Vintage Pen Pitfalls...

[mkoenig]

Good Morning All,

 

As my new FP begins to work itself through the cycle of coming from the Distributors in Cleveland to Milwaukee, I'm already on to my next venture. I'd really like a 30's/40's Vacumatic. For a couple of reasons, they were made in WI, and I think the mechanism is really neat! Also, they're cool looking, and I hear, if you buy the right one, very useable.

 

So, with that said, what are some of the pitfalls I may encounter when searching for and purchasing said instrument?

 

Are there certain questions one should ask when speaking with the merchant?

 

Again, I'm looking to use this pen, not just shelve it.

 

Thanks for your input!

 

Mark

[Keith with a capital K]

The Vacumatic rates as one of the finest pens ever made and they have held up remarkably well in the past 60 plus years.

 

The best way to buy a Vacumatic is to get one from a reputable seller/restorer who can guarantee the work and performance of the pen. The cost of a pen like this should still be close to what you'd pay if you bought the same pen and had it restored.

 

If you come across wild pens that you might want to have restored I'd always look closely for any cracks and having a 20x loupe and checklight really comes in handy.

 

You want the cap, section, and barrel to be free of cracks and it should not have an inordinate amount of scratches.

 

The nib should be undamaged and the tipping should be intact and relatively abundant.

 

The trim should be relaitively free of brassing and the plating on vintage Parkers is generally very good. Not quite in the same league as vintage Sheaffers though

 

The barrel itself should have decent clarity although unrestored pens could have residual ink that clouds the barrel which will come out when the pen is cleaned and restored.

[mkoenig]

Thanks Keith,

 

Do you have any places that you feel are reputable that I may begin my search? On-line or otherwise?

 

Regards,

 

Mark

[Keith with a capital K]

I don't have anything that would fit that bill since keeping Vacs here is nearly impossible. They just don't last very long.

 

Why don't you post a "Want to buy" notice on the trade forum as I am sure you will get many good respponses.

 

There is almost no such thing as having one vacumatic so consider yourself warned, they can spoil you for other pens pretty quickly.

 

[mkoenig]

Keith,

 

Dually noted! I'm not opposed to having multiple Vacs...I'd be okay with that!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Keith with a capital K]

My favourite Vac colour/pattern is golden pearl although the Vacs thst came in yesterday and this morning are both Azure blue double jewel models which are quite the fine looking pens.

[John]

I acquired a golden pearl Debutante the other day as part of a mixed lot off fleabay. Working too! Especially nice as I have a golden pearl pencil. Also a working 51 Vac plus five other pens. Not bad for $60.

[mkoenig]

John,

 

Wow, good deal! I took the plunge and bid on a few items on ebay myself...we'll see if I get burned or not. I've never bid on anything there, so...

 

I've got my shiny new Pelikan 800 coming next week, if all else fails, that should be in working order!

 

Cheers, and thanks for letting me know that they're out there!

 

Mark

[John]

Fleabay is a bit of a (Potty Mouth) shoot but I can repair most of what comes in. I haven't done a Vac yet, haven't had too, but if I do need to I can get a vac tool and parts from Martin easily enough.

[babydoc]

Mark, I noted that you are from Milwaukee. Have you tried to contact Susan Wirth? She lives in Milwaukee and is a veritable source of information and has lots of vintage pens available. I have purchased several from her in the past and have nothing but good things to say about her. She is very helpful in selecting the right pens for your writing style. I am familiar with Daly's pen shop--helpful folks, good selection and fair prices--I live just south of Milwaukee. Good luck with pen hunting! Feel free to contact me back channel.