1940S/1950S Big Four Frangibility Ratings

[Chouffleur]

I have a few 50s era pens in various stages of repair/disrepair. It's my goal to improve them sufficiently for daily use. While I try to read up on pens *before* I own them it seems that nothing makes you really pay attention like having a real physical object in front of you. I recently purchased a Waterman Crusader and then read a number of posts that involved words like "crumbling" and "cracking". Since I started out with Esterbrooks these words were new to me.;-)

 

Without re-opening a "Big Four" can of worms, I'd be interested to know the most, median, and least frangible pens of the 50s made by Eversharp-Wahl, Parker, Sheaffer, and Waterman. I'll probably wind up buying pens of this period from these manufacturers and would like to stage the order I touch them in to minimize heartbreak (and penbreak).

 

Thanks

[tmenyc]

Hmm...these 4 brands, those two decades? Not Sheaffer or Parker, they were only producing truly excellent and exceptionally durable product then, and have not to my knowledge degraded significantly since. Your post WWII American/Canadian Waterman might be the worst of this particular lot, since the plastic has shrinkage and brittle-izing history. Eversharp Skylines and Symphony hold up well, but the caps of every Symphony I've seen look pretty bad, I think the victim of cost-cutting during Eversharp's death spiral.

 

The 60's are a different story, for sure...but you asked about the 40's and 50's.

 

Tim

[BamaPen]

Well certainly the 1940s Eversharp Skylines have notoriously brittle barrels.

[FarmBoy]

Not Sheaffer or Parker, they were only producing truly excellent and exceptionally durable product then, and have not to my knowledge degraded significantly since.

 

Tim

Like the Parker 21?

[kirchh]

Like the Parker 21?

61, too.

 

--Daniel

[sidthecat]

A scientific answer would probably require either testing-to-destruction or a very thorough survey of the ownership base. Perhaps a questionnaire with a dozen or so observations of condition.

 

Or buy a few and watch them decay?

[pajaro]

Parker 51 is pretty good.

 

I have had Sheaffer Imperial barrels cracked (before I got the pens). Cracks at the blind cap for the Touchdown filler. This causes the Touchdown filler to not work unless I hold the barrel together at the crack while working the Touchdown filler (air leak).

[3rdlakerobert]

My experience is almost entirely with Sheaffer, which I would say made very durable pens in this period. Granted, the 50s TDs and Snorks had shrinkage problems, but I believe that issue was mostly due to exposing the pen to some environmental stresser. Those that sat in a room temperature drawer didn't shrink and we find scores of them in like-new condition. So if you find a good one, it won't shrink if you treat it right.

 

The "sheath" or Triumph nib is designed to be durable. The nib and feed are locked in position much more securely than those in an open nib configuation.

 

Clips are seldom damaged, but if severely abused the barrel will crack near the clip, usually quite inconspicuously so look closely before buying, or ask the sellers to look.

 

Threading problems are rare in the 50s, not so much in the late 40s.

 

(I'm afraid I might have opened a can after all. )

[tmenyc]

I stand corrected on the 21 and 61, although I've thought their problems lay elsewhere, not being brittle. I've never personally had that problem with either of those models.

[beanbag]

Waterman CF is pretty robust. Unlike many other pens of that era, the barrel is not held on with glues, rosins, sealants, bug extracts, etc.

[terim]

Waterman CF is pretty robust. Unlike many other pens of that era, the barrel is not held on with glues, rosins, sealants, bug extracts, etc.

Good karma and wishful thinking?

[pajaro]

My experience is almost entirely with Sheaffer, which I would say made very durable pens in this period. Granted, the 50s TDs and Snorks had shrinkage problems, but I believe that issue was mostly due to exposing the pen to some environmental stresser. Those that sat in a room temperature drawer didn't shrink and we find scores of them in like-new condition. So if you find a good one, it won't shrink if you treat it right.

 

The "sheath" or Triumph nib is designed to be durable. The nib and feed are locked in position much more securely than those in an open nib configuation.

 

Clips are seldom damaged, but if severely abused the barrel will crack near the clip, usually quite inconspicuously so look closely before buying, or ask the sellers to look.

 

Threading problems are rare in the 50s, not so much in the late 40s.

 

(I'm afraid I might have opened a can after all. )

 

The Touchdown fillers that I bought new didn't crack. Just the ones I bought pre-cracked.

 

The Triumph nibs, though, I have large and smaller ones, and I have trouble keeping the nib on the sweet spot. They are strong, though.

[ironwampa]

Parker 21's are made of polystyrene and so are prone to cracking. Parker pens made of acrylic will not have that problem. As for the Sheaffers if you get unlucky you will end up with a fragile pen, but if you get really unlucky your new car will be a lemon, your bag of lemons will have mold, your yeast will be dead, etc.