Conklin All Americans

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a Conklin All American Green Etched Self Filling Rubber Sack Pen c1936. This 5 inch long model also came in Red Etched celluloid and sold for $1.95 with a $1.00 matching twist action pencil. Both the clip and lever are stamped with their patent numbers. The standard gold nib is plain and stamped only with ALL AMERICAN, unlike the Cushon Point 14 karat gold nib shown here. The barrel imprint reads ALL-AMERICAN over A PRODUCT OF CONKLIN over TOLEDO, OH U.S.A.

http://penhero.com/Temp/ConklinAllAmerican_1280_03a.jpg

Thanks!

[pajaro]

A very beautiful design. I'll have to see if I can find one. Then if I can afford it.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a Conklin All American Red Etched Self Filling Rubber Sack Pen c1936. This 5 inch long example is slightly different than the Green Etched celluloid one posted yesterday. This one has the standard gold nib, unhallmarked so probably less than 14 karat gold, plain and stamped only with ALL AMERICAN. The barrel imprint reads THE ALL AMERICAN PEN over MADE IN U.S.A. over A CONKLIN PRODUCT.

http://penhero.com/Temp/ConklinAllAmerican_1280_04a.jpg

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a Conklin All American Black Self Filling Rubber Sack Pen c1936. This 5 inch long model was available at the same time as the Green Etched and Red Etched celluloid pens and sold for $1.95 with a $1.00 matching twist action pencil. Both the clip and lever are stamped with their patent numbers. The standard gold nib is plain and stamped simply ALL AMERICAN, with no hallmark. The barrel imprint, not shown, reads ALL-AMERICAN over A PRODUCT OF CONKLIN over TOLEDO, OH U.S.A. These streamline All American pens have two imprints, slightly different.

http://penhero.com/Temp/ConklinAllAmerican_1280_05a.jpg

Thanks!

[Drone]

@PenHero,

Beautiful pens, thank you for sharing them with us.

Bringing forward in-time the price you cited for the vintage All-American fountain pen with a solid gold-alloy nib, for what it's worth (no pun intended) the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Inflation Calculator on the U.S. Government's Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) web site (see Ref.-1 below) says $1.95 in 1936 was worth $34.59 in July 2017.

For comparison, a modern "Conklin" All-American fountain pen (retread brand name now owned by Yafa in California) costs $76.00 on the street (see Ref.-2) with a stainless steel nib and a (likely) machine-turned acrylic body and cap. Even though the barrel of the modern All-American pen is marked "Toledo, Ohio" like the original, I seriously doubt any part of the pen has seen the light of day in Toledo. I suspect that at-best the pen parts are made in China or Taiwan with (maybe) some assembly being done in the U.S.A.

 

I must say however that the modern All-American does pay homage in-passing to the classic version. For example:

http://cdn3.volusion.com/stnvf.ynoqe/v/vspfiles/photos/CK71400-5.jpg?1502375664

The above picture was linked from Anderson Pen (I have no affiliation). See Ref.-2 below.

* References:

1. https://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl

2. http://www.andersonpens.com/Conklin-All-American-Pens-s/2420.htm

 

Best Regards, David

Edited August 22, 2017 by Drone

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a new shot of the Conklin All American Sac-less Vacuum Pen in Reptilian Gold Green Vein c1936. This 5 3/16 inch long model also came in Reptilian Pearl Gray and Reptilian Foliage Red Vein and sold for $2.95 with a $1.00 matching twist action pencil. The clip has the Conklin Crescent at the top and is stamped with its patent number. The standard gold nib is plain and stamped simply ALL AMERICAN, with no hallmark. The barrel has translucent areas that are very ambered if you look closely. Unlike the Quick Fill pens, the plunger is accessed by removing the end cap instead of the end cap itself being the plunger handle. The barrel imprint, not shown, reads THE ALL AMERICAN PEN over MADE IN U.S.A. over A CONKLIN PRODUCT. These streamline All American pens have two imprints, slightly different.

http://penhero.com/Temp/ConklinAllAmerican_1280_06a.jpg

Thanks!

[PenHero]

I must say however that the modern All-American does pay homage in-passing to the classic version.

 

Hi, David,

 

The new Conklins leave me a little flat. To me the new Wahl Eversharp pens are more of an homage to the original designs. Many of the Conklin pens seem only to use the old name, but not really much else. When I think of homage pens, I think of pens like the Sheaffer Legacy and Crest and the Parker Duofold, for example. I know there aren't similar choices to the amazing celluloids of the 1930s, but I can always hope.

 

Thanks!