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MANUPENS

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Hello everyone,

 

I am called Emmanuel Caltagirone, and I have reproduced the famous Eversharp skyline series in 1995 in France.

We have reproduced the model as close as possible to the original excepted the filling system we have chosen a more modern system with converter / cartridge.

 

The skyline has been produced by our family company that called SERMEC next to the city of Le Mans , 300 miles west of Paris.

We produced the skyline from 1995 until 1999 date on which we sold the factory to the company reynolds - waterman. Then, there was the question that production can continue at Nantes Waterman facilities.

But unfortunately Waterman had at that time others important problems and the continuation of the manufacture of Eversharp skyline was left on the side and finally no more Skyline pen has been manufactured.

I was able to continue for some time to produce a bit with the stock I owned, but I could not launch other versions.

 

Sandford waterman has never allow me to get or buy the stock including most molds

and tooling to remanufacture the skyline,

Finnally ,they only told me that everything had been destroyed after the removals of SERMEC plants to WATERMAN factory

 

Luckily,by chance 12 years later, I finally have the opportunity to get back the tools that allows to make the skyline, it was not destroyed at all. I need only repeat the mold of the clip that was made in Japan and has since been destroyed ( that is true…)

 

After having lived for 8 years in North Africa managing a plant of manufacturing advertising pens, I live now in Italy which is good because Italy is one of the best countries to make pens.

Here, I thought that was the one good thing to keep the pen world collector informed .

All the best to all,

 

Emmanuel

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I loved the Skyline repro and always wondered whatever became of them. Thanks for the update.

 

fern

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Manu -

 

Fantastic to hear from you after so long. I have been keeping up with your African adventures through Howard, BB, and our other friends. I saw Andre in Chicago earlier this month. I hope to see you at one of the European shows this fall, or maybe Los Angeles next February. Send me an email at Cliff.Harrington@gmail.com when you get a chance so I can get your personal email address.

 

Best regards,

 

Cliff

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Wow, what a story!

 

I hope you'll succeed in the restart of manufacturing Skyline repros. I would certainly be interested in acquiring one.

 

Good luck!

 

 

 

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Hi Emmanuel. If I recall you visited us in Chicago in the 1990s. And I remember having purchased a nice quantity of those wonderful Skylines, many of which I still have in their original boxes including the Taxi cab models. Nice to see that you are still involved in pens. And maybe one day you will return to our show. Don

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Emmanuel,

 

It would be wonderful if you could begin reproducing the skyline again. I have several of the pens you made years ago, and they are excellent quality. I wish you every success. Thanks for letting us know about your situation. Good Luck!! :)

"Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx

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Thanks for the information, Emmanuel! It is an important revisit of the origins of these repro pens.

 

I wonder if you could comment on the use of the name "EVERSHARP" and "SKYLINE", on your products and any other information about licensing of designs that may have been involved. Our records from the US Patent and Trademark office abstracts show that "EVERSHARP" was assigned to Astro Pen Company by Parker in 1992, and then Astro Pen Company assigned it to the Eversharp Pen Company in Franklin Park, Illinois, USA in 1993, recorded in 1995 (which we/I assume(d) was a wholly owned subsidiary of Parker established for this purpose or perhaps of Astro. Is that correct from your information?

 

Thanks

 

Syd

Syd "the Wahlnut" Saperstein

Pensbury Manor

Vintage Wahl Eversharp Writing Instruments

Pensbury Manor

 

The WAHL-EVERSHARP Company

www.wahleversharp.com

New WAHL-EVERSHARP fountain and Roller-Ball pens

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Thanks for the information, Emmanuel! It is an important revisit of the origins of these repro pens.

 

I wonder if you could comment on the use of the name "EVERSHARP" and "SKYLINE", on your products and any other information about licensing of designs that may have been involved. Our records from the US Patent and Trademark office abstracts show that "EVERSHARP" was assigned to Astro Pen Company by Parker in 1992, and then Astro Pen Company assigned it to the Eversharp Pen Company in Franklin Park, Illinois, USA in 1993, recorded in 1995 (which we/I assume(d) was a wholly owned subsidiary of Parker established for this purpose or perhaps of Astro. Is that correct from your information?

