Wahl Eversharp Skyline, EF?

[Tsujigiri]

I’ve heard of this pen for a while, but only recently took a closer look. The reason: because it looked ugly. But the appearance has grown on me, especially after seeing it in person. I’ve started to like this pen more and more, and am now convinced that it’s a pen everyone should have.

 

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj309/tsujigiri01/_MG_1534.jpg

 

Build Quality: 8/10

 

It’s put together well enough; I can’t really fault it for anything. The folded-over clip could be built a little sturdier, but it’s all in all a well-made pen.

 

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj309/tsujigiri01/_MG_1540.jpg

 

Grip, Balance, and Feel: 9/10

 

The grip on the Skyline is wide enough to be comfortable, but not so wide as to make it a large pen. It’s also a fairly long grip section, and the threads are shallow, so my fingers don’t get irritated by the threads as they do on some pens. The pen is very light and well-balanced, with the cap posted on the back or not. I get the sense that the cap isn’t meant to post, though, since the lever is located right where the cap should go. I’ve seen pens with the plating on the lever worn in that area from regular posting.

 

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj309/tsujigiri01/_MG_1541.jpg

 

Filling System: 6/10

 

The lever-filling works well and is convenient. The lever is spring loaded, so it jumps back into place. It’s a simple gold bar in the side of the barrel, which fits the design very nicely.

 

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj309/tsujigiri01/_MG_1536.jpg

 

Nib: 10/10

 

This pen has a very fine nib, but is extremely smooth and wet despite that. Part of this may be due to the feed, which has an odd longitudinal line shape. The Skyline far outperforms my other pen with a nib size close to this; the Platinum President. I’ve been very impressed with how fun it is to use, despite my conviction that wider nibs give more fountain pen fun than thinner ones do. I don’t know how the wider nibs perform, though. The nib is bent down a little on mine; I’m not sure if this is a design feature or a tweak made by a restorer. My nib has absolutely no flex, which was something I was looking for in a vintage pen. However, I know Wahl made flexier nibs, and this would be a fine nib by modern standards.

 

Value: 10/10

 

Prices for this pen are insanely diverse. They can range anywhere from $20 for a beat-up user to $300 for an oversized celluloid. I got this one at the LA Pen Show after scoping out the selection around the whole room. Most of the pens seemed to collect around the $50 and $100 price points. This one, however, in burgundy and gold (very dark burgundy, I know it looks black in the photos) was $35 restored and working. For a gold-cap specimen in good condition, I think I got a good deal. Among all pens, this is an extremely good deal. There aren’t any other pens out there that I know of that offer what this pen does at this price and are so readily available. Skylines are one of the easiest to find vintage pens out there. I was considering getting an Esterbrook earlier during the pen show (pretty much all of the basic ones are $25), but changed my mind after spotting this one. For $10 more, it offers a gold nib, more history (Skylines were made between 1941 and 1948), significance to the design (they were designed by Henry Dreyfuss after his train locomotive), better build, a gold-filled cap, and a more comfortable grip (the proximity of the threads to the grip on the Esterbrooks was a real turn-off for me). This is more than enough justification for me to go with the Skyline over the Esterbrook. Let’s also consider the revered Parker 51 compared to the Skyline. The Skyline has a larger exposed gold nib, an integrated filling mechanism, and costs less than the 51 for a comparable specimen. I looked at the 51 at the show as well, but I don’t see myself with one in the near future. The Skyline seems to be one of the best-kept secrets of the pen world, and one of the most underrated pens out there. The Skyline gives me more pen for the money than anything else I have, and it’s readily available.

 

Conclusion:

 

This is the first time I’ve said this in a review, but if you don’t have this pen, get one. At the lower price range, I can’t imagine why you’d regret it. Some pens are good deals, but this one is not only that, it’s also easy to find and iconic. The unique design is easily recognizable, and it represents the 40’s fantastically.

 

[gyasko]

I rather like Skylines. The one problem is that they can be quite brittle, which makes them less than ideal as user pens. I had a beater that i thought use, but everytime i took it out it seemed to lose another chunk of plastic. Great nibs, though!

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

Yes, they really are a pen that grows on you.I started out with one, am now up to three and have an eye out for more.

[FrankB]

When I was a kid in the 1950's and 60's, I thought the Skyline had what I called a "streamlined" look, which I now know is Art Deco. Even then, I was not sure I liked it. The pen barrels did have a plastic feel, so I never really tried to write with one. It is many years later, and I have a number of Eversharp pens, including the Skyline. I have come to value the Art Deco design and I think they are great writing pens.

 

If you like the Skyline model, you might also like the Symphony. It has more of a 1950's look to it. The barrel continues to have a plastic look, including visible seams at the barrel threading, but the Symphony pens I have write very well.

 

Thanks for a good review and an interesting thread.

Edited February 20, 2009 by FrankB

[I am not a number]

I'm rather late into this particular party but my first Eversharp arrived today and I have to report that I am slightly amazed that it took me so long to get one. I initially thought that the styling was not really for me (despite being an Art Deco fan) but as another poster commented, it just sort of grew on me.

 

The nib is fantastic and overall I am very pleased with the purchase. I agree with the review above with the reservation that I would have scored the filling system slightly higher (but that's not surprising as I like lever fillers).