Zenith +/- 1940 any info?

[Martin F]

Hello All,

 

I bought the following pen 2 years ago and I have very little info about it.

 

Zenith appr.1940

Zenith Extra 18kr

Nib: Zenith Extra Oro 585 no.6

 

 

Can anyone tell me more about the brand Zenith, age and value of this pen?

 

Thanks!

[jar]

First, welcome home. IIRC Wearever promoted a Zenith line, but it was still one of the mid to low tier pens. I remember one I had had a hard clear plastic feed that was supposed to help show when the pen was running out of ink.

 

The value is probably in the $5-10.00 range.

[OiRogers]

Was it Wearever or Wahl that had the Zenith sub-brand?.... only reason I add Wahl is that pen has a lot in common with the Skyline model pens.

 

(At least it appears too on my cell-phones screen which I'm reading the forum on today.)

[jar]

Was it Wearever or Wahl that had the Zenith sub-brand?.... only reason I add Wahl is that pen has a lot in common with the Skyline model pens.

 

(At least it appears too on my cell-phones screen which I'm reading the forum on today.)

 

Wearever and yes, the resemblance was not accidental.

[OiRogers]

Interesting, I've never looked at Wearever seriously... I'll have to do a bit of research to sate my own piqued interest now.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I have 4 Weavers from 1938-42 that are nice looking pens. I have the bodies but no the caps of some very nice looking 1950 pens...wish I had the caps.

 

I bought a box of pen parts on Ebay...for the Esterbrooks but was pleasantly surprised by the old Wearevers.

 

Delux was also a line that was good pens by Wearever, along with Zenith (then a big Radio and TV manufacture of good products) Pacemaker too.

 

On Fountain Pen Com, David Lively, has great history of the pen. He was once before sickness forced him to sell, the expert on Wearevers.

That was how I was able to date my 1938-42 pens.

[rwilsonedn]

As far as I know, what you show in the photo is not a Wearever Zenith. That is a quite different pen with (at least in the example I have) a hard rubber body and cap, and the word Wearever clearly stamped on the clip. The Wearever Zeniths are very nice pens, but very much Wearevers, not a copy of anything else. What you have shown is a pretty detailed copy of a Wahl-Eversharp Skyline, or perhaps an actual Skyline with a clip from a different pen. My bet would be on the latter, since the pen is so close to the subtle shape of a skyline in so many respects. What does the writing on the nib and at the base of the cap say?

ron

Edited May 16, 2010 by rwilsonedn

[Martin F]

What does the writing on the nib and at the base of the cap say?

 

 

NIB says: Zenith extra oro 585 no 6

CAP says: Zenith Extra 18 KR and probably the Zenith logo

 

Regards Martin

[jar]

What does the writing on the nib and at the base of the cap say?

 

 

NIB says: Zenith extra oro 585 no 6

CAP says: Zenith Extra 18 KR and probably the Zenith logo

 

Regards Martin

 

Martin, Letizia mentions an Italian company that sold pens under the Zenith name in Volume one Two of her Book La Storia della Stylographica in Italia and on page 228 shows your pen. She has little information on the company and it seems the pens themselves were often made by other companies. According to Letizia towards the latter days of the company they made many pens that were copies of American pens, notably the Parker 51 and obviously from your example, the Skyline. They were mostly sold through mail order.

 

It seems I was wrong thinking it was a Wearever and hope this helps.

Edited May 16, 2010 by jar