 

Thanks

 

Syd

 

 

Hi Syd,

You are right,here is the story I know,

Eversharp of chicago, Illinois has bought the name Eversharp ( not wahl-eversharp ) in 1994 from Parker ( gillette group ) headquaters in Boston. I do not know how much they paid for, but for sure not cheap, close to a million I feel. Today, the owner of eversharp pen co of chicago is a nice man nammed Mr Paul Smith who is the president of the company.

 

Eversharp pen co of Chicago is totally independant and not related in any way with Parker pen co.

In fact, Eversharp pen co of Chicago was initially fisher pen co, the company who is doing the fisher space pen ( short chrome pen with gaz refill, write upside/down), Paul Smith and associates bought at that time the fisher pen co from Mr Fisher and sons who stay into the company as " consultant and curator " .

 

Unfortunately, after a short time,new owners and Mr Fisher fight, do not ask me what reason I do not know...

Then, Mr Fisher leave the company of Chicago to Boulder city, Nevada where he did again a "new" space pen company, and of course same design and models....So, you can imagine what "mayonnaise" he creates in the business, customers do not know who is right or wrong, and both companies, put all in the middle...big confusion.

 

As Mr Paul Smith is a very pragmatic man, he understood rapidely that he must find a solution the quickest possible, because to go in court for that story takes too long time ( he did in court finally and he lost...incredible,center question was Fisher is not only the company name, but also the name of the person, Mr Ficher himself )

 

his decision was to change the name of the company as soon as possible to stop the market confusion.Mr Paul Smith knows personnaly some important people into the Gillette group, then he hear that Parker owns Eversharp name and they did not produce Eversharp pens since a long time, but Parker said the name is a great name, well none in the US.Then Paul was conviced of these arguments and bought the name.

 

Here is the story I know about Eversharp pen co, if it could be interesting for collectors, I can tell you about me and Eversharp pen Co of Chicago.

 

Warmest regards

Emmanuel

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This information is wonderful. fantastic corroboration of some already known facst with some new material tossed in. And yes, please do carry on with the rest of the story from where you stopped with you and Eversharp Company.

 

 

By the way of disclosure, here, Thinking the names were all abandoned, back in 2004, when another person attempted to tie up the Paul Wirt brand name and threaten to deny any to use it, I applied for all the Wahl/Wahl-Eversharp Trademarks. so that I could be sure the name would stay available for all to use (that was my intent). As you say the EVERSHARP name was consistently renewed and assigned and never lapsed. The Wahl;-Eversharp name was abandoned along with a few other variations. My application was denied as the reviewing attorney decided that there was too much of a chance for confusion with the active EVERSHARP name. Cost me $351 in application fees to find that out. BUT, the abstract of the Trademark history in every detail was given to me as a part of the denial justification. That is how I know some of the pieces you have verified.

 

Thanks again,

Syd

Syd "the Wahlnut" Saperstein

Pensbury Manor

Vintage Wahl Eversharp Writing Instruments

Pensbury Manor

 

The WAHL-EVERSHARP Company

www.wahleversharp.com

New WAHL-EVERSHARP fountain and Roller-Ball pens

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This information is wonderful. fantastic corroboration of some already known facst with some new material tossed in. And yes, please do carry on with the rest of the story from where you stopped with you and Eversharp Company.

 

 

By the way of disclosure, here, Thinking the names were all abandoned, back in 2004, when another person attempted to tie up the Paul Wirt brand name and threaten to deny any to use it, I applied for all the Wahl/Wahl-Eversharp Trademarks. so that I could be sure the name would stay available for all to use (that was my intent). As you say the EVERSHARP name was consistently renewed and assigned and never lapsed. The Wahl;-Eversharp name was abandoned along with a few other variations. My application was denied as the reviewing attorney decided that there was too much of a chance for confusion with the active EVERSHARP name. Cost me $351 in application fees to find that out. BUT, the abstract of the Trademark history in every detail was given to me as a part of the denial justification. That is how I know some of the pieces you have verified.

 

Thanks again,

Syd

 

Dear Syd,

 

Thanks for your reply.

This is great that finally everyone can brind a piece of the puzzle to do the story.

I have also noted that after the story of the eversharp trademarks in 1994, some abandonned pen brands came back into the market !!

