Really Good Bad Luck With A Skyline Parts Pen.

[Addertooth]

I picked up an eBay Skyline pen which was advertised as a parts pen; they priced it quite low (sold for $23 American). Upon arrival it was inspected. It was actually in solid condition, it was simplly missing a sac, and was in need of a good polish, but it did have the teardrop nib. I had purchased it to make use of its section in a more expensive (i presumed) pen. Upon inspection, it was immediately clear the parts pen was a larger Executive model. The section would not fit a standard sized pen which needed the section. So, it looks like I am stuck with an executive in a striated brown cap, and a brown body.

 

After reading from various websites (and Richard Binder's book on Eversharp pens), they all seem to echo that the Executive sized version of the skyline was "rare". I guess my question is whether they are actually rare. For those who collect Skylines, about how often do you run accross Executive sized versions of pens? Since the purchase, I finally found a standard sized all black skyline, I guess it will become my parts pen.

Edited August 16, 2019 by Addertooth

[Greenie]

They are uncommon. I see a few a year on ebay. So not exactly rare, but you don't seem them every month.

 

You should either just be very excited to have a grander, larger skyline for a very cheap price

OR

clean it up and resell it. You can get two to three more typical Skylines for the price you are likely to get.

[Addertooth]

Thanks for the input Greenie. It has already had the first round of polish, had the section/feed/nib ultrasonically cleaned, the nib polished and a new tapered sac put in it. I may have to tune the nib a bit, the former owner "wrote in" the pen at about a 60 degree angle, which is a bit steeper than my natural hand position. It was taken to a work meeting today, and cranked out a couple pages of handwritten notes without a skip or hiccup.... seems like a solid pen. I had mistakenly thought it was a brown striated celluloid cap with a black body, but after it was rested next to a black body skyline, it was clear the body was a deep dark-chocolate brown. Old eyes can fool you in dim light, if you have nothing to compare it with. The decorative rings and the clip are all satin finish as well.

[Greenie]

Since the barrel is larger, a standard #20 (or 18) sac also does the trick. The usual tapered skyline sac is not necessary, and you will get better ink capacity with the standard sac.

[Addertooth]

I absolutely agree, the 16 and 1/2 tapered sac was a bit too conservative.