What Is This? 14K Overlay, Piston, Swiss "global" Nib

[terim]

I'm hoping SOMETHING about this pen rings a bell in SOMEONE's recollection ...

 

It seems to be 14k overlay in a barleycorn pattern. The nib is marked "1st Quality Global" and "Swiss-Made" and is nicely flexible. There are no marks other than "585" on the clip. The part of the barrel that is not covered with gold shows a cross-hatch pattern. The end know screws off to reveal a plastic turning knob.

 

 

So .... what do you think?

 

TERI

 

 

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae215/terimorris239/One%20Off%20Pens/swiss_585_pistonfiller1.jpg

 

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae215/terimorris239/One%20Off%20Pens/swiss_585_pistonfiller2.jpg

 

http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae215/terimorris239/One%20Off%20Pens/swiss_585_pistonfiller3.jpg

[DET]

I have no idea what it is, but I want it!

[johniem]

That is one beautiful pen, but I don't have a clue as to its identity. The clip looks familiar (it's shape, etc.). Although I would love to have it, I'm sure it's value is far out of my reach.

[Brian Anderson]

So THAT's where my pen ended up!

 

Nice looker. Obviously European in origin, but other than that, it's may be hard to pin down. Please let us know if you find out any more information!

 

Cheers!

Brian

[Brian K]

I have no idea what it is, but I want it!

 

+1, but I bet I can't afford it

[ehemem]

Nib apart, might it be some Czech pen like a 1930s Barclay or other maker? Looks familiar.

 

Might want to run this past member Khufu.

[terim]

Thanks for the lead, I'll see what Khufu has to say. I'll update this post if I find anything out.

 

TERI

[Khufu]

Thanks for the lead, I'll see what Khufu has to say. I'll update this post if I find anything out.

 

TERI

 

Hello,

 

very interesting pen. Solid 14 carat gold, wow. It looks very "central european". But i think it is not Bohemian pen. There are always czechoslovakian assay marks on solid gold/silver metals. There was very strict assay legislation in Czechoslovakia. Everything made of solid gold/silver had to be checked by the assay office. That´s why even our gold nibs have usually the assay mark, which is very rare in world. (You can see that on Kroutl nibs for example.) I know in Germany and Italy they usually mark 585/14ct for gold content, no assay marks.

Although the clip looks similar to some Kroutl clips. The pen itself looks little similar to some Smaragd pens. IMHO I think it may be of Swiss(as the nib is)/German or even italian origin?

Edited January 19, 2012 by Khufu

[Freddy]

Teri, I'm inclined toward Teutonic...Your pen has a resemblance in appearance

{shape/proportions} to Montblanc # 334 solid 585 barleycorn pattern{ c. 1951ish } or Osmia

solid 585 barleycorn pattern{ c.1930s }..

 

Fred

[terim]

Thanks for the ideas and new keywords to look up. Yes, on solid gold pens I expect to see every piece of the pen marked, but this is only marked on the clip. I may have to conclude it is Swiss, if only because of the way the nib is marked.

 

Perhaps someone has seen this "1st Quality Global" nib on another pen, as that may help us further.

 

Best regards

TERI

[Maja]

Hi Teri, I have a Senator piston-filler that is a dead ringer for the pen but its SENATOR-marked nib is a different shape and the clip is slightly different. Sorry---that's probably not much help, LOL...

[paolino_paperino]

Can't help with the identification, but it sure is a beautiful pen.

[Bo Bo Olson]

You make fine professional pictures. I make ugly amateur blotches.

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/SAM_0608.jpg

 

http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm300/BoBoOlson/SAM_0609.jpg

 

Mine had a steel Luxor easy full flex nib and a fishbone barrel under the overlay that was loose.

I think my original pen was a Luxor. Yours might have had a different maker. I can see some of your pattern...but not enough to see if it too is fishbone.

Fishbone was common mid-late '30's to a number of makers. Luxor was one.

There is no Luxor marks that I could find on my barrel or piston twister. Some Luxor's had a mark there on the cap of the 'twister'.

 

Fishbone is not herringbone.

 

A bit of well thinned shellac solved that.

For €16 it cleaned up to looking brand new. A jewelry cloth did not get it clean. I really got to make a new picture of that.

 

The cap and barrel ends by mine is slightly different, not a pure flat cap like yours but more disk, under a rim. Other than that I'd say the same engraving machine.

 

I date mine as 1938-40 because the fishbone body was popular pre war. Summer of 1938 Hitler steals the gold from the pen industry. So all that was left was silver until he stole that too...a bit later. And right after the war when there might still have been a fishbone body's pen still in the supply bin, no one had money for a silver overlay.

 

So, I'd date yours to pre summer of '38. The Swiss would have had it's own nib stamping machine.

 

 

Mine is 900 silver.

I think it's a Jewelry store or Pforzheim German product. Mine too because of no makers mark.

 

Pforzheim was/is the gold and silver jewelry center of Germany. I suspect they made silver and gold overlays.

The worlds finest jewelry museum is there...astounding how up to date some of that 4,3,2000 year old stuff is.

Much can not be made today because of the high cost of labor...and would need a master to do it.

Joop's daughter should spend a couple of days there and learn what beauty really is.

 

What does the underside look like...the feed and how much tipping is on the nib.

The nib could well be after the war..if it has an American bump under it.

From the top it looks like it has more tipping than was was normally used by German nibs.

 

Now that mine is out of the humidor got to think what ink, to ink it with.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Bo Bo Olson

[Dib]

Hi

I suspect the pen is made after 1945. Such sleeves were made in many patterns by specialized suppliers as the company that makes the Montblanc clips still today.

Regards from Pforzheim

Dirk

[Bo Bo Olson]

Dib from Pforzheim; knows more than I do. The gold pen could be after the war...there appears to be some sideways buffering slits.

I can't see what pattern the pens shows in the ink window.out side there appears to be a pattern.

 

Such machines were in use before the war too. I saw a nice video of some one doing the same today with an old machine. I don't remember from when he dated his machine.

 

In my case I still date mine to pre-war: the 900 silver overlay 'Luxor' nibbed, pre-war fishbone style pen.

 

They could well have afforded a gold nib, if they could afford the silver, after the war. The nib says pre-war too, with a flat bottomed no buffering slits, to a 4X tine spread full flex...a bit harder than my 100N.

 

 

I don't remember exactly which pen company it was, but right after the war, the town mayor scrapped his little gold plates of his mayors 'necklace' badge so some pen company could make gold nibs.

The pen company of course made the badge necklace again as soon as they could.

[Dib]

this is from a post war leaflet:

 

[georges zaslavsky]

interesting, wonder who is the manufacturer but nice pen in every case