Conklin, conway steward, mabbie todd, kaweco .....it will be great to have also these informations to know how the people have been proceed, did they buy the name, or registred it again

 

Anyway, here is story

In the year 1995 I did some research in the INPI of Paris (national institute of trademarks)and then OMPI in Geneva switzerland ( same as inpi but worlwide organisation )about wahl-eversharp, I did for France first the december 22, 1995 and registred the name

in the class 14,16 and 18 which is corresponding of the pens, writing instruments and accesories.

This recording has been accepted and fully confirmed by french authorities, this is important because if the recording is refused, of course you cannot apply to the OMPI in Geneva . Rules said you have to apply into your own country first THEN you apply internationally.

Of course at that time, I completely unknow even the existence of the eversharp pen co of chicago !

Also,I met the CEO of Parker europe who is a french man and friend of my father, we discussed about the trademark Eversharp and he unknows himself that Eversharp was the property of Parker pen co.... I was not really surprised, how many "generations" of parker managers or employees worked and never known that story !

He told me that he is not at all involved in the trademarks problems and all is managed by a company in Holland, but perhaps after such long time Parker did not renewed the name in alls countries.

Anyway, I apply to OMPI Geneva for the same class 14,16,18 in 11 countries ( countries of course were we use "expensive pens" not burkina fasso!) alls has been accepted and confirmed exepted in Germany were it has been accepted then contested by Eversharp of chicago, but finnally not cancelled.

But OMPI do not give to possibility to registred trademarks in the USA,UK,AUSTRALIA,INDIA

all recorders must be done by laywers which is not the same story about expenses..you can imagine ! research first then apply, etc....

Then we started to do the project of the remake of the Skyline, the closest possible of the original excepted of course filling system and nibs. We had a large choice as the Eversharp pen range is so rich in terms of style, colors, shape, etc...but we choosen the Skyline for the design first and also because we did not wanted to do the first replica of Eversharp at a too high price, around 200/250usd was our target, a doric, or deco band would cost much more.

 

At the international fair of 1996 of Frunkfurt Germany, we proudly exhibited our Skylines range in a nice booth that we shared with Senator pen of Germany, our German distributor.At this kind of show you meet more people business mens than collectors but we started to show the pens and people were enthusiastic about the story,Eversharp one of the big 4, henry Drefuss, military clip,etc...

We were located on the hall 10, hall reserved to the good brands and expensive pens, the others hall 8 and 9 were for stationery items and cheap pens and at that time, all people of the hall 10 never went even to see what is going on in the halls 8 and 9, too cheap for them !

 

A friend of mine came to me and said there is a booth Eversharp in the hall N°8, and they are probably americans as they have a big American flag hanged at the corner, I could not beleived it !

They problably hear the same because I have seen people running around my booth ,watching for all and never asked me nothing, price list or catalog..

The last day came to me Mr Bruce Brizzolara as he was at that time the CEO of Eversharp pen co of Chicago, then he was so surprised as the same level as me, but we cordially discussed about the trademark and the Eversharp pens.He invited me to come in Chicago as soon as possible to clarify the situation.

 

I went to Chicago a few weeks after and fortunately we find a good agreement for both of us, the main good point is that Eversharp of Chicago is not involved at all of the expensive pens business distributed through pen shops,but mostly in mass market pen business. So, we were not competitors but complementary and it was finnally good for the brand image( on their point of view)

So, I did my own business to Europe and Asia and my father produced the skylines and Eversharp pen co had the distribution into the US and south America. I also helped them as it was not their job at all, to promote the shylin pens to the dealers and the US pen shows.

Everything was made by contract and we never fight in any way about the trademarks.

Of course, the main sales were in the US, outside of the US I had established a distribution in several countries but quantities were smallers.

After 4 years of manufacturing the Skylines, it was a time to move to an other pen project, we spoke about déco band but Eversharp of chicago was a bit disconnected with this market, takes time, orders are smalls not like Staples or Wall mart.This is just an other businness world. Then they had a large inventory they want to sell at reduced prices before to to a new project.

Finnally,we lost time and I stopped to to proposals and I did some versions of Skyline on my side.

