get thee to a pen show" or something else like that to get a knowledgeable eye or two on the problem child. I'm just starting on pens, or I'd ask more useful questions and perhaps give more useful answers. As it is, I'm limited. Best wishes.

Michael

Edited October 6, 2015 by DerTiefster

August 31, 2020

This review is excellent and very helpful. I read it about a month ago, then kept it in mind when I found a blue Conklin Glider at an antique store yesterday. The pen I bought is missing the cap ring, but otherwise is in good cosmetic condition and plating is still intact. I am cleaning it and need to replace the sac, but I believe it is and will be in good condition otherwise. The nib appears to be in good shape and has some flex, but I have not dip tested it yet.

>Does anyone know the correct size sac for these? Thanks!