Wahl-Eversharp Pen Company Lives!

[Mags]

You make a good point and share a reasoning some of us were not sharing.

 

For many on the forum buying pens is an Internet and ebay hobby....the box can be long since gone and expensive pens are inside a piece of pvc pipe with kleenex wrapped around them.

[sebastel23]

(kids, look somewhere else -- cuz:) saliva dripping ...

 

wow. this is the first time since dozens of years that i consider to splash out more than a few dozen of bucks for a pen. these look like a pen nut's dream come true. i hope my receiving address won't be a problem.

 

my warmest regards to the new W-E company. may "sharp" -- "ever-sharp" be the motto. (applied to the design)

[alc3261]

The prices are quite reasonable (thought they might be more) - website now active!!

Edited February 23, 2013 by alc3261

[Freddy]

Outstanding box..Bravo Zulu..<thumb up>

 

Fred

who ain't no snob..and listenin'

to Magic Slim..Take care and safe journey.... .

[mask]

I just hope they offer varied filling mechanisms (ED, Piston, lever, etc.) besides offering italic, stub, & cursive nibs.

[johntdavis]

Does anyone have any thoughts/experience on how the writing characteristics/behavior/feel would differ between gold/rhodium plated semi-flex steel, and ceramic coated semi-flex steel? These seem to be the three options for the nib.

 

I have no idea what the ceramic does for the nib. The only reason I haven't bought a Skyliner 50 yet is because I'm not sure I shouldn't save my money for the ceramic nib on the higher end models.

[Drone]

Does anyone have any thoughts/experience on how the writing characteristics/behavior/feel would differ between gold/rhodium plated semi-flex steel, and ceramic coated semi-flex steel? These seem to be the three options for the nib.

 

I have no idea what the ceramic does for the nib. The only reason I haven't bought a Skyliner 50 yet is because I'm not sure I shouldn't save my money for the ceramic nib on the higher end models.

 

Like you, I was confused about the ceramic coated vs. non-coated issue as well as just what the ceramic coating does. Starting with this post:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/241184-wahl-eversharp-skyliner-50/page__view__findpost__p__2620754

 

This Skyliner 50 review-thread gets into a discussion about the ceramic coating; and some facts are revealed.

 

As I understand it (and paraphrasing Syd of W.E.), the ceramic coated stainless steel nibs are a "step silkier" on paper compared with the rhodium plated stainless steel nibs. Both the Rhodium plated and ceramic coated nibs are "flex" or "semi-flex" (depending on your definition). The ceramic coating does not affect the flexibility of the nib - only the smoothness on paper.

 

It seems the ceramic coats the entire nib, including the tip. So in attempting to "tune" one of these coated nibs, I don't think you would want to use any abrasive materials, lest it remove the coating. (But typically, ceramic coatings are very hard indeed.)

 

The nibs are screw-in interchangeable. I've heard that in the future W.E. may offer nib upgrades as a separate purchase. So if you buy a Skyliner 50 with the non-coated rhodium plated nib today, you may be able to upgrade to a ceramic coated nib later on.

 

As for how the coated vs. non-coated nibs perform... IMO (save buying one of each to try) I think we will have to wait for more reviews before forming any opinions.

 

FWIW that's my take on this subject; so far. :hmm1:

 

Regards, David

[Bill Wood]

anyone have the link for the website ? I did a google search but I rather thought it was up and perhaps down at the moment. Syd - any ideas of the URl. Love to learn more. Thanks

[alc3261]

http://www.wahleversharp.com/index.php

[johntdavis]

Am I correct that the current solid gold nib on the Skyline Award Collection is not a flex nib? It doesn't mention flex at all. I know Sid said something earlier about getting a metallurgist to re-engineer the flexible gold alloy Wahl-Eversharp used in the past.

[raging.dragon]

Am I correct that the current solid gold nib on the Skyline Award Collection is not a flex nib? It doesn't mention flex at all. I know Sid said something earlier about getting a metallurgist to re-engineer the flexible gold alloy Wahl-Eversharp used in the past.

 

My understanding is that the Award has a standard 18K nib, not flexible, but presumably soft and springy like most other 18K nibs on the market. From Syd's comments, I believe the flexible gold nib is in the early stages of development and, if successful, will become available in the future.

