Icicles - Long, Short, Quasi, Pseudo?

[Veltri]

I received some pens recently that are surely icicles, and others that look like it but may or may not be.

There are some similar and some different characteristics.

 

 

The first two are what seem to be standard icicles. Each have 9 distinct black vertical lines.

The ones here have no imprint on the barrel, and the lever is just that. A lever on a hinge that pushes the sac directly. No metal plate, no j-bar.

 

These are LJ size:

 

http://i59.tinypic.com/4m3qh.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/2lw2h6c.jpg

 

 

This is SJ size, same characteristics as above but shorter and made in USA:

 

http://i57.tinypic.com/2hnrjis.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/33yhuu9.jpg

 

 

This one I consider a quasi icicle. It looks and feels like the others, but there are many more vertical lines - about 15-25 of them depending on the angle, and the lines are much less distinct. The made in USA imprint is horizontally stamped around the barrel. It has a lever with a metal plate and no j-bar. A nice looking pen! But is it an icicle?

 

http://i58.tinypic.com/2qb7zoj.jpg

 

Oh, and another interesting tidbit, the section is longer than any of the others!

 

http://i60.tinypic.com/s5b914.jpg

 

 

And here's the pseudo icicle. It has 4 thick distinct black lines, and the well known marbled pattern in between them. It's J sized and also a very nice looking pen, but I think clearly not an icicle, and probably often mistaken for one.

 

http://i58.tinypic.com/4ta8a0.jpg

 

 

 

Anyone have some info on these or some other icicles to show? I think there were a lot made in Mexico, (or Hecho en Mexico) right?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[amberleadavis]

Well, they are very pretty.

[FarmBoy]

Your red pen is a very late production nearing the end pen.

Your Icicles should have j-bars in them.

[estie1948]

 

Your Icicles should have j-bars in them.

Great pens and congratulations on them. I want to echo what FarmBoy is telling you. These pens should have j-bars. I have found a few Esterbrooks and other lever fillers that are missing their j-bars. What I surmise has happened is that someone did a quick and partial restoration job and left out the j-bar. This is fine for a while if you use the pen (if it is just a collector's piece, it is good forever I guess), but the lever moving against the sac will eventually wear or cut a hole in the sac. At some point, I think you should replace the missing j-bars in these pens if you use them.

 

-David.

[bluefish65]

The section on the gray pen appears to have come from a purse pen, which is somewhat shorter than the sections on an LJ & SJ, but will still fit them.

[Veltri]

Thanks for the comments and info

 

So they should have J bars.

In fact one of the pens was difficult to fill, and once removing the section, the bladder was getting flat and worn.

I just ordered some sac replacement supplies and didn't think of J bars

 

And the red one is a later pattern rather than an icicle. I hope that means they are more common because I'd like to see more of these.

 

The section on the gray pen is the same section as in all my pens. It is the red pen's section that's unusual.

[Brian Anderson]

A common tactic a few years ago when Esterbrooks were cheaper was to raid them for their J bars since they were such a high quality piece (much better than the single piece Wearever and other lower quality manufacturers). The last pen is not an icicle. There were no J pens made as icicle, only LJ and SJ. I question the grey pen having a purse pen section, later icicles could be seen with longer sections.

[FarmBoy]

Red pen is a very late production LJ. Injection molded section most likely.

 

FB