Marble Skyline?

[Greenie]

On ebay now. Was there such a thing, or is this some type of "fantasy" Skyline with new plastic and other vintage parts? it looks too shiny, and the section is also marbled.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/361316223161?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

 

[Cryptos]

That's kinda interesting. I had a look at my last Skyline and the end of the section flares to the end, whereas the one in the listing flares and then is flat until the end. Hmmm.

 

Edit1: Just checked 83 other listings for Skylines and none had that shape on the flared end of the section, not even the modern version.

 

Oh, and whoever the seller is, and I have seen his stuff quite a bit, he must have the largest pen collection in history because every single pen he sells comes from his 'personal collection'!

 

Edit2: nothing I can find on all the usual suspect sites either (Binder, penhero etc).

Edited June 10, 2015 by Cardboard_Tube

[Greenie]

Good call on the shape of the section. I have a couple dozen Skylines and didn't pick up on that. What is also very odd is the patterned section. Sections in any old pen seem to be either hard rubber (mostly), or less commonly, with the ink view window and rubber liner to seat the feed. Besides the vacumatic striped sections, I don't recall any other sections matching the pen pattern on any well known pen model.

 

As for the "out of my personal collection" - he buys it - then it is "in his collection" - then he sells it !

 

I found no images on google and no on line references either. Nothing like it in Lambrou's book or Fischler's book.

 

So... what is this pen?

[welch]

Calling Syd! Calling Syd!

 

I've never seen a marbled Skyline, either.

[starlegohunter]

The celluloid reminds me of the Doric, specifically the Burma celluloid. The clip, nib, feed, and lever all look to be normal hardware on skylines. I think this was a custom pen made in the eversharp factory, and whoever did it used an old piece of celluloid that was originally used for Dorics.

[welch]

Good suggestion.

 

Dr David I, at Fountain Pen Board, notes, as Starlegohunter implies (and I tend to agree) that the marble stock looks pre-1940. I think that Henry Dreyfuss wanted a solid color body on the Skyline. The P-51 has solid color hood and barrel. I grew up in the Olden Dayes (meaning the '50s) and we thought marbled anything was so old-fashioned that it belonged in a dump with running boards and other "features" of the Model T Ford.

 

There are many Skyline bits -- nib, over-the-top clip and derby, lever-fill. I can't imagine someone so skilled that they could machine all this and so bored that they would bother.

Edited June 15, 2015 by welch

[gweimer1]

The pen went for $168 last night. The same seller also had three other Wahl pens that sold very well.

[welch]

The pen went for $168 last night. The same seller also had three other Wahl pens that sold very well.

 

I thought, well, a marble Skyline would be a nice pen, especially with the soft medium nib. Considered my maximum snipe-price, considered what my wife would say if another pen arrived, checked the listing, and that pen was already $10 above what I was willing to pay. Ended at more than double my max. Wow. But it is a beautiful pen, however it came to be.

[Greenie]

It was pretty enough that I wanted it, even if it is a look alike with Skyline hardware attached. I have an unusual red striped "Skyline" that is not a skyline, but a look alike with all skyline slip, nib, feed.

 

But alas, too expensive. I guess many others also thought it was nice whatever it is.