Did I Do Well? Vintage Eversharp Symphony ~ Early Slipper Cap ~ Autograph Band

[Sridhar]

I know the skylines are preferred more than the symphony. But this is my first ever sharp! The vendor is well trusted on ebay - Thomas Bickham. So far he has been mostly good….(with some exceptions of course) on Parker Vacs and Sheaffers

 

What do you think?

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Eversharp-SYMPHONY-Early-SLIPPER-CAP-AUTOGRAPH-BAND-RESTORED-/390824027630?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=uMXcuJxyvYscGec%252FEkMxyD4EVTg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

 

post edit : of course Dr.Hari, your opinions are most welcome…you must have got so many "sumgais"

Edited April 28, 2014 by Sridhar

[Shaun500]

Fantastic. Slipper caps are very rare.

 

Even though, it's an Extra Fine and not a flex nib, so I'm not familiar with the pricing.

 

But I can say for certainty that if it were a flex nib with a slipper cap, fully restored and in decent condition, it would easily go for USD$120+.

[Sridhar]

It does not look to be flex to me, though I will know when it arrives

[kernando]

Slipper caps are normal, not rare, if one counts all slipper caps. The first ones had no bands. So it's not early, out of slipper caps. One might call that cap early in the sense that any slipper cap is probably earlier than a plain one.

[FriedIceCream]

Slipper caps are normal, not rare, if one counts all slipper caps. The first ones had no bands. So it's not early, out of slipper caps. One might call that cap early in the sense that any slipper cap is probably earlier than a plain one.

 

They're referring to this model in particular, as the first versions were produced with a slip cap for only a short time. W/E switched to a more traditional design for the pen as a whole after only producing the originally Symphony for ~1 year iirc.

[LBpens]

Some people get confused about slip cap vs slipper cap. This is not a friction fit cap. All Symphony pens had threaded caps. As to rarity, not very. They seem to have gone up in price a lot the last 10 years or so. I can remember selling NOS boxed sets with slipper caps for around $70. I think nice used pens can still be had for under $100.

[DaveM]

Looks like a decent deal. Not super rare, but not as common as belly buttons either. The Skylines are much more popular with collectors, but the Symphony is a nice pen. People just don't seem as interested in Symphonies. My favorite pen for writing with is a banded one similar to what you have, but with a medium nib and in blue. The slipper cap was a bit too radical, so they switched over to a regular round cap a couple of years later. I think the unique cap gives it a lot of charm. I like the Loewy look.

 

Raymond Loewy designed the shape of the cap. He designed everything from Studebakers to Locomotives to the Exxon logo. Google him, you won't be disappointed and you will understand why your new pen has such a "cool factor" He gave us versions of the Coke bottle, The Coast Guard's striped logo, Tractors, Greyhound Scenicruisers, Zippos, Architecture, Interior designs for the Concorde, Postage stamps and pretty much everything else.

 

Enjoy your new pen!

[spotted and speckled]

Considering who you got it from, I think you will be very happy. Those are great pens too.

[vikramguliya]

Its always good to get from a good dealer

[discopig]

Eversharp Symphony pens are pretty underrated. I have one with a gold-plated cap here and a nice flex nib and it's a great writer.

[Cryptos]

DELETED

Edited June 3, 2014 by Cryptos

[Cryptos]

I'm joining the club with this one (see pic) just won for $36.50. Don't know if that was a good deal or not but I do like the look of it. (if anyone knows how to force a smaller pic size... do tell)

 

[Gloucesterman]

It looks like you have done well in you new adventure.

Congratulations and enjoy.

[Garageboy]

Metal cap threads on the body are the tell tale of the rarer first gen pens

[jonveley]

One small correction - these aren't "autograph bands." From what I recall, the wider bands were the Symphony Deluxe - at least for the later non "slipper" caps.

 

For those who are wondering what a "slipper" cap is, Loewy's original design included a cap which has a ridge running up and over the top of the cap, with the back half of the cap (opposite the clip) being bigger than the front half. The "slipper" nickname (a collector nickname, not an official designation from what I recall) comes from the comparison of the cap looking like a house slipper with a sole and a top section.

 

Eversharp quickly dropped the slipper design in favor of a smooth cap. As noted earlier, both slipper caps and the second-generation caps were threaded.

[Sridhar]

I'm joining the club with this one (see pic) just won for $36.50. Don't know if that was a good deal or not but I do like the look of it. (if anyone knows how to force a smaller pic size... do tell)

 

 

Wow - Certainly looks like you have done wonderfully well !

[Sridhar]

A long term report - the pen is indeed great. Completely agree with some of you who have said that the symphony is an underrated pen. Within a short tim, it has moved up to my top three writers and on some days does seek to challenge my No.2 which is a Parker Vac.

The slipper cap does give it a rather distinctive air

[Cryptos]

UPDATE: looks like I got burned. The pen arrived and it looks nice and clean. The clip is slightly flexed away from the cap. The big disappointment was in uncapping. The section pulls away from the body without any pressure at all and there is no sac in the body. On the other hand the nib looks okay.

 

So, dilemma. What to do with it. Who would be the best person to give this to?

 

I am feeling a little upset by this, as you can imagine, and very foolish for ever venturing into the world of Ebay 'vintage' pens.

 

EDIT: oh and the picture earlier in this thread has the guarantee covering the space where a matching pencil is clearly meant to go.

Edited June 20, 2014 by Cryptos

[kidde]

Cryptos, my friend, assume the seller ignorant in the ways of pens. Sounds like a new sac will put you back on path. I have faith you can re-sac it or hopefully find a place near to carry it out. $20 USD is the upper limit here for a re-sac and polish. So at that point you'll have a beautiful pen with a NEW sac that will last roughly 30 years.

I know the frustration, I also know your patience. All will be right and you will own a beautiful peace of history.

 

Paul

[Cryptos]

Thanks for the reassurance Paul. I have put out a couple of feelers for someone who may like to have a go at a re-sac job. The nib on this one looks very fine pointed and seems to flex a bit under slight pressure.

 

It's funny you know. I had a fistful of temperamental Chinese pens ('cause they're cheap). Then, as I was bemoaning the lack of available pens over here, and my low funding position, all of a sudden it's raining pens! A fair few have come from well-meaning people either through donated funds or direct offers of pens, or PIFs like yours.

 

Anyway, I am sitting here bemused and wondering how on Earth all this happened.

Edited June 21, 2014 by Cryptos