Eagle Prestige Photo Thread

[PenHero]

Fellow Collectors,

 

Made a significant update to the article on the Eagle Prestige pen with a detailed examination of the mechanism and restoration written by Matthew Greenberger.

 

This version of the Eagle Prestige was marketed c1939, based on patent application. I created an identification guide based on observed examples - there are more variations than I previously thought! There are certain variations that suggest possible multiple production runs, such as three different cap bands, two nib types, and the barrel breather hole with or without grommets.

 

 

The pen's operation reminds Matthew most of the Waterman Ink Vue, but with an inner barrel. Filling feels like filling an Ink Vue. See what the INSIDE STORY is on this very uncommon pen!

 

 

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Eagle/EaglePrestige.htm

 

Thanks!

[Greenie]

Hi Jim,

 

For future reference, your humble green Prestige repairer is Greenie on FPN.

 

This is one of the more interesting fillers that is not actually complex, but is actually unique and works efficiently.

 

Perhaps I can contribute more in the future.....

 

Matt

[PenHero]

Hi, Matt,

 

I think your contribution was really great! Thanks for providing that "insider" information!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is an Eagle Prestige Black in the slimmer size that comes with a 14 karat gold Number 4 nib, c1939. The design was an improvement on bulb fill fountain pens such as the Postal Reservoir Pen. Eagle submitted Benjamin W. Hanle's patent for the design on March 11, 1938 and patent 2,170,242 was awarded on August 22, 1939, which indicates that the Prestige was probably introduced in the 1938 to 1939 timeframe. Inside the translucent barrel is a clear cylindrical ink chamber attached at one end to the nib section and with a short rubber sac at the other. This unit is not flush with the barrel, allowing airflow around the ink chamber through two grommeted holes in opposite sides of the barrel. The pen fills by removing the barrel end cap revealing a paddle-like lever that squeezes the ink sac. These are very uncommon pens that came in two widths, the wider pen with a Number 6 nib and this model with a Number 4, both being about 5 3/16 inches long capped. They came in black, brown web and marble paneled, golden brown stripe, green stripe, silver web, green brick, and olive marbled striped patterns. Several elaborate gold plated cap bands were used, including repeating arrows, a repeating angled T pattern, and a repeating teardrop with triangle cutout.

 

 

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is an Eagle Prestige Green Stripe in the wider size that comes with a 14 karat gold Number 6 nib, c1939. It's open showing the clear cylindrical ink chamber that attaches at one end to the nib section and has a short rubber sac on the other. This unit does not touch the inside of the barrel. There are two grommeted holes in opposite sides of the barrel to allow airflow around the ink chamber to keep it from overheating. The end cap is removed to show the paddle-like lever that squeezes the ink sac. It has a Number 6 14 karat gold nib and is about 5 3/16 inches long capped.

 

 

Thanks!

[Greenie]

I have also just seen on line a shorter version with a #2 nib - about 4 3/4 inches long! On ebay right now. I had no idea there was such a thing.

[PenHero]

Yes - there is a third size with a number 2 nib, but I don't yet know how it measures against the #4 and #6.

[sztainbok]

Does anybody know if there was a matching pencil to the Eagle Prestige pen?

[PenHero]

Does anybody know if there was a matching pencil to the Eagle Prestige pen?

 

I have not personally seen any, but since Eagle was a pencil manufacturer and matching pencils were commonly made with pens and sold with them in sets. They should exist. There are a couple of examples of Eagle pencils with the same clip on the Leadheads blog.

[sztainbok]

thank you Jim

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is an Eagle Prestige Demonstrator in the largest, wider size, c1939. The largest Prestige comes with a 14 karat gold Number 6 nib. The clear barrel shows the clear cylindrical ink chamber that attaches at one end to the nib section and has a short rubber sac on the other. This ink chamber unit does not touch the inside of the barrel. There are two grommeted holes in opposite sides of the barrel to allow airflow around the ink chamber to keep it from overheating, preventing leaking. The paddle-like lever that squeezes the ink sac is obscured, on the right side near the end cap. It is about 5 3/16 inches long capped.

 

 

Thanks!

[Greenie]

I have never seen a cap band like that before! Do you think it is original, or perhaps a replacement?

 

I also have one of these Presige paddle fill demonstrators, and the band is missing. As a demonstrator, I wondered if it came without a band, or if the band fell off.

[PenHero]

I have never seen a cap band like that before! Do you think it is original, or perhaps a replacement?

 

I also have one of these Presige paddle fill demonstrators, and the band is missing. As a demonstrator, I wondered if it came without a band, or if the band fell off.

