Can Someone Id This Old Hard Rubber Wahl?

[Hadders]

I recently picked this pen up on eBay for $14 shipped. I love how it looks and feels in the hand, but I have no idea what model it is, and I haven't been able to figure it by looking around online.

 

Also, I was thinking about sending it to Danny at thewitepen.net for restoration. Anyone have any experience with him?

 

I'm also looking to find a broad nib that could be swapped on, as I'm not a fan of fine/medium nibs like this one. Any suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[redbike]

Danny is an FPN member and well regarded restorer. Unfortunately I don't know much about these so can't be much help.

 

Good luck with your pen.

[Wahl]

According to Lambrou this is a Wahl FP in hard rubber, soldier clip, from 1922.

[Wahlnut]

It is what many call today a "Tulip Clip" pen. The pen got that name because the clip hole and clip top (which is missing here )is shapes like a tulip. The clips today are only available if one finds a vintage pen to take one from. Most collector will move a good clip to a better pen if they find one. That leaves the "lesser quality" pen without one. The clip has 2 flanges that are soldered into place on the clip and then the clip is inserted through the hole from the inside and inside flange of the cap is pinched between the cap inside and the button on the top of the cap when the gold filled cap top is pressed onto the cap.

 

It was originally a "student" model pen and came in 2 sizes. This is the smaller size as denoted by the #2 nib in the pen. I can give you the original stock number for this pen but I am away from the reference material just now. The pen body is made of red and black "mottled" ebonite (hard rubber). That material was replaced by another style so the pen can be dated to between 1923 and 1926. The chip out of the cap lip is very hard to "repair and most folks on a pen of this overall condition will just file it back to even. Others might replace the entire cap lip from a donor pen of worse condition and make the joint right behind the bottom cap ring to hide the joint. This pen's nib should be on the flexy side, so if you are a writer, interested in flex you may be rewarder enough to not even care about a restoration. There might be better candidates to spend your time or money on restoring anyway.

Syd

[Hadders]

Thank you guys for the responses! I got busy with the semester and totally forgot about this thread, but it's awesome to get some more info! I'm probably going to get this pen restored functionally, but not worry about the chip or the clip. I really love the material and how the pen feels in the hand, so I really want to write with it. I love vintage pens, but I'm more of a user than a collector for now, so this pen should do nicely.

[raivtash]

amazing price and great pen.

[sidthecat]

I have something similar in green. They are nice, substantial pens, and like yours, it's had a hard life. No clip, chipped cap and whatever the cap used to be is an unattractive brown.

But a flexy #4 nib remains, which I plan to transplant into a Doric ringtop.

I should say, ask someone who knows what he's doing to transplant it. Fingers crossed.