Was there Coral "Deco-Band" ever made?

[Wahlnut]

Here is a question posed by Jared that was placed to me that I thought might be interesting to the group.:

 

To Syd the Wahlnut,

 

I recently received this Wahl ad from May, 1929 which shows the selection of personal point nibs. This is part of the ad showing a Deco Band in Coral--was this ever available or is this just an artist's creation?

 

Also, what's the "half stub" personal point? Was this a fine/medium stub? The regular stub looks like a broad.

 

Thanks,

Jared

 

 

AND here is my answer:

 

Yes, the Oversize, Coral "Deco" Band was made. I saw one in person at a November 2002 meeting of the Pan Pacific Pen Club in Sonoma California. It was brought to the meeting by Roger Cromwell (Penopoly). He had already sold it to or had repaired it for an undisclosed "collector" at the time. He brought it to show for historical interest. Other than that one occasion, I have never seen one in person again. I have heard the possibly "urban legend" that it was made primarily for the Danish market where the color orange has important national/historical (?) significance and where there was demand for same in the Wahl pen you ask about. Clearly, to me at least, it is one of the rarest Wahl Eversharp pens I know about.

 

 

 

 

The Half Stub nib, as you surmised, Jared, is narrower than the stub nib. Otherwise it's writing characteristics are the same. That is, a very wide line on the down stroke and a narrow line on the side or angled up stroke. The Half stub nib was produced throughout the '20s and was available in sizes 2 through 6 before the Personal Point era. It was incorporated in the Personal Points as were most of the standard line of Wahl nibs when the Personal Point concept went into production. Stubs that were angle cut slightly left or right to suit the way different folks held pens and to accommodate the angle at which their pens came into contact with the paper, were called "Oblique" in the Wahl nib line-up.

 

Syd

Edited December 10, 2006 by Wahlnut

[david i]

I hae a 1927 Wahl ad which appears to show this pen.

 

Have to shoot it next week to see if folks concur.

 

Sort of just a hint of the pen.

 

regards

 

daivd

[david i]

OK. Perhaps here we have provenance for a Wahl Coral Decoband (OS Flat-topped Personal Point Gold Seal Pen), if still not an actual pen to show.

 

It is known, of course, that vintage pens were manufactured which diverge from our expectations for correct/typical appearance based on what company literature we have available today. In some cases, evil mix, marriage, frankenpen is suggested. In other cases it would be darned tough to monkey today with pens to make such anomalies, though i try not to underestimate the creativity of skilled modern tinkers.

 

Syd raises the Coral Decoband for our consideration. I know one collector reported to have one, and i would not be suprised to find this is so. Still, it is a bit surprising that no evidence has come to light for such a pen, given that Wahl literature is out there.

 

OK. So, i recognize that old paper can fade and that old ads employed artistic license.

 

Still, i submit that the image below is company evidence for the Coral Deco Band.

 

regards

 

david i

http://www.removed.xyz

 

http://www.removed.xyz/penteech/wahlcoraldecoad.jpg

Edited December 18, 2006 by david i

[Wahlnut]

Thanks, David,

I did not include it with my reference to Jared's email to me, but he sent the same picture of the ad in his email. So your copy is not the only one out there and two exactly faded versions? Doubt it.

 

Syd

[UptheWahl]

First, we need to decide what is meant by "coral."

 

Wahl definitely produced a dark orange/red deco band pen for the Danish market. It is marked "Made in Chicago USA" and is roughly the color of the red permanite used by Parker. I do not know the "official" name of this color, although it is similar to the Montblanc "coral." As best as I can determine, while produced in the U.S. it was sold only in Denmark. As you may know, lots of Duofolds were produced for and in Denmark for Parker in the orange/red color, as were most of the "coral" Montblancs. My Danish friends have told me that the color was particularly popular in Denmark because it is one of the Danish national colors, and appears on the Danish flag.

 

David, I have 3 of these pens in my collection. One is in pretty bad shape, with a shortened cap and a bent barrel, the other has a crack in the cap lip. The third is near mint. I purchased all three from Danish dealers.

 

The color that most Wahl collectors think of as being coral is the dark red-orange celluloid with lighter orange marbeling. The coral Deco Band in that color is to me is the "Holy Grail" of Wahls. I have never seen a complete coral Deco Band, and I know no one who has. I can confirm that at least one was produced, because I have a cap in this material. According to the provenance, it was produced for a major Wahl dealer in Chicago who promptly put the pen (and matching pencils) in the attic of his summer home in Michigan. It sat up there until about 2000, when the family cleared out the attic. The heat and cold of an uninsulated attic resulted in the barrel and the pencils disintegrating, but the cap was saved, although it is quite heate deformed. The cap is definitely a Deco Band cap, however. I thought I had shown it to David, but apparentlly not.

 

I am jammed right now, but will put in a picture of all the color variations some day.

 

Best wishes for the holidays,

 

Cliff

[Wahlnut]

Thanks Cliff. You are among the highest authorities on Wahls today and having your input here is most welcome and appreciated. Please do post whatever and whenever you can spare the time.

 

Will you be coming to the LA show this year? Also, would you please contact me back-channel, I have an individual question for you.

 

 

Syd the Wahlnut

Edited December 21, 2006 by Wahlnut

[UptheWahl]

Hi Syd,

 

I will also give you a shout back channel.

 

Unfortunately, L.A. is probably out this year. I have a severely arthritic ankle, and am scheduled for a alograft ankle transplant on January 25. This essentially is a total ankle replacement using a donor ankle. Once the transplant takes place, I will not be able to put weight on the new ankle for about 3 months so the bones can mend. I think I will be missing from the pen show circuit until the Chicago show, at a minimum.

 

Our law firm merged with an old line San Francisco firm last year (Pillsbury) and we have offices from San Diego to Sacramento, so I get out to the West Coast more frequently now. Perhaps we will be able to hook up at some other time this year.

 

Best regards,

 

Cliff

[david i]

Hey, Cliff! Glad to see you here.

 

Verily, i am the hack-amateur-newbie wading amongst the skilled, but hey, whatever works.

 

Cliff, I have shot your orange Danish Deco Band couple PHiladelphias ago. In fact, i own a standard equi-poised-like Gold Seal in same color. Glorious pen.

 

But, what we indeed gab on here it the coral similar to Carter's or to other better documented Wahls. If you have a Decoband Cap in that material, i would be more than happy to photgraph it :-)

 

I do believe that ad above shows a coral deco-band. At least it seems marbled in the pic.

 

Hope all goes well with your ankle.

 

cheers

 

david