 

It appears to be original, and not like any of the other Prestige cap bands. Possibly on purpose as a Demonstrator? Don't know!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is an Eagle Prestige fountain pen and pencil set in green brickwork celluloid c. 1939. This is the smallest size Prestige at about 4 11/16 inches long capped. It comes with a 14 karat gold Number 2 size nib, this one being stamped EAGLE over 14K over MADE IN over UNITED STATES over OF AMERICA. The pen has a hidden ink chamber unit that does not touch the inside of the barrel which has a small ink sac attached, like a bulb filler. There are two grommeted holes in opposite sides of the barrel to allow airflow around the ink chamber to keep it from overheating, preventing leaking. The pen fills by removing the black end cap and pressing the paddle, compressing the ink sac.

 

 

Thanks!

[Greenie]

I don't think I have ever seen a pencil for this set until recently.

 

There was a question if these were ever sold retail, based on a story of a pen collector getting some of these from boxes still owned by family of the former owner of Eagle. With the recent set on ebay with papers, and scribbles from the former owner, we have a bit more evidence that these were retail items.

 

So I assume this is the boxed set with papers that just sold on ebay last week.

Would you be willing to scan the papers and post them? Those of us with an interest could have decent copies of what might be the only literature on this model. I had the seller take pics and send them to me, but scans would be nicer!

Edited May 12, 2018 by Greenie

[Greenie]

I would like to add colors/pattern not yet listed for the sake of scholarship.

 

Here is a version in black with a zig zag pattern on the clear area. It is just about 5 1/4 inches long.

The nib is a #4, Eagle 14K "made in united states of america".

 

This pattern is much more transparent than the colored ones, and shows the extent of the translucency in the pattern of the colored pens. The area of the bulb and paddle is opaque on the three pens I have (not counting the demonstrator with fully clear barrel)

 

The patent numbers are longitudinal, perpendicular to the Eagle Prestige The Insulated Pen logo.

On my green one, full sized, #2 nib, in the pattern of the above set, the patent area is around the barrel just like the Eagle Prestige The Insulated Pen logo. This adds to the thought that there were different production runs of the pen, despite the scarcity.

 

[Greenie]

I also have the pen in a beige tone. But my wife tells me I describe colors poorly. So feel free to call it something better.

This is a fascinating example. I have not cleaned it up at all.

It is a debadged version, labeled Heacock. The clip has an "H" logo. The nib is marked "Heacock" but the rest of the markings are quite Eagle like with the fully spelled out in small capital letters "made in united states of america"

 

There is no imprint on the end of the barrel - It does not say "Eagle Prestige The Insulated Pen" and there are no patent markings.

 

 

There are Asian language markings on the barrel. I will try to photograph and add, and see if it is a name or a brand marking.

 

Heacock was a department store in the Philippines. Thanks to Google digitizing a lot of old ads, I have found ads from earlier than this pen, showing that Heacock stores sold pens by well known makers, rebadged for their stores. Link to "Philippine Education" magazine 1914

[PenHero]

I merged the two Eagle Prestige threads into one photo thread.

[PenHero]

I don't think I have ever seen a pencil for this set until recently.

 

There was a question if these were ever sold retail, based on a story of a pen collector getting some of these from boxes still owned by family of the former owner of Eagle. With the recent set on ebay with papers, and scribbles from the former owner, we have a bit more evidence that these were retail items.

 

So I assume this is the boxed set with papers that just sold on ebay last week.

Would you be willing to scan the papers and post them? Those of us with an interest could have decent copies of what might be the only literature on this model. I had the seller take pics and send them to me, but scans would be nicer!

Yes, I'll be scanning the papers and posting them in the User Guides section of PenHero.com this weekend.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is an Eagle Prestige fountain pen in brown brickwork celluloid c. 1939. It's rebranded Heacock, with HEACOCK stamped on the nib where EAGLE usually would be and an "H" logo on the clip instead of the EAGLE stamping. It's possible the pen was made for Heacock & Freer, a jeweler based in San Francisco, California. The pen has four Japanese characters stamped in the barrel, perhaps a personalization. This is the large slender size Prestige at about 5 3/16 inches long capped. It comes with a 14 karat gold Number 2 size nib, this one being stamped HEACOCK over 14K over MADE IN over UNITED STATES over OF AMERICA over 2. The pen has a hidden ink chamber unit that does not touch the inside of the barrel which has a small ink sac attached, like a bulb filler. There are two grommeted holes in opposite sides of the barrel to allow airflow around the ink chamber to keep it from overheating, preventing leaking. The pen fills by removing the black end cap and pressing the paddle, compressing the ink sac.

 

 

Thanks!