Edited March 10, 2013 by raging.dragon

[johntdavis]

Am I correct that the current solid gold nib on the Skyline Award Collection is not a flex nib? It doesn't mention flex at all. I know Sid said something earlier about getting a metallurgist to re-engineer the flexible gold alloy Wahl-Eversharp used in the past.

 

My understanding is that the Award has a standard 18K nib, not flexible, but presumably soft and springy like most other 18K nibs on the market. From Syd's comments, I believe the flexible gold nib is in the early stages of development and, if successful, will become available in the future.

 

That's what I thought as well. Excellent. Now I can get the Skyliner 50 guilt-free and upgrade to the gold flex nib when it becomes available.

 

Or I might save and splurge on one of the ceramic nib models. Decisions, decisions...

[publishing guy]

Syd -- Mega kudos. :clap1: You are a hero to those of us who love the W-Es. I just returned from the official website, and I am in lust. Please come to the Chicago Pen Show! I gotta get my ink-stained little mitts on one of these to see if it feels as good as it looks! I'm off now to start posting links to your stuff on my PenGuy FB page.

Edited March 13, 2013 by publishing guy

[lovemy51]

i'd love it if they came with flex nibs. i love the flex nibs on my vintage Skyline and Symphony. the pens do look good aesthetically!

[Wahlnut]

Syd -- Mega kudos. :clap1: You are a hero to those of us who love the W-Es. I just returned from the official website, and I am in lust. Please come to the Chicago Pen Show! I gotta get my ink-stained little mitts on one of these to see if it feels as good as it looks! I'm off now to start posting links to your stuff on my PenGuy FB page.

 

Thanks! The kind words are VERY appreciated! I and the Pens want to be at Chicago, but this year the pens may have to travel with a sales rep as I have to be in Europe at that time.

[johntdavis]

My menthol Skyliner 50s shipped today. Thanks for the swift order processing.

 

Are Waterman carts different from international ones? I had thought they were just a bit longer. (I'm planning to use a converter. Though figuring out what ink to pair with the menthol color is a bit of a challenge. Possibly Monteverde Brown. )

[Wahlnut]

My menthol Skyliner 50s shipped today. Thanks for the swift order processing.

 

Are Waterman carts different from international ones? I had thought they were just a bit longer. (I'm planning to use a converter. Though figuring out what ink to pair with the menthol color is a bit of a challenge. Possibly Monteverde Brown. )

 

You are correct. Waterman carts are really a full 1 1/4" longer

 

WATERMAN: Overall Size - 2 3/4 in. x 1/4 in. (70mm x 7mm)

 

INTERNATIONAL: - Overall Size - 1 1/2 in. x 1/4 in. (40mm x 6mm)

 

Syd

Edited March 13, 2013 by Wahlnut

[Drone]

 

You are correct. Waterman carts are really a full 1 1/4" longer

 

WATERMAN: Overall Size - 2 3/4 in. x 1/4 in. (70mm x 7mm)

 

INTERNATIONAL: - Overall Size - 1 1/2 in. x 1/4 in. (40mm x 6mm)

 

Syd

Hi Syd,

 

When you say the international cartridge is 1-1/2" long, I think you are looking at a "short" standard international cartridge. There are two "standard" sized international carts, "short" and "long".

 

A "long" standard international cartridge (e.g., Pelikan 4001 cart) is 2-7/8" long x 1/4" in diameter at the fat end. So it seems the long international cartridge is actually a tad longer than the Waterman cartridge. (Actually "standard" international cartridge lengths can vary a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer.)

 

Maybe Waterman cartridges and standard long international cartridges are actually the same?

 

I attach a (bad hand phone camera) snapshot of some long vs. short international carts that I had kicking around my desk drawer.

 

So, what happens if you try to use a standard long international cartridge? Is it too long to fit the new Skyline?

 

What happens if you try to use a standard short international cartridge? Is it too short to be inserted and removed? Maybe that's why you went with the longer Waterman cartridge?

 

Have you tried a standard long international cartridge (e.g., Monteverde or Pelikan)?

 

I lament finding out we cannot unscrew the pen where the section meets the barrel. That would make cartridge removal easier regardless of the cartridge size and most importantly, you can check how full the pen is! Right now it seems there is no way to see how much ink you have left without physically pulling the converter or cartridge out.

 

If the W.E. pen depends on Waterman carts, then please offer some for sale on your site. Waterman cartridges are hard/impossible to find locally.

