Eversharp Skyline

January 16, 2012

so i just got this fountain pen in the mail today, so i thought i would do a review of it since i benefit so often from the reviews i read here. this is my first review, so i hope you are as entertained/informed from this as i am from the other articles on this forum. forgive the quality of the pictures, but they're as macro as possible with the little point and shoot i have.

Intro -

i bought this pen on ebay. it is an eversharp skyline in dove grey with a semi-flex, 14k nib. i often see these pens with partially or entirely gold filled caps, but mine is fairly plain (and i prefer it this way). i also remember reading a thread about an alternative clip style that doesn't go over the derby like mine, but i can't seem to find it at the moment. anyway, my cap is definitely one of those inspired by the Twentieth Century Limited locomotive.

http://i.imgur.com/JnACr.jpg

Appearance & Design –

when i was first introduced to the world of fountain pens, i was quite picky of colors and design. i'm not one that is especially enamored by the classic cigar design, so i tended to be drawn to alternative designs. this design, though somewhat cigar shaped, makes a slight break from the dual rounded ends by tapering toward the end of the body. by the pictures alone, there was something about the design of this pen that i wasn't entirely keen on, though i wasn't entirely sure what it was. however, when i got the pen today, i realized that it was an angle thing. this pen looks great and fits perfectly into my rotation and pocket protector. the gold furniture doesn't stand out too much on the monotone body, which i like. the body screws into the cap with 1.5-2 turns.

http://i.imgur.com/W6deB.jpg

Construction & Quality –

The pen was in decent condition when i received it, although the seller claims to have restored it. there is a new sac in it, which works well (to my knowledge). i found a few patches (traces, really) of some sort of dried resin or SOMETHING on the barrel and cap, which came off with my fingernail eventually. when i pulled out the nib and feed for inspection, the nib had some sort of green buildup on the base/tail on both sides, which i was able to remove. generally, the construction seems solid for being such a time capsule, and appears to have held up to the ages quite well. there is a tiny amount of brassing where the cap meets the lever, which i understand is quite common because of the design. i've heard that some of the plastics used for manufacturing of this pen were more prone to crystallization, warping, and the general woes of aging. that being said, i will be more gentle with it than my rotring 600, but this skyline doesn't seem fragile at all. the clip has a little give when pushed side to side, but has a healthy amount of spring left in it.

tl;dr-- this pen is old, but still kicking.

Weight & Dimensions –

the plastic body is quite light. the pen isn't too light, but is definitely a member of the lighter pen camp. i would say it is a touch heavier than a Pilot 78g, Lamy 27, or Pelikan m205, and worlds lighter than my rotring. definitely pleasant to hold, very well balanced when posted, and not uncomfortable to write with unposted.

http://i.imgur.com/hdtzL.jpg

Nib & Performance –

i was suprised when the seller told me that it was a medium flex, as i have to put a considerable amount of pressure down to flex it from F to B. i can technically get it to go to BB, but the paper that i am using begins to show signs of scrapes at that point. the nib itself is 14k gold with an inscription that reads: "eversharp/14k/made in USA"

in my writing sample i said there is a bit of tooth. this is because the nib tines seemed to be slightly misaligned. but since writing with it, the tooth seems to have disappeared and the tines are no longer at different angles. i've still got a bit of feedback, perhaps as much as i had originally (a pleasant amount to say the least...i like the way this pen "talks" to me). but at this point i'm curious if my experimentation fixed a problem permanently or temporarily. the nib is between medium flow and wet, which works for me (though i prefer drier nibs). the lines are juicy but crisp (with different ink than sailor blue).

http://i.imgur.com/5muXG.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/P8Q5R.jpg

Filling System & Maintenance –

this pen uses a lever filler. i've never had one of these, so i'm a bit on the clueless side when it comes to knowing the secret to a fill ink sac, but i will no doubt learn the trick eventually. i'm not the kind of person who carries an inkwell around, so if this pen has a low ink "meter" then not only will i not be able to see it because of the lack of ink windows on this type of filler, but i will also not be able to do anything about it. c'est la vie, though, the secret to fill it to the brim will reveal itself to me eventually.

http://i.imgur.com/ztiXy.jpg

Conclusion -

i'm very happy to have this pen as a new addition to my rotation. i tend to keep only pens that serve specific purposes, which keeps my collection very small and very specialized. i will be using this pen to continue writing and drawing in my blog and i hope it serves me well. i certainly do have plans for it.

color me satisfied (so far).

edit: edited for details i forgot about and left out.

Edited January 16, 2012 by nerbiotxiste

January 16, 2012

Welcome, and thanks for a really good first review! It looks like you are developing something of an affinity for that semi-flex nib.

As to the filling system, all you have to do is make sure that you have inserted the nib into the ink until the ink is just covering the start of the section, down there where it flares out to keep your fingers off the nib. Then keeping the pen in the ink, lift the lever up gently and release it. Keep the pen in the ink for a count of ten--as the sac expands it gradually draws ink in through the feed. Then pull the pen out, wipe it clean, and your are ready to go. No need for repeated pumping or special tricks.

Lever-fill pens tend to be quite repeatable, so you can gauge how much ink you have left from experience. Some people refill the pen the same day every week, for example. Not as definite as with an ink-view window, but it works.

Enjoy!

ron

January 16, 2012

Ron - I will have to conditionally disagree with part of your instructions on filling. If the pen has been properly restored, it should have a breather tube within the ink sac. If it has a breather, then in order to fill the pen completely one would have to work the filler lever up and down several times. The tattle tale will be if the pen blows air bubbles when you lift the filling lever with the nib and section in ink. Pens with no breather tube will usually blow bubbles only on the first pull of the lever. Pens having breather tubes will blow bubbles even on the second, third and maybe ever subsequent pulls of the lever. To fully fill a pen with a breather tube (which the Skyline should have), work the filler lever enough times that the pen stops emitting air bubbles. Then it will be as full as it can be.

Of course, some less than thorough repair tech's may re-sac a Skyline without its breather tube. If you get one of these, the pen probably will not hold as much ink as it is supposed to hold.

Skylines are cool pens. I have one of each size (demi, standard and esecutive) and I enjoy the looks these pens draw at the office. Enjoy!

January 16, 2012

Hi,

Nice review, as to the nib the designation "flexible" would be correct. What was called "flexible" during the 1940's was a lot less flexible than the flexible nibs from , say, the 1920's so going from F to B is pretty good. I wouldn't force it to BB.