 

I can give you approximately quantities and model produced /

we started with plain colors cap and body

black/burgundy/navy blue/green

 

then plain color for the body and metal cap

black/gold,black/silver, burgundy/gold, navy blue/silver, green/gold

 

these pens were made in foutain pen version and roller balls

note that for US market nib was 14K gold, and rest of the world 18K nib gold 2tones gold and rodhium (Eversharp had a target price around 200 USD so we did in 14K gold to reduce cost price)nibs size were médium,broad and fine.

Rollers refills ware provided by Eversharp Chicago, same as Mont Blanc refill, screw refill

 

total in these versions was around 5000 PENS produced

 

Skyline series

we did the SKYLINE YELLOW CAB which came in the yellow box and the yellow taxi, this one came with 14K gold nib only and roller ball version

we produced 9000 fountain pens and a few hundreds of roller balls, it was very succesfull .

Note that, we also produced around 3000 yellow cab skylines with nickel steel nib (engraving shyline with empire state building design on it ,very nice ) but this quantities has been made for special mail order and corporate gift

 

we did the démonstrator clear and blue ( blue has a metal chrome cap engraved skyline démonstrator)we produceed around 3000 pcs in total of the démonstrators.

 

Then, at the end, I produced some series that I never really marketed, they are :

- skyline white "doctor pen"

- tribute to fireman NY fire dpt.

- transparent colored démonstrators, green, orange,yellow

- skyline vatican, serie of 100 pcs blue light with chrome cap engraved with the emblem of Vatican of roma, and ennamel filled into the engraving.

- some pieces of Maki e on the black skyline

- the skyliner 50 series,exactly the same color of seats of the cadillac from the fiveties, 6 colors in total, salmon, menthol green, grey elephant,ice cream, pony blue,and maroon chocolate.cap and clip was chromed and cap was engraved SKILINER 50, nib was white gold nib empire state building or steel nib

 

Then of course, it was also a lot of skyline series project still in a" box " and hope will born soon.

 

Sorry to have been long but I think it was good to give more "light" on that story

All my best regards

Emmanuel

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Thanks very much for the wonderful history lesson. It explains something that confused me. Learning that rather than one single history line there were actually 2 separate activities under the name EVERSHARP at the same time, straightens that out. It was a mystery how the US pen company, now doing ad pens and anti biological products, could have a connection to the Skylines. Until now to explain it I was seeing the trademark and licensing bouncing around the globe (which was still true as far as the movement of the trademark goes) when in reality a portion of the story involved a dual activity unrelated to one another for a period of time. That pen show meeting must have been a shocker! Very interesting and solves many inconsistencies in the single line genealogical construct I was working with so far. I will add these new history elements to my own pensburymanor.com Wahl History and Interesting Wahl Facts pages soon.

 

Parker Pen (USA) did transfer its rights to the EVERSHARP name to Parker Pen (BENELUX), and at one period used it at part of collateral for a loan from a Swiss bank. That was before the EVERSHARP name was transferred (back?) to Parker (USA) and then on to the "new " EVERSHARP Pen Company (USA).

 

Part of my "day job" includes some work with patent and trademark attorneys and I have come to learn how expensive international patent and trademark registration can be. The foreign governments treat such activities as a very important revenue source, and keep the cost of international registry very high. So, it is not surprising that small skips and gaps might exist in the fabric of patent and trademark integrity where full discovery and registration may not be done properly. Large names like with the MG and BMW which owns that trademark or Mont Blanc's aggressive protection of its trademark on the international scene are worth the expense to protect them (or so the trademark owners seem to believe by their actions). Smaller, more obscure and financially inconsequential names fall through the cracks like your EVERSHARP (France) example.

 

Great information.

Syd "the Wahlnut" Saperstein

Pensbury Manor

Vintage Wahl Eversharp Writing Instruments

Pensbury Manor

 

The WAHL-EVERSHARP Company

www.wahleversharp.com

New WAHL-EVERSHARP fountain and Roller-Ball pens

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  • 10 months later...

Wow, what a story!

 

I hope you'll succeed in the restart of manufacturing Skyline repros. I would certainly be interested in acquiring one.

 

Good luck!

 

Sometimes a wish becomes true, less than a year later

 

 

 

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