 

As it is now, if I want a box of Waterman cartridges for the W.E. pen, I would have to order and ship them internationally from separate vendor. One stop shopping from W.E. would be much better.

 

Yes, the pen comes with a converter. But there are reasons to have some carts on hand:

 

1. IMO It is easier to travel with a fountain pen when using cartridges.

 

2. It is always good to have a cartridge on hand (e.g. in my office drawer or glove box) in case I run out of ink or have an ink mishap.

 

3. Many times I have found converters to be troublesome - hampering flow, or mechanical issues (Pilot/Namiki converters are notorious). In these cases I just toss the converter and syringe fill cartridges.

 

While you are at it, it would be nice if you added some roller ball and ballpoint refills too. Some lovely Monteverde and/or Private Reserve refills would be cool.

 

Thanks, David

[Wahlnut]

Thanks for your input, Drone. Most folks I know consider the international cartridge the short one...so does the poser of the question johntdavis who I was answering. While there are variations on the international size, It was his question about waterman being longer than what HE thinks international is that I was answering. Our pens work fine with the recommended cartridges.

 

If we were now in the ink business as part of our line, like many of the other manufacturers, some of whose whose boxes you show, we would supply cartridges just like they do. Obviously part of their ploy is to try to make the pen buyer believe they need to use their ink and cartridges all the time. But alas our proprietary ink will not be available for a year in the future.

 

In my soon to be retired from professional life, we had a saying...If you like our products and service please tell everyone you see. If you don't like our service, tell me so we can improve. In the FPN world, we are sort of family, and I have no problem with sharing ideas with family. All the other information you provided is very interesting. And your suggestions for how to improve our business model here and in your other posts are all being taken into consideration for the future. Your interest in improving our offerings is gratifying...if I did not know better, I might suspect you looking for a job with us. But since we are not hiring, I am more than happy for the free advice.

 

This topic is in the Pen Reviews Forum and while speculative advice is fine, the input we are most interested in is what our customer-users have to say, because they have first hand experience with our products and can provide the reviews we and other people are wanting to hear.

 

Keep the ideas coming.

Syd

Edited March 14, 2013 by Wahlnut

[johntdavis]

Thanks for your input, Drone. Most folks I know consider the international cartridge the short one...so does the poser of the question johntdavis who I was answering. While there are variations on the international size, It was his question about waterman being longer than what HE thinks international is that I was answering. Our pens work fine with the recommended cartridges.

 

I almost never buy carts because I consider them uneconomical, and I've already got a few empties that will fit each of the pens I own, and a syringe to fill them. (I saved the ones that came with my Pilots, and the box of Private Reserve short internationals that I got for Christmas, which covers everything.) I had no idea there actually was more than one size of international cartridge. The only ones I've ever needed to use are the Private Reserve ones, which are the shorter version, looking at the pictures posted.

 

I'm seriously considering getting one box of the Waterman cartridges so I can have some of those huge things sitting around for needle-filliing.

 

 

I'm guessing the business end of the cartridge is the same on a short/Private Reserve style int'l cartridge and a longer Waterman one? From the video it looks like the cartridge or converter inserts from the rear of the pen after removing the blind cap (I love this part of the design, by the way--makes the pen act like a piston filler with the converter in, which is great for filling/wiping down after filling--one of the reasons I had to have this). The short international carts couldn't be used, then, because they're too short to insert/remove fully. Is that correct?

 

But alas our proprietary ink will not be available for a year in the future.

 

Uh oh. If your inks are anywhere near as cool as your pens (and I suspect they will be), the tenuous grip I have on my ink budget is in for some rough times.

 

This topic is in the Pen Reviews Forum and while speculative advice is fine, the input we are most interested in is what our customer-users have to say, because they have first hand experience with our products and can provide the reviews we and other people are wanting to hear.

 

My Skyliner 50s will apparently be here tomorrow (again, really impressed with the shipping). I'm trying to drain one of my pens so I can store it, so it'll be a while before I ink it up. Or not--I'm weak-willed about new pens. So far the most agonizing thing has been deciding what ink to put in it. It's a great shade of green, so I'm thinking Monteverde Brown (not my favorite brown, but it's the only one I have; I wish it was a little more expressive). I'll be sure and post a writing sample/review/pictures at some point.

 

Random question: I haven't gotten a close look at one yet, so I'm curious. Is the car toy a reproduction of any specific car?